Jarrod Grabham | The University of Queensland, Australia (original) (raw)

Papers by Jarrod Grabham

This essay argues that, political theology is not a backbencher of the IR debate, but rather a ve... more This essay argues that, political theology is not a backbencher of the IR debate, but rather a very useful analytical tool that is able to account for the complexities of contemporary international relations. The essay posits that political theology, namely in the guise of Christian realism, is not just an ontological position but, indeed, a living policy of current governments. The United States is used as a prominent case study to analyse how Christian realism is explicitly evident in its foreign policy grand strategy. Furthermore, the essay suggests that Christian realism can account for inconceivable policies on climate change in some Western states such as the US, policies that ostensibly laugh in the face of existential threats despite rigorous testing and empirical scientific proof.

In 2013 the BBC broadcasted that the Senkaku/ Diaoyu Islands Dispute between China and Japan was ... more In 2013 the BBC broadcasted that the Senkaku/ Diaoyu Islands Dispute between China and Japan was ‘the most serious for Sino-Japanese relations in the post-war period in terms of the risk of militarised conflict’. This statement showcases the seriousness of the conflict and the need for continued and increased coverage in the literature. This essay offers an innovative approach to settle the dispute. As the title to the essay states, the essay is predicated upon the methodological approaches to dispute settlement by Chris Voss, Edward de Bono and the Okinawan Cooperative respectively.
Firstly the essay will give a brief background about the conflict, to contextualize the geopolitical history of the area and how the conflict developed. Secondly, the essay will examine the varying perspectives of the conflict, primarily focused on the opposing parties of Tokyo and Beijing. The underlying objectives and perceived grand strategy of each party will be thoroughly examined with reference to the literature. Thirdly the essay will turn to the literature for a comprehensive evaluation of which is the preferred method to achieve settlement and under what circumstances. Finally, a coherent argument is given collating the first three section of the essay. The essay contends that mediation is the most appropriate dispute settlement method. The essay qualifies the style of mediation used however, arguing, with reference to the aforementioned methodologies, J.G. Merrills’ International Dispute Settlement and Robert McNamara's Fog of War, that a Mediation Management Conference (MMC) prior to mediation is necessary to substantially reconceptualise the dispute, through the prism of LARSQ.

This research essay argues that the Treasury Laws Amendment (Enhancing Whistleblower Protections)... more This research essay argues that the Treasury Laws Amendment (Enhancing Whistleblower Protections) Bill 2019 (Cth) (henceforth Whistleblower Bill), whilst containing many long overdue improvements to whistleblower protection provisions to Australian Federal law, nevertheless is limited due to provisions that do not meet international best practice. The essay is divided into three sections. The first section provides the context behind the new Whistleblower Bill. In section two, the essay forms a typology of international best practice by using the methodological framework of Professor Susan Kluge’s ‘Empirical grounded construction of types and typologies’. The typology reveals a commonality in systems that have a strong nexus between foreign bribery offences and whistleblowing protections. These commonalities are identified and used in conjunction with a constructive analysis of Australia’s burgeoning protection laws in the private sector. Through the process of dimensionalising, the essay formulates a typology that includes the US, UK and France. Subsequently, three provisions in the Whistleblower Bill that are perceived by experts such as Professors A J Brown, Kath Hall and Vivienne Brand to not meet international best practice are analysed against this status quo typology to produce independent research on the efficacy of these provisions. These are eligible recipients, protection of disclosures to lawyers and personal grievances.

Competition is ostensibly an integral part of music making (Millard, 2007, p. 47). Taking the cre... more Competition is ostensibly an integral part of music making (Millard, 2007, p. 47). Taking the creation of music, composition, as the primary example, it is evident that since the Renaissance period competition between style, genres and composers has only grown significantly. Whether it be the rivalry between Mozart and Salieri; immortalized in the 1984 film Amadeus, the German – Russian feud between Brahms and Tchaikovsky or the contemporary disagreement between Steve Reich and Phillip Glass over minimalist techniques, competition is part and parcel of the art of music making (Bamberger, 2015, p.2; Therivel, 1999; Forman, 1984). The question remains, however, ‘What role does competition play in increasing the quality and excellence of music?’ This literature review uses the case study of secondary school choirs to explore what affect competition has on increasing the quality of the choral sound.

Emotions play a crucial role in negotiations and dispute resolutions. Yet, as Edward Kelly and Na... more Emotions play a crucial role in negotiations and dispute resolutions. Yet, as Edward Kelly and Natalija Kaminskiene maintain, very often, emotions are neither understood nor effectively addressed by the parties to the dispute, nor are they properly controlled and managed by the professionals that are helping the parties to reach peaceful dispute resolution (Kelly & Kaminskiene 2016, p. 55). This essay argues that, if emotions can help self-healing after something as dramatic as the death of a son, as seen in the family of Michael Marslew in the 1999 film Facing the Demons, then the tool of emotions can be harnessed effectively and productively in less severe yet still consequential cases. Still, the essay ultimately argues that emotions exist as both an aid and a deterrent of success in dispute resolutions, claiming it depends on the degree to which emotions are managed. The essay ultimately posits that in order for the ‘people’ not to distract from the ‘problem’, and vice versa, it is essential that a logical and well-structured methodology is established within the framework of the dispute to aid in the compartmentalization of emotions. The essay recommends Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats as an archetypal methodology to suit this purpose and provides contextual recommendations as to how such a methodology may aid in the architecture of ADR system processes.

In this essay I argue that Obama is far from being a whole ‘new animal’ and that his path to the... more In this essay I argue that Obama is far from being a whole ‘new animal’ and that his path to the Presidency is not unique. On the contrary, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s (henceforth JFK) rise to prominence bears a striking resemblance to his 21st century counterpart. The essay examines several key aspects in the life of Obama and JFK:
I. The path to the senate
II. Democratic National Convention Addresses (1956 and 2004)
III. Writing as a tool of persuasion
IV. Power
V. Rhetoric
The essay ultimately argues that Obama is not a ‘new animal’ and that the various aspects that he shares with JFK are evidence of this. One aspect that the essay particularly focuses on is rhetoric, comparing and contrasting how the two Presidential candidates employed the art of oratory to captivate their followers by means of duality, antithesis and so called ‘double-consciousness’ (Terrill). The essay uses David Remnick’s biography The Bridge as its base text. The author wishes to note that a parallel of Barack Obama and Woodrow Wilson or Dwight D. Eisenhower (e.g. the similarity of their “hidden hand” leadership style) would have been fitting, however lack of word space prevents this. This may form the basis of a future research project.

This essay argues that a ‘coloured revolution’ would be almost impossible in Belarus because the ... more This essay argues that a ‘coloured revolution’ would be almost impossible in Belarus because the modern collective identity of Belarus has been built on a fabricated historical memory to create pro-Russian tendencies in aid of legitimizing the Lukashenka regime. This is the focus of the essay.

This essay argues that the ‘rationality’ of Pakistan and India must be maintained at the state le... more This essay argues that the ‘rationality’ of Pakistan and India must be maintained at the state level in order for nuclear weapons to provide ‘minimum deterrence’ effectively in the Indo-Pakistan nuclear dyad. The essay consists of two sections. In section one I argue that nuclear weapons deterrence has stabilized an otherwise volatile region by ‘making the potential costs of large-scale war unacceptably high’. This argument is predicated on Waltzian neorealism. It applies Kenneth Waltz’s theoretical framework to the Indo-Pakistan regional security complex to demonstrate how nuclear weapons have contributed to achieving minimum deterrence. The essay identifies that, due to historical and ethno-religious reasons, the Indo-Pakistan security complex is unique and that two requirements are necessary in order for nuclear weapons to be effective as a deterrence strategy for these two countries:
I) The state is acting in a rational manner.
II) The coercive ability of the other state, because of nuclear weapons, is acknowledged.

This essay argues that the importance of the Caspian region’s hydrocarbon resources to global ene... more This essay argues that the importance of the Caspian region’s hydrocarbon resources to global energy security has been largely mythologized. Due to word restrictions, this essay will focus mainly on crude oil. The essay is divided into three sections. Firstly, I argue that the Caspian Sea’s proven and potential oil reserves render the region inferior to other oil producing areas such as the Persian Gulf or Russia. In the second section, I canvas the geopolitical situations that would increase the reliance on the Caspian Sea region’s oil. The main energy crisis situation mentioned is Russian blockade of oil to the European Economic Area (EEA). Also in this section, technological advancements, that have been used to open previously inaccessible oil stratum, will be explained vis-à-vis the Caspian Sea region. The impact hydraulic fracking has had on US energy security is given as an example. In the third section, the essay engages with each of the respective counterarguments of section two. It is argued that in the unlikely event of a Russian oil blockade being imposed on the EEA, the importance of the Caspian Sea region would increase vis-à-vis European energy security. The importance of the region to global energy security, however, would remain largely unaffected. The essay advances its argument by demonstrating how improvements in hydraulic fracking technology are not relevant in the Caspian Sea region because the majority of the oil is located under the sea, in the Kazakhstan operated Kashagan field. Therefore, new land based extraction techniques, which have proved successful in the USA, remain largely inapplicable in regards to the Caspian case. Environmental concerns and ‘deep sea fracking’ will not be explored due to word restraints. Section three also explains why the Caspian Sea region’s oil continues to be characterized as being vital to global energy, despite compelling statistics that contradict this stance. It is argued that states like the US are not interested in the resources, but the region itself, because it is a part of the geo-strategically important ‘heartland’ or ‘pivot’ area. This argument is predicated on Zbigniew Brzezinski’s “Grand Chessboard” theory. The essay does not include a post-Mackinder counter-argument due to word restraints. This counter-argument would have sought to have rebutted Brzezinski’s claim that the Caspian Sea region is geo-strategically important on the basis of Nicholas Spykman’s ‘rimland theory’, notable for excluding the Caspian Sea from the ‘pivot’ area. This may form the basis of a future research project.

This essay argues that the Tanzimat did not fully actualize egalitarianism for non-Muslims as iss... more This essay argues that the Tanzimat did not fully actualize egalitarianism for non-Muslims as issues of disparity persisted. To demonstrate this, the treatment of non-Muslims prior to the Tanzimat is examined (1800 -1839) and then compared with the treatment during the Tanzimat Era (1839-1876). Concerning historiography, as Emrence presages, scholarship of The Late Ottoman Empire is often confined to a ‘centre–periphery model’, a typically narrow methodology. This essay implements multiple historiographical orientations, including the ‘historical trajectory’ framework recommended by Emrence, for more definitive and source-encompassing results.

Monsieur Emile Henry’s ‘explanation’ promotes interminable analysis. It is a multifaceted docum... more Monsieur Emile Henry’s ‘explanation’ promotes interminable analysis. It is a multifaceted document and comments on a plethora of sociocultural elements. These elements pertain to the context of 1890s France, when a climate of fear permeated society. Fear was a result of terrorist methodology being legitimized to achieve certain aims. The document reveals what some of these aims were. Avenues of potential analysis include: the symbolism of the café setting, which was a fitting representation of the thoughtless bourgeoisie, the nature of Henry’s anarchism, that it wasn’t individualistic and also upon the revenge motive driving the attack. This essay, however, analyses the document in light of the fundamental institution of education, a prominent issue featuring in 19th century anarchist ideology. To what extent did Henry use his statement to comment on education systems in 1890s France and, possibly, Europe?

Democratic Kampuchea (DK) was an idiosyncratic, genocidal state that existed ... more Democratic Kampuchea (DK) was an idiosyncratic, genocidal state that existed from 1975 until 1979. It is estimated that 2 million Khmers, and other ethnic minorities perished during this time. This included Vietnamese, the Muslim Cham, Thai and Chinese minorities. Although many perished from physical exhaustion, famine and malnutrition as a consequence of the imposed agrarian lifestyle, clandestine executions conducted under the campaign of terror accounted for a greater percentage of deaths. DC-Cam Mapping estimates 1,386,734 people were massacred in the Killing Fields.
Evidently the campaign of terror was the most destructive element of DK, however, there is speculation as to why the campaign was initially instituted, why it persisted and what it hoped to achieve. Conventional interpretations explain the cause of the campaign as being predominantly fuelled by external sources, namely Maoism and Marxism. In the past ten years, however, a scholarly orientation has emerged arguing that communist ideology theory alone cannot explain why the campaign of terror persisted. Ben Kiernan proposes the campaign of terror was, ‘an amalgam of various intellectual influences’, including internal sources such as ‘Khmer elite chauvinism’ and ‘third world nationalism’. This essay argues that the campaign of terror is best explained as a marriage of both external and indigenous sources. The most influential external source is presented as Maoism. It is analysed how Maoism was implemented domestically. The essay subsequently identifies elements of DK ideology that were legitimized by internal sources. This essay analyses two indigenous elements, Khmer Theravada Buddhism and Khmer nationalism.

The Nikkei (日系) community of Peru is the oldest... more The Nikkei (日系) community of Peru is the oldest Japanese community in South America. It was established in 1899. Like all ethnicities, the unique identity of the Peruvian Nikkei has evolved over time. This paper examines how this identity has changed and why. The analysis is in three parts. Firstly, the historical and social elements that constructed Nikkei identity prior to the dekasegi (出稼ぎ) period (pre-1990) are analysed. Secondly, the effect the dekasegi experience had on Nikkei identity is discussed. Subsequently, the essay compares and contrasts the two distinct periods of identity. This paper argues that a distinct shift in identity has occurred, from a Japan-centric construct to an increasingly celebrated Nikkei identity. It is illustrated how the factors of racism and social exclusion has helped shape this Nikkei identity. Dissimilar from observers such as Takeyuki Tsuda, who maintain that the dekasegi experience has only succeeded in confirming Nikkei Japanese loyalty, this paper ultimately argues that dekasegi experience was the awakening that has formed a new identity, neither Peruvian or Japanese, but Peruvian Nikkei.

The essay focuses on the death row phenomenon, the process whereby convicts who have been sentenc... more The essay focuses on the death row phenomenon, the process whereby convicts who have been sentenced to death remain waiting for their execution for prolonged periods of time - in squalid, isolated and uncomfortable conditions – sometimes for as long as several decades. In non-democratic countries that may be impoverished one could imagine a scenario whereby an occasional inmate may be accidentally forgotten about. This scenario can be explained and rationalized because the inmate’s predicament is due to flaws of the system. A prime example of this is India where, as Bikramjeet Batra put it, the criminal justice system is ‘plagued with backlog and delays and a gridlocked death row’. Yet there is evidence to show there are rich, democratic nations, underpinned by the rule of law, where the death row phenomenon is the rule and not the exception. One such country is Japan. Having visited Japan myself and been impressed by its progressive technology and highly sophisticated architecture and engineering, it was a shock to learn that not only does capital punishment exist, but that the death row phenomenon permeates the culture of capital punishment. Most alarming of all, however, was the discovery from early research that Japan’s death row phenomenon is unlikely to be a sign of a slothful judicial system, but rather a tactic purposefully employed by the Japanese Government to mysticise, and subsequently exacerbate, the concept of capital punishment in the national psyche of Japan. The essay demystifies Japan’s death row phenomenon and ultimately argues that the key to ending the death row phenomenon in Japan is to use popular sovereignty as a strategy to garner support from the general public to pressure political elites to codify change.

This essay argues that there exists, ostensibly, a gap in the crisis management literature vis-à-... more This essay argues that there exists, ostensibly, a gap in the crisis management literature vis-à-vis factors of Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) contributing to the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear accident. After Fukushima, widescale reviews took place throughout the world to check the respective nuclear-dependent nations’ emergency response systems – including the Japanese Government and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). One recommendation that came out of the reviews by the aforementioned was that public officials have quick access to informed scientific opinion and expert judgment so they can make good decisions in extreme time pressure (Sethi 2016 p. 263). Furthermore, a myriad of scholars (Makoto 2020; Broinowski 2012; Link 2012; Clark 2011; Boin et al. 2005) concur that errors committed during the Fukushima emergency – regarding the timing and extent of evacuations, for example – might have been avoided if officials had had better advice, especially from the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) which manages the Fukushima Daiichi plant (Sethi 2016 p. 263). However, these academics cannot agree as to why TEPCO officials failed to provide timely advice. This essay seeks to provide an answer to this question – positing that the Japanese cultural practice of mentsu (saving face) may operate as a socio-cultural justification for the unprecedented scope of the disaster. Considering the accident caused the deaths of tens of thousands, the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Japanese citizens and that ‘it is incumbent on nations to continually improve their capacity for disaster management’ (Sethi 2016), it is hoped that the essay and its findings function as a catalyst for increased dialogue regarding the remaining gaps in the empirical study of this tragedy.