Too Much of a Good Thing? The Optics and Economics of Overtourism in Japan

Australians love to travel, but are we really the ‘good tourists’ we believe ourselves to be? Governments of popular destinations are increasingly responding to local anti-tourist sentiment with measures to control or reduce overtourism. In Japan, the skyrocketing number of foreign visitors, which included more than one million Australians last year, has elicited strong backlash and become a major domestic political issue. If tourism strengthens international influence, how are responses to overtourism affecting countries’ soft power? … Continue readingToo Much of a Good Thing? The Optics and Economics of Overtourism in Japan

All Art is Uncommitted Crime: The Intersection of Art, Activism and Social Media in the 21st Century

German philosopher Theodor Adorno famously praised the inherent political nature of art, declaring that “every work of art is an uncommitted crime”. Art should not only allow us to think critically about society, but should galvanize radical action. If the goal of protest is to correct injustices in the world, and the goal of art is to inspire activism, then it comes as no surprise that art-inspired protest is so prevalent in both history and the modern day. … Continue readingAll Art is Uncommitted Crime: The Intersection of Art, Activism and Social Media in the 21st Century

Evolve or Die: How drones are reshaping conventional assessments of military power

Recent reports of drone warfare in Ukraine and Iran have illuminated the unprecedented humanitarian disconnect in modern conflict. Images and videos of operators conducting fatal drone strikes with nothing but VR goggles and video game controllers have been particularly shocking to global audiences, inspiring discussion about the gamification of warfare. However, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have arguably been in use in conflict since the 1950s. Why has it taken until now to see this drastic change?
… Continue readingEvolve or Die: How drones are reshaping conventional assessments of military power

When strategy turns toxic: the ecological and civilian price of state power

From the toxic waste sweeping into rivers to the carbon footprint of global armed forces rivalling that of entire nations, states involved in conflict are not just some of the largest disruptors of global supply chains, but they are also some of the planet’s most destructive polluters. The question is no longer whether global conflicts harm the environment, but whether the world can survive the ecological cost of conflict.  … Continue readingWhen strategy turns toxic: the ecological and civilian price of state power

Blowing the whistle: The beautiful game’s ugly underbelly

Two competing narratives exist alongside one another: the World Cup as a space for unity, in which multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism are celebrated, and the World Cup as a spectacle for nations to promote nationalism and sportswash. From the inception of the Association Football rules in 1863 to the 2026 World Cup, the World Cup and football more broadly are inherently interlinked with the histories of empire, nationalism and conflict. … Continue readingBlowing the whistle: The beautiful game’s ugly underbelly

Asia’s Energy Crisis: Ramifications of the Iran War and Fossil Fuel Dependency

The energy crisis across Asia due to the Iran war has exposed the region’s fossil fuel dependency and vulnerability to geopolitical shocks, and should serve as a wakeup call for countries to transition towards renewable energy. Renewable energy is the self-sufficient and sustainable solution that strengthens Asia’s energy security and shock resilience by reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels. … Continue readingAsia’s Energy Crisis: Ramifications of the Iran War and Fossil Fuel Dependency

Quantum Politics and the Iran Conflict: Rethinking Non-Linear Warfare

What began as a regional confrontation is evolving into a conflict affecting global markets, supply chains, and energy flows. The conflict reshapes the strategies, vulnerabilities and alignments of other states, from Europe and the Gulf to China, within an interconnected global system. This expansion highlights the limits of conventional, linear thinking in explaining contemporary conflicts. Instead, it points toward a shift to “quantum geopolitics,” where uncertainty, interdependence, and non-linear dynamics shape outcomes. … Continue readingQuantum Politics and the Iran Conflict: Rethinking Non-Linear Warfare

Cracked Ceilings, Shakier Ground: The Paradox of Women’s Leadership in Western Democracy

As of March, 13 of the 193 member states of the United Nations are led by a woman as head of state – a figure that, while still low, is gradually increasing. At first glance, it suggests a world moving, albeit slowly, toward gender equality. But if one looks more closely at the timing, the picture shifts. Women are frequently elevated when parties are fractured, when electoral prospects are dim, and when governing crises have already taken hold. … Continue readingCracked Ceilings, Shakier Ground: The Paradox of Women’s Leadership in Western Democracy

“There may not even be a special relationship depending on how things develop”: Ben Wellings on the UK-US Special relationship and the Anglosphere

In an exclusive interview with Pivot, Ben Wellings discusses the historical significance of the “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom, and its connection to the Anglosphere, as further conflict looms in the Middle East … Continue reading“There may not even be a special relationship depending on how things develop”: Ben Wellings on the UK-US Special relationship and the Anglosphere

From transactional to territorial: The evolution of Mexican drug cartels and the challenge to state sovereignty

Modern Mexican cartels like The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) elicit characteristics that have a functional resemblance to a state: such as exerting territorial control, a monopoly on violence, enforcement of the law, systematic taxation and the provision of social services to their populations. The organisational behaviour of modern Mexican drug cartels has shifted away from drug trafficking. What sparked this change? … Continue readingFrom transactional to territorial: The evolution of Mexican drug cartels and the challenge to state sovereignty