Latest Analysis from Insight's Contributors
  • Mr Meles Zenawi African leaders launch ‘super port’ project – Africa – Al Jazeera English. I heard rumours of something along these lines while in Addis. I was skeptical, but it seems to have become official.  This is huge for RoSS – a game changer: removes reliance on north Sudan. I can’t see Omar Bashir being happy; his major source of forex from transit fees will dry up … although that’s clearly a long way off.  Watch for him to foment all the unrest he can to stop it happening....

    African leaders launch ‘super port’ project – Africa – Al Jazeera English

    | By Ben | Posted on March 3, 2012 | No Comments
    Mr Meles Zenawi African leaders launch ‘super port’ project – Africa – Al Jazeera English. I heard rumours of something along these lines while in Addis. I was skeptical, but it seems to have become official.  This is huge for RoSS – a game changer: removes reliance on north Sudan. I can’t see Omar Bashir being happy; his major source of forex from transit fees will dry up … although that’s clearly a long way off.  Watch for him to foment all the unrest he can to stop it happening....

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  • I’ve written elsewhere about how the profit motive distorts fair food distribution: making it more appealing to sell wasteful amounts to the rich while the poor go hungry. What is interesting is seeing this happen on a micro scale here in Ethiopia. When I go out on to the street to buy fruit and vegetables, I only need to buy a very small amount; just enough for me for a couple of days. Maybe a couple of tomatoes, a papaya and a few oranges or grapefruit. But because I’m white,...

    Food security and profit maximising … at a micro-scale

    | By Ben | Posted on October 6, 2011 | No Comments
    I’ve written elsewhere about how the profit motive distorts fair food distribution: making it more appealing to sell wasteful amounts to the rich while the poor go hungry. What is interesting is seeing this happen on a micro scale here in Ethiopia. When I go out on to the street to buy fruit and vegetables, I only need to buy a very small amount; just enough for me for a couple of days. Maybe a couple of tomatoes, a papaya and a few oranges or grapefruit. But because I’m white,...

    Continue Reading...

  • This is infuriating stuff.  The investors in developing country farmland  legitimise their actions as being “win-win” for the developing country host and for the investor claiming both with benefit – the host will get development and the investor the surplus productivity. Yet as soon as there are hurdles in the developing country – things like “lack of electricity and paved roads”, which let’s face it, is what your investment is supposed to contribute if you are promising to help the developing country – the investors complain that the investment environment...

    Saudi Report plays up challenges in agriculture investment abroad

    | By Ben | Posted on October 6, 2011 | No Comments
    This is infuriating stuff.  The investors in developing country farmland  legitimise their actions as being “win-win” for the developing country host and for the investor claiming both with benefit – the host will get development and the investor the surplus productivity. Yet as soon as there are hurdles in the developing country – things like “lack of electricity and paved roads”, which let’s face it, is what your investment is supposed to contribute if you are promising to help the developing country – the investors complain that the investment environment...

    Continue Reading...

  • Sustainable development is a good principle, but a flawed term. For a start, it’s a term that has been hijacked by rich and powerful countries, enterprises and organisations to legitimize behaviours and for marketing & promotional purposes. Many companies employ sustainable development language – Mitsubishi Chemical Industries claims “sustainability” is integrated into its business (which compared to unsustainability is probably a good thing), but sustainable what, chemicals? or profits? and sustainable for whom? the company? On a smaller scale, Intrepid Travel brands itself as ‘responsible travel’ and conforming to the...

    ‘Equitable Evolvement’ not ‘Sustainable Development’

    | By Ben | Posted on July 9, 2011 | No Comments
    Sustainable development is a good principle, but a flawed term. For a start, it’s a term that has been hijacked by rich and powerful countries, enterprises and organisations to legitimize behaviours and for marketing & promotional purposes. Many companies employ sustainable development language – Mitsubishi Chemical Industries claims “sustainability” is integrated into its business (which compared to unsustainability is probably a good thing), but sustainable what, chemicals? or profits? and sustainable for whom? the company? On a smaller scale, Intrepid Travel brands itself as ‘responsible travel’ and conforming to the...

    Continue Reading...

  • There is lots of material and debate on the effectiveness or otherwise of development aid, including a reasonably body of opinion that speaks to the ineffectiveness of giving money and of doing projects then pissing off. In my own mind there is no doubt that it is imperative that the wealthy–individuals, corporations, countries–invest in and contribute to the development of the poor (indeed much more substantially than we do today), but I see the corruption inherent in the aid flowing into Cambodia and how small the percentage that flows down...

    Re-thinking Development Aid

    | By Ben | Posted on July 7, 2011 | No Comments
    There is lots of material and debate on the effectiveness or otherwise of development aid, including a reasonably body of opinion that speaks to the ineffectiveness of giving money and of doing projects then pissing off. In my own mind there is no doubt that it is imperative that the wealthy–individuals, corporations, countries–invest in and contribute to the development of the poor (indeed much more substantially than we do today), but I see the corruption inherent in the aid flowing into Cambodia and how small the percentage that flows down...

    Continue Reading...

  • Above is the RFA reporting on the forced eviction conflict in Cambodia I witnessed last Thursday.  The voiceover is in Khmer, but the images are self explanatory. Last night we spent a long time discussing the failure of the police to prevail.  They were poorly armed, poorly organised and turned to flee pretty quickly faced by the fury—and bravery—of the villagers.  There was at least one policeman in the terrible position of having his wife and son on the other side of the battlelines. This doesn’t make for dedicated troops....

    Land Conflict in Udong, 9 June 2011: Footage & Background

    | By Ben | Posted on June 11, 2011 | No Comments
    Above is the RFA reporting on the forced eviction conflict in Cambodia I witnessed last Thursday.  The voiceover is in Khmer, but the images are self explanatory. Last night we spent a long time discussing the failure of the police to prevail.  They were poorly armed, poorly organised and turned to flee pretty quickly faced by the fury—and bravery—of the villagers.  There was at least one policeman in the terrible position of having his wife and son on the other side of the battlelines. This doesn’t make for dedicated troops....

    Continue Reading...

  • First of all, an apology for so little analysis of world events recently: Clearly not because there has been nothing happening – au contraire – it seems the world is changing more rapidly than ever.  My excuse is simply that I’ve been headlong into my fieldwork in Cambodia which has proven to be heavily demanding on my time and (limited!) intellectual capacity.  Plus, much of the work is proving to be sensitive and I’m not yet in a position to write up analysis in a public forum. However, the moment...

    Building economic security through labour exports

    | By Ben | Posted on June 6, 2011 | 1 Comment
    First of all, an apology for so little analysis of world events recently: Clearly not because there has been nothing happening – au contraire – it seems the world is changing more rapidly than ever.  My excuse is simply that I’ve been headlong into my fieldwork in Cambodia which has proven to be heavily demanding on my time and (limited!) intellectual capacity.  Plus, much of the work is proving to be sensitive and I’m not yet in a position to write up analysis in a public forum. However, the moment...

    Continue Reading...

  • This post from guest contributor Hugh Evans. Hugh is undertaking the Masters of International Security program at the University of Sydney. Whenever the subject of Korea comes up in the media, invariably one sees a hubbub of discussion surrounding the possibility of a renewal of the conflict between the North (The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, DPRK) and the South (The Republic of Korea, ROK). What rarely seems to come up however is the danger posed not necessarily by a new cross DMZ conflict, but by the sudden collapse of...

    The real threat on the Korean Peninsula

    | By Guest | Posted on April 28, 2011 | 2 Comments
    This post from guest contributor Hugh Evans. Hugh is undertaking the Masters of International Security program at the University of Sydney. Whenever the subject of Korea comes up in the media, invariably one sees a hubbub of discussion surrounding the possibility of a renewal of the conflict between the North (The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, DPRK) and the South (The Republic of Korea, ROK). What rarely seems to come up however is the danger posed not necessarily by a new cross DMZ conflict, but by the sudden collapse of...

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  • Further to my previous posting today, here is a solution to world hunger. It will probably greatly reduce GHG emissions too, improving prospects for agriculture A Radical Plan for Cutting the Defense Budget and Reconfiguring the U.S. Military – By Douglas Macgregor | Foreign Policy. SHARE THIS PAGE: Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share with Stumblers Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post Tell a friend Print for later

    A Radical Plan for Cutting the Defense Budget and Reconfiguring the U.S. Military – By Douglas Macgregor | Foreign Policy

    | By Ben | Posted on April 27, 2011 | No Comments
    Further to my previous posting today, here is a solution to world hunger. It will probably greatly reduce GHG emissions too, improving prospects for agriculture A Radical Plan for Cutting the Defense Budget and Reconfiguring the U.S. Military – By Douglas Macgregor | Foreign Policy. SHARE THIS PAGE: Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share with Stumblers Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post Tell a friend Print for later

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  • Lester Brown’s article in FP for the first time in the mainstream IR/IS arena ssems to argue that food should be seen as a security issue, which is the case I’ve been making over recent months (see here and here, but two more detailed forthcoming publications are on the way). Lester says: ‘If we cannot produce higher crop yields with less water and conserve fertile soils, many agricultural areas will cease to be viable. And this goes far beyond farmers. If we cannot move at wartime speed to stabilize the...

    The geopolitics of hunger

    | By Ben | Posted on April 27, 2011 | No Comments
    Lester Brown’s article in FP for the first time in the mainstream IR/IS arena ssems to argue that food should be seen as a security issue, which is the case I’ve been making over recent months (see here and here, but two more detailed forthcoming publications are on the way). Lester says: ‘If we cannot produce higher crop yields with less water and conserve fertile soils, many agricultural areas will cease to be viable. And this goes far beyond farmers. If we cannot move at wartime speed to stabilize the...

    Continue Reading...

Insight's Reviews
  • Bahrain – Kingdom, Undercover – Foreign Correspondent – ABC. If you get a chance, this in depth report on the continuing situation in Bahrain is excellent. SHARE THIS PAGE: Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share with Stumblers Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post Tell a friend Print for later0April 21, 2011

    Bahrain – Kingdom, Undercover – Foreign Correspondent – ABC

    Bahrain – Kingdom, Undercover – Foreign Correspondent – ABC. If you get a chance, this in depth report on the continuing situation in Bahrain is excellent. SHARE THIS PAGE: Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share with Stumblers Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post Tell a friend Print for later

  • I used to be a very happy Emirates gold-card holding customer.  Since my frequent flier privileges with Emirates have lapsed, I thought I would try Etihad, so I booked a ticket with them to Riyadh. I booked the ticket on the basis of it being a flexible fare, which was just as well, because of the difficulties I’ve had in trying to organise a visa to Riyadh. Here is the fare table provided by Etihad I used to make my decision on buying an “Economy Flexible” class ticket.  Here is...1March 22, 2011

    Don’t use Etihad Airways!

    I used to be a very happy Emirates gold-card holding customer.  Since my frequent flier privileges with Emirates have lapsed, I thought I would try Etihad, so I booked a ticket with them to Riyadh. I booked the ticket on the basis of it being a flexible fare, which was just as well, because of the difficulties I’ve had in trying to organise a visa to Riyadh. Here is the fare table provided by Etihad I used to make my decision on buying an “Economy Flexible” class ticket.  Here is…

  • Barbara Demick (2010)  Nothing to Envy: Love, Life and Death in North Korea 4th Estate, London. Demick brings a little of the North Korean darkness into the light through the life stories of six defectors, each from the same part of the country. This is a very compelling read.  Thoroughly researched and extremely carefully reported.  Where-ever possible, Demick triangulates stories, descriptions and events to develop an insight into the DPRK which on one hand is touching and personal yet on the other, as objective and ‘accurate’ as possible. I found...0March 20, 2011

    Nothing to Envy – Barbara Demick

    Barbara Demick (2010)  Nothing to Envy: Love, Life and Death in North Korea 4th Estate, London. Demick brings a little of the North Korean darkness into the light through the life stories of six defectors, each from the same part of the country. This is a very compelling read.  Thoroughly researched and extremely carefully reported.  Where-ever possible, Demick triangulates stories, descriptions and events to develop an insight into the DPRK which on one hand is touching and personal yet on the other, as objective and ‘accurate’ as possible. I found…

  • Economist Richard Koo was a Lowy Distinguished Speaker last month. He makes a powerful case for continuing government stimulus after the GFC to prevent a return to economic collapse.  His case is based on compelling evidence from the experience of the Japanese economy and it’s ‘lost decades’.  Watch it here: Richard Koo: The world economic outlook. There is something about his case which rings true for me: I’ve long had a problem with the dominant “deficit=bad/surplus=good” discourse in our polity, on the simple premise that we all try to borrow...0March 20, 2011

    The world economic outlook – Richard Koo

    Economist Richard Koo was a Lowy Distinguished Speaker last month. He makes a powerful case for continuing government stimulus after the GFC to prevent a return to economic collapse.  His case is based on compelling evidence from the experience of the Japanese economy and it’s ‘lost decades’.  Watch it here: Richard Koo: The world economic outlook. There is something about his case which rings true for me: I’ve long had a problem with the dominant “deficit=bad/surplus=good” discourse in our polity, on the simple premise that we all try to borrow…

  • Another terrific Tariq Ali tirade against neoliberalism and American hegemony.  This one less in depth and more wide-ranging that during the Festival of Dangerous Ideas.  Here, Ali wanders from Obama’s domestic policies (education, healthcare) to international hotspots–Pakistan; Israel; Palestine; Egypt; Libya–and the global economic crisis.  I take his key message to be the unchanging stripes of American leadership, regardless of it being dressed in different coloured clothing. Watch it here: Tariq Ali on the Obama Syndrome. The discussion during question time is terrific.  I particularly his elucidation of the hypocrisy...0March 20, 2011

    Tariq Ali on the Obama Syndrome @ Perth Writer’s Festival

    Another terrific Tariq Ali tirade against neoliberalism and American hegemony.  This one less in depth and more wide-ranging that during the Festival of Dangerous Ideas.  Here, Ali wanders from Obama’s domestic policies (education, healthcare) to international hotspots–Pakistan; Israel; Palestine; Egypt; Libya–and the global economic crisis.  I take his key message to be the unchanging stripes of American leadership, regardless of it being dressed in different coloured clothing. Watch it here: Tariq Ali on the Obama Syndrome. The discussion during question time is terrific.  I particularly his elucidation of the hypocrisy…

  • Sakhr Al-Makhadhi reviewed the sad and moving documentary Shout, about two young men from the Golan Heights, for al Jazeera. I’m eager to get my hands on a (legal ) copy to watch, if anyone can point me in the right direction.  Here’s what Sakhr had to say: Two teenagers are enjoying the end of their summer holidays as they prepare to leave home for the first time to start university. It is a scenario that is played out across the world. But for Bayan and Ezat, their decision to...0March 12, 2011

    Documentary Shout – al Jazeera’s review

    Sakhr Al-Makhadhi reviewed the sad and moving documentary Shout, about two young men from the Golan Heights, for al Jazeera. I’m eager to get my hands on a (legal ) copy to watch, if anyone can point me in the right direction.  Here’s what Sakhr had to say: Two teenagers are enjoying the end of their summer holidays as they prepare to leave home for the first time to start university. It is a scenario that is played out across the world. But for Bayan and Ezat, their decision to…

  • This episode of al Jazeera’s EMPIRE is a review of the symbotic relationship between Hollywood and The War Machine. There is but one conclusion that can be drawn: If a movie has “with thanks to the US Dept of Defense” in the credits, then you’ve just been brain-washed. SHARE THIS PAGE: Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share with Stumblers Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post Tell a friend Print for later0December 24, 2010

    Hollywood and the war machine – Empire – Al Jazeera

    This episode of al Jazeera’s EMPIRE is a review of the symbotic relationship between Hollywood and The War Machine. There is but one conclusion that can be drawn: If a movie has “with thanks to the US Dept of Defense” in the credits, then you’ve just been brain-washed. SHARE THIS PAGE: Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share with Stumblers Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post Tell a friend Print for later

  • Tariq Ali spoke at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas in Sydney this month.  Ali is a man I have long admired for his willingness to stand up and challenge the dominant discourse. His presentation, which you can watch here, was primarily a discussion on terrorism and he drew parallels with history especially the French Revolution of the poor against the ‘corrupt’ society of the bourgeouise and on a critique of neoliberal no-longer-so-liberal western democracy. One of the central points of his lecture was that we are living in a “world...0November 25, 2010

    Tariq Ali @ Festival of Dangerous Ideas

    Tariq Ali spoke at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas in Sydney this month.  Ali is a man I have long admired for his willingness to stand up and challenge the dominant discourse. His presentation, which you can watch here, was primarily a discussion on terrorism and he drew parallels with history especially the French Revolution of the poor against the ‘corrupt’ society of the bourgeouise and on a critique of neoliberal no-longer-so-liberal western democracy. One of the central points of his lecture was that we are living in a “world…

  • The City and The City, China Mieville, MacMillan, 2009 OK, so those of you who know China Mieville will probably be asking how I can possibly justify making a post about one of his completely fantastic (in both senses of the word) novels here on Insight.  Well, let me tell you that for anyone who has studied, or has an interest in, the discipline of International Relations, this book stretches the understanding of the notion of sovereignty and its key precepts of territory, population and monopoly of the use of...0November 21, 2010

    The City and The City

    The City and The City, China Mieville, MacMillan, 2009 OK, so those of you who know China Mieville will probably be asking how I can possibly justify making a post about one of his completely fantastic (in both senses of the word) novels here on Insight.  Well, let me tell you that for anyone who has studied, or has an interest in, the discipline of International Relations, this book stretches the understanding of the notion of sovereignty and its key precepts of territory, population and monopoly of the use of…

  • Stanley Karnow, 1989, Random House, New York This remarkable project gives an incredibly detailed, thorough and well nuanced account of America’s imperial adventure in the Philippines and its enduring legacy. Karnow locates America’s arrival into the archipelago within the broad sweep of Filipino, Spanish and American history and at the intersection of the forces that shaped way that the relationship was to progress. He shows a knowledge of–and sensitivity toward–Filipino culture, language, tradition and its multi-ethnic complexity. Karnow takes pains to contextualise the historic narrative not only within these forces...0October 12, 2010

    In Our Image: America’s Empire in The Philippines

    Stanley Karnow, 1989, Random House, New York This remarkable project gives an incredibly detailed, thorough and well nuanced account of America’s imperial adventure in the Philippines and its enduring legacy. Karnow locates America’s arrival into the archipelago within the broad sweep of Filipino, Spanish and American history and at the intersection of the forces that shaped way that the relationship was to progress. He shows a knowledge of–and sensitivity toward–Filipino culture, language, tradition and its multi-ethnic complexity. Karnow takes pains to contextualise the historic narrative not only within these forces…

  • Released earlier this year but not widely distributed in Australia, the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury prize winning documentary Restrepo is worth a viewing for its unflinching look into life on the modern battlefield. Following a single platoon of American soldiers in Afghanistan’s notorious Korengal valley, the film covers every aspect of their lives on active duty – from the violence and bloodshed of the conflict to the interactions with the local tribes, the camaraderie of the team to the serious sleep deprivation and the deeply felt absence of family....0September 30, 2010

    Restrepo

    Released earlier this year but not widely distributed in Australia, the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury prize winning documentary Restrepo is worth a viewing for its unflinching look into life on the modern battlefield. Following a single platoon of American soldiers in Afghanistan’s notorious Korengal valley, the film covers every aspect of their lives on active duty – from the violence and bloodshed of the conflict to the interactions with the local tribes, the camaraderie of the team to the serious sleep deprivation and the deeply felt absence of family….

  • Just watched Green Zone. (Yeah, I know, everyone else saw it 6 months ago.)  Three things struck me. 1. The utter insubordination of Matt Damon’s character. Can you really imagine an American soldier behaving like that? Moreover, he would have been severely reprimanded right from the outset (in the WMD search briefing) when he blatantly disregards the superior officer’s orders to keep his mouth shut on the subject … and it only got worse from thereon in. 2. That one was  (to use an Americanism) rooting for the Iraqis in...0September 26, 2010

    Green Zone

    Just watched Green Zone. (Yeah, I know, everyone else saw it 6 months ago.)  Three things struck me. 1. The utter insubordination of Matt Damon’s character. Can you really imagine an American soldier behaving like that? Moreover, he would have been severely reprimanded right from the outset (in the WMD search briefing) when he blatantly disregards the superior officer’s orders to keep his mouth shut on the subject … and it only got worse from thereon in. 2. That one was  (to use an Americanism) rooting for the Iraqis in…

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