Rear Vision — How History Shaped Today – Details, episodes & analysis

President Trump loves tariffs but most economists hate them.We look at how tariffs work and what history can tell us about their impact on economies.And the industries protected by them.

This week in New Zealand saw one of the biggest protests its seen for decades. A nine-day march ending in the capital Wellington – with a demonstration of around 55,00 people outside parliament house. The protesters are opposing the introduction of a bill which seeks to reinterpret New Zealand’s founding document between the British Crown and Māori chiefs and there are fears it will dilute the rights of the Māori.  This is the story of the treaty that defines New Zealand.

The Middle East teetering on the brink of a war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. While seen by many western nations as a terrorist organisation – Hezbollah is more than that, it plays a critical role in Lebanese politics and a pivotal role in Iran’s network of alliances in the region. It also has around 150 thousand rockets aim at Israel. The story of Hezbollah.

Pope Francis is facing increasing criticism from conservatives within the Catholic Church. While conflict and ideological battles in the Church are not unusual it’s rare that they are aired so publicly. What’s going on?

n 2022, the Optus data breach, along with the Medibank hack, saw the theft of the personal information of millions of Australians. In the last decade, there has been an explosion in cybercrime, especially ransomware attacks. What can we do to protect our personal details from criminals?

Fifty years ago, the US Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision effectively legalised abortion across the country. That decision was overturned last year by a very conservative Supreme Court. For over 100 years there has been a struggle between liberals and conservatives in America for control of the Supreme Court. The appointment by President Trump three conservative Justices to the Court has tipped the balance. How did this happen and what does it mean for the lives of ordinary Americans?

In November, 2021, Barbados, a tiny Caribbean island, replaced the Queen as its head of state with a Barbadian president. How did Barbados succeed where Australia failed and what does it mean to be a republic in the Commonwealth?

In Scandinavian prisons the focus is on rehabilitation not punishment.

As Australia’s borders opened after the Covid pandemic, there was an overwhelming surge in applications for passports as we travelled to see friends and family overseas or took up that abandoned holiday. Something like a passport goes back centuries but the modern version—a  little travel booklet with your photo in it—is a relatively recent phenomenon.

We take for granted the accuracy of predictions and warnings put out by our weather forecasters. Once, weather predictions were the butt of jokes but today the Bureau of Meteorology can accurately forecast the weather for the next seven to ten days. How did this happen?