"Real Solemn History" and its Discontents: Australian Political History and the Challenge of Social History

The relationship between Australian political and social history has received little historiographical attention. Political history has been lauded or, more often, dismissed as traditional historical practice, while from the 1960s social history took its place as a catch-all phrase for various "new" histories concerned with everyday life. This article examines the place of political and social history in the nascent Australian academic historical profession of the 1950s to the early 1970s, and then explores the impact of the new social history on academic political history. It will suggest that while there was only limited exchange before the late 1980s, in the last twenty years social history has contributed modestly to a reconstituted understanding of political history as part of lived experience.
"[…] I can read poetry and plays, and things of that sort, and do not dislike travels. But history, real solemn history, I cannot be interested in. Can you?"
"Yes, I am fond of history."
"I wish I were too. I read it a little as a duty, but it tells me nothing that does not either vex or weary me. The quarrels of popes and kings, with wars or pestilences, in every page; the men all so good for nothing, and hardly any women at all — it is very tiresome: and yet I often think it odd that it should be so dull, for a great deal of it must be invention […]". ¹     

Feminism and Political History

Political historians traditionally privileged the political activities of men and masculine political institutions. This vision of political history was revised from the early 1970s, first by "women's history" and later due to the influence of the "gender turn". The latter encompassed a recognition that conceptions of masculinity and femininity contribute to the shaping of political power. Both developments challenged but ultimately reinvigorated political history. However, as this article will argue, political history and feminist history remain to an extent quarantined from one another, despite the radical potential for feminist scholarship to change the way politics is conceived.     

从东亚样本看“后共产主义”研究的多元路径

一些学者认为"后共产主义"一词现今已经过时,理由是转型的成果在那些之前的欧洲社会主义国家政权中已经定型。然而中国持续的经济、社会以及政治层面的转型却否定了"后共产主义终结"这一理论,因而即使是在抛弃苏联式社会主义体系的二十年之后,"后共产主义"仍不是一个多余的概念。相反,在东亚和东、中欧的比较研究中,重视"实际存在的社会主义"的过去,并将它作为一个实质性的解释变量,能显著地增进我们对转型国家多样化轨迹和形式的理解。     

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: the Case of Papuan Asylum‐Seekers

It is perilous to look to history to provide guidance for the present. Nonetheless the political controversy surrounding the granting of temporary protection to forty‐two asylum‐seekers from West Papua in March 2006 needs to be understood in its wider, historical context. Papua has been a pebble in the region's political shoe since 1949. And national considerations are not new in shaping Australian policy toward asylum‐seekers. Certainly in the 1960s and 1970s Australia played a tactical, often tough game with Papuan asylum‐seekers in order to contain tensions with Indonesia. This article analyses the history of Australia's foreign and immigration policies towards Papuan asylum‐seekers and describes the delicate balancing act that successive Australian governments have needed to perform in handling this issue.     

印度尼西亚“沉船”政策分析

印尼对于在印尼海域非法捕鱼的外国渔船实施"沉船"政策已有多年,近年来被炸沉的船舶数量越来越多。印尼"沉船"政策涉及渔业、渔民、渔业执法、非法捕鱼等方面,通过对这些问题的分析,可以看出印尼的"沉船"政策是涉及经济、社会、政治、外交等多方面的综合性政策。作为一个海洋国家,渔业是印尼的立国之本,但是,印尼的渔业发展水平并不高,渔民是最贫穷的群体之一。由于国内资金短缺,渔业管理与执法能力不足,非法和没有受到管制的捕捞活动普遍存在,在国内民族主义情绪的影响下,印尼政府通过高调实施"沉船"政策来显示对国家利益的维护决心。在这种背景下,虽然"沉船"政策遭到外界的众多批评,并且对佐科政府建设"全球海洋支点"战略有一定的消极影响,但是,可以预见,出于维护国家利益的考虑,佐科在总统的第二任期内,仍将继续实施"沉船"政策。     

台湾海归与台湾政治

对20世纪80年代以来台湾历任最高领导人及各部委第一负责人最高学历的分析统计显示,在美国、欧洲地区各国及日本名校获得高学历之海归人士,已经构成台湾政坛的精英主体。本文梳理台湾政坛海归的基本构成、比例及影响,剖析台湾海归在台湾政治中具有的特殊软实力,同时也指出他们的政治软肋,评介台湾当局成文与不成文的相关政策法规,深化对海归参政之现实意义的认识。     

The "Crusade" Against Evil: Bush's Fundamentalism

This paper deals with some of the religious elements in the responses to the terrorist attacks. It criticises some initial Christian responses (in America) as well as George Bush (Jnr)'s self-asserted Christian credentials. The conjunction between business-friendly forms of religion and the religious cloak over a right-wing political stance is presented as an aspect of Bush's "crusade". The paper surveys the history of the constitutional separation of church and state and the emergence of a republican tradition which had pretensions to displace the "moral haughtiness" and insolence of American religiosity. But the "faith-based" legislation favoured by Bush has prevailed in the general judgementalism of the administration and in the "security measures" and pro-corporate legislation enacted in 2001 and 2002.     

Lost in Historiography: An Essay on the Reasons for the Absence of a History of Limited Government in the Early Modern Ottoman Empire

This article tackles the question of why an attempt to uncover an indigenous history of limited government in the early modern Ottoman Empire has not been undertaken in twentieth-century Turkish historiography despite the obvious existence of several constituents for such a history, such as the political power and prestige of jurists (ulema), the political role of the janissary corps, and the many depositions and other revolts that they staged in cooperation with the jurists, which, in practice, limited the political authority of the sultan. The answer suggested by the article focuses on the political concerns of the early republic, the socio-economic concerns of the Muslim democrats currently in power, and the theoretical concerns of contemporary western historians who have been influenced by Edward Said's critique of Orientalism.     

当代俄罗斯的保守主义

当前俄罗斯主要的政治思想是保守主义,它的提出具有深刻的背景,其内涵是对俄罗斯主流政治价值观——"主权民主"思想的延续与发展。俄罗斯以保守主义为指导采取的政治举措具有积极的意义,并对俄罗斯的发展产生重要影响。当代保守主义的兴起与发展体现了俄罗斯政治转轨从制度巩固到观念巩固的基本特点。俄罗斯保守主义的前景取决于"统一俄罗斯"党的发展变化、俄罗斯克服金融危机的能力和水平,以及俄罗斯政治转轨整体进程的根本要求。     

The Unruly Past: History and Historiography of the 1932 Thai Revolution

ABSTRACT

The monarchy and the country’s military dominate discussions of Thai political history. The country’s democratic history meanwhile is much less well known. To many people, historiography – the history of the writing of history – is a dull affair that only concerns academics. But the changing representations of the origins of democracy in the 1932 revolution that ended the absolute monarchy show the politics of history as a continuous problem that still shapes Thai society. The interpretations have been bound to the bitter partisanship that has accompanied a history of political instability. This article examines the changing interpretations of 1932 in their historical contexts and demonstrates the central antagonism towards the ideal of popular sovereignty, despite its long history in the country, that is still held by the military and monarchic elite.     

鸠山"友爱"思想的形成及其对日本新亚洲政策的影响

受家族、西方和同僚的影响,鸠山形成了以"友爱"思想为内核的政治哲学.出任首相后,鸠山基于"友爱"外交思想,推出了以积极的历史观和"东亚共同体"新构想为主要内容的新亚洲政策.这些政策无疑在营造与亚洲邻国的政治互信方面起着正面作用.但是,由于日本内部政治因素、日美关系的变化以及中日地区利益着眼点的不同,鸠山政府的"东亚共同体"新构想前景不容乐观.     

美国“重返亚洲”后的马美、马中关系探析

2009年美国"重返亚洲"后,马美两国政治关系有所加强;中马两国政治关系非常密切,合作不断扩大,相互投资和互认学位等问题得到解决,金融合作走在东盟国家前列。马美关系发展对中马关系发展暂时影响不大,中马关系发展乐观,但面对的问题也不少,应给予关注并及早制定对策。     

"9·11事件"对东南亚伊斯兰文化圈的冲击

"9·11事件"对东南亚的最大影响之一,是使该地区政治与宗教的关系发生变化,两者之间的矛盾有可能上升为主要矛盾,影响该地区主要国家的社会政治稳定,进而危及该地区的和平与安全,还有可能改变地区政治格局.     

The Price of Nostalgia: Menzies, the "Liberal" Tradition and Australian Foreign Policy

This article surveys some of the key contributions to the secondary literature on Australia's foreign and defence policy during Robert Gordon Menzies' two prime ministerships (1939–41, 1949–66), and seeks to identify Menzies' place in a "Liberal" and Liberal Party tradition through a reading of this work. Via a study of Menzies' imperialism, British race patriotism, nationalism, and attitudes towards Asia and the United States of America, it argues that the prime minister stands in an ambiguous relationship to the transformation that occurred in Australia's international orientation between the 1930s and 1960s. In the 1950s the Australian government's cold war foreign policy, and the political language that Menzies used in private and public to articulate it, were largely successful in balancing the competing claims of Britishness, Australianness and the newly-formed "American Alliance". By the early 1960s, however, his nostalgia for a dissolving imperial order was sufficiently pronounced that it contributed powerfully to a symbolic and rhetorical defeat for his side of politics, allowing Labor to claim the mantle of Australian foreign policy modernity.     

俄罗斯经济的转折点与“俄罗斯病”

俄罗斯经济一度在油价的暴涨中实现了高增长,但在2008年油价暴跌之后,俄面临着经济增长的转折点。虽说俄罗斯的经济转型伴随着一系列的市场经济结构改革,但还是对于油价变动反应过度。俄受油价变动摆布的资源依赖型经济可统称为"俄罗斯病"。这其实是一种"石油诅咒"综合症,但它不同于"荷兰病"。虽然俄罗斯历经石油价格高涨→实际汇率升值→进口扩大的发展路径,却没有出现GDP增长递减和制造业增长低迷的现象。因为俄国内市场大于荷兰,而且制造业发展缓慢。我们不能期待出现治愈"俄罗斯病"的特效药和特需,而有效利用资源利益来推动其经济发展是俄罗斯的现实选择。俄罗斯以"推翻世界史"的速度实现了开放的市场经济,但是,在重构文化背景和制造业基础之后再来发展经济恐怕还需时日。     

Islam in Indonesia: Its History,Development and Future Challenges

In Indonesian history, Islamic groups have always played an important political role. Jusuf Wanandi, co-founder of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Jakarta, states that most of these groups are moderate, tolerant and democratic. In the past few years, however, radical and extreme groups of Muslims have emerged and to some degree have set the agenda in the country with their extreme political interpretation of Islam. The depth of political and economic crises, and the weakness of the national government to resolve the crises have complicated the positive development of Islam in Indonesia. This is the biggest challenge facing young Muslim leaders. If they should succeed, which is quite likely, Indonesia's Islam could become the model for political Islam around the world. Wanandi concludes that this will be Indonesia's biggest contribution against global terrorism.     

Japan's United Nations Peacekeeping Dilemma

The Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) Law was passed in Japan in 1992, after much debate and controversy over the question of sending SDF troops on UN peacekeeping missions. The limits implicit in the "Five Principles" of that Law mean, however, the SDF cannot participate in UN PKO missions in any meaningful way. In this article, Kimberly Marten Zisk, Associate Professor at Barnard College, Columbia University, addresses the issues behind the arguments for and against a more active Japanese UN PKO participation. The strong antimilitarist sentiment which arose as a reaction to the specter of the Pacific War, and the fears of her neighbors, in addition to domestic political concerns, are all contributory factors to Japan's reluctance for a more active UN PKO role. Nevertheless, Zisk states that a s a "middle power" in international relations, and one that is very keen for a seat on the United Nations Permanent Security Council, it is puzzling that Japan should have placed so many restrictions on the SDF's PKO. She argues that for any comprehensive study of Japanese defense policy and PKO, the bureaucratic influences on peacekeeping policy should also be taken into account.     

Limited but Evolving: The Political Economy of Social Protections in Nepal

Nepal’s awakening to growing social protection needs occurred only lately with most policies introduced in the 1990s. While comparable by Asian and particularly South Asian standards, these protections are limited and inconsistent. This article takes stock of social protection policies in Nepal with particular emphasis on the extent of coverage relative to needs. It explores the political economy, demand and political contexts to explain why social protections have developed the way they have in Nepal’s modern history. The understanding of Nepal’s struggle with this globally contested issue also helps draw parallels to other low-income countries.     

全球环境治理“领导者”的蜕变:加拿大的案例

加拿大长期以来曾是西方发达国家中积极领导全球环境治理的典范,一度也是全球气候治理的积极参与者,但是近年来却俨然蜕变为气候谈判中的"拖后腿者"。发生这种转变的原因究竟是什么?本文通过国际和国内、政治与经济多个层面的分析发现,除了美国因素以外,加拿大国内的经济形势变化和政治体制是导致其战略变化的主要原因。20世纪90年代以来,油砂大规模开发和原油出口(特别是对美国的市场依赖),导致加拿大在气候变化问题上处于比较劣势;而相关利益集团的游说,正好与加拿大松散的联邦制等制度因素相结合,导致了加拿大气候政策的转向。从这个层面上看,经济利益的变化和政治决策制度特征共同成为决定国家气候或环境战略的主要因素。在某种程度上,这一案例也反驳了发达民主国家因其制度因素必然成为全球环境保护积极支持者的命题。