

Rear Vision — How History Shaped Today
ABC
Move beyond the headlines to see how the past defines our world. Whether it's a local or international story, Rear Vision's expert analysis gives you the background you need to understand today's news.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 22, 2022 • 29min
Sri Lanka—failed state
Street protests and violence have accompanied Sri Lanka’s worst economic downturn since independence in 1948. What is behind the blackouts and acute shortages of food and fuel?

May 15, 2022 • 29min
Trouble in the ‘family’—Australia’s relationship with its Pacific neighbours
The recent signing of the security pact between China and the Solomon Island has sent shock waves through the Federal election campaign. Questions are being asked about our relationship with the Solomon Islands and with other Pacific nations. What is behind Australia’s relationship with the Pacific nations?

May 8, 2022 • 29min
The Marcos revival—from pariahs to the presidency in the Philippines
If Ferdinand Marcos Junior wins this week’s presidential election as expected, it will cap off a most remarkable come-back for a family exiled in the 1980s after stripping the country of billions and driving the economy into the ground.

May 4, 2022 • 30min
Roe v Wade
A draft ruling leaked to the press suggests the US Supreme Court is preparing to overturn Roe v Wade, the landmark ruling guaranteeing abortion rights. This Rear Vision was first broadcast in June, 2019.

May 1, 2022 • 29min
Germany’s Ruhr—from coal mines to culture
For over one hundred years, the Ruhr region was the grimy, polluted heart of Germany’s coal and steel. Today it has no coal mines. Instead, it is a cultural hub more than fifty museums and is a centre for green energy innovation. How did they do it?

Apr 23, 2022 • 29min
The Greens—politics and the environment
In this year’s election campaign, well-funded independents are arguing for a better approach to managing climate change. What might this mean for the political party that’s been urging action on climate change for years – the Australian Greens?

Apr 17, 2022 • 29min
Chocolate—the world’s most seductive treat and its dark shadow
Chocolate is one of our most popular indulgences but there is a darker side to the industry – one connected with colonialism, the industrial revolution and modern-day slavery.

Apr 10, 2022 • 29min
President Emmanuel Macron — his brilliant career
Five years ago, Emmanuel Macron became France’s youngest-ever president at the age of thirty-nine. It was a stunning victory, the result of a bold strategy and a solid dose of good luck. Can he pull it off again?

Apr 7, 2022 • 25min
The history of international criminal law
Human history is littered with atrocities and genocides committed during war and for centuries civilised nations have struggled to deal with this kind of violence.

Apr 3, 2022 • 29min
The far-right in France—where does it come from and why is it so popular?
The two far-right candidates, Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour, are expected to do well in the forthcoming French presidential election. Why is the Right so strong in France and what is its connection with the Nazi occupation in World War II?


