In Defence of (Occasional) Appeasement

It is the basis of sound policy to regard the world as it is, not as we might wish it. This means recognising the value, sometimes, of flexibility when dealing with regimes whose values are objectionable or worse. Tehran and Moscow come immediately to mind

Tom Switzer

Oct 26 2015

15 mins

The Case Against the New Iraq War

The mission to degrade and destroy the jihadist terrorof the self-styled Islamic State sounds like a noble and just cause, but the process of eradicating what is essentially a disparate group of Sunni militants is both complicated and fraught with the danger of unintended consequences

Tom Switzer

Nov 04 2014

20 mins

Why the ABC Should Be Privatised

Were the ABC to be sold off it might just be possible to take in an entire night's viewing without once shouting at the screen

Tom Switzer

May 11 2013

16 mins

The Roots of American Despair

A couple of years ago, the conventional wisdom held that […]

Tom Switzer

Dec 31 2010

16 mins

John Howard and the media

He was called a “fool” (Michael Leunig), an “unflusha­ble turd” (Mungo MacCallum), a “scheming, menda­cious little man” (Alan Ramsey), who silenced dis­sent (Clive Hamilton), corrupted the public debate (David Marr) and used right-wing religious activists to indoctrinate the nation (Marion Maddox). He was also “far and away the worst prime minister in living memory” (Phillip Adams).

Tom Switzer

Feb 08 2010

7 mins

The Surge to Success

America’s most controversial war since Vietnam is into its seventh […]

Tom Switzer

Jun 01 2009

6 mins