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The USA, Trump & Friends
Sat
25
Sat 25 Oct 12:00 PM
Representatives Chambers | Museum of Australian Democracy Old Parliament House
Wheelchair
General Admission
60 Mins
October
We've all seen the chaos, standover tactics and unlikely new ‘friends’ come and go. But what sort of political and economic system allowed Donald J Trump to reach the pinnacle of power...twice? How does understanding America and key moments in its foreign policy history help us work out what is going on now? Are we in totally unchartered waters? Join this expert America-watching panel of Don Watson (author of no fewer than three Quarterly Essays on American culture and politics and forthcoming work, The Shortest History of the United States of America), Professor Amin Saikal (How to Lose a War: The Story of America’s Intervention in Afghanistan) and Clinton Fernandes (Turbulence: Australian Foreign Policy in the Trump Era), moderated by Allan Behm, International & Security Affairs advisor at The Australia Institute, as they look back, project forward and try to make sense of it all.
Clinton Fernandes is Professor of International and Political Studies in the Future Operations Research Group at the University of New South Wales. He assesses the threats, risks and opportunities that military forces will face in the future. He co-founded the Indo-Pacific Studies program at UNSW. He is a former intelligence officer in the Australian Army.
Amin Saikal, AM, FASSA, is emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies at ANU, adjunct professor of social sciences at University of Western Australia, and Vice Chancellor's strategic fellow at Victoria University. His latest books: How to Lose a War: The story of America's intervention in Afghanistan, Iran Rising: The Survival and Future of the Islamic Republic , Islam Beyond Borders: The Umma in world politics. He is also a frequent contributor to major national and international dailies, TV and radio networks, including BBC and the ABC.
Don Watson is the author of many acclaimed books, including Recollections of a Bleeding Heart, American Journeys, The Bush, Watsonia, Death Sentence, and The Passion of Private White, as well as three Quarterly Essays on American culture and politics. His latest book, The Shortest History of the United States of America, will be published 18 November 2025.
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Concession Tickets apply for children under the age of 16, full-time students, Commonwealth Health Care Card holders, Commonwealth Seniors Card Holders and Commonwealth Pensioner Concession Card holders. Please have your eligible card with you at the venue.
Clinton Fernandes is Professor of International and Political Studies in the Future Operations Research Group at the University of New South Wales. He assesses the threats, risks and opportunities that military forces will face in the future. He co-founded the Indo-Pacific Studies program at UNSW. He is a former intelligence officer in the Australian Army.
Amin Saikal, AM, FASSA, is emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies at ANU, adjunct professor of social sciences at University of Western Australia, and Vice Chancellor's strategic fellow at Victoria University. His latest books: How to Lose a War: The story of America's intervention in Afghanistan, Iran Rising: The Survival and Future of the Islamic Republic , Islam Beyond Borders: The Umma in world politics. He is also a frequent contributor to major national and international dailies, TV and radio networks, including BBC and the ABC.
Don Watson is the author of many acclaimed books, including Recollections of a Bleeding Heart, American Journeys, The Bush, Watsonia, Death Sentence, and The Passion of Private White, as well as three Quarterly Essays on American culture and politics. His latest book, The Shortest History of the United States of America, will be published 18 November 2025.
_______________________________________________________________
Concession Tickets apply for children under the age of 16, full-time students, Commonwealth Health Care Card holders, Commonwealth Seniors Card Holders and Commonwealth Pensioner Concession Card holders. Please have your eligible card with you at the venue.