Australia’s foreign policy has traditionally been interlinked with the Anglo-Saxon origins of its first inhabitants. In other words,Australia almost always stood alongside Britain and the United States on many contentious international issues, the latest of which is the War on Terror. In the eight years since its inception, it has become clear that further participation…
Category: Society
The main reasons for the growing popularity and strength of Islamic jihadi terrorist groups in Southeast Asia
To understand how Islamic jihad gained support in Southeast Asia, it is important to gain cognisance of its founding principle. And the present wave of Islamic revivalism and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Southeast Asia originated during the 1970s. The movement started as a reaction to the disillusionment and failure associated with modern neo-liberal…
Is the internet a tool for greater democratization in Asia?
As Asia looks forward to a progressive future, the technologies of mass communication will play an important role. At this point in time, it is the Internet, with its various forms of information dispersal. But, as this medium becomes more common place, the wielders of power will attempt to put restrictions on its use. Empirical…
How the poor are punished twice by Affluenza?
John de Graaf and team’s well researched and eye-opening book “Affluenza: The All Consuming Epidemic” brings up several issues ailing contemporary industrial societies, such as deceptive mass advertisements, over-population, environment damaging toxic dumping, corporate greed, etc. Such lifestyle and social trends are no where more ostensible than in the United States of America. The USA,…
Proposing an alternative to the U.S. healthcare system
The United States of America, in spite of being an economic superpower also carries the notoriety for exorbitant healthcare costs and disproportionately poor health outcomes for patients. Moreover, the present healthcare system is so structured that the world wide economic recession in progress is bound to have serious consequences for the healthcare industry as well. …
Why is Body Piercing a Popular Trend Among Youth Today?
Body piercing, alongside tattooing, has become more common over the last few decades, especially made popular by the hippy culture of 1970s America. Body piercing is related to other forms of body modification such as branding, cutting, binding, inserting implants, etc in an attempt to change the appearance of the individual’s body. More broadly, body…
The problem of starvation: Possible solutions
Food, alongside air and water, is an essential resource for human survival. While these natural resources keep us alive and help life to grow, when they are not available, it would lead to starvation and even death. Sadly, at the turn of the twenty first century, a large number of people are on the edge…
Why is gay marriage treated as taboo and how this understanding is being challenged today?
Homosexuality, for major part of human history has been considered a taboo; the origins of its condemnation can be traced back to primitive religious beliefs and ancient superstitions. As societies become more advanced and modern, with attendant increase in awareness of the subject, a greater degree of tolerance and understanding of homosexuality is seen these…
Why and how did al-Qaeda come to gain support among Islamic militants in Southeast Asia? How can Australia redress this situation?
The study of the history and origins of support for Al Qaeda in Southeast Asia is highly relevant in the contemporary world. From a study of the rationale and motive of such groups, we can arrive at the security implications for the Australian government and the preventative measures that could be taken to thwart any…
Why does the definition of civil society matter to the evaluation of political transitions in Asia?
The political configurations of constituent nations in the Asian continent have seen many significant changes over the last fifty years. The conclusion of the Second World War served as the precipitant event in transforming the erstwhile colonies in Asia into independent, sovereign nations. But, not all transformations have led to positive consequences. It would be…