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Regional Focus: Eurasian security and conflict prevention

EVENT: Public Lecture with Dr. Fraser Cameron Director of the EU Russia Centre

 Dr. Fraser spoke about Russia, the US, China, EU and Central Asia. He claimed that Russia completely underestimated the current economic recession and has huge debts, though I felt the debt can’t be as high as the US and they can’t have underestimated it as much as the US had done, though maybe the US could afford to. He mentioned the pragmatic alliance between Russia and China being more around an “axis of convenience” rather than anything else, though both a vying for hegemony in the region.

He also stated the situation with Iran will not change. The world will have to live with a nuclear powered (he didn’t say armed) Iran. He can’t see any progress with Israel-Palestine and that terrorism has always existed and it will continue to be only a small threat.

Controversially, Dr. Fraser stated the norm is to be corrupt, that only the US, EU and Canada weren’t. I did wonder whether he forgot to mention Australia. I question his position in light of the fact that especially in the US you have a corporatocracy with huge lobbying power with highly morally questionable methods which happens to be legal. Not to mention our MPs expenses scandal too. I also couldn’t help thinking that maybe it’s our market driven economies that appears to be better regulated until you delve into Enron, and the benefit corporations get from tax loop holes and cheap labour at the expense of developing countries.

Do you need to differentiate between domestic policy and foreign policy when it comes to corruption? Explore. Comment.

 

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