Independent Analysis and Reportage
In this episode of A View from Afar, political scientist and former Pentagon Analyst Paul Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning deep-dive into the US-Israel war in the Middle East.
Analysis by Keith Rankin – This analysis was first published on 26 March 2026. One of the United States’ navy ships heading towards the Persian Gulf is the USS Tripoli. (USS = United States Ship.) How the heck did it get that name? (Will the next two United States’ naval ships be called the USS ... <a title="Keith Rankin Analysis – USS Tripoli: What’s in a Name?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/03/27/keith-rankin-analysis-uss-tripoli-whats-in-a-name/" aria-label="Read more about Keith Rankin Analysis – USS Tripoli: What’s in a Name?">Read more</a>
Analysis by Keith Rankin – this analysis was first published on 24 March 2026. A minute after my radio-alarm went off this morning, I was ‘privileged’ to hear this deeply scary interview with the Deputy Prime Minister: Deputy PM Seymour on NZ, Iran and fuel relief, RNZ 24 March 2026. For most of the interview ... <a title="Keith Rankin Analysis – Has New Zealand just signed up for World War Three?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/03/27/keith-rankin-analysis-has-new-zealand-just-signed-up-for-world-war-three/" aria-label="Read more about Keith Rankin Analysis – Has New Zealand just signed up for World War Three?">Read more</a>
Analysis by Keith Rankin, 10 March 2026. There is a widespread perception in Aotearoa New Zealand that the ‘Gulf States’ are similar, and closely aligned to each other. The States most familiar to New Zealanders are United Arab Emirates (‘Dubai’ to the many New Zealanders who do not appreciate that Dubai is just one of ... <a title="Keith Rankin Analysis – UAE, Israel, and The Hexagon Alliance" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/03/11/keith-rankin-analysis-uae-israel-and-the-hexagon-alliance/" aria-label="Read more about Keith Rankin Analysis – UAE, Israel, and The Hexagon Alliance">Read more</a>
Editorial by Selwyn Manning. The New Zealand Government’s response to Israel-US attacks on Iran has revealed a chasm. On one side are those who argue; that New Zealand must stay aligned with its 20th century allies right or wrong. On the other side are those who insist; that the long fought for reputation, of a ... <a title="EDITORIAL: When Mediocrity Fails National Interest" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/03/03/editorial-when-mediocrity-fails-national-interest/" aria-label="Read more about EDITORIAL: When Mediocrity Fails National Interest">Read more</a>
Analysis and Notes by Selwyn Manning: Prep for Radio New Zealand – Israel Strikes Against Iran – June 13, 2025. Listen to the audio from 3:00 minutes in. Over the last 24 hours, the atomic control agency IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) formed a view at its UN Geneva meeting, that there was so-called evidence ... <a title="Selwyn Manning Analysis: Israel clearly saw an opportunity to strike Iran. Here’s the trip-wire…" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/06/13/selwyn-manning-analysis-israel-clearly-saw-an-opportunity-to-strike-iran-heres-the-trip-wire/" aria-label="Read more about Selwyn Manning Analysis: Israel clearly saw an opportunity to strike Iran. Here’s the trip-wire…">Read more</a>
Analysis by Keith Rankin. People of a certain age will be aware that the 1962 Cuba Missile Crisis was, for the world as a whole, the most dangerous moment of the Cold War. The 1962 ‘Battle of Cuba’ was a ‘cold battle’ in the same sense that the Cold War was a ‘cold war’. (Only ... <a title="Keith Rankin Analysis – Using Cuba 1962 to explain Trump’s brinkmanship" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/05/27/keith-rankin-analysis-using-cuba-1962-to-explain-trumps-brinkmanship/" aria-label="Read more about Keith Rankin Analysis – Using Cuba 1962 to explain Trump’s brinkmanship">Read more</a>
Analysis by Keith Rankin. On 11 April 2025, AP noted that the two-year-old Civil War in Sudan is regarded by the United Nations as “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis”, though it is grossly underreported (see Wake up: The Worst Humanitarian Crisis on Earth is in Sudan, by Shirley Martey Hargis and Mike Sexton, Third Way ... <a title="Keith Rankin on the War in Sudan" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/05/22/keith-rankin-on-the-war-in-sudan/" aria-label="Read more about Keith Rankin on the War in Sudan">Read more</a>
Analysis by Keith Rankin. To understand antisemitism, we need a meaning for ‘semitism’, and another -ism to contextualise semitism. Literally, semitism means the promotion of the Semitic people, whoever they might be. The most appropriate comparator for ‘semitism’ is ‘hamitism’, relating to the ‘hamites’ or ‘Hamitic people’; analogous to the ‘Semitic people’. These are archaic ... <a title="Keith Rankin Essay – Judaism, Antisemitism, and Israel" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/12/19/keith-rankin-essay-judaism-antisemitism-and-israel/" aria-label="Read more about Keith Rankin Essay – Judaism, Antisemitism, and Israel">Read more</a>
Regional Conflicts - Political scientist Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning analyse how conflicts are expanding, arguably with warring sides taking an opportunity to take as much territory, while a 'Lame-Duck Window' exists in the United States.
The LIVE Recording of A View from Afar podcast will begin today, Monday at 12:45pm December 2, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, 6:45pm (USEST). In this episode of A View From Afar political scientist Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning will analyse how conflicts are expanding, arguably with warring sides taking an opportunity to take ... <a title="LIVE@12:45pm – Conflict Expansion and Opportunism Within a Lame-Duck Window" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/12/02/live1245pm-conflict-expansion-and-opportunism-within-a-lame-duck-window/" aria-label="Read more about LIVE@12:45pm – Conflict Expansion and Opportunism Within a Lame-Duck Window">Read more</a>
In this episode of A View From Afar political scientist Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning analyse how the state of Israel has gone rogue, attacking United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. At this juncture it is clear this is an intentional attack.