Spinning the Secrets of State
eBook - ePub

Spinning the Secrets of State

Politics and Intelligence in Australia

  1. English
  2. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Spinning the Secrets of State

Politics and Intelligence in Australia

About this book

What is the purpose of an intelligence organisation? The short answer is to transform disparate and ambiguous information into a product that clarifies national security decision-making. Ideally, that process ought to be politically neutral and detached from the policy objectives of the government it serves. But what happens when intelligence ceases to be impartial and is used as a political means to support a policy preference? More significantly, what happens when intelligence is distorted, twisted or manipulated to achieve this aim?

Spinning the Secrets of State addresses these questions by investigating historical case studies developed from assiduous research into previously classified archival documents, political papers, private correspondence and diaries to show how the secrets of state can be spun into a potent political weapon.

In this revealing tour Justin T. McPhee considers the evolution of intelligence politicisation in Australia from before Federation in 1901 through to the modern era, providing a deep historical context in which to understand the convergence of intelligence and politics. Containing much new information, Spinning the Secrets of State offers an illuminating account of the secret inner workings of intelligence manipulation and the conditions that enable politicisation to arise.

An essential read for both the general observer and scholars interested in understanding why intelligence and politics seem fated to collide.

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Yes, you can access Spinning the Secrets of State by Justin T McPhee,Justin T. McPhee in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Australian & Oceanian History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. About this Book
  6. About the Author
  7. Abbreviations
  8. Foreword
  9. Introduction
  10. Chapter 1 The Business of Becoming
  11. Chapter 2 Imperial Appetites and Aversions
  12. Chapter 3 Division and Derision
  13. Chapter 4 The Aberrant System: Internal Inquiry and Administrative Ruination
  14. Chapter 5 Red Fix: ASIO and the Australian Parliament
  15. Chapter 6 From the Shadows to the Spotlight: Leaks and Media Meddling
  16. Chapter 7 The Means, Forms and Conditions of Politicisation
  17. Chapter 8 Sine Waves of Politicisation and Reform
  18. Notes
  19. Bibliography
  20. Index