Dive into the archives.
- US says Indian Photos of Cow Slaughter to Damage Bilateral Ties
NEW DEHLI, India – Recent publication of graphic images of cows at an American slaughterhuose released by the Indian Cultural Affairs Office on Thursday mean a stronger legal case against cattle consumption, the Indian government says. Indian government officials have been monitoring American slaughterhouse activity and the nation is still considering what kind of [...]
- Only in Australia
Taken by my sister during our Christmas trip to Australia.
I’m not sure what to think of the fact that the rack is empty—is it a sign of no supply or lots of demand?
- The Demarcation of Australia
Via Wikipedia comes this fascinating visual timeline of the demarcation of the borders that make up Australia’s six states, two major mainland territories, and other minor territories that exist today.
- The rise of the Pacific alliance
This weekend a NATO committee of 26 generals are meeting in Victoria, BC Canada to discuss the future of the mature Atlantic alliance. On the other side of the Pacific Ocean the leaders of America, Australia and Japan met to discuss the future of their young alliance.
Earlier this year Japan forged a joint security declaration [...]
- The Fighter’s Guard: Australia and the ‘Arc of Instability’
[It’s Oceania Day again, brought to you by the Strategist. We had some technical difficulties bringing you the post, but better late than never. – YH]
Back so soon? Australian troops patrolling in Honiara, Solomon Islands, April 2006.
It’s easy to understand why Canberra worries about the island arc to Australia’s north – Indonesia, New Guinea, and Melanesia. [...]
- Cursed by riches: Melanesian resource wars
Lihir gold mine, Papua New Guinea
A history of conflict
As has been explored in previous Oceania Day posts, conflict in Oceania – particularly in Melanesia – is often related to resources. The prime example is Bougainville, where in 1989 – in a scene straight out of John Robb’s Brave New War – angry landowners toppled [...]
- The White Man’s Anger
[The latest post in our ongoing Oceania Day series comes from the strategist who teaches us about the military history of his home country, and how it influenced modern warfare. — YH]
In the mid-19th century, fighting raged across much of New Zealand’s North Island as Maori tribes resisted the advance of British troops and land-hungry [...]
- Fanning the Embers: China and Instability in Oceania
Razed buildings in Honiara, Solomon Islands, April 2006.
Much of the debate about China’s rise in Oceania focuses on strategic considerations. Will Oceania become an arena of strategic competition between the US and China? How will China’s rise affect the interests of longstanding Pacific players, such as the US, Australia, New Zealand and Japan? But what [...]
- Transnational crime and street gangs in Oceania
[Pacific Empire’s Phil Howison brings us this week’s edition of Oceania Day – YH]
Home-grown street gangs are a growing threat to Oceania’s island states. In addition, criminal organizations from around the world have taken advantage of the economic vulnerability and weakness of the Pacific islands, using them as bases for money laundering, drug smuggling, [...]
- A Long Game: The Rise of China in Oceania
Hooray! It’s Oceania Day once again. This time the strategist gives us some insight into the changing power balance in the South Pacific. – YH
Oceania is often seen as a strategic backwater, isolated from the whirlpool of great power politics. This is far from true. In the 19th century, Western powers carved up Oceania’s islands. [...]
