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Article: The national interest: can we any longer define it?
- Article from:
- National Observer - Australia and World Affairs
- Article date:
- December 22, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Council for the National Interest. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The national interest has always been a difficult concept to pin down.
Once, we were given a helping hand by the profile of national issues like defence and immigration that were largely bipartisan. Moreover, the concept was illustrated in other ways, such as when an Australian Prime Minister travelled overseas. He would traditionally refrain from commenting on domestic matters because his mission was seen to be above politics and in the broader interests of the nation.
Nowadays, the concept is almost impossible to define, certainly in any form that evokes widespread consensus. We need to ask why and to examine the consequences.
I put this ...