A View from Afar

In this episode of A View From Afar political scientist Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning analyse how conflicts are expanding, arguably with warring sides taking an opportunity to take as much territory, while a ‘Lame-Duck Window’ exists in the United States. https://eveningreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/AVFA_S05_E13.m4a For example; In Syria, opposition-baked forces have taken Aleppo city and other strategic centres in an attempt to remove Syria’s authoritarian leader Assad. Assad’s forces are resisting on the ground while Russian air forces attacked the opposition force’s positions. Israel announced it may strike Syria government munitions sites in a move to ensure opposition forces do not take possession of such weaponry. Meanwhile, fighting has intensified on the Ukraine-Russia frontlines after: North Korea deployed a 10,000-strong assistance force to the Kursk region; Outgoing US President Joe Biden authorised Ukraine to fire ATTACM missiles deep into Russia; Ukraine indeed fired ATTACMs into the Russian motherland and has increased its drone attacks on military targets in cities once regarded as safe from attack. Also, and significantly, Russia fired into Dnipro City in Ukraine a hypersonic “experimental” Medium-Range-Ballistic-Missile – and followed up with the biggest barrage of drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since the conflict began. So-called “red-lines” have been crossed and all sides appear determined to take as much territory as possible before US President-Elect Donald Trump is sworn into office in January. Paul and Selwyn assess what we can expect to witness in the next two months, how other state actors are being drawn into conflict, and what objectives are driving warring sides at flashpoints around the world. INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during the live recording of our podcasts, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

A View from Afar – Dr Paul G. Buchanan and Selwyn Manning deep-dive into the United States November 5, 2024 Elections and consider the ‘what, where, how and why’ questions as they detail the rise and fall and rise of Donald John Trump and Trumpism. Background Image courtesy of Nick Minto, Copyright 2024 Nick Minto; photographed November 6, 2024, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. In this episode Paul and Selwyn discuss: Why Democrats Lost: Incumbency, Elitism, Class & Alienation, Identity Politics… Why Trump Won: Anti-Establishment, Populism, Avatar for the Alienated… What to Expect Next: Trump Appointments, Isolationism, Geopolitical Impact & Response… INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage interaction while live, and encourage their audience to lodge comments and questions. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and click on notification-bell for an alert for future programmes. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Background image: courtesy of and Copyright Nick Minto 2024. Image taken November 6 2024, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

A View from Afar – In this episode of A View From Afar political scientist Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning analyse how the state of Israel has gone rogue, attacking United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. At this juncture it is clear this is an intentional attack. https://eveningreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/AVFA_S05_E10.m4a Over the past week Israel Defense Force troops have repeatedly attacked UN peacekeepers who were authorised and deployed to the region by the United Nations Security Council. Also last week; the Government of Israel issued a statement notifying the United Nations Secretary General that he was now banned from Israel and was persona non grata. Within a day of that statement, IDF troops had fired on UN peacekeeping positions in Southern Lebanon. Since then, the IDF has continued operations that threaten the UN's presence. And Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has now issued a directive to the UN peacekeeping force to withdraw from the area north of its borders in Southern Lebanon. Also, despite the United States Biden Administration cautioning Israel on its attacks on UN personnel, overnight New Zealand time, the United States has deployed 100 US troops on the ground in Israel to operate missile defence systems. Paul and Selwyn consider: Why Israel has begun to attack United Nations peacekeepers in the region? Why has the United States deepened its involvement in Israel's so-called defence? What of Hezbollah, Hamas; are their attacks on Israel a defence or an attacking offensive? What of Iran, what is its position and will it engage in a full-scale war with Israel and what are the consequences should it do so? INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

Podcast: A View From Afar with Paul G. Buchanan and Selwyn Manning. In this episode of A View from Afar political scientist and former Pentagon Analyst, Paul G. Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning discuss: The Murky World of Israel's Booby-Trapped Pagers and Walkie-Talkies. Paul and Selwyn reveal Israel's long-form planning that led to it sabotaging hand-held communication devices that Hezbollah used to communicate with. This episode’s questions include: Who was behind the manufacturing of the booby-trapped devices? How long has Israel been planning last week's attack – an attack that saw thousands injured and many killed in Lebanon after Israel remotely pulled the virtual-pin and exploded the devices indiscriminantly? And why now? Presumably the devices were also programmed to be tracked. So why did Israel decide to abandon tracking Hezbollah and to attack? Was it to cause chaos among its enemies in a preemptive move immediately prior to its widespread bombing and targeting of communities in Lebanon? And what of international law? Has Israel gone so far beyond the Rubicon with Gaza that it senses international law no longer applies to Israel? And, finally, has the United Nations abandoned its right to protect principles, its peacemaking and peacekeeping responsibilities in favour of aid, development and an overly bureaucratic institution? INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

Podcast: A View from Afar with Paul G Buchanan and Selwyn Manning. Building upon recent episodes of A View from Afar, Political Scientist Paul G Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning discuss The Politics of Desperation. This episode flows on from our discussions about long transitions and the moment of friction. As the old status quo begins to crumble (under the weight of fraction), political leaders and elites invested in it get increasingly desperate, leading to more dangerous decisions, more acute moments, and, increased chances of mistake, miscalculation and unanticipated backlash. The Politics of Desperation accentuates an ongoing downward spiral. And, the Politics of Desperation takes form in differing degrees. For some, the risk of losing is merely a dent in the leader’s ego, reputation, and an awakening that voters have moved on from their style of politics. But for others, a loss will prove to be devastating, for example; should Donald Trump lose his bid to regain the United States presidency, he will face sentencing as a felon and perhaps even face jail time. For Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu, a future loss or a collapse of his right-wing coalition would likely see him facing domestic charges and possibly charges laid by the International Criminal Court for his role in the disproportionate use of military might in Israel’s war on Gaza. So, Paul and Selwyn discuss the examples of the Politics of Desperation from around the world and assess the risks as the world rests on the cusp of an unknown future. INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

In this episode of A View from Afar political scientist and former Pentagon Analyst, Paul G. Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning discuss, debate, and assess whether deterrence is still a valid concept in international relations. Paul and Selwyn assess whether deterrence has failed in Syria, Ukraine, the Middle East, and failed to stop an intensification of threat in the South China Sea. And they consider the question: Is nuclear deterrence dead in the water? But, overnight, the New York Times released details of a secret new nuclear deterrence plan that has been advanced in secret by the Biden Administration. Biden’s Nuke Plan is designed to ensure the USA stays ahead of an arms race, and a supposed coordination of nuclear weapons technologies being developed by China, North Korea and Russia. New questions arise. Does a new-generation arms race, led by the United States, based on advanced nuclear weaponry, made more fearsome due to a rapid advance of artificial intelligence-assisted decision-making and target-selection, mixed with hybrid warfare, cause aggressive nations to rethink the consequences should they preemptively initiate conflict? And what about the majority of the world, what about small states, small powers, that seek stability and security via multilateralism or a constellation of like-minded nations – how does deterrence impact on their decision-making? Do alliances, led by global powers, that rely on deterring adversaries through development of superior weaponry and technology, offer small states more risks than benefits? Specifically, is it preferable for many small states to focus on de-escalation and cooperative security rather than bind themselves to collective security agreements that are focused on deterring adversaries? And, the big question: How do we as member states in a world where bipolarity and conflict is intensifying, ensure de-escalation occurs without reaching a tipping-point that we cannot return from? Is cooperative security, and mutually agreed to weapons and technological controls, the way toward restoring an uneasy peace in the world? INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

The Trump Assassination Attempt, Security Failures, The Politics and What Happens Next? – Firstly, in this episode of A View from Afar, political scientist and former Pentagon analyst, Dr Paul Buchanan, provides us a preliminary assessment of the assassination attempt on former United States president Donald Trump. And then Paul and Selwyn assess what impact this crime will have on the US Presidential election campaign. At this juncture, it's important to be clear, to achieve a robust analysis of the crime that occurred while Trump was speaking at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, it will require a thorough assessment of eye witness accounts, details of the supposed gunman, his background, associations, potential motivations – and importantly a deep assessment of the role of the security agencies. To determine a clear and probable account of what happened in Pennsylvania this weekend, we would need all of that information, and then to apply it against any variances and/or avoidances by those involved or associated with investigating the events. But clearly, much of that information is not yet available to us. However, there is enough information for us to consider a preliminary assessment of how satisfactory, or otherwise, the security arrangements were for Trump at this rally. So, with that said; today Paul and Selwyn examine: How could an assassin get inside a security parameter, and in to a position with direct line of sight to his target Donald Trump? And specifically, while the gunman was outside the immediate venue, it would appear the shooter’s location was within the security parameters, a position obvious to him as a prime area, with direct line of sight to his intended target. So why wouldn’t that fact be obvious to the US security services who were responsible for ensuring the parameters were safe and clear? And, importantly too, what are the political implications of this assassination attempt? For example; does this assassination attempt accentuate Trump's mythology as an invincible born to rule leader? And as such, draw contrast to the incumbent US President Joe Biden's frailty? In this regard, Paul and Selwyn assess what is likely to happen next? INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

Post-pandemic economics and the rise of national populism – Wherever we look today, whether it be through a political, economic, or security lens, we can see the consequences of post-pandemic economic instability. And politically, the rise of national populism is in evidence, as is an apparent anti-incumbent mood among voters. In this podcast, Paul G Buchanan and Selwyn Manning assess the global Zeitgeist and what impact post-pandemic economics is having on geopolitics and geo-economics. INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

Today, political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning examine: At a micro level, how ‘Post-Colonial Blowback’ has impacted on New Caledonia, Gaza, South Africa, India and even New Zealand. And at a macro level, Paul and Selwyn assess how ‘Post-Colonial Blowback’ is a power giving rise to the Global South and its worldwide influence in global geopolitics. INTERACTION: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

This episode of A View from Afar podcast was recorded live from 12:45pm May 20, 2024 (NZST). Political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning examine: The United States and how the world is engaging with it geopolitically. Specifically, Paul and Selwyn analyse what has changed in this regard in 2024, and consider whether some leaders of global, regional, and even small powers are preparing for the possibility of a second Donald Trump presidency. And, importantly, at this juncture, they assess whether some leaders who are central to conflict in the world today, regard the Biden Administration as having entered a lame-duck period. INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during a live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

This episode of A View From Afar was recorded LIVE on May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, May 5, 2024 at 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction' political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment of world affairs. Paul wrote of a decisive moment of transition for the world's contrasting and conflicting powers, and stated that 2024 is significant; “… because it is the period where force has become the major arbiter of who rises and who falls in the systemic transitional shuffle.” So in this podcast, the first episode of A View from Afar, Series 5, Paul and Selwyn focus on this writing, and take listeners on a journey through this example of strategic study, a discussion that will help us to place a context to the world, as we are currently experiencing it. (Ref. https://www.kiwipolitico.com/2024/04/a-moment-of-friction/ ) Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

The LIVE Recording of A View from Afar podcast was produced at midday Thurs December 21, 2023 (NZST) and Wednesday December 20, 8pm (USEDST). https://www.youtube.com/live/Qtq_YtMYVLU?si=Nz2P2HKX_UF2Ogi5 In this the twelfth episode of A View from Afar for 2023 political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning note and discuss some of the big world events that have occurred and are occurring in 2023. And in particular, Paul and Selwyn discuss the rise of the Global South; evaluate the the wars that continue to rage in Ukraine and Gaza; and tensions in the South China Sea. Plus they note, with particular reference the trends that will become prominent in 2024, including the decline of Western democracies and a rightward turn in many places (including in Argentina and New Zealand in their respective 2023 elections). INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

A View from Afar, by Dr Paul G. Buchanan and Selwyn Manning. https://www.youtube.com/live/hdFvrGO8Y38?si=6-QsPHtyk4L9VYgt In this the eleventh episode of A View from Afar for 2023, political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning examine how the post-World War II liberal internationalist system is being challenged by a fluid constellation of global and regional powers to influence the shape of an emerging new world order. And Paul and Selwyn also assess how this massive shift in geopolitic demarcations is forming, relatively quickly, into a world of bipolarity where on one side we have a multipolar constellation of states, and on the other the traditional western liberal democracies. The catalyst behind this rapidly forming bipolarity is conflict. And, most recently, it is clear, that the Israel-Hamas war – and the atrocities committed initially by Hamas and more lately by Israel forces – is driving the world toward a transitional moment. It appears, that what is emerging from the current multipolar system – and think here the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court among many other global bodies – is a situation that is not merely new-and-old Great Powers competing as nation-states. But rather, what we see are groupings of fluid constellations of powers competing as blocs to influence the shape of what is to come. In this episode Paul and Selwyn discuss and describe what is now evident, and sketch out what will likely emerge. Of course, as mentioned, the Israel-Hamas war lays bare any claims of morality and exposes the hypocrisies of all sides in conflicts. In particular the Hamas-Israel war exposes the west – led by the United States of America, the United Kingdom and various European states – to an argument that the west is morally moribund as it continues its colonial/post colonial attitudes of support of Israel as the latter commits an apparent disproportionate-defence offensive against Palestine's peoples. The argument appears to carry weight, especially as this western axis sustains its support for Israel's war machine even while, on international humanitarian law grounds, the atrocities being committed against Palestine's civilian population are morally indefensible and potentially legally enforceable as war crimes. For example; retribution for the atrocities and despicable crimes committed by Hamas against defenceless Israeli citizens does not remove culpability for the State of Israel as it delivers on an apparent intention to annihilate Hamas and all people – children, the elderly, all innocents – who may surround Israel's targets. IHL shows how duty of care is not excused even if civilians are used as “human shields”, and at this juncture, it is not clear, whether that cited flawed-justification is founded on truth. This is the position of what was once an authoritarian axis. But what has formed is a multipolar-constellation that supports the Palestinian cause on postcolonial, Global South, and solidarity grounds. The Questions: So if all of this carnage is the catalyst for a new world order, what comes next? Will we see the emergence of a parallel global institutional structure that develops as a counter-balance to the west's post-WWII world order? Has the west's leading power lost its moral authority through its support for a war machine that has caused the deaths of over 10,000 people of innocent disposition, while itself refuses to be a signatory member state to the International Criminal Court and its principles of global justice? And as such, has the west ceded persuasive moral authority to the rising constellation of once authoritarian-states that dominate the opposing bloc? And does the west, as a consequence, find itself powerless to counter the migration of moderate independent states that are repelled by the immorality of the west's arguments, laid bare by the Hamas-Israel war? INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel.

https://www.youtube.com/live/NRuObMSC4ns?si=LnL3Txl1rXV2u0Qj In this the tenth episode of A View from Afar for 2023 political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and journalist/analyst Selwyn Manning examine the current Israel-Palestine Atrocities. As we prepared for this podcast, representatives of Arab states have presented a united front at the United Nations, criticising the UN Security Council of doing nothing to protect civilians from Israeli bombing and missile attacks on Gazan civilians and locations. Since then, the UN Security Council has considered two resolutions, the latter calling for a pause in hostilities to allow a humanitarian effort to enter Gaza to assist civilians. The United States vetoed that Security Council resolution. Al Jazera has detailed that Israel forces have targeted and bombed civilian facilities include Hospitals, schools, residential areas resulting in the deaths of thousands of people, civilians, - around one-third of the deaths are children. It remains contested by all sides in this conflict as to who, or what, is responsible for the deadly attack on Gaza Hospital, resulting in the deaths of over 471 people. Additional to this, Israel has sealed the borders of Gaza while it prevents food, water and medical supplies from reaching civilians - in breach of international law requirements and laws of conflict. Israel ordered Gazan civilians, who wish to get to safety, to get out of North Gaza and move toward the south, to the border with Egypt. But as people fled south toward what appeared to be safety, Israel bombed the southern Gaza region killing more civilians and sealing off that corridor for others who sought refuge. As a consequence of the bombing, Egypt responded by sealing the Gaza-Egypt border. Humanitarian aid now sits on trucks, waiting, on the Egypt side of the border, while United Nations officials implore Israel and Egypt to allow medical supplies, food and water to get through to those who are injured and dying. The Israel Defence Force strikes followed a surprise-attack on Israeli citizens by soldiers operating under the Hamas banner. Civilians were slaughtered and others taken hostage, only to be used as bargaining chips and leverage against their enemies. Even Palestinian advocacy groups like the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa suggested that breaches of international humanitarian Law, crimes against civilians, have been committed by those Hamas-aligned fighters. But they are clear, as others are too, that crimes against humanity, war crimes, have been committed by Israel, without consequence, as we all give witness to its response which is disproportionate, brutal, and disregarding of the thousands of Palestinian lives that have already been taken. That's the current situation. It is likely to get much worse. In this episode, our questions will include: What are the world's leaders doing to stop the carnage? Are the world's nations being drawn into what will be an ever-expanding war? Are we witnessing the beginning of a war where on one side authoritarian-led states like Russia, Iran, the wider Arab states, and possibly China stand unified against the United States, Britain, Germany, and other so-called liberal democratic allies representing the old world order? Is what we are witnessing, what happens when a global rules-based order, multilateralism and institutions like the United Nations no longer have influence to prevent war, or restore peace and stability, or assert principles of international justice and enforce the rights of victims to see recourse to the law? Why has this slaughter become an opportunity for the US and Russia to square-off against each other at the UN Security Council - a body that was once designed to advocate and achieve peace, but has now become a geopolitically divided entity of stalemate and mediocrity? Eventually, will humanitarianism prevail? Will the world recognise that all people, the elderly, women, children, people of all ethnicities and religions, that they all bleed and die irrespective of their state of origin, when leaders of all sides, while sitting back in their bunkers, unleash weapons designed to kill as many people as is possible? In this episode, Paul and Selwyn examine this most grave situation from a geopolitical vantage point. It may appear as dispassionate, and as so even disturbing, but we will take this approach in an attempt to aide an understanding of why this is happening in Gaza and why it is happening now. INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/bZX1lFdoUJ8 In this the ninth episode of A View from Afar for 2023, political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning examine why there is a trend toward military dictatorships in North Africa. And, in particular, Paul and Selwyn analyse the reasons why countries like Sudan, Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea have all become part of a challenge to a weakened western-led global order. In this podcast, Paul and Selwyn examine why events in North Africa are connected to authoritarian multipolarity, a realignment of global power that favours the Russian Federation's Putin regime. And, within this context, Paul and Selwyn address the complexities of Russian Federation involvement in the African continent - involvement that includes the notorious Wagner mercenary group; Russian state controlled energy giants like Gazprom that act as envoys of the Kremlin; and how Western powers appear unable to address geopolitical and terrorist-caused instability in the region. The Questions include: How and why have Africa's dictators found a powerful ally in the Kremlin? Who benefits from the Russian-North African alliance and what does this association look like? Where does all of this leave terrorist groups, such as ISIS, in the region? Why has Africa become a divide between liberal democratic and authoritarian power blocs in the emerging multipolar global constellation? INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://www.youtube.com/live/ICw01SOOLqk?feature=share In this the eighth episode of A View from Afar for 2023, political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning examine the risks of a 21st century nuclear war. The movie Oppenheimer has renewed interest in the dawn of the nuclear era. Almost 80 years later, are we safer from nuclear war than we were in the years immediately after 1945? The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved its Doomsday Clock hand to 90 seconds before midnight, the highest threat level since the Cuban Missile Crisis.What does that say about contemporary international security affairs? No new nuclear arms limitation agreements have been signed in over a decade, several have lapsed and most nuclear armed countries are not signatories to them anyway. Countries like China are rapidly expanding their arsenals and others like North Korea and Iran are seeking to join the nuclear armed club. Has nuclear arms control failed? What is the future of the Non-Proliferation Treaty? Although conventions against the use of chemical and biological weapons are widely recognised, violations of the prohibitions have occurred regularly, most recently in Syria. Weapons like white phosphorus and cluster munitions continue to be used by many states. https://youtu.be/wki4hg9Om-k The Questions include: Has non-nuclear arms control failed as well? Russia's Putin Regime has threatened to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine and NATO. Is the nuclear genie about to come out of the bottle, even in a tactical use? Are we seeing the return of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)? Are we on the brink of Oppenheimer's nightmare: nuclear Armageddon? And importantly, what are the solutions to this most serious and dangerous threat? INTERACTION: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://www.youtube.com/live/tpt6q5Dpd_o?feature=share In this the seventh episode of A View from Afar podcast for 2023 political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning examine the strengths and weaknesses of democracy around the world. In particular Paul and Selwyn consider how and why democracy in many countries around the world is on the slide. They examine the causes of democratic backsliding and also test why the erosion of high democratic ideas have, in many cases, popular support. First, Paul offers a context, and defines democratic backsliding. He identifies the countries that are decisively eroding their own democracies of principles that were once embraced by both power elites and citizenry. The Questions include: Why are we seeing more democratic backsliding in recent times? Is it just a political phenomenon or does it extend beyond the political sphere? Where has democratic backsliding been most evident? What do Chile, Guatemala, Israel and Thailand have in common when it comes to backsliding? What is occurring in the United States? If a democracy "backslides," what does it slide into? INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during the live recordings of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://www.youtube.com/live/X7ImqFWZvqM?feature=share In this the sixth episode of A View from Afar for 2023 political scientist Dr Paul G. Buchanan and Selwyn Manning present a two-part episode to analyse what to make of New Zealand Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins' bilateral meetings with People's Republic of China's President Xi JinPing and other leaders of the PRC. In part one, Paul and Selwyn also consider how the PRC-NZ trade relationship is seen in the eyes of New Zealand's security partners. Then, in the second half of today's podcast, Paul and Selwyn analyse the most recent events in Russia - events that have taken shape since Wagner Commander Yevgeny Prigozhin's pronounced intent to mobilise his mercenaries against the Russian Federation's top two military heads, and, while doing so, pronounced that the Kremlin's decision to invade Ukraine was based on falsehoods. What should we expect next? What is the real state of Putinism? What do the political and power elites in Russia make of President Vladimir Putin's handling of the matter? Weeks prior to this event happening inside Russia, Paul and Selwyn analysed the question: How stable is Russian President Vladimir Putin's hold on power? It's a question that all those who watch Russian affairs have now been confronted with. In this episode Paul and Selwyn unpack the complexity, look at what has changed as opposed to what has been said. INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during the live recordings of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

In this episode of A View from Afar Paul G. Buchanan and Selwyn Manning examine how a real war of global proportions has been waged to shape opinions. https://youtu.be/Alhm7LfqgVY Paul and Selwyn deep dive into the battle to control a narrative, waged by all sides in a polarised combative world, and how modern mainstream media institutions, like Radio New Zealand, fall vulnerable in the absence of robust all-sides-considered analysis and debate. In this episode, Paul and Selwyn analyse how fourth Estate bias, propaganda, and conflict-force fact-vacuums are the challenge of our times in this disinformation age. Upon this context, Paul and Selwyn consider: * Why Is the Radio New Zealand sub-editor pro-RU-content debacle symptomatic of a fact-vacuum environment? * Why is all media vulnerable to disinformation in the absence of robust NATO-Ukraine-Russia analysis? * What are the unspoken of ‘big picture' shifts in Russian Federation / Global South relations? LINKS and REFERENCES: https://KiwiPolitico.com https://www.dekoder.org/de/person/ekaterina-schulmann-0 https://www.rnz.co.nz/media/180 https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/news-extras/story/2018893905/rnz-editorial-audit https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/491788/nz-entering-ukraine-conflict-at-whim-of-govt-former-labour-general-secretary https://meduza.io/en/feature/2023/02/25/russia-ends-nowhere-they-say https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/why-russian-elites-think-putins-war-is-doomed-to-fail INTERACTION: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. You can continue to interact with this podcast, simply by going to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Remember to subscribe to the channel. For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/ Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

A View from Afar: In this episode political scientist, and former Pentagon analyst, Dr Paul Buchanan, and Selwyn Manning analyse the question: What does the Geopolitical balancing that is taking place in the West and South-West Pacific mean for the region and the globe? https://youtu.be/w1TRV5UgaHU Analysis: Paul and Selwyn consider the question from several angles, and provide a context to the headlines that suggest both global powers, the USA and the Peoples Republic of China, are on a collision-course toward conflict. Paul takes us through the US-PNG and Japan-NZ bilateral security/military agreements as a balancing response to the PRC-Solomons security agreement. In addition, Paul considers the question: Does the PRC have legitimate interests in the Pacific and, as a great power, should those interests be understood and respected? Selwyn considers whether China's ascendancy as a global power threatens the United States' position as the perceived ‘preeminent defender' of the Global Order? And Selwyn raises for debate, highlighting what the two global powers' messaging was at the Shangri-La security dialogue that took place over last weekend. Paul then analyses what this all means for the Asia-Pacific region and the world. Recommended Links:  KiwiPolitico.com Ref. https://www.kiwipolitico.com/2023/06/...  Shangri-La Security Dialogue; General Li Shangfu, State Councilor; Minister of National Defense, China Ref. https://www.iiss.org/globalassets/med...  Shangri-La Security Dialogue; Lloyd J Austin III, Secretary of Defense, US Ref. https://www.iiss.org/globalassets/med... INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. They recommended the audience does so via EveningReport's YouTube channel, as Facebook has undergone significant changes. Here's the link: Youtube (remember to subscribe to the channel). For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here, also YouTube podcasts and the Podcast hosts below. RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/HgxeJzYAmew PODCAST: In this the second episode of A View from Afar podcast for 2023, political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning analyse the question: How stable is Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin's regime? PAUL AND SELWYN look at this question from a number of angles, and, reveal shifts within the regime's control and structure that may surprise many in the West. In this episode Paul deep dives into the dynamics between the mercenary Wagner Group's commander Yevgeny Prigozhin, his relationship with Putin, the Kremlin, and the estrangement from Russia's military generals and Putin appointees. Paul and Selwyn consider: What is going on here? What is Prigozhin's end-game? Does he have the support of Putin? Or is that support conditional on successes on the Ukraine conflict frontline? And Selwyn digs into the pillars of power in the Russian Federation, in particular: Putin as the head of Russia's personalised autocracy The Putin-era Oligarchs Russia's State military And the rise of Private armies and militia. Then Paul take us, contextually and comparatively, through all of this complexity so we can more accurately assess the big question: How stable is Putin's regime? INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. They recommended the audience does so via EveningReport's YouTube channel, as Facebook has undergone significant changes. Here's the link: Youtube (remember to subscribe to the channel). For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here, also YouTube podcasts and the Podcast hosts below. RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

A View from Afar: Political scientist Paul G. Buchanan and journalist/analyst Selwyn Manning deliver their latest podcast A View from Afar. This episode: AUKUS, should New Zealand and other Asia Pacific nations join this security pact? And if not, why not? https://youtu.be/MjNWw6GdEXs In this the first episode of A View from Afar for 2023 political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning examine the pros and cons of New Zealand, and other APAC nations, joining the AUKUS security defence pact. Specifically, Paul and Selwyn examine the following questions: * What is AUKUS's purpose? * What are the risks to New Zealand's national and public interest? * What does AUKUS ‘success' look like? What could its failure look like? Paul presents the reasons why he believes New Zealand will not join AUKUS, and Selwyn delivers his assessment of why New Zealand must not join the Anglophile security pact. ALSO, Paul and Selwyn will headline: * The latest on the US Pentagon leaks. What really is happening here? * The Global Geopolitical Theatre and how stable is Russian Federation's president, Vladimir Putin's regime? INTERACTION: Paul and Selwyn invite and encourage you to interact with your questions and comments. They recommend you do so via EveningReport's YouTube channel, or via Facebook. Here's the link: Youtube (remember to subscribe to the channel). You can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning You can see this episode as video-on-demand, and engage with earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/5N9ED9FkB_o PODCAST – In this, the 25th episode of A View from Afar for 2022 political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning examine how hostage taking, prisoner exchanges, and establishing diplomatic back-channels work and how they are used by states during times of conflict. Specifically, Paul and Selwyn examine: How hostage diplomacy appears to increase where authoritarians rise and are emboldened to challenge international norms How states use prisoner exchanges to establish two-way common-ground How back-channels can also be established through prisoner exchanges. Is this what we are seeing in the Russian-Ukraine conflict? What dangers arise when warring opponents reach a deadly stalemate in the battlefield? INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn invite and encourage you to interact while they are live with questions and comments. They recommend you do so via EveningReport's YouTube channel, as Facebook is undergoing significant changes. Here's the link: Youtube (remember to subscribe to the channel). You can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/9SAfmXFMXFA PODCAST - In this, the 24th episode of A View from Afar for 2022 political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning examine whether there is, in reality, such a thing as foreign policy independence in today's world. Specifically, Paul and Selwyn examine the following questions: What does it mean to be foreign policy independent, and what would independence look like? How is foreign policy independence different from foreign policy autonomy and flexibility? What factors inhibit or constrain foreign policy independence (domestic and international)? In an interdependent world can FP independence be a realistic objective? And finally: is FP independence possible for a small state in this era, if it ever was, and conversely, do great powers really exercise independence in their foreign affairs? You can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/JOJ8zNX3bFY In this, the 23rd episode of A View from Afar for 2022 political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning analyse the significance of public protests that have challenged authoritarian rule in both the People's Republic of China and in the Republic of Iran. Paul takes us through the causes of the resistance, and how, in each nation, the reasons differ, but the impact is the same. In 2022, authoritarian leadership is being challenged by the rise of street protest and resistance to centralised control. INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn welcome interaction while live with questions and comments. They recommend you can keep the debate going via EveningReport's YouTube channel, as Facebook is undergoing significant changes. Here's the link: Youtube (remember to subscribe to the channel). You can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/S1fxS0OdshU In this, the 22nd episode of A View from Afar for 2022 political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning deep dive into the consequences of the United States midterm elections. In particular Paul and Selwyn examine how an historically strong performance by the Democrats bolsters the reputation and abilities of US President Joe Biden on the world stage and domestically. Also, they examine what does the GOP's poor performance in the midterm elections mean for Trumpism, Trump, the Republican Party, and the MAGA faction that has, for quite a time now, stifled conservative voices within the Grand Old Party. And, of course, Paul and Selwyn examine Donald Trump's announcement that he will seek to be the GOP's candidate to take back the presidency in 2024. You can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/S-df4sbwkgY In this, the 21st episode of A View from Afar for 2022 political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning analyse the notion, and perhaps the reality, of Trumpism beyond Trump. In earlier episodes, Paul and Selwyn have examined how Trumpism, and even Bannonism, has been exported as a cult, a cultural political movement, around the world. And, we gave detailed examples of how it manifests itself in countries as untypical comparatively as New Zealand and Brazil. And in this episode, Paul and Selwyn deep dive into this notion - that while Brazil's out-going right-populist president Bolsonaro was narrowly defeated by his left-positioned rival Lula, there's a risk that Brazil's version of Trumpism will live on well after Bolsonaro's electoral defeats at the ballot-box and enforce a formidable impediment to their successor's policies. And in addition, they examine what to expect from the United States' mid-term elections. Will the GOP's Trump endorsed candidates assist in removing a Democratic Party majority in the US Senate? And finally, they explore the Israel elections and whether Benjamin Netanyahu will return to dominating Israel's political sphere. INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn invite and encourage you to interact while they are live with questions and comments. They recommend you do so via EveningReport's YouTube channel, as Facebook is undergoing significant changes. Here's the link: Youtube (remember to subscribe to the channel). You can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/xvGcyelAp8E The Era of Restive Politics - In this, the 20th episode of A View from Afar for 2022 political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning analyse The Era of Restive Politics. In particular, Paul and Selwyn explore the political dynamics in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the People's Republic of China, Italy, and Brazil. And within this context, they examine the threads of social and political change that's sweeping the world and what this means as we approach the end of 2022. INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn recommend you connect via EveningReport's YouTube channel. Here's the link: Youtube (remember to subscribe to the channel). You can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. RECOGNITION: The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/iN3o8a1R8_I A View from Afar – In this podcast, political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning analyse the advent of new technologies and the rise of hybrid warfare. In this episode, Buchanan and Manning take you on a journey into a world that exists all around us, no matter where we live. But, it's fair to say, it's a world few realise exists and few realise how it is effecting them. With the technologies that surround us, tech that we use every day, it has become easy to conduct indirect or non-attributable warfare using a variety of means. There's the grey area phenomena where opponent states undermine adversaries from within, sowing distrust, or fear, where there should not be. The purpose is to weaken public trust and a population's resolve to support their government. In an extreme situation, this form of hostilities can escalate into hybrid warfare using indirect and direct means, from cyber offensives to firepower. To illustrate the issue, we will draw on the build-up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and also evaluate other locations around the world where there is evidence of hybrid warfare. It may surprise you to realise how close to home are real world examples of hybrid warfare. You can comment on this debate by clicking on one of these social media channels and interacting in the social media's comment area. Here are the links: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/SBUYkuzH7oA A View from Afar – In this podcast, political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning analyse whether the sun is setting on former United States President Donald Trump and Trumpism in general. Specifically, they examine how numerous law suits and federal investigations are eroding Trump's credibility and the power behind what was once a president of populism and who was seemingly untouchable. Our questions include: What is the most damning of allegations? How serious was the apparent breach of classified and top secret information? And, does this reflect a wider corruption within the United States' security intelligence agencies? What can we expect next from the FBI investigation and the US Department of Justice? And politically, Donald Trump seems to have a firm grip on the Republican Party. His loyalists seem to be winning the GOP primaries and lining up a field of Trumpist candidates for this year's mid-term elections. But recent polls in the United States show how dominating the primaries does not necessarily mean Trump's preferred candidates will take the state legislatures, and indeed the US Congress by storm. Have US voters had enough of the ultra-conservatism, the controversy, the chaos and alleged illegalities that define Trumpism? Despite US President Joe Biden having low approval ratings in a raft of US polls, will the Democrats hold onto power in the US Senate later this year? And finally, what does all of this mean for Trump himself as he eyes whether to push forward as the GOP's leading nominee and potentially the presumptive candidate for president of the United States? You can comment on this debate by clicking on one of these social media channels and interacting in the social media's comment area. Here are the links: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/gWQgEkThlXE A View from Afar – In this podcast, political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning analyse the ongoing war in Ukraine. Specifically, they examine how the invading forces of Russia are struggling against a determined and well-equipped Ukraine defence. What can we expect next from Russia? How can western nations sustain the sanctions regime, and is there an intensifying risk of sanctions evasion taking place? How stable is the wider region, and how serious is the fomenting unrest among the Balkan states? How advanced is the Eurozone in facing the reality that Russia has the advantage of cutting gas supplies as winter advances in the next few months? How sustainable is Russia's alliance-making effort with the Stan states, the PRC, and what the west regards as rogue states like Iran, Venezuela, DPRK, Cuba, Nicaragua? And finally, how can Russian Federation president, Vladimir Putin survive a military stalemate? You can comment on this debate by clicking on one of these social media channels and interacting in the social media's comment area. Here are the links: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/oQylRQhITwg A View from Afar – In this podcast, political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning analyse hostilities and the pathway ahead for Taiwan, China, Asia Pacific nations and the United States of America. Buchanan and Manning examine why hostilities have intensified, what defence and pre-emptive security moves have been actioned, and what we all should expect next, including the ramifications impacting on Asia Pacific nations' foreign policies and what the short, medium and long term consequences will be. The Questions: What to expect from a deterioration of China / Taiwan relations? What's next in the PRC Taiwan stand-off? What impact will PRC Taiwan hostilities have on the foreign policy positions of Asia Pacific nations? And is the USA's Indo-Pacific security/defence realignment a help or a hindrance in the region? You can comment on this debate by clicking on one of these social media channels and interacting in the social media's comment area. Here are the links: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/8CZL02D5BHQ A View from Afar – In this podcast, political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning examine in detail what to expect from the NATO leaders' summit, which includes addresses from the prime ministers of Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Why is NATO including addresses of NATO partners in this year's leaders' summit? What will the hawks bring to the summit, and what will those of a more moderate and dove persuasion bring to the NATO debate and course ahead? You can comment on this debate by clicking on one of these social media channels and interacting in the social media's comment area. Here are the links: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/LBD9j-KmwEE A View from Afar – In this podcast, political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning examine political events taking shape in South America. In particular, Buchanan and Manning detail how there is a presidential run-off election in Colombia this Saturday and examine the outcomes of recent elections in Chile, Nicaragua, Honduras and Peru. Paul takes us through the political landscape and highlights what this means for populism, left-right ideologies and for the South American continent and its respective political partners. For example; in this episode Buchanan and Manning examine the so-called Pink Tide of (supposed) indigenous socialism started by Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales - and what relevancy this has had with regard to the Summit of Americas. And, with respect to the Summit of Americas, this event is used as a test of how far the United States has fallen as a global leader. QUESTIONS: What is the latest emerging from the political hot-bed of South America? What are the political trends there with populism, pragmatism, and left-right ideologies? Why has the Summit of Americas been regarded as a fiasco and how does this impact on the United States' reputation? You can comment on this debate by clicking on one of these social media channels and interacting in the social media's comment area. Here are the links: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/mqqyjjxkglM A View from Afar – In this podcast, political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning analyse how the Pacific region has become the epicentre of foreign policy assertions from the region's, and the world's, powers. This month has seen the United States President Joe Biden forward commit to increasing the USA's presence in the Pacific. The announcement was pitched during a Whitehouse meeting in Washington DC with New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Meanwhile, at the same time, the People's Republic of China's foreign minister Wang Yi was on a whistle-stop series of meetings with Pacific regional leaders, seeking mutual agreements on investment, infrastructure development, and security. And back in China, the PRC took exception to this element of the US-NZ joint statement where Biden and Ardern jointly stated: "... we note with concern the security agreement between the People's Republic of China and the Solomon Islands. In particular, the United States and New Zealand share a concern that the establishment of a persistent military presence in the Pacific by a state that does not share our values or security interests would fundamentally alter the strategic balance of the region and pose national-security concerns to both our countries." That position compelled China's spokesperson for its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zhao Lijian, to state: "We noted the relevant contents of the joint statement, which distorts and smears China's normal cooperation with Pacific Island countries, deliberately hypes up the South China Sea issue, makes irresponsible remarks on and grossly interferes in China's internal affairs including issues related to Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong. China is firmly opposed to this." New Zealand is now positioned squarely on the fault-line between two opposing global powers. Now add into the foreign policy mix the election of a new Labor Government in Australia where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was quickly sworn in alongside his cabinet and then whisked off to a QUAD security pact leaders' summit, and, most recently has met with his Indonesian counterpart, President Joko Widodo, to discuss securing a more cooperative relationship between the two regional powers. In this episode of A View from Afar Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning deep-dive into these events to determine what this all means and where the shifting sands of Pacific foreign policy is heading. One this is for sure, the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' summit this year will be important and interesting. You can comment on this debate by clicking on one of these social media channels and interacting in the social media's comment area. Here are the links: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/gkANpGaWTi8 A View from Afar – In this podcast, political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning examine the Implications of the Russia-Ukrainian conflict and how it impacts on regional security architecture. In particular, we assess Finland and Sweden's move to become NATO members and whether Turkey will prevent this from occurring. Also, this week, Russia's Vladimir Putin hosted the leaders of Russia's equivalent to NATO - the CSTO, which stands for the Collective Security Treaty Organization and includes: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. Belarus' authoritarian leader, Aleksandr Lukashenko, was the only leader of the CSTO to speak persuasively about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Paul and I analyse the CSTO meeting and discuss its relevancy from a security and geopolitical perspective and what implications all this has on the East Asia region. You can comment on this debate by clicking on one of these social media channels and interacting in the social media's comment area. Here are the links: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/geXwW37vWvo A View from Afar – In this podcast, political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning bring you a programme in three parts. First, they provide a brief roundup of Russia's Victory Day on May 9th and what to make of Russia's president Vladimir Putin's speech. PLUS, they evaluate a raft of election results that have occurred around the world including in: Philippines / HongKong / Sinn Fein's win in Northern Ireland, and Macron's re-election as president of France. And then Paul and Selwyn analyse the Solomon Islands China security deal, and consider why this issue continues to raise concerns amongst Australia, New Zealand and the USA, question whether such concerns are hypocritical, and what real impact China's strategy will have on the Quad and AUKUS security blocs. Join Paul and Selwyn for this LIVE recording of this podcast while they consider these big issues, and remember any comments you make while live can be included in this programme. You can comment on this debate by clicking on one of these social media channels and interacting in the social media's comment area. Here are the links: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***

https://youtu.be/dJDaH6G7rFE A View from Afar – In this podcast, political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning discuss how numerous countries have committed aid, intelligence expertise, military hardware and weapons to a multilateral effort in support of Ukraine. What does this 2022-style of military diplomacy mean for the independent foreign policies of countries like New Zealand - with its style of incremental contributions in aid of the defence of Ukraine? For example, the New Zealand Government this week confirmed the deployment of a C-130 Hercules with 50 personnel to Europe; a further eight logistics specialists based in Germany; $13 million in further support to procure equipment for the Ukraine military. On announcing the move, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said: “Our support is to assist the Ukraine Army to repel a brutal Russian invasion because peace in the region of Europe is essential for global stability.” Ardern added: “The global response has seen an unprecedented amount of military support pledged for Ukraine, and more help to transport and distribute it is urgently needed, and so we will do our bit to help.” (ref. ForeignAffairs.co.nz, https://foreignaffairs.co.nz/2022/04/11/mil-osi-new-zealand-new-zealand-sends-c130-hercules-and-50-strong-team-to-europe-to-support-ukraine/ ) So today, we examine how Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with its method of total annihilation, has drawn once relatively independent nations into the fold of western security alliances. And we will consider whether such moves will become a permanent configuration? Also in this episode, we will discuss the South-West Pacific strategic balance. Specifically, why has the People's Republic of China, and the Solomon Islands bilateral security agreement, upset Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America? You can comment on this debate by clicking on one of these social media channels and interacting in the social media's comment area. Here are the links: Facebook.com/selwyn.manning Youtube Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here. The MIL Network's podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top  Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators. ***