Uh oh. Looks like we’re up the proverbial creek without a paddle. Now even the polite media are sounding the alarm on Trumpski.
Nine’s Peter Hartcher has concluded that Trump “acts as an agent” of Vladimir Putin. The Australian’s Paul Kelly too has suddenly perked up, declaring today that Trump “acts as Putin’s agent”. This is what we might call an interesting development given the role of the Murdochs.
Middle Australia has concluded that Trump is the greatest threat to world peace, beating out Putin and China’s Xi Jinping. That’s a heck of a podium finish. According to the same survey from The Australia Institute, just on half of Australians (48%) are not at all confident that Trump would defend Australia’s interests.
What to do?
So what to do, beyond sending out an SOS to Greg Norman to talk sense into old mate Donald over a hit at Trump Doral? Or enlisting the aid of the self-proclaimed Trump whisperers Joe Hockey and Scott Morrison? (As we know, our poor old US ambassador Kevin Rudd is in the naughty corner for an earlier outburst on Trump.)
In today’s issue of The Politics, we are getting serious. We are seeking your wisdom, our readers, to define how Australia should respond, and we are asking you to use the comments section to do that. We will try to moderate that and keep a sensible debate going. But first we need to know exactly what we are dealing with.
Dr Emma Shortis at The Australia Institute has pointed to a potentially historic shift under way in how Australians view our relationship with the US. “Australians have been watching as Donald Trump shows us who he is,” she wrote. And as a result, more Australians prefer a more independent foreign policy than a closer alliance with the US.
The distrust must surely now deepen even further, given US decisions to halt offensive cyber operations against Russia and to possibly ease sanctions against Russia.
AWKUS AUKUS
In any reassessment, the biggest casualty of a broken alliance would be the $368 billion AUKUS security pact. As Shortis points out, the UK is shifting its focus towards Europe and away from AUKUS. (And of course Trump didn’t even know what it was when asked last week.) What would it take to halt AUKUS? The detailed agreements have never been made public so it is impossible to know what legal basis might exist to terminate the agreement. It’s time the government was transparent about that.
But that’s just the start. Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles has set out to make the US and Australian defence forces operate as one, by making their combat systems interchangeable. There is a deep sharing of intelligence via the Five Eyes agreement. The US uses Pine Gap to gather intelligence … on what, exactly? Might it be used to monitor Ukraine military chatter? Surely it is inconceivable that Australia might have troops on the ground as peacekeepers in Ukraine while the US supports Russia?
The most intriguing reactions will be from those whose fortunes are tied to the US military industrial complex. What will we hear from the likes of Christopher Pyne and Brendan Nelson who have immersed themselves in the military hardware business since leaving Parliament? What of Hockey whose Bondi Partners has profited mightily from US-Australian business?
Who’s your friend?
The US descent into a dictator-led state poses huge questions too for those politicians and military figures who have been part of the Australian-American Leadership Dialogue (AALD), a networking body with the express purpose of keeping Australia and America close. Check out the heavy-hitters here.
At a speech to mark 30 years of the AALD, Marles got all misty-eyed when he extolled the glory of the US alliance as a bulwark against the chaos of the times.
“From the perspective of America, the United States rightly judges that its system of alliances that it has with countries around the world is a competitive advantage. And, of course, for Australia the alliance which has been the cornerstone of our worldview, the cornerstone of our national security, now feels even more important in the future than it has been in the past.”
That was in 2022. The times they certainly are a’changin’. What was that about the global rules-based order?
Storm in a Trump-pot
Any move to change Australia’s alliance away from America will need to get past the Murdochs. They have been the ruling monarchs of it since Rupert’s father, Sir Keith, set up the American Australian Association in 1948. It is a networking and power base par excellence and a leader in driving the two countries together. It’s hard to see Rupert running up the white flag on the alliance. But how long can this last? The timeframe is pivotal to how we act.
If the Trump storm was to blow out after four years maybe we could all hang on for the ride. But what if it’s not four years? What if he bulldozes through the constitution and runs for a third term? What if there are no elections in four years, at least not those we consider fair and open? What if Trump and his acolytes simply stay on, in the way of other dictators. Not facing a real election is a perk of the job for a tyrant.
There must be Australian government officials war-gaming the permutations as we speak. Let’s hope they are alarmed enough to burn the midnight oil because who in their right minds would go all the way with DJT. That way lies disaster. And it doesn’t even rhyme.
So what should we do? All suggestions open — from boycotting US products to cancelling AUKUS to forging new alliances. Please leave your comments below.
At the very least we should be talking quietly to France and or Japan about submarines. The only way to plan trade is to simple ignore sales to the US and look elsewhere, while continuing to sell to the US if there is a real short term opportunity
Would be interesting to know if any of those conversations have started. so many warning signs banking up. You would think it would be sensible risk management. Any sources out there feel free to contact us..
A strong neutral or unaligned position seems appropriate for us right now. Kill Aukus is also appropriate now; who actually believes we will ever see delivery of a nuclear sub from the US?
We should go French if they’ll have us back.
Trump and Vance are mobsters of nightmare proportions, and I can’t see any reason why we should put up with his shit for another 4 years, and who knows how long after that if Vance stands and wins. The US can no longer be trusted. Ever
Well said and like Europe I do believe we need to look at standing on our own. America can no longer be trusted to care about anyone else – excuse me – Trumpski can no longer be trusted to care about anyone but himself.
Definitely lean-in to the EU by cancelling US arms deals while favouring european equipment. The american aerospace industry is a massive earner for the US so, cancel any future orders of Boeing airplanes and think about the future replacements of the RAAF F-35s with Eurofighters(Typhoons) and/or Saab Gripens.
Get US operatives out of Pine Gap, basically close it down who knows if they are now working against us, US troops out of Darwin, the US will not come to our aid. Cut the US loose, forge closer trade and defense ties with Asia/India and the UK and cancel AUKUS it’s now not in our interests to go ahead with this deal.
yes yes yes
Charge USA rent for Pine Gap and Darwin base. Make it compulsory for media owners to be Australian citizens
Yes yes and yes!!
I agree strongly. We should plan to say No to Trump’s demands we drop our 10 per cent GST and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and hold America to ransom – announcing the closure of Pine Gap to the world. This would leave America’s defence exposed and vulnerable and highlight the threat posed by their real enemies. Trump the autocrat believes his government is all powerful – he needs to be taught a lesson. It seems inevitable that what will stop Trump is a global recession, increased unemployment and stagflation. However a falling stock market and USD currency may stop him faster and his billionaire mates will rebel.
Agree absolutely. ATM we may be helping Israel target victims in southern Lebanon or the West Bank thru Pine Gap.
The AUKUS deal makes Australia part of the US war machine. We will never get the subs but the US will use us & abuse us.
Also let’s move Ambassodor Rudd to China. He is wasted in the US.
We don’t really need submarines. It’s hard not to believe the whole AUKUS thing is just dreamt up by the coalition to get them cushy arms jobs once they leave politics.
Cancel AUKUS.
Inquisition Pine Gap.
100% right. Submarines are 20th century technology no longer relevant as shown in Ukraine. Al biet there in the air with drones. The water is no different. Armed un-maned drones can do the job for a fraction of the cost and can be widely deployed. Hundreds, not in 10s.
Agreed, this was evident right from the beginning. A few subs delivered in a couple of decades is hardly the basis for a defence plan.
A Drone Shield for Australia: A Cost-Effective and Defensive Alternative to Nuclear Submarines
Australia’s recent commitment to acquiring nuclear submarines has sparked significant debate about the nation’s defense strategy. While nuclear submarines offer advanced capabilities, their high cost and the potential erosion of their stealth advantage over time raise questions about their long-term viability. An alternative approach—building a large fleet of battery-powered armed drones—could provide a highly effective, cost-efficient, and defensive solution to protect Australia’s vast maritime borders. This article explores the potential of a drone-based defense system and why it might be a better fit for Australia’s strategic needs.
The Case for a Defensive Drone Shield
1. Cost-Effectiveness and Scalability
Nuclear submarines are prohibitively expensive, with acquisition and maintenance costs running into tens of billions of dollars. In contrast, a fleet of 3,000 battery-powered drones could be deployed for a fraction of the cost. These drones would be cheaper to produce, operate, and replace, freeing up resources for other critical defense priorities.
The scalability of drone technology also allows for incremental deployment and upgrades. Australia could start with a smaller fleet and expand it as needed, ensuring flexibility in response to evolving threats.
2. Defensive Posture and Regional Stability
A drone-based defense system would be inherently defensive, aligning with Australia’s image as a peaceful nation focused on protection rather than aggression. Unlike nuclear submarines, which can project power far beyond Australia’s shores, a drone shield would focus on safeguarding the nation’s maritime borders. This defensive posture could help ease regional tensions and foster positive relations with neighboring countries.
The experience of Russia’s difficulties in invading Ukraine—despite sharing a land border—highlights the effectiveness of a well-organized defensive strategy. Australia’s geographical isolation, surrounded by vast oceans, provides a natural defensive barrier that a drone shield could reinforce.
Technological Feasibility
1. Modern Battery Technology
Modern batteries, such as Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRB) and Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, have very low self-discharge rates and can hold charges for extended periods. Static drones, which would remain in place for long periods and only use small amounts of energy for intermittent communications and surveillance, could operate for months or even years without recharging.
For drones that require recharging, solutions like solar panels, modular battery swaps, and centralized recharging stations could be implemented. Australia’s sunny climate makes solar power an especially attractive option for maintaining a self-sustaining drone fleet.
2. Swarm Tactics and AI
A swarm of 3,000 drones could overwhelm traditional defenses, making it extremely difficult for an adversary to penetrate Australian airspace or maritime zones. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and swarm intelligence would enable these drones to operate collaboratively, adapting to threats in real-time and executing complex maneuvers.
3. Resilience to Electronic Warfare
While drones are vulnerable to electronic warfare, jamming, and cyber-attacks, so are nuclear submarines and other advanced platforms. Investing in robust cybersecurity measures, anti-jamming technologies, and autonomous decision-making algorithms can mitigate these risks. A distributed network of drones would also be highly resilient—even if some drones are disabled, the overall system would remain functional.
Operational Advantages
1. Persistent Presence
Static drones can maintain a persistent presence over vast areas, providing continuous surveillance and rapid response capabilities. Advanced sensors and AI analytics would enhance situational awareness, enabling early detection and interception of potential threats.
2. Low Maintenance and Longevity
Static drones require far less maintenance than mobile platforms like submarines or aircraft. With no moving parts (other than occasional repositioning), their operational lifespan could be extended significantly. Battery replacements or upgrades could be scheduled during routine maintenance cycles.
3. Flexibility and Adaptability
A drone shield could be adapted for various roles, including surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeted strikes. Drones could be deployed in clusters at strategic locations, ensuring comprehensive coverage of Australia’s maritime borders. During times of heightened tension, additional drones could be deployed to bolster defenses.
Strategic and Diplomatic Benefits
1. Deterrence Through Defense
A highly effective defensive capability can serve as a powerful deterrent. Potential adversaries would be dissuaded from attempting an attack if they perceive the defense as impenetrable. The psychological impact of facing a swarm of 3,000 armed drones could be a significant deterrent in itself.
2. Reinforcing Australia’s Peaceful Image
By focusing on protection rather than power projection, Australia could reinforce its image as a peaceful and responsible nation. Clear communication of the defensive nature of the drone shield would be essential to avoid misunderstandings and reassure regional partners.
Implementation Considerations
1. Infrastructure and Logistics
Establishing the necessary infrastructure for deploying, maintaining, and recharging a large drone fleet would require careful planning and investment. Strategic placement of drone bases and support facilities across Australia’s coastline and offshore territories would be crucial for effective coverage.
2. Integration with Existing Forces
The drone shield should be integrated with existing naval, air, and land forces to ensure a cohesive defense strategy. Joint exercises and training programs would enhance interoperability and ensure that all components of the defense system work seamlessly together.
Conclusion
A defensive strategy centered around a large fleet of battery-powered drones offers a cost-effective, scalable, and technologically feasible solution for protecting Australia’s vast maritime borders. This approach leverages Australia’s geographical advantages and aligns with a peaceful, defensive posture.
While challenges such as battery endurance and vulnerability to electronic warfare exist, ongoing technological advancements and robust cybersecurity measures can mitigate these risks. The psychological and strategic deterrent effect of a drone shield, combined with its operational advantages, makes it a compelling option for Australia’s defense.
By focusing on protection rather than power projection, Australia can enhance its national security while reinforcing its image as a peaceful and responsible nation in the region. A drone shield represents not just a defense system, but a forward-thinking, sustainable, and cost-effective approach to safeguarding Australia’s future.
We should seriously consider this option. Appears to be incredibly successful in Ukraine.
Bob M’s suggestion re: Australian citizenship to own any media in Australia is very much needed.
Let’s get on with it!!
Drone shield must include submarine drones instead of nuclear subs.
These seem very good ideas. Perhaps a change to proportional representation might be also needed and votes for 16yo as Coles n Woolies seem unlikely to change the status quo and actually do some thinking. Oh and actually build batteries , drones, other missiles etc here, just in case adversaries dont want us to have them at that point – surprise! The post war compact that lead amongst other things to a globalised US social/media Is a problem to also unravel. The fact that Musk pulling starlink wherever he wishes eg Ukraine might have dire geopolitical impacts ( not counting unregulated massive spacejunk issues from his satellites) says it all.
I think moreso AUKUS was a foot in the door to establish a nuclear industry here, which has long been a goal of the mining industry and minerals council
Aukus is dead! It was conceived out of pure liberal ideology. At the same time we could not have a more dangerous or totally untrustworthy ally than the current form of the United States1
Independant and neutral Australia!!
There seems to me no other logic to Aukus than as the precurser to nuclear weapons, moreover under the control of our usa ‘friends’.
When a quantum hacker by then could take charge anyway. As usual the generals and current pollies are fighting the last last last war.
Yes I agree wholeheartedly cancel AUKUS mow because Ukraine has shown us that modern fighting is by drones and aircraft. Although we need some subs to patrol, these can be got from Europe, we need drones and fast aeroplanes and these too can come from Europe. Please throw out US citizens from Pine Gap and don’t leave more than a skeleton army in WA where US soldiers are gathering in large numbers. Indeed if we prove we can stand alone, China may well order the owners of the port in Darwin to sell to us and they might come to an agreement not to expand further in the Pacific or patrol waters round Australia. I see anything China does to put us off balance is a way of telling us they don’t like our cosy US arrangement and who could blame them. They might be an autocratic government but at least you know where they stand. In the US there is an unstable egoistic man who has cemented enormous power with his acolytes willing to constantly stoke his ego. This is 12th century rule by a monarch with all encompassing powers. Too dangerous with 21century military weapons.
Agreed
Let’s talk to Sweden about the almost undectable and underwater endurable Gotland subs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotland-class_submarine We could buy many many more of those for much less tax dollars! We need to back out of Aukus ASAP – no point supporting the US submarine industry if we can’t guarantee either our own subs, or that the American ones we are helping to build will come to our defence.
Israel – we need to talk about this too. American foreign policy has largly been written by Israel, and apart from the obvious need to stop the genocide and starvation as a weapon of war, Australia needs to support the Palestinians as we would expect our allies to support us if the circumstances were that Australia was being invaded by a religious crusade.
Ukraine already has our support – as it should – and we need to band together with likeminded democratic and sovereign nations to support them with aid and military hardware. Let’s show the Americans we don’t need them!
Same goes for the tariffs – extend trading with other countires affected by the US tariffs, and let American’s feel the full force of the recession and supply issues they will surely have.
There are three key shipping routes to Australia which China could choke off. Subs can counter that if they can cruise submerged for weeks or months at a time and stay at sea for years. That rules out diesel-electric.
China has n o designs on Australia, you have been reading too many murdoch BS articles
Really? What about the farms and ports and telecoms and energy companies they already own?
We should back manufacturing and the associated jobs for Australians, and make ourselves more self-sufficient.
It rules out all submarines crewed with humans
Agree wholeheartedly with Cate Cooper. We must align with like minded nations only. Those who believe in the rule of law. Simple. Quality over quantity. Richard Marles said: At a speech to mark 30 years of the AALD, Marles got all misty-eyed when he extolled the glory of the US alliance as a bulwark against the chaos of the times.
Well Richard Marles you now have your ‘chaos of the times’
I wonder if Marles is entertaining any doubts about his US mates now.
Wholeheartedly agree. Cancel Aukus. Kick the yanks out of Pine Gap & the us spy station in WA’s South of Exmouth Stop all planned exercises with US. In the top end.
AI can be used to detect any submarine in the sea. This is why AUKUS is not a good idea and cost used somewhere else
Oh yeah, especially as France is both our closest EU neighbour and nearest NATO member.
Buy French subs, and build a facility to maintain our own boats as well as service visiting French vessels.
Musk wants the US out of NATO. If this does happen, America can’t veto Ukrainian membership. In the meantime, Ukraine should be fast-tracked to join the EU.
Take over Pine Gap, send the Marines home from the Top End, and we will perhaps be able to take control of our own security.
There are two other countries that align with criminal putin that are still in Nato
Maintain trade with the US as best serves our interests for the short term.
Commence serioius talks with France, Germany, Sweden and Japan regarding the supply of Submarines (not necessarily Nuclear) as well as strengthen ties with Europe generally.
In addition strenghten trade and mutually beneficial relations with India and SE Asian nations.
Reduce the sharing of intelligence info with the US, request and gain access to US Pine Gap facilities
jacquesr@ozemail.com.au
Firstly, the AUKUS Submarines are probably never going to happen. And certainly not in my life-time.
So why limit our discussions on a new submarine fleet to France and Japan. Why not also engage South Korea, Germany, Canada, and our (family) in the UK to build basically common-core and highly stealth-oriented nuclear submarines that all of us can use to fire nuclear missiles en mass in our mutual defence.
And YES this means that Australia and South Korea, Japan, et all, have to become nuclear armed countries. But we don’t need billion-dollar 100MT bombs, we need small-medium weapons that can sink an aircraft carrier or cripple an invasion fleet, or disable a foe’s key city or harbour, or destroy key mass water storage holdings.
God Help us . . . . All of our ‘potential’ foes are already nuclear armed . . . . Lets be realistic if we intend to defend ourselves . . . . The new world order is already upon us . . . .
Let’s do a deal. We won’t shut down the following Pine Gap – Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap (JDFPG), near Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt – located on the northwest coast of Australia, 6 kilometres (4 mi) north of the town of Exmouth, Western Australia. Robertson Barracks – located in Darwin, Northern Territory and we will continue to encourage Geoscience Australia to play a crucial role in a global network of satellites and ground stations that keep much of modern life on track. We support the operation of satellites that observe Earth’s gravity, land, oceans and weather, and provide precise positioning and timing…..and the US can show some appreciation.
yes agree, we should be talking quietly to France, Japan or Sweden or whomever about subs .But we should also be quietly drawing up a new defence strategy that does not rely on the US so much,( if at all) any more — but brings us closer to Europe. France already has naval forces on our border in the subAntarctic, so they’re a good fit. We cannot be in Five eyes or other defence groups and divulge outrsecrets to people like Tulsi Gabbard et al-and no one seems to be reporting that yTrump is already trying to kick Canada out of the Five Eyes.! Musk is also calling for US to abandon Nato, so amongst all that, Australia needs to shore up alternatives with stealth and surety. No need to shout it from rooftops but we cannot sit by while the US dumps on our allies surely? And we certainly can no longer rely on them full stop. Forget AUKUS, we’ll never get those subs in time, and what use is US intel when ruzzia is part of the equation? we should also consider investing in Ukraine’s drone development, they’ve got the best in the world at the moment
Givens:
* We are an island state in SE Asia,
* US has always been transactional and self-centred (just clearer under Trump),
* US has been and is a greater security threat to Australia than China,
* Australian military is unrescue-ably embedded in the US military,
* Any credible Australian government needs to 1) maximise trade to and from Oz (the economics), 2) manage our defence effectively and sustainably, and 3) sustain/maximise our health.
This suggests:
* Public/community/political resolve will be necessary to effect change,
* Sincere and sustained links with Asia, including China,
* Reducing economic and military reliance on the US (as others have said – maintain, but loosen ties, extract more for their bases),
* Actively supporting international law/norms that assist a ‘middle power’ exist,
* Shape our military around a modern drone/missile defence of Oz for the prevailing risks, not for interoperability with the US in an event of their choosing.
Lastly, China must be paralysed with laughter. They had planned on topping the US in all spheres in 60-70 years. Now it is 20-25.
Any CEO who signed the AUKUS deal would have been sacked as USA have a worsening submarine deficit. Cancel AUKUS, talk to Japan about non nuclear submarines & strengthen ties in our region. Trump told people they would only have to vote once in the election & his ambition is clearly to rule for life
I agree. I think the sinister plan is internal division in Us leading to some armed uprising because they can’t help themselves. Trumpski will respond with declarations of martial law and therefore elections will be there for life
Whoever (Albo or Dutton) cuts off the AUKUS prior to the Federal election and promises to spend the proceeds on health, education and housing would win elections for the next 25 years
Australia needs to move away, not draw closer to the USA. The USA is the greatest danger to world peace. Its foreign policy is to control and block any other nation, China in particular, from challenging its hegemony.
Malcolm Fraser’s 2014 book, Dangerous Allies, and many books and articles since!( John Menadue’s Pearls and Irritations is one source) make this clear. But both the ALP and the Coaltion are so determined to continue on their subservience to the US.
We have become just another US base to add to the 750 or so others spread around the globe. Our so called “leaders” are just not smart enough to understand this.
First we should decide exactly WHAT we want in order of priority, keep it clearly in mind and be very careful not to get it mixed up with HOW were going to get it.
I think that Australia has to make choices based on the actual strategy in which Trump and Putin are engaged where the USA is not simply the agent of Russia, as the SMH and The Australian perceive it, but, more seriously and weirdly, its ally. Their joint plan for Ukraine has already been made, obviously, based on real estate; Russia gets most of the surface estate (best wheatland anywhere) plus the ports and the US gets the subsurface (all those minerals). Ukrainian sovereignty may apply, nebulously, to what’s left, or not at all… How Australia adjusts its foreign policy to a USA -Russia alliance, goodness knows, but that’s the task…
Boils down to two choices. Do we need to protect sea born trade? If yes, then we have no choice but to remain embedded with the USA with all the uncertainty that involves. If we think we can do without all that comes by sea then, yes, Australia and its approaches are potentially independently defendable. To do this we’d need to be entirely self-sufficient with food, energy and essential supplies (such as medical). We’d need to electrify everything that we currently need oil for – domestic, transportation (see what China is doing) and industry. Not going to be easy.
AUKUS does not support Australian sovereignty. Rather,it cements our client state status, binding us to US foreign policy.
Moreover, AUKUS submarines are not a fit for Australia’s independent defence.
If still possible, we should step away from AUKUS and redirect those resources into investments that will support us should we decide to claim our independence.
This leads to our relationship with Asia, which is the only place we might bins our security. A total overhaul of our foreign policy stance would lead us to explore dialogue and even mutual defence treaties with Indonesia, Japan, Singapore etc.
Part of that overhaul would inevitably draw us closer to China, and start the lengthy disentanglement from the United States.
Do you think France would be willing to listen?
It is vital to toss the US out of Pine Gap and to stop giving hospitality to their military.
Spot on! Do we also get a refund on our aukus “deal”.
Cancel Aukus. Cloe Pine Gap. Sever ties with the USA. Realign with the Europeans. Aid Ukraine, the brave bastards. Trump’s America will only get worse.
Can’t agree more.
This is probably a last resort option, as we can show we disagree with American policy on many other fronts before we seriously piss them off.
I am inclined to agree. Close Pine gap. Get rid of the american bases all together.
Spot on, toss out the US citizens who run Pine Gap that will surely get Donald Trump and J.D Vance’s attention. Show them that a middle power like Australia can also be transactional. How dare they think they can bully countries with their gangster threats.
Cancel the nuclear submarine deal with the US and go back to the deal with the French
Yes
Who do we fear the most? If it’s China then cement relations with them rather than alarm them by supporting the US. We have strong ties to Europe (inc the UK) so again strengthen them. Let’s US ponder ally’s who think for themselves and genuinely act in their own interests.
This is one heck of a question…thanks for posing it.
Let’s starve President Musk and his orange sock puppet of what they grave that is in our power to deny – publicity. A single factual paragraph of daily misdeeds is sufficient. We know that the US train is already derailed and travelling at great speed; we don’t need to hear of every grizzly dismemberment.
We only need to look at how countries such as Canada are being treated to realise that the word “ally” has no meaning for Trump. The Europeans know that they cannot count on Trump to come to their aid in the event of conflict with his bestie Putin. The ANZUS Agreement is much weaker than the NATO Agreement. If Trump does not give a toss about NATO, what hope do we have of ANZUS being honoured. For the first time since Federation, Australia has no great and powerful protector that it can rely on to come to its aid. It is time for Australia to consider all its defence options.
Be as nice as pie to theTrump administration. At the same time do trade deals with Canada and the EU and dare I say China to cut Trump out of as many deals as possible.
Also no one is on the dole..you do some sort of military training to the level of your ability.
Cancel AUKUS. Close Pine Gap. Forge closer links with like-minded democracies and act to strengthen international institutions. Pursue a foreign policy aimed at minimising the likelihood of a conflict between our #1 historical ally (now gone rogue) and our #1 trading partner, and avoiding getting drawn into any such conflict.
Agree, we need to do real diplomacy, not boot licking.
Yes
Boycott American products. Do NOT buy a Tesla, however cheap they become. Government to halt future payments to AUKUS until there is a practical demonstration from the US that they are committed to AUKUS.
Question the candidates in your electorate as to their opinion of Trump and AUKUS.
I personally like the idea of taking it to the local candidates. It’s at least one way of feeling that you are doing something ..
Great idea to ask all candidates if they support Trump and AUKUS.
This ought to be the major deciding factor.
The very best and most important first step. Find the trumpists in our politicians.
One has already shown his face, with silence from his colleagues.
Cancel AUKUS – it’s a scam anyway – and forge close ties with Asia’s biggest democracies – Japan and South Korea (at least they know how to deal with autocrats). To a lesser extent, Malaysia and Indonesia can be powerful allies in protecting the South China Sea. China is no doubt in a state of frisson watching everything herald the prospect of filling the void left by the imminent decline US – they will be increasingly valuable as a friend.
Isn’t it pie in the sky to believe you can just enlist China as a special friend in a military capacity? As I undertsand it, China has always been a self-contained society, and I wonder if launching a big friendship ‘watch my back’ kind of initiative without years of building a relationship and checking out its viability, might be a big ask. Not that we should trust Trump any more than any other country; but on an individual level, our military is very familiar and fraternal with that of the US, and we just have not created a body of knowedge about how to be friends with China, and neither have we overcome the barriers that language creates. Culture is complex, China is big. Now this is an area where Kevin Rudd COULD come in handy!
– Make the US pay an obscene level of rent on Pine Gap
– cancel AUKUS and buy French subs
– They have a trade surplus yet still put tariffs on us? so put tariffs on US automobiles, ag equipment and other major US exports to Australia.
– set up a new alliance with big commonwealth countries, the UK and Japan.
Agree on demanding big rent for Pine Gap, and Northwest Cape and all other US bases ie Darwin etc. Use that $ to arm ourselves aligned with EU, UK, Canada and other actual democratic countries. What gets my goat is how many Aust lives have been lost, ruined by following our former ally into wars as a matter of principle and as a sacrifice for it providing us security. What a betrayal. Perhaps we could demand back pay also from the US for disproportional number of Aust lives lost in Vietnam.
AUKUS, a bad deal needs to be rewritten so that funds paid and to be paid to support the American submarine industry are completely refundable if no submarines are delivered. Better still, abandon this wrong and unwise arrangement ( soon! )
Whenever possible remind USA of various bases on Australian soil whose continued presence should not be taken for granted. (transactional politics?)
Australia needs to start to invisage a much more independent policy militarily and diplomatically.
A lot of consensus on Aukus.. can we just take a moment to remember Scott Morrison and the wedge deal he served Albanese?
It’s odd you call this a ‘wedge deal’. The Liberals left Dan Andrews a similar pile of turd, the East West Link, with a secret billion dollar side deal, and he said, ‘You know what , we’re just going to cancel it and write off the money’ and the electorate said, ‘Fine’. But then again, he was the exception: a politician with courage.
Sure..not saying he had to cave in to the wedge .. but I’m sure it seemed necessary to look strong on defence on the eve of an election..
We should have seen how week albo was going to be when he just picked up AUKUS with no questions asked. All downhill from then Please do not say boo to him he might cry.
Really?,is that all you can offer?
Like any astute landlord, Australia needs to be far more transactional and leverage as much advantage as possible from the real estate the US has involvement in here.
Pine Gap for starters. Time to up the rent and renegotiate the terms.
Same for Northwest Cape and any military base that hosts US forces on our soil.
The Art of the Deal cuts both ways.
Well said!
I think all we really need to do is sit quietly by as things start to fail miserably in the US. It feels like the US was always going to end up here as the likes of Trump rode the anger building at government. Only now can they start to see what happens when you hand over the government to rich techbros and Christian nationalists. Provoking the US by winging about Pine Gap only gives Trump something focus on and that’s clearly a very bad idea
Well said. We should also quietly start reducing our reliance on goods we import from the State and push forward as fast as possible with green Energy which will allow cheaper manufacturing. China is doing just that.
Strongly agree.
The LONG term goal should be complete separation from US (no more five eyes, bases, marines, buying US kit, etc.) – but we need to proceed stealthily as, just for example, we rely on our fleet of joint strike fighters and will need to ensure US support until it’s time to replace them with something French or German…
So, say nothing out loud but quietly get out of AUKUS (and send a bill for the sunk millions to Morrison), ease back on five eyes and never ever again buy anything from the US, align more deeply in ANY way or EVER join any more of their nasty idiot wars.
Yeah, I agree with this. Maybe I’m getting old and cautious, but the maxim ‘fools rush in where angels fear to tread’ is resonating with me. Trump will destroy himself. Let him. It’s a pity though, he and his mates look as if they’re going to destroy much more than themselves personally… there are institutions in danger, and it is going to be chaos for a while. If Trump allows the mid-terms to happen, the voters will likely remove his power base in Congress and Senate. If no mid-terms, there’ll be a coup of some sort, or at least an attempt. Meanwhile, the rest of us need to look to our own independence and strengthen other alliances as Europe is doing. But let’s not hand ourselves over to any other big power. That is crazy. Let’s start strengthening our own USA-FREE (just like gluten-free or dairy-free) 1. trade and military capacities and 2. network of alliances.
I completely agree. Australia should not poke the deranged orange bear.
I’m hopeful & from what I’m seeing on various sites, with the resistance building against Trump (now the shock is subsiding & reality is sinking in for US voters), that the US midterms in 2026 may upset his & the GOP apple cart enough to reduce his chances of winning the Presidency again in 2028 🤞 We need to remember he didn’t win a majority in the popular vote & only beat Harris by 1.5%.
It would be good if there was a get-out-of-Aukus clause somewhere in the paperwork? Else, thanks for nothing Morrison!😡
Wisest comment here Mark! Need to be very careful.
Yes. An increase in the rent (or threat of it) on Australian real estate used for US military purposes would match Trump’s transactional approach.
You mean make it 2 peppercorns per annum?
It is interesting to note that Malcolm Fraser said in his book in 2014 “Pine Gap’s complex mix of activities requires a judgement of the positives and the negatives for Australia, and on that basis the time has come to close Pine Gap.” That was before DJT was on the chair and the current madness had begun a time when rational self interest considerations of a President went beyond one’s navel.
Interesting that Malcolm said “…close Pine Gap”. Interesting also that he resigned form the Liberal Party late in his life as he could see they were moving too far to the right.
You can’t just up the rent and rewrite the lease agreement. Wait; this is Australia so of course you can.
Does absolutely everybody want more war, of course Trump is a megalomaniac etc etc but war only ends with diplomacy or capitulation and especially if you are on the ,losing side why dig a deeper hole. Unless you believe the narrative; the longer the SMO is allowed to proceed the greater the chance of capitulation by Ukraine and the higher the costs by all but especially the hohols.
Europe has no army and cou.d only field 40 to 50, 000 troops with no air support so go figure.
You ask does anyone want a war. It seems to me that some politicians do revel in the idea of a war , and we should be aware, and on guard about electing such people. Consider Tony Abbott , who wanted Australia to punch above its weight.
The Australia/US alliance is now vulnerable, if not today, in a month, a year, or whenever, depending on when Trump decides we aren’t useful. Start planning now.
Pine Gap and NWCape may be useful bargaining chips, if we need that.
AUKUS submarines were never going to happen. Perhaps Trump could try and force us to have American nuclear submarine bases here instead, and become a nuclear target.
Start planning alternative defence strategy today. Large drone capability appears essential.
An alliance may exist in writing but Trump wouldn’t be familiar with it. He would rip it up if it suited his purpose. He bears no allegiance to anyone (except Putin) as shown in his treatment of allies. Ukraine is simply a source of minerals; Taiwan has the most sophisticated semiconductor industry – if he gets hold of that then Taiwan will go the way of the Ukraine. Australia needs to catalogue its ‘assets’ and have a strategy to deal with the US when it comes knocking. In the meantime, start strengthening alliances with Japan and South East Asian countries.
AGREE ENTIRELY
Yes. Underwater Drone technology seems very efficient and effective.
The US has always been a warmongering country , China is no threat to us and Russia is just too far away. We have followed the US in its stupid wars in Vietnam, Afganistan, Iraq even bombing targets in Syria. Time to get out of Aukus, Pine Gap and remove all American bases. Defense spending should be on drones , misslies and maybe fast small misslile patrol boats. Even without Trump our ties to the US invited disaster.
Let’s not send any more cash for submarines and open talks with France. Let’s get any women on fellowships and other academic roles home from US for their safety. Let’s go hard on climate emergency action and be able to trade with EU without tariffs. Let’s be a real Pacific nation and be responsible for our neighbours safety. This would be a start.
Couldn’t agree more!
Fortunately everyone has to die someday.
But when? Can we wait that long.
Thank Trump for a long overdue wake-up call.
Read or re-read Malcolm Fraser’s 2014 “Dangerous Allies”, the most dangerous being the USA.
Australia has had 50 years [since November 1975] to reassess how it should grow up as part of the South-West Pacific and our Near-North Asia.
That needs a real shift of many policies; real courage and a few painful shocks.
Cancel AUKUS, adopt a formal policy of non-alignment ( we are almost uninvadeable anyway), facilitate an orderly exit and closure of US troops and bases ( Pine Gap, North West Cape etc.), develop strong multilateral relationships with Europe (NATO), ASEAN and take a balanced and non confrontational to china/USA tensions and competition in the pacific and South Asia.
We should maintain but loosen the alliance with the US, and absolutely focus on sovereign capability in critical economic and military spheres. Among other things, this would mean a “porcupine defence” model based around littoral submarines and over-the-horizon defence, as well as a larger defensive army. I’d vote for national service if it gave us foreign policy independence. More alliances in south east asia with middle powers. Domestic manufacturing and sustainment capability for transport, critical medicine, agriculture, watsan, construction, communication and other critical sectors.
I think the Five Eyes security sharing arrangements need to be wound back for a while. It cannot work if there is a lack of trust.
But a stronger Pacific Ocean support network with NZ, Canada, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Mexico and Chile could be useful.
And, we need to become more self sufficient in key commodities like fuel, pharmaceuticals and technology.
I think we need to stop focusing on every brain fart that comes out of this US administration and realise for what it is – a media circus obscuring the massive rorting of the US government. I expect most in the US that voted for this clown either did it because they just wanted a change and cheaper groceries. Sooner or later events (natural disasters, epidemic, schools closing, etc) will start to focus the US population’s mind on the simple fact that life without government is very bad unless you’re very rich.
Australian military is very embedded in partnership with the US military. We drive their equipment, we practice war and peace with them continually. How many US military folk support Trump and his administration is unknown other than they are sworn to protect the US constitution; this could be both good and bad for us but we may not realise until it’s too late to strategise. Similar to dealing with most bullies either stay away or confront them head on. The current world leaders seem to be grovelling at Trumps feet and too terrified to say or do anything that may get his attention. Over the next 4 years I think that strategy will be self determining.
I think it will be interesting to see if the US military feels it needs to intervene at some point, as the final backstop to Trump’s total excesses
Are you suggesting there might be a (second) coup?
I do wonder and I wouldn’t be surprised.. though i have no inside knowledge …unless someone wants to pass it on of course..
I think there’ll be a more upfront coup… I opened up a live global weather map this afternoon, provided by an individual who uses downloaded NOAA data – up pops a long message from the provider informing the viewer about the unethical and disruptive firings and other actions which is cutting NOAA’s legs off. The first paragraph of the pop-up message goes like this, and continues at length:
“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is the U.S. agency responsible for global weather forecasting, hurricane prediction, ocean observation, and many other services vital to public safety. Its satellites, supercomputers, and research teams provide essential data that help us understand our planet and protect lives.”
Open earth.nullschool.net to check it out. There are a lot of restless US organisations and individuals building up a head of steam over there.
Thank you for this – a classic example of what’s at stake here.
Support Ukraine. They have stuck with International Law and so should we.
Rather than posturing against the bullies, we need to dismantle anything we are embroiled in that breaks international law. Perhaps less emphasis on US as a “superpower” (and super soaker of media). Just make our decisions and stick with well established protocols. No more oxygen to the crazies. Penny Wong is doing pretty well. We just need people like her talking to NATO and to other likely friends. Including France. Stop buying Big Weapons and start offering visas to the oppressed. We can be kind again.
You forget that the Ukrainian disaster has its roots in American interventions and broken promises. They created this ghastly proxy war for their own benefit.
.
Australia is between a Rock and a Hard Place.
USA disengagement (best case scenario under Trump!) and China Sabre rattling (warships exercising off the coast).
We might have to turn back economically and strategically to “old Europe” to fill the coming USA void, plus strengthen these ties with India, South Korea, Japan, Canada, etc..
I am a bit concerned that the China warship exercises are the next step in their plan for Taiwan. Just to see what reaction there is from the USA (as far as I know, there has been no reaction from Trump and his minions). Next step might be even more activity and land grabs in the South China Sea to see what the USA does.
I suppose the saving grace is that while Trump admires Xi Jinping, economically he is at war with them. So he still may decide to react if China makes a move on Taiwan, if just for economic reasons.
As for the subs, if we don’t have any strong strategic partners, is it even worth in getting them anymore? By the time we get them it may be all too late anyway.
I’d disagree with you on Trumps economic war with China, Wayne. Remember that iPhones and the like are built there. America will protect Taiwan until they have their share of chip manufacturing in the US itself, rather than Taiwan. This has already been annouced, but will take some time to build the factories.
Also, India is friends with Russia
Forget submarines , concentrate on supporting development of Underwster Autonomous Vessels (UAV’s) where we already have an advanced development program supported by the Government. The same with our air defences. We should sever all military ties with the US, close (or take control) of Pine Gap. Is Northwest Cape still a thing? If so take control of it and the sharing of intelligence. Stop rotations of US Marines through Darwin and expansion of Tindal to cater for more nuclear capable aircraft. Similar with Stirling Naval base in WA close it to US subs.
On the diplomatic front enter negotiations with other countries which host US Military for unified action so individual countries aren’t singled out for the (inevitable) retributions. Consider potential immigration issues from a likely influx of people fleeing a MAGA dominated America.
I agree with most of that already written. Denying Trusk the attention they so desperately crave is one small way we as individuals can express our views.
I’ve long doubted that the USA would come to our assistance if it was required, despite the kowtowing and blind sacrifice of Australian lives over many decades. Now I’m certain they wouldn’t. It’s a no-brainer that we don’t pay another cent for AUKUS.
If they out tariffs on our goods, we follow the Canadian example and respond in kind, both tariffs and boycotts. And, in general, US products are pretty crap – not buying them will not be too much of a burden. At the same time we should be more actively seeking closer trade and defence relationships with like-minded countries in our region (and more widely).
Trusk are bullies; we should not bow to them in case they beat us up; we know that at some point they are going to beat us up, so let’s get beat up for doing the right thing. Not that the spineless Albanese/Dutton duopoly will ever do that.
Well all this is above my pay grade, but it seems to me the focus on Trump forgets that about two thirds of the US either voted for him, or felt not alarmed enough to vote against him. Maybe Trump alone is not the issue? That may change in the mid terms and some brake may be applied, although I am not an assiduous follower of US politics. If we consider Australia a very large ship heading into a safe harbour we suddenly find is mined, it takes a long time to reverse course. Our USA momentum will be dragging on us for a long time whether we like it or not. Sure, we can edge around the margins, demanding fair payment in return for our favours to the US but ultimately our political masters have to manage this disaster. If politics is the art of the possible, then someone will have to lay out what the possible is and get consensus support for it. If they don’t, well there is an election coming up.
It’s always best to go for a bully’s weak spot…. Trump’s and Musk’s egos (and Bezos, Zuckerberg, etc). Starve them of oxygen in the media, boycott X, facebook, amazon, tesla, starlink, etc. And seek to ridicule them at every opportunity… there is no shortage of material. During the first Trump presidency I sent some of our Australian cartoons to Americans I knew who hated Trump… they loved them and Trump would hate them if he saw them… maybe there’s a way to post some our best cartoons on Truth Social
I deleted all those associated accounts a couple months ago and it’s kind of strange living without those services now. People link me all kinds of things on Instagram and Facebook and I have to just say “Sorry, you’re gonna have to screenshot it”. I’ll never go back though that’s for sure and I highly recommend others do the same. Come check out Bluesky, Mastodon maybe
I have also stopped Google search. Try ECOSIA…it plants a tree for every click, is almost non profit, sending lots to charities. Check it out.
Paul Keating said everything necessary and relevant. he said we need a fleet of smallish vessels patrolling our coastline—not enormous sea-going nuclear submarines. He said that the Chinese dont like American vessels sailing up and down near them just like the USA would hate Chinese vessels going up and down their coastline. Like we are not happy about the Chinese doing it to us at present. I think we should ask him what to do.
Australia should stop sending the Navy to patrol the China seas. None of our business, mate.
Malcolm Turnbull has pointed out what our mothers told us—you have to stand up to bullies. Keep calm and carry on. We dont really need the USA. If something bad happens, it wont protect us; it will expect us to help them.
There are those who predict that wars will be waged by drones from now on. I can believe that. No submarines needed for that.
I dont think we need those submarines. Let’s just drop the deal. Quietly.
If you consider the demographics, Anglo-Saxon Australia is finished. We are an Asian nation now. Why invade youself?
If things get dire, I dont see any other nation helping. Let’s not send our soldiers to fight other people’s wars. Let’s just mind our own business, quietly.
Tony Abbott wanted Australia to punch above its weight. NO. NO. NO.
I cant see any way of getting Americans out of Pine Gap, but it would be nice. A conquering force would make Pine Gap its first target.
So, keep calm and carry on. Let the whole nuclear submarine thing die a quiet death.
Do some housekeeping. Australia needs roads, transport facilities, homes ,schools, education. We need to prepare for climate change. That is our biggest threat.
Really appreciating these thoughtful contributions. I think it helps make some sense of a dire set of circumstances
Excellent summary. Now how to pursuade our “leaders” to do it?
Thanks Robyn, I think you’ve said what I wanted to say a whole heap better than I possibly could. I agree with everything you’ve written, although with Pine Gap I think we should take it over for our own intelligence gathering, but I have no idea of how possible that might be.
Totally agree with you, RobynL, on Climate Change being the biggest threat to Australia (and the rest of the world!)
Spot on! the US “security” is often one way. How many US coflicts have Australian politicians willingly involved our young people in?
I agree with most of the comments above. My thoughts in short:
End Aukus, a beast that should never have grown legs (thanks SCOMO). Of course, not knowing the details of the agreement as pointed out above, only a few know if this is even possible.
Pine Gap should be reconfigured to supply intelligence to our government only, to be shared (not with the US at this juncture) or sold as appropriate.
US defence forces no longer welcome here, except through exceptional contractual negotiation and agreement. No more kowtowing.
Get cracking with what I believe Keating recommended 30ish years ago, and deal more with our neighbours as trading and defence partners.
I’m not sure how we should behave with Trump. Being nice will just validate his position and end up with him getting what he wants, ending badly. Being assertive will just piss him off and probably end badly…
I just watched the Trumpet’s address to Congress? All is saved according to his nonsense. I think it was Stan Grant who identified the problem with America – it now believes in its own fantasy – Disneyland, Hollywood, Freedom and Equality etc. Trump’s American Dream (and MAGA catchphrase) is riddled with lies – on the economy, immigration, money given to Ukraine, fraud examples he used, blaming Biden for all the ills of society etc., denial – anti climate change, anti-disease control, anti woke – the opposite to sleeping and dreaming! and is delusional – making friends with Putin and Xi, reducing taxes while reducing debts, using childish fantasies as a common sense approach, restoring democracy by destroying its values, thinking tariffs will restore American made goods and company profits when many will do the opposite if they are on component parts rather than whole goods, as well as costly trade wars affecting global inflation.
As suits his large ego, bullying character and media savvy showmanship, Trumpet talks like a circus ringmaster – strongest, biggest, greatest, safest, wealthiest, healthiest, record breaking, never seen before etc, Most of this is bullshit, a con job. Yet, his supporters cheer more loudly (USA, USA), desperately wanting/needing to believe in the dream! He thinks a stronger authoritarian approach (linked to immigration) will solve the growing law and order problem, ignoring the internal inequalities caused by capitalism and consumerism, that fuel much of the crime. He is a very dangerous ally!!
To me he also exhibits the qualities of a successful evangelical pastor..
Do you mean Full of Shit and after the everyman’s money in return for a fantasy while the pastor has mansions and expensive cars?
possibly
I think more selfish showman than pastor as he is bereft of faith, hope and charity. He also sees those less fortunate or more vulnerable as weak losers.
Fair comment!
I think some sensible strategic planning is now vital here. We should be looking at an alternative to AUKUS (French or Japanese subs could be delivered much quicker than the US ones). We need to firm up trading links with other countries to reduce the impact of likely tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium. Trump has shown us through the wholly unnecessary tariffs on Canada, that even close trading and strategic partners are not immune from US economic coercion. It’s quite possible the world economy will experience a severe recession, once US tariffs are applied on the EU, China and others. The federal government may need to develop a covid-like response for business and other economic drivers, which will be affected by a coming recession. We may need to reassess our intelligence partnership with the USA, too. We know what Pine Gap is doing. Can we afford this information potentially falling into Russian hands? Trump has made noises about tossing Canada out of the ‘Five Eyes’ set-up. Should four of the Five Eyes reassess the role of the US in this partnership, especially if US-Russian links develop?
On the intelligence question, surely we have to assume that whatever falls into US hands will also fall into Russia’s hands. Do you think there is any limit to what Trump would do for Putin?
Truth is, we don’t need submarines of any type!
I recognise that it will take a long time to totally disengage from the USA, but the signs have been evident for well before Trump 2.0. We need to be talking to the EU and UK but also within our region (and to China) to move as much of our trade from the US as we can. And we should talk to Canada – they sem to be moving in the right direction. As for defence – if we disentangled ourselves from the US (Pine Gap, AUKUS, and joint excercises and so on) we would be a much less likely target. The we need to get involved in the formation of a new defence pact – a new version of NATO because it is certain the US would not come to our aid if we needed help – of it they did it would only be at the cost of selling all our land. This is not just an over-reaction to Trump – the whole GOP is behind him, and whoever replaces him will potentailly be worse – imagine what a smart version of Trump would be like.
I find myself agreeing with much of what you say – and my hunch is that there is worse yet to come
It’s well past time that Australia and the rest of the free world, started working together and took a big step away from the USA militarily and economically. The past month of mayhem in America has clearly demonstrated that the country is in a steep decline that, if we’re not careful will take the rest of the world with it.
Countries around the world need to separate their interests and let America press on with what they seem so determined to do – completely disintegrate as their elected leaders progressively dismantle and destroy any semblance of American society, culture and democracy as disappear up their collective backsides.
The rest of the world should also do whatever it takes to disengage from the American Tech Bros as well. Facebook, Instagram and X are cesspools of hate and disinformation and serve no purpose other than to divide and damage communities and promote scams. Amazon is not a ‘marketplace’ it’s a private techno-feudal empire that we’re all paying for the privilege to use while local businesses suffer, fail or are gobbled up by monopolies that gouge ordinary consumers in their relentless pursuit of profit. I don’t believe in a world without social media but, if nothing else, the past 20 has, provided a clear blueprint of all the pitfalls, so let’s recreate our own and leave Zuckerberg, Musk and Bezos in America.
I’m not suggesting stepping away from America while it raucously implodes will be easy, reducing international dependence on the US dollar alone is not a simple task but, the rest of the world working together to establish new parameters for international co-operation and finance, without having to tap dance around an orange manchild and his enablers, has got to be better than witnessing the daily slow-moving train wreak that is America at the present time.
I agree.
If Trump, Musk and Vance are allowed to continue on their current trajectory, it is highly likely that the US as a nation will implode. We may even see some of the blue states seceding from the Union. The billionaires who have supported Trump may find their wealth being dissipated as the country descends into anarchy.
Perhaps we should also be following the Canadians’ lead by avoiding and boycotting as many US organisations in the marketplace as we possibly can. Too many of our companies are already owned by US corporations, not just the obvious tech and mining companies and food companies and farm machinery companies, but also service suppliers like medical imaging and media. And many of them pay little to no tax!
When you add the upcoming climate crisis to this huge arena of international uncertainty, things are not looking good for any country in coming years.
Lots of consensus here: dump AUKUS, increase rent on US bases here, stop giving Trump & Musk a platform. I completely agree. It might also be a good time to start moving towards a republic for Australia – hopefully one based on the European models, but definitely NOT like the USA. How about a referendum at the next election – or the one after that?
We enjoy being Colonials.
It’s America now, it was Britan before that, and we flirted with Japan.
How about a proudly independent Nation where be buy or make equipment
to suit our needs. AUKUS was always a rubbishy deal as were the heroic wars in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan.
Stand up for ourselves Australia First.
Trump is so far the only US president in decades not to start a war. Urkraine lost three years ago. Trump is right to stop war supplies to the fascist Ukrainains.
I should really ignore this comment for the fallacy it is, but Trump has started a war or two – on democracy, economically on international allies, and on Diversity Equity and Inclusion. How is it facism to defend your own borders?
Don’t we miss that contrarian Bob Ellis. Let me count the ways he was wrong. over and over. Don’t have enough time.
Ukraine is far from perfect, but Russia is worse.
As well as some of the sensible suggestions already listed, I would urge our govt to try for a close mutual alliance, including military, with Canada. A small nation like us and fiercely independent, the more so since Trump’s insane bullying, they need allies worldwide as do we.
Work towards making CANZUK a military reality?
John Curtin broke with the tradition of unswerving allegiance to the British Empire during WW2, bringing Australian troops home from Europe and the Middle East battle fronts in order to defend Australia and Papua New Guinea from the threat of the Japanese. He saw clearly that Australian interests were not best served by continuing to cling to this single relationship. As Curtin shrewdly and strategically did with the British in 1941, the Australian government (and this needs to be a bi-partisan effort), needs to step back from our enmeshment with the USA and consider the strengthening our Asian and Pacific security partnerships alongside those with European countries. It’s completely clear that this current US government cannot be trusted with our security, nor should we trust them with our state secrets.
Whether it is either secret or official collusion with the Russian state by Trump and his cronies, the risks of continuing the Five Eyes relationship as it stands seems very high. Will the technology shared through AUKUS have any value given the risk of Russia accessing that information?
With both the relentless and blind support of Israel and the abandonment of Ukraine there’s a pattern of behaviour and decisions that has echoes of the past. Remember the Munich Pact anyone? Both Israel and Russia are ferocious in their appetite for expanded territory and influence and the USA has no appetite for curbing either’s greed. Tying ourselves to people with this world view does not end well for Australia. Not for our international standing and security and definitely not for our national social cohesion and sense of common values and purpose.
And I haven’t even mentioned the fascism and white nationalism…
The call is coming from inside the house. Let’s get out. Now.
Couldn’t agree more Siobhan
Yes. Nailed it.
Totally agree Siobhan Hannan. Time for the people to do their thing. Small local communities need to take actions to combat climate change; the importation of foods like pork, oranges from US etc.
Why does Australia export 380,000 tons of pork a year and import 380,000 tons of pork a year?
De Growth and circular economies where most of our needs are produced or grown locally, where everyone is gainfully employed, cared for, housed appropriately and respected and included. Where things like hemp can be grown locally so quickly and used for hempcrete building and so many other things, reducing those expensive logistics.
Save the $billions on AUKUS to look after our people, which I believe is the major role of
government. Go small…underwater drones, agile and smart and so much more effective than huge lumbering nuclear powered subs that take hours to turn around.
We have to show at every opportunity what we think of his constant lying, breaches of international law, sexism, racism, anti environment etc etc. He is a snake oil salesman backed by some very dangerous people. Even a monkey on a typewriter will eventually come up with something that is not nonsense, but mostly Trump’s way is very bad for the planet.
Now that all three ‘great powers’ are autocracies for whom the idea of evidence-based policy and the rule of law has no appeal – a state of affairs which may not change in our lifetimes – Australia needs to be proactive in making common ground and formal alliances (economic, military, cultural) with all the democratic middle powers for whom the rule of law is still morally and strategically attractive, including our own neighbours, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and Western Europe. That’s a huge, long-term diplomatic project which all three great powers may try to sabotage if they can.
Trump is right about one thing – all of us need to put more money into our own defensive capacities. AUKUS is likely to be a catastrophe – originally we looked at the Sōryū-class submarines from Japan (similar to the Swedish Gotland-class) – cheaper, more immediately available, and effective.
It’s spelt USUKA (and pronounced that way). Says everything really.
Dump AUKUS.
US out of our bases, including Pine Gap.
Explore joining BRICS! Independent foreign policy in a multipolar world.
It’s only been a handful of weeks and already Trump has stirred up a cesspit of horrors. We can’t assume this will be it, that he’ll settle down and we can maybe get through the weird new normal like we did last time. He and his emboldened posse have tasted unlimited power now. It’s only going to get worse.
We should cut them loose. Stand with Ukraine, Canada, Mexico and turn our shoulders. We must strengthen our alliances outside the US, build new ones amongst ourselves. Think of the things we could achieve without the US!
Meanwhile, things will get increasingly dire for US citizens. And sadly, that’s probably the best way out of this. Because even if one fool does something clever and rids us of Trump, there is still a whole corrupt broligarchy over there that has to fall too.
But yes, scrap AUKUS, kick the US out of Five Eyes, take back Pine Gap, and buy anything but US.
We need to take a major step back to basics and ask who are our enemies and why? Is China really our enemy or protagonist? I see no real reason to think so apart from the reaction of the USA and western world that before long China will lead the world in technology diminishing the power of the USA. Is this such a bad thing and if so, why? In reality if anyone wanted to attack or invade us, could we hold them off? Who would they be and why? Would the USA ever have come to our defence? To me the big questions are the why to those I’ve posed. I could offer many more.
We need to re-examine where we sit in the world and focus on our own neighbourhood. Our politicians like to talk big, but in reality we have no power. Our geolocation protects us from much more than we think.
I’ve just noticed there’s been very little mention of climate change and the environment here (read, the survival of humanity as a species). This is going to have a bigger impact than anything else over the next 10 years and going forward, not to mention the ensuing wars over food and water. I don’t have the headspace nor the skills to put my thoughts and feelings down regarding this, but would be interested in other people’s thoughts with relation to the Trusk USA’s total repudiation of any need for anything being invested in this space, and how AUS should respond to this.
Thanks
I think development in renewables has already reached a point where it makes economic sense and even Trusk can’t stop it. This is where creating strong alliances, powering ahead with renewables etc without the US will soon make things unbearable for US citizens. They’ll be paying for oil without a tree left on their continent while the rest of us are enjoying free electricity and shared grids and electric vehicles. (Who cares if all this comes from China?) The US people need to get sick of Trump and his baby drill.
Trump’s environmental policies will hurt him soon enough. The quicker it happens the better, because we don’t want Dutton getting any ideas.
DavidU, with regard to climate change there is a lot happening at community level around Australia. When I find world news depressing I read some of the excellent work happening around us. Try these sites: nena,org,au ; http://www.earthlaws.org.au ; prosper.org.au ; http://www.innovatetoregenerate.wwf.org.au ; climateforchange.org.au
There are many more including Climate 200 which will hopefuly keep Australia out of the hands of trumpists.
There is still the issue of the displacement of fossil fuels with rare earth and other minerals to ‘fuel’ renewables. (Hence Musk’s placement and Trump’s bid to take over Greenland and Canada)?
Remember how Donald avoided Conscription “I had bone spurs”. What happened after the war? “The bone spurs went away”. Remember how he treated John McCain? There were German patriots who attempted the assassination of their leader. At what stage does that scenario arise with this deranged President? Thank you
Cancel AUKUS, arrange withdrawal of US troops from Australian territory,
Establish a security pact with China and Asian neighbours.
Start first by dealing with the tyrant Murdochs clan who have no interest in Australia
It is time to do what we always should have and take an independent stance that is in Australia’s best interest on every issue. The worst would be just to get swept along with whatever the USA government decides to do.
Anyone who thinks things will be different in 4 years is delusional, no matter which crummy seppo party wins Useless States is in a death spiral. Cut loose or we are “shackled to a corpse”
Thanks for “shackled to a corpse” Ron. I’m going to remember that and claim as my own.
It would be interesting to see the US reaction if the rest of the Western world started to work on improving relations with China and started gradually ignoring America. Nothing blatant or rude, just a gentle change of focus.
China may be pally with Putin but I strongly suspect they’d very much prefer to be be accepted by Europe and would probably leave Taiwan alone, if that aided such acceptance.
I would also suggest encouraging our cartoonists. Bullies hate being laughed at. Imagine a weekly prize issued to the best Trump cartoon as voted for by readers. The mere fact of the existence of such a prize would encourage a new shade of orange!
It’s very clear: Europe should NATO, forge(negotiate a new security agreement) with Russia and the satellite states to exclude the USA (NOT part of Europe, unlike Russia!) for the security of all!
Australia should seek to join The BRICS agreement, TALK with our neighbours, join with Asia (as Keating posited! and Howard was incapable of doing— racist prick that he has always been) and kick the US military out of our country.
The US government has been a terrorist state for 80 years at least.
There is a lot of furious agreement in the above comments on Pine Gap, AUKUS, etc., which I also agree with.
The problem is not just Trump personally though, as even If he left office for whatever reason there is Vance, the gutless Republicans who effectively foisted Trump on the world, and the largely hidden role of the whole industrial-military complex. And the on-going agenda of the unelected power-brokers behind the scenes -e.g. pushing fossil fuels in the face of climate change.
This highlights the need for Australia to re-position itself as a more independent nation which seeks functional arrangements with a range of other countries depending on the issue. Amongst other things, we should continue to support Ukraine and also to resist the Israeli refusal to countenance a proper 2-state solution; our position should be articulated on the basis of a well thought through strategic assessment of our place in the world in this new era, including strengthening the observance of international law.
I’m really appreciative of your honest opinion and asking the serious questions. As Australians we must be more informed and independent. Promoting the issues of climate change, the dangers of dictators and loss of democratic institutions, plus more social housing, health care and education.
We must make The Donald aware of Pine Gap (there are many gaps in his knowledge) and be ready to shut off power to that facility as a bargaining chip. Also North West cape, if it still operates.
Trump, Putin’s useful idiot and the Republicans (Grubs Of Putin) cannot be trusted to do the right thing by Australia. While the current government has already re-engaged with our neighbours to minimize the damage done by the previous Trump administration, it needs to do a lot more. Climate change is an existential threat for our pacific neighbours so this would be a good place to start. Build closer and enduring relationships with all of our northern neighbours. Ditch AUKUS in favour of a French Nuclear sub as they have interest and assets in the Pacific, or subs from Japan or South Korea who share our region. Bring contol of Pine Gap and Exmouth under Australian control. Our alliance with America will survive this Trump storm but our relationship with the US will, and should never be the same.
Lots of good comment here.
The ongoing Trump debacle and resulting geopolitical fallout cannot be dealt with in isolation from the climate emergency – by 2040 or 2045 there will be 2 degrees of global warming because humanity has foolishly proved incapable of stemming the current rates of rise of greenhouse gases. The growth in consumption of coal, oil and gas has accelerated, along with increased global warming. Climate misinformation has had a major effect in blocking climate action.
Climatologists know we have moved past 1.5 degrees and agree that at 2 degrees extreme climate events are going to occur monthly, weekly or daily to make living conditions much more difficult. Some regions, both within Australia and in neighbouring countries may become unliveable with major ramifications for the geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific region.
The Politics identified the key role of social media and right wing media in spreading misinformation in this recent article:
“Writing wrongs gets a bad press in Trump land” by Nicole Chvastek
“Without strong new journalism players, the threat is a population that is kept in the dark and exploited while billionaire gorillas and politicians rip away spending in the public interest and guzzle taxpayer dollars in their own interest. It is environmental degradation which will make the fossil-fuel giants buckets of cash while the planet dies. It is the persecution of minorities and the end of policies based on humanity, justice and the rule of law.”
We already have a Trump party working in Australia, previously known as the Palmer party.
We urgently need to elevate fact checking of media to the level it can monitor lies and misinformation on the required scale, especially on subjects of existential importance.
Yes.
Gosh … there are a lot of comments out there … and I’m sure that breaking our ties with the US, although very desirable will be a very complex and bewildering activity. America has some of the ‘smartest’ people I have ever known. Their private colleges are superb and their research programs are fantastic. They HAVE achieved a great deal. There are some very important truisms that we send to be aware of … the United States have NEVER been united! If you don’t have money .. LOTS .. you will never succeed. If you cannot afford private schooling you will never be taught to THINK!
The problem is not the US .. it is TRUMP and the fact that too many simple Americans believe the rubbish he feeds them. Lets get serious and try to understand what Trump is wanting to achieve. He has long had a very dubious relationship with ‘East European’ leaders and lovers. The first election he won he did so with Russian support … we know that for a FACT. This last one … again he had Russian support. If you wanted an ‘agent’ in the White House there are some outstanding quiet and seemingly harmless (yet beautiful) candidates already VERY close to Trump.
The spat with Ukraine … my take: Trump promised to end the war in a DAY! He rang Putin FIRST .. surprise? not to me. Obviously Putin didn’t agree with Trump’s deal so the invite and subsequent attacks on Zelenskyy were his way of staging the dialogue his way. So now … he can BLAME someone else for his failure to make good on his ridiculous promise. The answer to all of this is to evict Trump from the Presidency … whatever it takes. there are enough legal reasons why he is not a fit and proper person to be in power. It is time for the American people to take control, convict him of his felonies and remove him to prison or exile.
Surely we need to get real here and remove the cancer not just step around it … The adults have to return to the table!
great ideas…. my suggestion?
PRAY
You said you wanted to find out what your readership thought of the alliance. Well, after scrolling through a few hundred comments it’s clear: get out of AUKUS.
There’s probably some bias there, this is, after all, The Monthly/Saturday Paper. But I suggest it’s the position of any half sane Australian. Go talk to the French again. And, whatever you do, buy submarines that can traverse the Timor Sea, otherwise they’re useless.
Yes I think the conclusion is clear. thanks Steven. it would be interesting to revisit the Aukus question in a survey..
One more vote for chucking Scott – I don’t hold a hose – Morrison’s ridiculous AUKUS deal. I reckon we’d have Buckley’s of getting any money back, but it needs to be treated as a sunk cost. Let’s not throw good money after bad. Albo needs to be stronger (and note the boost in Trudeau’s popularity after he spoke up strongly against Trump’s tariffs) – but Dutton is probably relishing the thought of more Defence action. And while the world is captured by the Trump tantrum(p)), has anyone noticed what our climate is doing. That collapse will be way worse than any collapse of any political deals. Ditch AUKUS and the subs, don’t give Trump the attention he craves and focus on saving the planet from collapse caused by climate change. (And wish the billionaires joy on the moon – or Mars, or wherever they wish to go).
This is an email that I sent via the Canberra American Embassy website earlier this week:
President Trump’s mercenary, introspective actions have shaken up the world’s confidence in maintaining civilised order and in keeping the peace.
Words matter and Trump‘s recent actions have undermined the confidence of military and trade treaties with America. Confidence in American treaties has now been thoroughly diminished, so they are undermined and can be more easily challenged.
We thought that China’s politically motivated trade embargo on Australian goods could be challenged in the World Trade Organisation but with America now using tariffs as a weapon we are seeing the real breakdown of world order.
The fear is that now we will see continued escalation of the extreme hostilities in the Middle East, and the capitulation of Ukraine, which would threaten Europe as Russia’s Hitler-like expansion continues.
All this will embolden China to invade Taiwan and continue its military aspirations throughout Asia, currently evidenced by the Chinese Navy’s current live-firing circumnavigation of Australia.
Attempting to rewrite history seems to be a Trump tactic, but now America seems to be leading the free world into world War three.
That is what history will record unless America prevents it with meaningful negotiations for all involved.
great analysis of the situation
I have not ever read anything that makes it clear why we need submarines at all. Surely this is a case of sinking vast sums into outdated technology. Don’t we need much more research into drone technology?
I really distrust our habit of sending huge amounts of our limited funds to the US industrial military complex. Their stuff doesn’t seem to work as well as stuff from smaller, less gung-ho countries’ manufacturers, and they always seem to rip us off.
The US has been working its way towards autocracy ever since Reagan and Thatcher set about destroying the working and middle classes with their horrific “trickle down” economics.
It is high time our political leaders showed some guts and severed our worst and cringiest ties with the US. I mean, Pine Gap? What the Hell?
How about some freedom?
Trump may not be there for long if he continues to piss people off and the stock market crashes. He is trashing the American economy and international standing at a rapid rate. Adopt a transactional approach – if he wants to keep access to Pine Gap and US bases in Oz he will have to treat us with a bit more respect. Dont bother trying to appease him – this doesnt work with a bully. Stop wasting money on AUKUS and buying expensive US military hardware. But maintain ties with the US Government and military – when he is gone we will connect again. Many in the military will be horrified with what is happening.
Australia needs to ASAP become a country that makes things. We need to start with the minerals we have and our energy advantage. To again make things. This will help us survive the isolationism clouds. As for the idiot that has become the president of USA, I smell an actual cou that will turf him out and into prison.
Interesting prospect and not out of the question…
AUKUS was the worst deal for Australia ever, Pine Gap is our biggest bargaining chip. We need to de couple from such close military involvement with the USA. My impulsive self says do it quickly but in reality that’s too problematic. I’d still rather see us as a neutral middle power. Friendly with China and India, I’d still rather the freedom and democracy of the uS than either of these two big powers in our region, even if both are currently fracturing. Authoritarian leaders in all corners atm. Not good for world peace, stability and reasonableness.
Not sure why any country would impose tarrifs on USA imports in response to USA tarrifs. This would just hurt us. People are going to respond to Trumperica by reducing their purchases from US anyway. On top of that we need to export to other countries and increase prices for product the US need / want and make it hurt. Yes am into passive aggression …. there is a shortage of products, minerals and resources of all sorts world wide and every one wants them. For USA to establish industries will take yonks … especially if deportations actually happen in numbers.
Enable the USA economy to crash as quickly as possible ….. they the people will fix the prob.
As someone who has mistrusted the US for decades, it is actually somewhat pleasing to have the mask ripped right off. We are dealing with a murderous, bullying empire regardless of who occupies the White House. And while it may sometimes be safer to be friends with the school bully, I would rather we go play with some other kids.
I have never seen such a spirited and intelligent response to a public issue. Get the decision-makers to read and take notice. I dont know anyone who agrees with the AUKUS thing. Can you contact the Greens and the Teal people?
The only people who can rid the world of Trump are the citizens of USA. When is the Democratic Party going to get its act together and put up a candidate who can actually beat him? As for what Australia can do to protect its interests, I find myself in furious agreement with almost everything proposed above.
I liked the article about drones and am surprised at the number of comments which still favour replacing the AUKUS subs with other subs. Drones (and drone swarms) seem to be the way of the future and extremely cost-effective. Bear in mind the US has been using drones for years to carry out strategic strikes on targets many thousands of kilometres from home – long before the Ukraine war started. So scrap the subs altogether and build a huge fleet of underwater and airborne drones and concentrate on defensive capability. BUT at the same time make damned sure our digital/electronic security to run them all is a whole lot better than it is at present.
Australia’s response to the American situation begins with our elections. We choose a party which was too gutless to throw out AUKUS, or one which parrots Trump as its template. OR, we look seriously at the benefits already brought by voting in independents. A parliament full of David Pocock, Rex Patrick, Wilkie and the Teal women would be one of courage and intelligence, unburdened by party loyalty and American subservience. Then, a recognition that China is not an expansionist, warmongering nation and that Russia has valid grounds for keeping NATO out of American-controlled Ukraine, just as the USA would never permit Canada or Mexico to provide bases on their borders to China or Russia. At home, we must think about extracting from AUKUS and the subs., the now numerous US bases, and importantly, the huge numbers of American “advisers” embedded in our military, and government departments. At the same time consideration should be given to reintroduce major manufacturing here, and some form of national service. Trump has alerted us to our predicament, but it was always there, as Kissinger pointed out (To be a friend of America is fatal). There are further problems. Gaza has made clear that Israel has massive control over the USA. We need to ensure that dual nationals are not only kept out of parliament, but also excluded from the lobbying community, in order to minimise compromised loyalties getting close to decision-making. So, there is a lot to do, and immediacy is paramount. Who has the courage?
I agree with most of this.
These comments make great reading, with lots of good ideas (and a few not so good). But whatever mix of technical and strategic solutions turns out to be best, we cannot escape the fact that here, in Australia today, we do not have political leadership of anywhere near the standard necessary to make them happen. Courage? Intellectual incisiveness? Inspired leadership? Forget it!
But don’t forget the Murdocracy.
We don’t need AUKUS. China is not a threat to our territory. We are a trade partner. Geographically we are part of The Global South. We should join the BRICS alliance.
Regarding tariffs to match Australia’s GST, Trump ignores the USA state, county and city taxes percentages which vary across USA. What would bring lobbyists to his door would be our application of a retaliatory equal or higher tariff on all American junk foods and beverages. May be good for our health.
We should bring back Australian manufacturing (and the associated jobs for Australians – subs anyone?) from the unprocessed resources we keep giving away to the rest of the world. Charge a reasonable rent/resources tax and ensure it’s collected, and ban tax deductions that allow multinational ‘laundering’ of profits.
That way we make ourselves more self-sufficient and resilient.
As others have already noted, there are useful lessons available from the Russia Ukraine war about the transformation of warfare by drone technology. The Military Show has highlighted important advances Ukraine has made in drone warfare (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRlbYlbsfrY). One example discussed is the Sea Baby drone that looks more than a thousand times more cost effective (and useful, and adaptable) than an AUKUS submarine. The video claims “Ukraine’s drone usage has been so notable that it sank over a third of Russia’s Black Sea fleet without (requiring the deployment of) any substantial naval assets” which is a claim that maybe should be fact checked, but is at least partially confirmed to be true.
Our alliance with America is based on history and the assumption that their leader would be rational and understand/appreciate the necessity for global order etc. Australia should only look forward and contemplate a closer alliance to Europe, Japan and every other democratic country with a leader with half a brain and not America while Trump is in office. He has clearly broadcast his intention that it is only American interests which he will pursue so dump him, dump AUKUS (and stop propping up their naval industries when we could be establishing our own or at least go back to France) and shut down Pine Gap.
A lot of these comments sound like kindergarten chatter, “teach the Americans a lesson”!! We have a tiny population on a land roughly 5/6 the size of both China and the US. We rely on exports to countries half a world away for our wealth. We no longer manufacture anything complex or in significant volume to meet a world market. We hold this country and maintain our trade only because we are sufficiently compliant to render the price of invasion uneconomic. But try to push around the US, threaten Pine Gap, and the Yanks would be over here faster than you can say hamburger. They don’t need to do anything more than take the chunk of land around Pine Gap, and a few other key locations, far away from our cities. Far less than Greenland. Gough Whitlam threatened Pine Gap once and look what happened to him.
If you did dissociate from the US, who else could guarrantee our security and trade routes? No one. China can’t even guarrantee security over the South China Sea or the Taiwan Strait. Russia’s navy can’t even secure its own safety from Ukrainian drones. Europe has no defensive influence in Asia or the Pacific. Japan could probably protect ships taking our LNG to themselves but no more.
We cannot defend this country ourselves. Our population and tax base are far too small. Our entire GDP would not be sufficient. So we need a big friend who carries a big stick (to paraphrase Harry Truman) and the US is the only one. This is not new. This is the same dilemma faced by PM John Curtain during WW2. Once Singapore fell to the Japanese our old protector, Britain, could not help us. Curtain read the situation correctly and publicly called upon the US to help. And they did. The Battle of the Coral Sea was really the Battle of Australia. And the Yanks were no certainty, they won only due to a logistics error by the Japanese. But the Americans expended blood and gold to protect us when needed. Whether they would do it again depends entirely on their cost benefit analysis at the time, plus anything we could offer to tip the balance our way. Just as Ukraine is doing now.
Some threats are easier to deter than others. When Gough Whitlam met Mao Tse Tung in China in 1972, Mao is said to have asked Whitlam what Australia would do if China put 1 million of its citizens ashore in Australia. There is no answer to this, even with US help.
We are wise to be wary of an America led by the extreme right. But we must also be wise enough to realise that you can’t kill a serpent by standing on its tail. That way is certain death. We must keep the serpent happy and confident of our acquiescence while we quietly plan alternatives. Perhaps this is what our Defence Minister is doing.
This is a good comment but it probably belongs with today’s story, on Turnbull and Marles. Can you repost it there so others can read/react? Thank you!