By Binoy Kampmark Australia’s obsequiousness before US power was again on show at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a security forum convened by the International Institute for Strategic Studies to discuss matters relevant to the Indo-Pacific. What was clear was that the US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth was in a fighting mood. “America is proud to be back in the Indo-Pacific …
By Binoy Kampmark February 7 saw the first AUKUS meeting held between officials of the Trump administration and their Australian servitors since the changing of the guard in the White House. In attendance was the US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and his unbearably compliant Australian counterpart Richard Marles. From all general appearances, the sense was that a change of government …
By Bevan Ramsden Never has there been a greater need for Australia to turn away from its military alliance with the United States and forge an independent and peaceful foreign policy. This would necessarily mean an alternative self-reliant defence policy and the forging of friendly and mutually beneficial relations with the fraternity of non-aligned/neutral nations. Even before the election of …
By Michelle Fahy Published with permission of the author https://undueinfluence.substack.com Australia’s independence has been dangerously compromised by Labor and Coalition governments, which have signed up to deep-rooted military agreements with the United States of America. These agreements have also underpinned the increasing militarisation of Australia: witness the 2022 speech by Labor’s Richard Marles, the newly appointed deputy prime minister, in …
By Brian Boyd, July 2023 This is the third of a three part-series that examines the strategic reasons for the AUKUS pact and the dangers for Australia. REAL NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY While Prime Minister Albanese, Foreign Minister Wong and Defence Minister Marles have gone to great pains to insist that Australia’s ‘national sovereignty’ will govern the operations of the future nuclear …
By Brian Boyd, July 2023 This is the second of a three part-series that examines the strategic reasons for the AUKUS pact and the dangers for Australia. SILENCE With the growing global tensions, the Australian government is, so far, remaining silent on what is the actual existential military threat facing our nation. For some years a bevy of pro-US …
By Brian Boyd, July 2023 This is the first of a three part-series that examines the strategic reasons for the AUKUS pact and the dangers for Australia. INTRODUCTIONThe first half of 2023 saw the political position of Australia changing dramatically, specifically in relation to the often stated “dangerous deterioration in relations between the two superpowers”, the US and China. This …
by Bevan Ramsden * AUSMIN 2023 has further surrendered sovereignty and tightened the US military grip on Australia. The integration of the ADF with the US military, insertion of US intelligence staff in our defence intelligence organisation and the increased military presence of the US including command facilities in Australia has locked us into any war plans of the United …
by Binoy Kampmark Australian concepts of sovereignty have always been qualified. First came the British settlers and invaders in 1788. They are pregnant with the sovereignty of the British Crown, bringing convicts, the sadistic screws, and forced labour to a garrison of penal experiments and brutality. The native populations are treated as nothing more than spares, opportunistic chances, and fluff …
