The National Security Podcast

How do Australia’s experiences fit into the global contest over the climate change narrative and why is that contest now bleeding into discussion about the coronavirus pandemic? On this National Security Podcast, Chris Farnham is joined by Chris Zappone to tackle a growing spread of disinformation in the media and how it can affect a crisis.Australia’s recent bushfire crisis saw the nation’s computer screens, airwaves, and television screens dragged into the global disinformation storm over climate change. Who were the actors behind messages and memes claiming that the fires were the work of arsonists or climate change activists, and what were their aims? In this podcast we speak to Chris Zappone, Digital Foreign Editor for The Age and TheSydney Morning Herald to determine the answer to this and more on disinformation, from climate change to COVID-19.Chris Zappone is Digital Foreign Editor at The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, where his writing focuses on the interplay between technol

How do the impacts of climate change make it a national security issue, and how is climate change going to affect Australia’s preparedness for national resilience and even war? In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Chris Farnham speaks with Associate Professor Matt McDonald about where major risks likely lie for national defence, societal resilience, and regional security in the face of the climate crisis.Associate Professor Matt McDonald is Reader in International Relations at the School of Political Science and International Studies of the University of Queensland. His research focuses on critical theoretical approaches to security and their application to environmental change, Australian security policy, climate politics, and security dynamics in Asia and the Pacific.Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics

On this episode, Chris Farnham chats with Professor Rory Medcalf about the future of the Indo-Pacific region and Australia's place in it.Will any one country have the power to map the future of a region so central to global prosperity and security? If diplomacy fails, the Indo-Pacific will be the theatre of the first general war since 1945. But if its future can be secured, the Indo-Pacific will flourish as a shared space. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Chris Farnham speaks to Rory Medcalf about his new book, Contest for the Indo-Pacific: why China won’t map the future and Australia’s place in a multipolar region.Rory Medcalf is the head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 an

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. Led by Chris Farnham of the National Security Podcast, kick back as Mark Kenny of Democracy Sausage, Martyn Pearce of Policy Forum Pod, Professor Mark Howden, Associate Professor Carolyn Hendriks and Dr Arnagretta Hunter field your questions on life, the universe and everything.Future episodes of Ask Policy Forum will be released only to members of our Policy Forum Pod Facebook group, so make sure you jump online and join to get access to this exclusive monthly pod.Mark Howden is Director of the ANU Climate Change Institute. Mark was a major contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports for t

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 by Sam Roggeveen of the Lowy Institute to discuss where and how domestic politics and foreign policy interact, and ask what it would mean for Australia’s place in Asia if the country’s politics were to turn on multiculturalism.Sam Roggeveen is Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program and a Visiting Fellow at The Australian National University's Strategic and Defence Studies Centre.Katherine Mansted is a senior adviser at the National Security College and non-resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Previously, she was a commercial soli

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 national security issues for the region in the past year and discuss what policymakers should keep an eye out for in 2020.Rory Medcalf is the head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks and journalism.Katherine Mansted is a Senior Adviser for Public Policy at the National Security College and a Non-resident Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He j

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 in Eastern Europe facing Russian aggression, and how it came to be that Rudi Giuliani was able to run his own parallel and unaccountable US foreign policy in Ukraine. Finally, we ask what this all means for America’s allies and security partners in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.Charles Edel is Senior Fellow and Visiting Scholar at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Prior to this appointment, he was Associate Professor of Strategy and Policy at the US Naval War College and served on the US Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff from 2015-2017.Gorana Grgic is a jointly appointed Lecturer at th

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 metres above sea level as oceans rise. In a very candid and personal way, Minister Didi also details the struggle for democracy in the Maldives. She reflects on her experience of being ousted by the country’s security forces, only to return to government and command those very same forces as their Defence Minister. Minister Didi also provides insight into her leadership style, the pathway to reconciliation, and the sources of her personal courage and motivation.Mariya Didi is the current Minister for Defence of the Republic of Maldives, a former Member of Parliament and a leading human rights activist in the country.Chris

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 'techno-authoritarianism' to the 'technological nihilism' of some Silicon Valley companies, we ask how emerging technologies are shaping politics, power, and security.Hugely powerful digital corporations shape our daily preferences and behaviours, and potentially even our brains. Is the digital revolution on track to be an 'organ transplant the body rejects'? How can governments tame technology to serve their interests and values? And what would a whole-of-society conversation about digital democracy look like?Zac Rogers is Research Lead at the newly-established Jeff Bleich Centre for the US Alliance in Digital Technol

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, the role of politicians, and the tech sector's responsibility to recognise the difference between freedom of expression and the encouragement of violence.Jacinta Carroll is the Director of National Security Policy at the ANU National Security College. She was previously the inaugural head of ASPI’s Counter-Terrorism Policy Centre.Nicholas Rasmussen is a national security expert with over 27 years in US government service. He is Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Visiting Fellow at The Australian National University, former Director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, and current Senior Director of the McCain Inst

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 national counter-terrorism, and terrorism expert Jacinta Carroll will talk policy options to deal with this challenge.Alex Mann is a Sydney-based broadcast journalist with the ABC's flagship investigative podcast, Background Briefing. In 2017, he was recognised as South Australia’s Journalist of the Year and has won several other media awards for his reporting.Kristy Campion is a lecturer in terrorism studies at Charles Sturt University, with special focus on the history of terrorism and right-wing extremism. She holds first-class honours in terrorism history and a PhD on the same topic.Chris Farnham is the presenter of th

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 creators of Bitcoin, to nation-states with a penchant for fintech innovation. We discuss the opportunities and pitfalls of Facebook’s proposed new cryptocurrency, Libra, as well as the other crypto actors on the scene. Chris Zappone is Digital Foreign Editor at The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, where his writing focuses on the interplay between technology, politics, economics, and the future. Elise Thomas is a Researcher working with ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre. She has previously worked as a freelance journalist, including writing for Wired, Guardian Australia, SBS, Crikey and The Interpreter. Katherine Manste

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 internalising the concept and incorporating it into national strategy. In this week's episode, Chris Farnham goes in depth on national strategies in the Indo-Pacific region. Chatting Southeast Asia with Greta Nabbs Keller, the Pacific islands with Joanne Wallis, and then turning to Hiroyasu Akutsu for a discussion on Japan, this National Security Podcast offers insight into the shifting sands of the regions' policies. Hiroyasu Akutsu is a Senior Fellow and Professor at the National Institute for Defense Studies in Tokyo. He specializes in political and military issues on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia, Japan-Austr

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 the EU have to play in the tensions between the US and China? In this National Security Podcast, Chris Farnham talks to Jean-Marie Guéhenno, the author of The Fog of Peace, on how nations will evolve and what that means for national – or even city-based – security. In a networked world of fragmenting societies, the impact of technology and the balkanisation of the tech sector will change how we relate to each other and how we identify, collectivise, and defend ourselves. We also discuss the ‘what now’ for Europe in the face of a disruptive Russia, and whether the two will ever find common ground. Jean-Marie Guéhenno i

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 its Southeast Asian neighbours. And we ask considering the global rules-based order, why should we care anymore and did it ever even matter? Kelly Magsamen is the vice president for National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress. Prior to joining American Progress, she served in various national security positions. Magsamen was the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs and performed the duties of assistant secretary of defense. In these positions, she was a lead adviser to the secretary of defense for U.S. defense policy and strategy acro

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 region and what that means for the structure of Australia’s defence forces. As the region shifts and China flexes its military and economic muscles, how should Australia structure its national defence for the coming decades? Throughout his book, Hugh suggests that Australia should abandon its current plans for 12 French submarines and building 24 submarines, sell most of its newer vessels, and double the purchase of Joint Strike Fighter aircrafts. Little has set a fire under Australia’s national security community this much since his last book, The China Choice. Join us for an in-depth conversation where we test some

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, President Trump continues to sow uncertainty with diplomacy by Twitter. How is Southeast Asia reacting to these new regional flows, what is important to the people of the region, and how well are they being represented by their political leaders? How does the political communicate with the social? What role is the new media landscape playing in this new relationship? In this podcast, Chris Farnham speaks to three journalists from leading Southeast Asian media outlets discussing East Asian geopolitics, the influence of great powers in the ASEAN region, and how the media landscape is reacting to the Internet and social m

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 Mansted learns about the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) military modernisation and China’s drive to lead the world in AI, as well as the blind spots and limitations of the PLA’s focus on innovation. She also seeks to understand the key enablers of AI — from data and cloud computing to 5G — as well as the bureaucratic and doctrinal impediments to effective AI applications, and how countries can manage the safety and escalation risks of the AI 'race'. Elsa B Kania is an adjunct senior fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, a non-resident fellow with the Australi

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 the middle of nation-state power plays. It also finds itself increasingly on the front-lines of national security challenges – as a player, deliberate target, or collateral damage. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted finds out why states are increasingly engaging in acts of 'economic warfare' against each other, and how this affects private sector interests. She seeks to understand how national security policymakers can work more closely with the private sector, and how democratic governments can preserve the advantages that come with an open and global innovation sector, while manag

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 Security Podcast, four experts representing the thinking from each of the Quad nations put forward their positions on what the Quad is, what it is not, what each nation sees in the grouping, and where the divergences of interests may arise. Zack Cooper is a Research Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he studies US defence strategy in Asia. Dr Cooper is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Georgetown University and an associate with Armitage International. He previously served on staff at the Pentagon and White House, as well as the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Center for Stra