Rear Vision — How History Shaped Today

Wrapping yourself in the national flag has become a common practice for far-right activists right across the Western world, particularly anti-immigration demonstrators. In the UK the co-opting of the Union Jack and the flag of St George has become so common it’s now described in derogatory terms as “flag-shagging”. In this episode, we explore the historic power of national flags as symbols of division, not just national unity. 
Guests:
Dr Anne Platoff – Flag expert and former librarian, University of California, Santa Barbara 
Laura Scofield – Design Director, The Atlantic
Dr Dominic Bryan – Professor of social anthropology, Queens’s University Belfast

Pete Hegseth U.S. Secretary for War (previously Defense) is one of the most powerful people on the planet. He says that two things have defined his life – his military service and his religious faith.

Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping are due to meet in Beijing in the near future, following a March postponement. China’s wish to subsume democratic Taiwan is certain to be one of the topics on the summit agenda. President Xi has reportedly instructed his military to be at capacity for an invasion by 2027, so 2026 could be Taiwan’s last year of freedom. Some analysts fear US military action in Iran and Venezuela may embolden Beijing. The Chinese Communist Party justifies its claim to Taiwan based on what it calls its “One China Principle”. But what exactly does “One China” mean?
Guests:
Jessica Drun – Washington-based China and Taiwan analyst
Dr Andrew Phillips – Professor of International Relations, University of Queensland 
Dr Mei-fen Kuo – lecturer in Contemporary Chinese Culture and History, Macquarie University
Dr Sow Keat Tok – Asia Institute, University of Melbourne
Dr Mark Harrison – Senior Lecturer, Chinese Studies, University of Tasmania

A wide-angle lens on the history of Innovation.
An unprecedented surge in human ingenuity has created six great waves of innovation.
What drove these breakthroughs? And where are we headed?

The government of Singapore this year sacked the leader of the Opposition — that's the way things happen in Singaporean politics. Though it looks like a model Westminster democracy, critics say it's actually a one-party state, dominated for more than 60 years by the People's Action Party. So, how is it that such a prosperous and modern nation has never managed to free itself from the long shadow of its authoritarian founder, Lee Kuan Yew.
Guests:
Dr Stephan Ortmann — Assistant Professor of Politics and Public Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Dr Michael Barr — Associate Professor of International relations, Flinders University
Dr Gillian Koh — Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore
Joshua Kurlantzick — Senior Fellow for SE Asia and South Asia, Council on Foreign Relations