This nation’s history has been forged in the blood of foreign wars that in hindsight have never involved any real threat to our own security or sovereignty, apart from Japan’s entry into the Second World War.
We have always felt obliged to participate in actions that other nations became engaged in with their foreign wars, to shore up our own interests in defence and trade matters. We have indeed paid a heavy price with our young men’s lives for this participation as compared to other young nations. Our history to date has been one of a willing nation to provide ‘cannon fodder’ for our allies’ benefit while not keeping an eye on how the political implications and ramifications have been disadvantaging our own national interests. I believe it is time that we assess our political and defence strategies to better reflect our own goals rather than those of our major allies and trading partners.
Recently, our Foreign Minister returned from a visit to our major trading partner, China, and had published an article in the Daily Telegraph (Sydney), Wednesday 23 May 2012, concerning his belief that China posed no serious threat to our own national interests. The author of this article felt the Foreign Minister’s article to be far too uncritical concerning China, and how China operates, to be taken seriously. But why did the Foreign Minister choose to pen such an article?
Recently, and coinciding with the Foreign Minister’s visit to China, Song Xiaojin, a retired former senior officer of The People’s Liberation Army, penned an article about the role between Australia and China. In his article he was critical of the Australian penchant for playing the United States as its main protector in defence issues against Chinese dependence on Australian minerals for China’s still expanding economy. His main criticism was that Australia could only have one ‘Godfather’ and the time had now arrived for Australia to choose between the United States and China, for its own self-interests.
Sounds like these two had lunch together, doesn’t it?
Our current Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, is a bleeding heart socialist who has a track record for turning perfectly functioning state infrastructure into a nightmare of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ proportions, and that he knew when to ‘jump ship’ after virtually singlehandedly wrecking the economy of New South Wales while he was Premier of that state. It probably comes as no surprise then that he would advocate better ‘relations’ with China, which he sees as the next Global Power and unsurprisingly, believes we should now hitch our wagon to China’s coat tail.
However, attaching ourselves to Communist China so deeply is not likely to be in Australia’s best interests. Even aside from the moral concerns we have over China as an anti-democratic red fascist state and as a regular contravenor of basic human rights for its own people, there are basic concerns over what demands that China may place upon us if we fall under their sphere of influence.
When we consider the major players in the Pacific region, Australia has the closest ties to the USA, culturally, historically, and socially (even though there are some concerns about the way they have poorly treated some parts of the democratic ideal).
Whilst Australia has a good relationship with the USA, this does not mean that we should play the part of a lap dog to the American super power. In an ideal world, Australia should be able to stand alone militarily and diplomatically, and be able to ward off any external enemies by our own means. However, the ideal world does not always match the real world. It would seem to be in Australia’s long-term interests to maintain our alliance with the Americans, but it should be limited to the extent that we help each if and when one of the partners is attacked. Being in an alliance with the USA does not mean that we should follow them into every conflict they have, nor allow open slather on Australia as a forward operating base. Any such treaty should be for actual military threats, not foreign policy forays.
Let us concentrate instead on upgrading and improving our own Self Defence Force that would be viewed by those in our immediate strategic area as a sufficient deterrent to any possible military overtures by those nations who have long held the view that this country is in the wrong hands.
ethnonation in answer to your question – I- really dont know I would certainly hope so , as for the fifth collumn in US we ve got one here as well —- a socialist government snivelling to the UN s every crackpot scheme immaginable.
Which US president said walk softly and carry a big stick? was it FDR ? the only way for a country of Australia’s size is to do just that. And that is tactical air and sea launched nuclear weapons and a dozen nuke submarines to start with A bigger airforce and forget mucking the armed forces around with civil aid touchy feely bulls*** that this mob of clowns are wont to do.
I agree with you here.
Do you have this capacity now?
This is also part of the solution I would have preffered for ourself here in Norway.
I don't think the (NATO)alliance with USA is the best for the future.
They seem more and more like a third world country,and the quistion is when their economic collapse are coming?
And they don't seem to understand they have a fifth column in their own country mostly responsible for this situation.
Teddy Roosevelt
I believe that the best policy for Australia would be Armed Neutrality or something approaching it. A stance of Armed Neutrality would probably suit our geographic situation better than current arrangements. We would be free to participate or not, in any future conflicts, with the knowledge that we wouldn't be beholden to any foreign powers at the conflicts conclusion.
The most left wing party trend to the communist country, so the Labor member as Julia Gillard, Wayne Swan, Bob Carr…are the same. When the left wing being powered, they try to apply the Karl Marx theory hidden under the socialism, that means class struggle and destruction the capitalist, an enemy of socialist to be first target.
In the communist regime, they control army, police and government, there is no room for multiple political party, so communist party could kill, rob and people enslaved. In China, after Mao Tse Tung took over inland in 1949, communist party applied the socialism, then more than 65 million killed, the Chinese people have become slave until today. The most massacre in China was the land reform, the land owner to be killed, then the communist member who wanted to prove the loyalty with Mao chairman, they ate the landlord meat. In Vietnam, after Vietcong claimed victory on April 30, 1975, a central communist party member, who has 65 years membership, Mr. Nguyen Ho told to his comrades:" their houses, we occupy-their wives, we take-their children, we transform to slave"…
In the democratic country as Australia, the socialist couldn't do as China, Vietnam, North Korea, Russia…but the taxes policy are the capitalist beaten. Labor Government taxed on carbon, mining…then the rich to be beaten, the poor damaged, the national interest harmed…but the most left wing dislike US as Mr. Bob Carr.
However, US and Europe invest in Australia are better, because they are the same political government, they respect the law, democracy, freedom. But China is different, its dictatorial regime could use the free fund from government to buy land, asset, mine, property, including stock market. The private companies could be victim when the owners love the profit, and they could sell the companies, shareholder with high price, the asset lost gently , then China could use their economic potential power to pressure the country linking.
Today China growth, they create the tension in south Pacific Ocean, and threaten the security region. Unfortunately, Labor government does like its comrade, so they trend to relate with China than western states. There is not only Bob Carr, the defense minister, Mr Stephen Smith cut more than $5Billion and refused US setting a navy base in western Australia.
The cold war gone, but nowadays, the post cold war being by China, the world, actually the nations being neighbor with the Red Imperial empire, all have to be alerted.
Hoa Minh Truong.
( author og two books: The dark journey & Good Evening Vietnam)
Too right.
We don't want to get dragged into China's undertow – we would become just another part of Asia.
America is the best one to ally with, so long as we don’t act like a lapdog.
We should be equal partners, even if we are not equal in resources.