The National Security Podcast

Join us at the pod squad members’ lounge as we field your questions on all sorts of issues, from how countries are performing on emissions reduction to which politician you’d least like to be stuck in conversation with at the annual Midwinter Ball. On the first episode of our special Ask Policy Forum series, regular hosts and special guests crack a beverage and chat about what you want to know. Le...

In this episode of National Security Podcast , Sam Roggeveen joins Chris Farnham and Katherine Mansted to talk about his recent paper Our Very Own Brexit: Australia’s Hollow Politics and Where It Could Lead Us . Is Australia seeing a surge in conservative sentiment, or is the nation being led by political parties in search of a new identity? On this National Security Podcast,  we are joined b...

Is press freedom a national security issue? If it is, what does that mean for Australia’s regional relations and its fight against foreign interference? In this episode of the National Security Podcast , Katherine Mansted and Rory Medcalf discuss their recent submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and National Security on freedom of the press. They  also unpack pivotal nat...

In this National Security Podcast , Dr Charles Edel and Dr Gorana Grgic discuss the details of the new United States Studies Centre report, Impeachment: The insider’s guide . Dr Edel explains the origins of the impeachment process and how it works, and when it was designed to be applied. Dr Grgic takes us through President Trump's peculiar brand of foreign policy-making, what it means for states i...

In this National Security Podcast , Defence Minister Mariya Didi explains what drives the Maldives to look to its democratic neighbours, India and Sri Lanka, as the nation’s security partners and most important relationships. She talks of the impact of climate change on the island nation and tells us what it is like to live on and make policy for islands whose highest elevation is less than 5 metr...

In this National Security Podcast, Zac Rogers and Katherine Mansted talk about why political leaders have long been attracted to the idea that technology is a revolutionary key to progress and power. They also discusses how ideas about technology and modernity have animated brutal political regimes, global business models, and ideologies – from Leninism to Maoism. From China’s emerging brand of 't...

In this National Security Podcast, Nicholas Rasmussen, former director of national counter-terrorism in the United States, and Jacinta Carroll, Australian policy professional in countering violent extremism, join Chris Farnham to talk about how current policy is hampering a whole-of-government response to domestic terrorism.  The panel discuss how extremism policy differs from country to country,...

What poses the greatest risk, Islamic terrorism or far-right extremism? First exploring whether right-wing extremism is a new challenge and why conspiracy theories seem to have such great influence with the ‘alt-right’ and ultra-nationalists, the panel ask if there is a counter-balance to the threat of right-wing extremism. In the second pod of the series Nick Rasmussen, the former head of US nati...

As Facebook advances its plan for a new cryptocurrency – Libra – we ask what the fintech revolution means for national security. Will a major player like Facebook take crypto mainstream, and if so, how could that reshape global financial flows and economic power? In this National Security Podcast , Katherine Mansted explores what is shaping the cryptocurrency landscape - from the invisible creator...

Too often, discussion of the 'Indo-Pacific' is heavily focused on China, the United States and India. While these nations are the biggest actors in the region, it is important to note that they are not the only nations with influence. As security policy evolves, we ask how other nations, from big economies such as Japan and Indonesia, to smaller states like Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, are intern...

As technology alters the constraints that geography poses on nations, societies, and individuals, how will national security change? How will the fragmentation of society along lines of proximity, ethnicities, and belief systems evolve in an increasingly networked world? Is Brexit the beginning of disintegration for Europe, can Russia ever be brought in from the cold, and what role, if any, does t...

In this episode of the National Security Podcast we talk to Kelly Magsamen about American national security policy - what is driving it, where it is going, and if we’re headed into a cul-de-sac of policy failure. We also find out if the Obama administration moved too slowly to counter China’s militarisation of the South China Sea or whether it was a mistake by Beijing to even build bases amongst i...

In this National Security Podcast extra, we speak to Professor Hugh White AO about his new book, How to Defend Australia . Hugh argues for a radical shift in the way we view America’s role in Asia, and that Australia can no longer count on US support should it find itself under the threat of being attacked. The discussion includes how China’s expanding economic and military power is dominating the...

As geopolitical competition intensifies again in the region, Southeast Asia finds itself increasingly pressured by China and the US. Whilst China aggressively pursues its claim over Southeast maritime territory, it also commits to large investment programs throughout the region. And as the US defence establishment works to convince East Asia that American commitment to the region is not waning, Pr...

Is artificial intelligence (AI) the game-changer many think it will be? Will advances in AI change the nature of competition and conflict between states, or lift the fog of war? Do the American and Chinese militaries even have what it takes to fully operationalise AI, and what are the weaknesses and risks of each country’s approach? In this episode of the  National Security Podcast , Katherine Man...

Technology and innovation are key drivers of social progress and economic prosperity. At the same time, emerging technologies can be 'double-edged swords' used to undermine security and democracy. Innovation is also no longer something driven by genius individuals or major government projects. It is a highly comercialised, globalised endeavour. This means that the private sector is often caught in...

After a rocky start, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is seeing somewhat of a renaissance. What is driving the renewed interest from the US, Japan, Australia, and India? What are these countries looking to achieve out of the dialogue? Is the Quad going to emerge as a method of containing China, or is this minilateral more mythical than meaningful? Listen here: In this episode of the National Se...

How are social media platforms changing who has power inside democracies and in international relations? Should Israel's recent strikes on Hamas change our thinking on cyber and the use of force? With Australia in the midst of an election and another coming up in the US next year, can ‘critical thinking’ really protect us from electoral interference and fake news? In this episode, Katherine Manste...

Why are relations between Washington and Beijing increasingly competitive, and should we expect a reset any time soon? Will Washington have an enduring role to play in the Indo-Pacific? Is technological advancement making strategy more difficult in the 21st century? How can democracies respond to the rising risk of technology-enabled foreign interference? In this National Security Podcast , Kather...

On this National Security Podcast , Brigadier Ewen Murchison from the UK Ministry of Defence joins Chris Farnham to talk about futures forecasting in national and international security. What is futures forecasting and how is it different to ‘crystal ball gazing’? Can we reliably predict the future of warfare and international security, or does strategic forecasting aim to achieve something entire...

How has history continuously pitted two nuclear-armed nations against each other over land-locked territory? In a deadly mix of terrorism, giant conventional forces, and nuclear weapons, India and Pakistan are again trading blows over the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. In this National Security Podcast extra , Chris Farnham hears from Dr Claude Rakisits and Dr Michael Cohen about the latest...

On this episode of the National Security Podcast , co-host Katherine Mansted talks data, cyber, democracy, and the social contract with Dr Lesley Seebeck, CEO of the Australian National University's (ANU) Cyber Institute. Is the growing collection and aggregation of data likely to empower the individual and strengthen democracy? Or is it more likely to benefit manipulative corporations and encoura...

In this episode of National Security Podcast , Professor Michael Clarke talks with Chris Farnham about terrorism in China and his latest edited book Terrorism and Counter Terrorism in China: Domestic and foreign policy dimensions . Is the security landscape in China’s western region dominated by jihadism, Uyghur independence movements, or state terrorism? What is the 'minority question' the Chines...

With the arrests of Australian and Canadian citizens in China, Rory Medcalf discusses the implications of arbitrary arrests not only for intergovernmental relations but also for greater society. Katherine Mansted – our new co-host of the National Security Podcast – then shares with us her insights into the unsealing of the indictments against Huawei, as well as what this actually means for the US...

Nick Rasmussen is the former Director of the US National Counterterrorism Centre. In a wide-ranging discussion with host Chris Farnham, he brings his experience and expertise to bear on ISIS and Al Qaeda, growing concerns around home-grown terrorism, and the new technological challenges facing the US counter-terrorism industry. Topics discussed also include the impact of America’s gun laws on coun...