Industry Minister Ed Husic called it a “dog act”. A more diplomatic but nonetheless unhappy PM Anthony Albanese called it “not a friendly act”. But there’s a robust Queensland expression to describe US moves last week to hit Australia with tariffs, with the threat of more. It’s “rat-fuckers”, words well known to Australia’s US ambassador, Kevin Rudd, who hails from the sunshine state.
With the realisation that Donald Trump and his cabal of global order wreckers couldn’t give a rat’s about Australia, social media and radio talkback have been alive with creative ways to strike back. Talk is one thing. But The Politics wants to hear from you, our readers, about practical acts Australians can take to get out from the Trump-Vance-Musk-Bezos-Heritage Foundation-Project 2025-Murdoch induced horror show. (Please add your comments at the end of this story.)
Fight not flight
Last week Portugal struck a blow when it ruled out buying US-made F-35 fighter jets and was considering European-made aircraft instead, citing the need for “predictability” in military partnerships amid US attacks on NATO.
Canada has made it a source of national pride — and self-defence — to boycott US products. Canadian and European consumers have set up apps and websites that offer alternatives to buying American. And extreme counterstrike measures are being canvassed by Australians. One fiendishly clever suggestion was banning Bluey from going to the US, striking at the heart of American family harmony.
Buying Australian and proactively discriminating against — if not outright boycotting — American brands, goods and services and travel destinations is just the beginning. Our responses should be blatantly self-serving. Criteria might include: will it hurt Australians more than Americans? Is it strategic, for example by promoting alternative trade or security relationships to benefit Australians? Will people get on board? And will anyone care, especially Trump and his gang?
Shop around
There also are some obvious criteria for selecting targets for consumer and business purchases. Any businesses attached to the American billionaire oligarchs who’ve bent the knee to Trump should be fair game. These include Elon Musk’s Tesla, Jeff Bezos’ Amazon and Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta. Throw in Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch and their many media platforms. (Would Australian sports fans consider junking their Kayo subscriptions?) Don’t forget Australian billionaires and ideological fellow travellers who’ve beaten a path to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s homeworld in Florida, such as mining heiress Gina Rinehart and cardboard box king Anthony Pratt: you can party with MAGA but don’t expect us to buy your products.
Australians should look for clear non-American competitor brands of similar quality and convenience. For example, in the business ecommerce platform space, the Canadian Shopify is an alternative to the American Salesforce, various Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers are all over Musk’s reputationally troubled Tesla, and if you need running shoes, the French-origin Salomon is a clear alternative to overhyped Nike.
Drink for Australia
Walk right by Californian wines at the grog shop and give American bourbon-style whiskeys a miss too. Leave US-grown citrus fruit in the supermarket, and smokers can kill themselves equally as effectively without American brands, wherever they are made. Buy your books from Booktopia, Dymocks or Berkelouw instead of Amazon, and for other online shopping try Kogan. The Australian Made website has a guide to thousands of Australian products.
With technology and platforms, the choices get harder. Apple devotees probably aren’t moving, and Microsoft and Google-Android are hard to avoid. Is the world a better place if you use TikTok instead of Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or X (formerly known as Twitter)? Although in the especially egregious case of Musk’s X, you might want to give BlueSky a try, even if it’s also American. Best of all, arguably, is to accept staying with the American platforms and technologies, but use them diligently to spread the un-American word.
How you invest your hard-earned can be challenging. Australians and their super funds have good reasons to be exposed to US stocks and markets, with all the appropriate cautions applying. Not that we want to offer non-expert financial advice, but it would be great to see ethical funds offering un-American investment options alongside common exclusions such as fossil fuels, tobacco, gambling, weapons and nuclear.
Brain freeze
Consider too an unprecedented opportunity for a cross-Pacific reverse brain-drain. Think government incentive programs to bring home Australia’s best and brightest, and also MAGA-averse minds from Silicon Valley and the Big Apple, while luring Trump-wearied US talent own Under for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be paid to be un-American. Even Canadians might come rather than live under threat of being hostilely acquired as the 51st state.
Last but by no means least is how Australia can step back from its relationship with the US military. After decades of co-operation, the two defence forces have become enmeshed. US defence giants Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Huntington Ingalls, Lockheed-Martin and Raytheon have eye-wateringly massive Australian contracts with little or no transparency. There has been a steady revolving door for decades between US defence contractors and former Australian military officers. Careers and money are on the line.
Over to you.
Gregory Andrews has published a list of American products to avoid when shopping. You can find it here: https://www.lyrebirddreaming.com/post/20-american-supermarket-products-to-avoid-and-what-to-buy-instead
Thanks for this link and timely reminder about the extent of American owned products in our supermarkets. Can I add that MARS owns a considerable proportion of dog and cat food too.
MARS is anti Trump
Buy books fr9m Gleebooks also as I do
Mars/petcare manufacture in Australia. A lot of local employees
Time to go Un-american
The best biggest saving would be to dump AuKuS go hat in hand to the French and buy some us full Subs.
Plenty of other options with food can’t understand why we are importing oranges from the uS at present you can only get uS Navel oranges but mostly Aust Valencia come in wasteful bags , We are still getting Australian grapes but not for much longer.
interestingly, when you go to share or in my case save for later reference the article all appear to be American I. Canceled my Twitter account in the early days of the Musk reign
Hear! Hear!
I too have dumped twitter now X and I think the PM is right not to tariff back US products but to leave it to consumers to avoid American products where ever possible. I would cancel AUKUS because of the delivery uncertainty and long delivery time as our excuse and buy French subs, also if the Trump team want to play dirty I would quietly tell them we will restrict energy and water to Pine Gap and start getting US troops out of the top end on the excuse we want China to allow us to buy back the Darwin port and can’t do it while US military assets threaten China’s shores.
It is always a good idea when something is done to hit back at the US, we provide a reasonable excuse, this way the US side will find it difficult to retort with an angry response when we sound as if we are only looking after our own interests. As a final retort. We must be neutral in future and be able to mediate between the US and China otherwise we will suffer as the meat in the middle when those two countries muscle up against each other.
Totally agree about dumping AUKUS. We should never have agreed to it in the first place. We’ll be boycotting imported American products wherever possible. Never signed up to X or Instagram but will use Facebook to share as much info as possible that’s critical of DT and his band of wreckers.
Definitely put Aukus first on the list to go. Billions of taxpayer Aus dollars are being misspent on subs we will never get. Money that could be better spent on housing. If we need subs we go back to the French and say “Oui, we know Scomo was a liar”.
The first thing Australia should is make proper serious treaty’s with our indigenous people, and make extremely urgent efforts to close the gap what ever the cost, Australia needs to be on solid ground when it comes to being not backed up by another colonial state or states, if as i hope we get rid of the rules based order and go back to international order we will need our ducks in order as it should be. we do not want to be mistaken for a white colony on the edge of the world.
Dump AUKUS as there is no guarantee that Australia in it for us .
Agree Aukus will be probably rigged with Russian spyware
Buy from UK not US.
Support non Musk products and help buy Canadian and European counterparts.
Also a parade like Switzerland finger up to the trump musk dumpsters and staging posters that highlight we don’t want dictarships or fat cats like Gina Rinehart, Clive Palmmer and Lachlan Murdoch getter fatter of the wealth of Australian taxpayers.
Art prizes for dpro democracy and anti oligarchy/autocracy.
More articles on why the rich confuse the mass public with hate so they can continue to pocket and pillage the working class.
Thanks, Margareth for sharing the link – will check it out. DEI and Trump suckers are my first two criteria. Unsubscribed from Amazon and Disney streaming service. Moved my super out of International shares (into Australian) – would really love for international non-US investment option. I am very concerned about the exposure Australian superfunds have in America – on several levels (all the way to expropriation and don’t anybody tell me about World Bank and government guarantees or American court system). Deleted WhatsApp and Google maps app. Will get rid of my gmail account. Stopped being on FB, Insta and X a long time ago. The whole family will not buy American clothes, accessories or food/bev brands. Will not be going to US on holidays.
I have long campaigned against Australians using American speech and mannerisms. I cringe when I see our Prime Minister getting children to give him “high fives”, and recently I saw Richard Marles on ABC say “from the get-go”. When even high-ranking politicians slavishly copy America, how it must be assure their sense of mastery.
omg so much this! i cringe when Aussie kids distort their beautiful voices to sound like their american idols.
when a whole play – cue beauty and the beast – is performed at A Melbourne Theatre in all wannabe american accents. ugh.
THEY don’t do Australian.
I’ve argued this topic for years and it seemed no one could see the American culture push aside Australian culture.
Our Media is mostly owned by Americans or Rupert, who may as well be American.
Australia is now drenched in brain dead American Culture and Propaganda. It’s in our Politics, In our faces on TV and movies, all the way down to our young who are growing up to serve America, not Australia.
We are an occupied country, as such we at the mercy of American interference.
AUKUS is dead, but our government and opposition cannot admit it, bc, the tax payer will have to pay for withdrawing officially, Morrison was a traitor to Australia, his new cushy job depended on the AUKUS deal, ASPI is a US funded Australian organization working for the US military industry, it too are not for the interest of Australia
Buy Australian, or any country, except the US where we can choose. Bring back the real Australia.
I’m glad you found this useful Margaret.
When we get MAGA refugee’s appearing on our shores very soon, can we refuse them entry without everyone getting hysterical 😆
No, we should accept MAGA refugees they are probably intelligent and creative people and activists
Maybe this time the it can be put to bed any idea the the USA as a political entity is a beneficent presence, the focus on Trump, JD Vance and Elton Musk is misleading, they and the Neocon acolytes or masters are just the most forthright in the display of the USA claim of Manifest Destiny and Exceptionalism.
USA never has nor ever will defend Australia. Australia is just a big platform for USA militarism.
Australia’s problem is that the political class in Australia are in love with idea of being in the club, formerly the British Empire and under US management. They do not realise the Australia is the most expendable member of the club.
There is very little that Australia needs from USA, outside of what we have made our selves dependent on mostly military equipment. Armed by the USA Military Industrial Complex which is entirely oriented to profit making. Producing, in limited number and delayed deliver, over complex and over featured war machines which seem to spend more time in maintenance than action.
Australia need to focus it geopolitical and trade relationship where we can benefit in South East Asia and China. We also need to focus also on the the emerging BRICS cooperative grouping. The lack of information on BRICS and China is astounding. I failed find any reporting by the ABC of the October BRICS conference in Kazan or this month the Two Session meeting in China, these are extremely important conference whose impact will last long after Trump’s departure.
The Two Sessions (Chinese: 两会) is the collective term for the annual plenary sessions of the National People’s Congress and of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference
For Australia to grow-up and really become a nation it needs to cut it dependence on great powers and form political and trade relations with it peer neighbours in South East Asia.
To do this it will need to end:
– Australian USA Free Trade Agreement
– Critical Mineral Agreement with the USA, giving away our minerals
– ANZUS totally useless to Australia except to suck us into USA war which have killed millions over the past 70 years
– AUKUS the biggest con of all hatched by Morrison and Pompeo.
– Remove all US bases and nuclear weapons from Austalia
Lots of good responses here – AUKUS has to go – and the US military/surveillance ability and presence in Australia should be ejected from Pine Gap and North-west Cape and Darwin – and Perth’s Garden Island – all US so-called “think tanks” to be sent packing – ASPI to be disbanded – and the same with all co-operation with US economic matters, trade and so forth. Let’s become like Russia – totally self-sufficient on ourselves – and trade with our regional neighbours including with China. I especially agree with Donald Burgess in the comments column.
Great comment, absolutely agree.
We are in Asia which includes China, instead of criticizing China for imagined issues mostly created by the US, we should concentrate on building a better understanding.
Criticizing China or being a threat to them “we are bc the US has bases here” will never lead to change, not as an individual, not as a country.
Take Kevin Rudd out of Washington & send him to Beijing. He is wasted in current position.
Cancel AUKUS & kick US out of Pine Gap & North West Cape.
Recruit from their armed services as we have trouble filling required service numbers.
And don’t forget Starlink – currently being promoted in my area. I’ve been saying it is unreliable, judging from experience elsewhere in the world.
Spylink. Spying while pretending to be a friend.
The world ought to read Dennis Glover’s book “Repeat”
Scary for those of us who believe in democracy
In our free trade agreements, we agreed to enforce IP rules like the ones Amazon uses on books. We cannot take a copy of an electronic book and make it so we can read on another system. For example, if you own a book and you want to hear the book with another reader, you can’t. You have to use Audible and pay Amazon more money. If the USA breaks the trade agreement, everything we have agreed to will now be up for adjustment, and the IP one is particularly onerous to consumers.
Agree entirely, these free trade agreements primarily benefit multinationals and more powerful states. Check out Libro as an alternative to Audible for your book listening needs.
Australia is home to a vibrant network of independent booksellers, there are many ambient and professional alternatives to the soulless world of Amazon online.
Cancel AUKUS and order a couple of French subs, join BRICS, mark all US products and services with a US origin logo in the form of a negative equivalent to our BUY AUSTRALIAN campaign. Cancel our F35 order and source a couple of SAAB Grippens.
BRICS? Are you serious? Do you know who is in BRICS? Thought not.
Joining Brics would be a good idea. Gradually divest ouselves from American military , have to be carefull as Whitlam found out to his misfortune.
The R in BRICS is Russia: I think not
Read the history from 1991, Patrickk
Do a bit more reading Rob.
We MUST get out of the AUKUS arrangement and that is not just the submarines that will never be built at Lonsdale
Yes. And stop giving the US $800 million to prop up their ship building
Start disentangling ourselves as far as possible from US defence and security arrangements, including AUKUS. First step, move Richard Marles out of Defence, he’s far too close to US interests.
Encourage a brain drain of US scientists, medical researchers, teachers, academics etc to Australia. Fast track visa/permanent residence scheme?
I’d have thought that something that would make the US feel something akin to a very b=nasty kick to the gonads might be if we escorted them all out of Pine Gap and North West Cape. If we’re not valuable allies let thenm find other ways to talk to the nuclear armed subs and listen in on various communications involving its new-found friend.
Absolutely Agree! But also cancel AUKUS and the Force Posture Agreement which gives the US open access to some of our ports and airfields.
Ah, yes – Force Posture Agreement – the old principle of “extra-territoriality” from the 19th-century and US imperialism around the world – whereby the US and its personnel here in Australia can literally get away with murder, rape – other criminality according to our laws – simply whisked away out of the country back to the US and a slap on the wrist.
Difficult to force them to move but, on random and frequent occasions, offloading a Globemaster load of Aluminium chaff while circling Pine Gap at 10,000 meters would cause the station chief to tighten his sphincter a bit.
If the US is not a trusted ally, and we don’t believe they’ll come to our defence if needed, why do we provide territory to them to spy on our neighbours. Are we sure what they identify, on us and our neighbours, will not be shared with Russia.
If we’re not military partners then get out of Pine Gap and the North West Cape.
“Yankee go home.” That was really about the Yanks stealing all the girls. “Over-payed, over-fed and over here!”
But we’ve faithfully followed America into wars to Make America Great. Destroyed countries and murdered their inhabitants so the rich and powerful could be ever more so.
It didn’t matter that we lost. The war’s the thing.
We sat on our hands while our AUKUS partners tortured Julian Assange for 1901 days in a UK jail.
Our ALP/LNP duopoly did that!
D’accord!
Thanks for the article – I would suggest that the first step is to legislate that it compolsory that all media ownership must be owned by Australian citizens. The we should instigate a royal commission into Australia’s media ownership to ensure that we have a diversification of views and it is properly regulated to prevent any media group from simply becoming a mouth piece for any particular political party. Then legislate to give the power to the electoral commission to ban any advertising that fails to met a reasonable level of Truth.
I think it is well past time that Governemnts started to serious regulate the lage social media groups and taxing them them them based on annual turnover with no tax offset for contrived business expenses (obviously the tax rate would only need to be about 10%). Closly followed by Governments taking back control form large corporates and billionairs and genuinely starting to govern on behalfg of the many and not the few.
Over the last 20 or so years we have seen a complete abrogation of governements controlling the society’s social, economic and legal structures to promote a civil society.
Unfortunately there is much that needs to be done to prevent the world going down the right wing authoritarian path whereby we are forced to give up all the achievents of the last 200 yaers or so.
Agreed Francis. You’re essentially referring to the neoliberal policies which the duopoly implement, to the detriment of society and democracy. But this means then that we also need to vote for better alternatives to the duopoly, like Community Independents and Greens. This would also mean less dependence on the shady security/military establishment currently apparently directing foreign policy and abandoning the AUKUS boondoggle.
In addition, as mentioned in the article, if possible to find alternatives to Apple, Microsoft, Meta etc, we should pursue this, although this may be far more difficult.
Otherwise, clear the shelves of US products and rather use alternatives.
Exactly Francis! But remember how Albanese promised a Royal Commission into Murdoch? Until he came to power and was able to do it. But rather went to lunch with Rupert and that was the end of that. Which means we cannot trust either side of the duopoly. We have to vote them out. And there are fortunately far better alternatives like Community Independents and the Greens. That would also help moving away from the worst excesses of the neoliberal policies and return to more responsible governance generally.
Of course getting out of AUKUS, kicking the US out of Pine Gap and other apparent controls over our military should be an immediate first action.
Clear the shelves of US products. There are good replacements across the board even if some will be more difficult than others.
There may have been a time to look up to the US as an ally an innovator and for good products. In the current time, we should seek alternatives, and these exist.
I don’t think Albanese promised a Royal Commission into Murdoch. Not that I don’t think it is a good idea. But political suicide?
Please be factual. Albanese has never promised a Royal Commission into Murdoch either before being elected or after.
Kevin Rudd initiated a petition for a Murdoch RC.
I agree a RC would be an excellent idea but please don’t confuse Labor policies with the genuinely neo-liberal, “trickle down” policies of the Liberal/National coalition!
I agree, but believe we need to look more deeply. It’s not the US per se that are the real problem (though I think even the most “liberal” version of the US is an unreliable and selfish “ally” that should be neither trusted nor followed) it’s more to do with the forces backing (and possibly using) Trump – particularly groups like The Heritage Foundation (Project 2025) and the over-arching international Atlas Network.
This really sinister group includes the local Centre for Independent Studies and Institute of Public Affairs and, almost certainly Advance (more accurately AD Vance, but what’s a little typography between enemies?).
Advance are monied-up to launch a huge and deceitful campaign at the forthcoming federal election, heavily focused on attacking The Greens and the community independents and with a particular fondness for weapons ingredients a false “anti-semitism” moral panic.
Advance are partly funded by the Cormack Foundation (the Liberal party’s main slush fund) and some very wealthy locals, including no less than Sam Kennard of Kennard’s Hire – so there’s a non-American corporation that every bit as worthy of a boycott as the yanks.
Absolutely. Long past time when non-Australian media ownership was banned.
Yes. Yes. Yes to need to legislate for Australian owned media!!!
Good thoughts – I have always wondered why AP or Telstra never set up a social media option. Communication is their bread-and-butter business.
Totally agree. Long overdue. Let’s make it an election issue!
The influence a couple of million Australia’s stopped buying American goods wouldn’t be felt at all by the country. The country would feel it if we shut down the planes and refused to buy their weapons. If we closed Pine gap and sent their troops packing we might rate a headline. We should not be in AUKUS. We should get off their phones too. Anyone with a RAM thinks differently. It has something to do with what is between their legs.
There is no country called “America!” There are two continents, North and South America. We can contribute to the United States’ imperialism by calling it “America”. This diminishes the status of all the other American countries. Or we can insist on calling Trump’s country “The united States of America”, and their population, “Citizens of the United States (of America)”. If someone refers to the U.S. as “America”, seek clarification: Canada, Brazil, Honduras? Thanks
Agree! except some countries prefer to be known as Central America.
let’s hope the media also takes note!
We should refer to them as the increasingly dis-United States of America
I tend to prefer South Canada or West Russia.
Nice 🙂
Agree! And we can go back to calling them Yanks. Or how about Staties?
For years I have only used the name – the US – and citizens/residents of the US. Yes America covers two continents and the “isthmus” of Central America connecting them. I don’t know of any country along that connective “isthmus” which prefers to be called Central America. They prefer their own names – Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, etc.
Cancel AUKUS; close Pine Gap and all other US bases (eg Exmouth)
I think we need to calm down and take a deep breath. In the proverbial playground that is global politics, Australia is a pretty short girl who’s popular enough because shes good at sports and tidy and rich. Weve just realised that despite our new lipsticks and the bullys not interested in dating us and we need to stop mooning over him and grow up. Maybe we can use our popularity to stick up for the trans kid, the ethnic kid and the kid with poor parents. Start a school newspaper. We might not take down the bully but we can make the playground better.
Like it!
Nice analogy!
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Like the suggestion that we march the Americans out of Pine Gap and North West Cape ..followed by all US troops and cancel the subs we’ll never get, next thought is the evil Blackrock..
At 77 years old and after 3 years of saving, I just purchased my new and most likely, last car. I was committed to an EV so Teslar was my first and only choice. It was well designed, elegant and comfortable. Then, late last year, I became increasingly concerned by Trump/Musk, irrational and antisocial behaviour so I bought a BYD and I am more than happy with my change of heart
Good on you Anne-Lyse de Guio! There are increasingly more alternatives to Tesla. At attractive prices too. Same applies to home batteries and the transition to renewables generally.
Good on you, Anne-lyse!
If you are looking for an EV, note that some EVs have batteries you can use in your house – as some people were able to do in the recents floods. But Tesla does not have capacity, so another reason not to buy. Although the Musk factor would put me off even more so. Win win.
Quit AUKUS. Do we want to go to war for the United (sic) States, make ourselves a target for their self-made enemies, and pay for their war machine? We have to do what we can to make it known that we don’t want any association with this narcissistic, mean-minded low-life, Trump, and his billionaire “buddies”. And let’s try to save our language and culture from pollution by theirs as well. They think we’re communists because we have a safety net for our less privileged. Most MAGAs are such because of the bifurcated – one for wealthy, another for poor -education system, as well as same for medical services. Don’t let’s go (further) down that road.
Boycotts of small household products, while satisfying for the average Australian, will probably go unnoticed by Trump et al and they are unlikely to care. They most care about having a voice and making sure the rest of the world hear it, so it would be delicious if we were able to tax the hell out of US owned media of every type, traditional or social. They’d have to choose between paying or going silent. If they chose to switch off their services to Australia, there is an entire planet full of alternatives. If we took a bold first step, other countries would do the same.
Opening our doors to US brain drain and arts drain would be a spectacular hit for our industry and culture. It’s absolutely imperative that Australia continues to loudly support gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and all minority rights — mostly because that’s simply baseline decent, and because creating a welcoming environment for new citizens elevates all of us.
Pushing a ‘boycott Amazon’ line is difficult as it hurts Australians too. Independent Aussie authors publish on Amazon just as many small businesses use it as a dropshipping-type business. As Amazon gets the bulk of its income from AWS web services and from clients such as Meta, hitting the social media companies is likely to be more effective.
Research and development links via universities need to be strengthened with Europe and US connections dropped. We don’t want to be sharing technology with these clowns.
And yes, separating our military involvement from all US military is utterly essential — from AUKUS to Pine Gap etc.
we should drop the whole AUKUS submarine contracts. As well, without applying the penalty of Tarrifs to USA products and encumbering the Australian people and businesses with increased costs. Instead we could levy a multi $ billion rental fee for annual usage of the land and facility at Pine Gap, the North West Cape spying and submarine communication facility and military bases in Australia…. Let’s say $40 billion initially the $20 billion annually. We could also increase mining royalties and raise taxes of the uber rich like Gina Rhinehart to help pay for our national defence.
It is obvious that the AUKUS submarines contracts will never actually be delivered as the USA’s submarine building industry is itself struggling to fulfill its own contractual obligations with their navy. Similarly we have no guarantee of having total sovereignty over the usage and operation of any submarines that are delivered to us.
We should instead use that money to contract the great Tasmanian shipbuilder Robert Clifford and his very successful company INCAT to build hundreds of small, fast catamaran patrol boats and weapons platforms and spread them around the coast. We should also commence building long range drone torpedoes, surface to air and surface to surface drone missiles.
The super fast INCAT boats could be operated manned or unmanned and be loaded with these missiles and used as fast, cheap, launching platforms to defend our coastline. They could be mass produced rather like the Yanks did with so called “Liberty ships” during WW2 and provide Australia with much needed coastal defence. They would provide sovereign security by using and supporting and thus boosting Australian Steel and Aluminium production.
The drone torpedo and missile manufacturing would create high tech industries utilising, creating and boosting hi tech and chip manufacturing, facilitating local manufacturing, provide fantastic employment opportunities for workers and graduates ( stopping the brain drain) and give a significant boost both upstream and downstream to other Australian manufacturers.
For the price of one AUKUS submarine we could buy and equip a huge number of these INCAT boats. If one sub is sunk then valuable defence force personnel and billions of dollars go down with it. If one drone INCAT boats is hit it may only reflect $10 or $20 million… we could buy and build a lot of these for the price of just one sub and moneys raised annual rent for the bases and royalty/tax increases.
I am always mindful that during the Faulklands War, one $200,000 Excocet missiles sunk the top of the line, £23,000,000 HMS Sheffield (at 1971 build price). The Ukrainian War has shown that the days of building huge weapons and totally basing defence on them are seemingly over and that small, fast drones are cheap and easily mass produced and successful in defensive and offensive operations.
It’s time for us to stand on our own feet defensively, create some deterrence to those who have their eyes on this country and boost our pitiful manufacturing sectors. As well we need to create stronger alliances with likeminded democracies such as Japan, Singapore, Korea, Taiwan, The EU, UK, our Pacific Island neighbours, India and where synergies exist with other ASEAN and likeminded nations.
I like your suggestions!
we should drop the whole AUKUS submarine contracts. As well, without applying the penalty of Tarrifs to USA products and encumbering the Australian people and businesses with increased costs. Instead we could levy a multi $ billion rental fee for annual usage of the land and facility at Pine Gap, the North West Cape spying and submarine communication facility and military bases in Australia…. Let’s say $40 billion initially the $20 billion annually. We could also increase mining royalties and raise taxes of the uber rich like Gina Rhinehart to help pay for our national security.
We should instead use that money to contract the great Tasmanian shipbuilder Robert Clifford and his very successful company INCAT to build hundreds of small, fast catamaran patrol boats and weapons platforms and spread them around the coast. We should also commence building long range drone torpedoes, surface to air and surface to surface drone missiles.
The super fast INCAT boats could be operated manned or unmanned and be loaded with these missiles and used as fast, cheap, launching platforms to defend our coastline. They could be mass produced rather like the Yanks did with so called “Liberty ships” during WW2 and provide Australia with much needed coastal defence. They would provide sovereign security by using and supporting and thus boosting Australian Steel and Aluminium production.
The drone torpedo and missile manufacturing would create high tech industries utilising, creating and boosting hi tech and chip manufacturing, facilitating local manufacturing, provide fantastic employment opportunities for workers and graduates ( stopping the brain drain) and give a significant boost both upstream and downstream to other Australian manufacturers.
For the price of one AUKUS submarine we could buy and equip a huge number of these INCAT boats. If one sub is sunk then valuable defence force personnel and billions of dollars go down with it. If one drone INCAT boats is hit it may only reflect $10 or $20 million… we could buy and build a lot of these for the price of just one sub and moneys raised annual rent for the bases and royalty/tax increases.
I am always mindful that during the Faulklands War, one $200,000 Excocet missiles sunk the top of the line, £23,000,000 HMS Sheffield (at 1971 build price). The Ukrainian War has shown that the days of building huge weapons and totally basing defence on them are seemingly over and that small, fast drones are cheap and easily mass produced and successful in defensive and offensive operations.
It’s time for us to stand on our own feet defensively, create some deterrence to those who have their eyes on this country and boost our pitiful manufacturing sectors. As well we need to create stronger alliances with likeminded democracies such as Japan, Singapore, Korea, Taiwan, The EU, UK, our Pacific Island neighbours, India and where synergies exist with other ASEAN and likeminded nations.
I totally agree with Brendan White’s comments. It’s time to get out of Aukus, stand on our own feet defense wise as much as possible. Review our Tax regime and royalties to raise the money needed from those that can afford it most, individuals and corporates.
Sounds feasible…is it?
There is much to support the idea of a multitude of smaller & cheaper INCAT boats and drones to propagate our defence system.
American shoe / runners company New balance should be added to the boycott list
Cancel AUKUS. Buy subs from France or Japan. Be careful about Pine Gap: we need it as much as the US does. But make Trump feel that our support for his tilt at China must be won, not assumed.
Airbnb lost me as a customer when the owner joined the DOGE activity
I’d also suggest buying from small business where possible – think book stores, art supplies, electronics
And reduce your consumption so as to not feed the capitalist machine – OpShops are worth your time
We are to the continent that will be the economic powerhouse of the 21st century.
The trouble is, we are too culturally enmeshed with the US because of language, which means we watch US and UK television programs and movies, which is another reason for our obsession with US internal politics and cultural trends. I remember the days when many were studying Indonesian or Japanese at high school, but this has disgracefully declined over the decades.
Might be time to start charging rent on Pine Gap.
– Invite trump and musk then arrest them when they arrive
– figure out how to get out of AUKUS and get back into the deals with Japan and France
– export our unwanted billionaires- Pratt, Rinehart and Rupert and Lachlan, and slam the door behind them
– nationalise our media or at very least ask James and Kathryn Murdoch to take over the Australian division- and make that a condition of them keeping a license
– cut off defence force training of US personnel in Qld
On a more sensible note\
– follow Canada’s lead in making it our patriotic duty to boycott America
– turn American goods over so the next shopper realises not to buy them.
Also read this
This is an absolutely fascinating interview – maybe one of the most thought-provoking I’ve read so far this year – of
@kejimao
, one of China’s upcoming scholars and a Research Fellow at the International Cooperation Center of China’s powerful National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC, the top organization for China’s economic planning and policymaking).
A summary of the best takes from the article which you can find in full here: https://thechinaacademy.org/starting-the-trade-war-the-best-thing-trump-did-to-china/
Rather than withdrawing access to Bluey, I heard it suggested elsewhere that using the program to get our message through might be more effective. We could seriously irritate/enrage the MAGAsphere with lots of scenarios that push back on gender, DOGE, tax, you name it…..
I like the idea of giving the US military and all the spooks their marching orders, but is it just a pipe dream? How practical is it really? But I do think it’s possible to be much more Europe and Asia focussed in all things – commerce, education/academia, military.
A series of Bluey episodes that build a message that being mean to friends is wrong, that breaking your promises is wrong, that other kids won’t play with you if you do and you’ll end up lonely if you do, and that tariffs are examples of these things. Then, just when MAGA families are about to explode, commission the Wiggles to release an album of songs supporting accepting your friends however they dress, whatever pronouns they like, whatever colour they are.
When the world’s richest man wants to steal from the world’s poorest, and obscenely rich Crump uses the presidency to sell favours for personal gain…lets call them what they are:
MAGA: Mean and Greedy Arseholes
Well it certainly is weird to see the USA behaving in such an infantile fashion BUT …. a couple of things The UNITED States … has NEVER been united! Maybe a Civil war is again on the cards?
And YES … Trump has been voted into the Presidency by 40% of eligible voter, for what is usually a 4yr term … but does anyone think he will last that long really? The bunch of cronies he thinks he can control are just as mad as he is, equally ambitious and totally unethical as far as we can ascertain.
There are so many people, institutions, countries that will benefit from Trump losing power … perhaps it won’t take long to see the back of him at all!
I moved to Bluesky several months ago; American but sensibly anti-Trump. I would love to have a real alternative to FB which is used by a number of groups I belong to but can’t think of one. I’m stuck with MS and Apple. I really think the groundswell against buying goods from USA is on the mark, however, especially those in the supermarkets.
But the real $ impact is in defence spending. The US can turn off or refuse to update vital software in the F35 and the nuclear subs if they don’t like our strategic decisions. Time to move to Europe for our fighters (Sweden) and subs (France) if they will accept our grovelling approach. We were always more connected to Europe and the UK in previous centuries and that’s where we ought be now. Time also to think ever so carefully about the future use of our land for American defence and intelligence bases; Darwin, Perth, Alice Springs and Carnarvon are all potential first strike targets if the US goes to war again.
Some of us older ones haven’t forgotten the derogatory and demeaning comments and actions by MacArthur during WWII. The Yanks have long held superiority fantasies and it’s all coming out under psychotic Trump.
Put a monster tariff on American monster utility trucks (RAM, Silverado, etc.)
Cancel Aukus. If we need defensive armaments, buy innovative Ukranian drones. They closed the Black Sea to Russian naval shipping. Would cost less than 1% of the AUKUS price tag.
“There has been a steady revolving door for decades between US defence contractors and former Australian military officers.” Not to forget pollies – viz, Morrison and his $368billion vanity project used to buy himself into a sweet US sinecure. (Without so mush as a single thank you to the Australian taxpayers who funded this farcical and fantasy-driven extravaganza.)
As much fun as the comments have been I’m happy to have P.M Albanese and his team
do what can be done to assuage The Don. Not an easy task but a whole lot more preferable to have rag tag team Dutton on the task. Can you imagine.
Personally one can boycott USA products, services etc.and the idea, when in the supermarket to turn USA origin products upside down to alert fellow shoppers is brilliant.
Getting into a mindset of ‘Buy Local’ should be our mantra when heading to any market place.
Fortunately we are practical people and but as Sir Simon Schama is quoted as saying
‘Rational argument has a fight on its hand in America.
It’s up to us.
If we are going to walk in the world independently of the US, we would meed to introduce universal conscription (male and female)… a year full time training , 10 years reserve service. Free education, health care and the vote at the end of the first twelve months.
Combine it with an a robust, independent, non-belligerent foreign policy. Perhaps forge new alliances, perhaps a new sphere of influence. Imagine South Korea, Japan, Taiwan (yes!!), Vietnam, The Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Timor L’Este, Australia and New Zealand in a mutual self defence pact. Or if the Pacific US states left the union, invite them into a pan pacific alliance. Just because Trump is an idiot doesn’t mean all US citizens are evil. Include all the pacific island nations.. and give them lots of foreign aid, without any strings attached other than being in an alliance. Also look at what we can do in terms of non-US defence innovation, manufacture and procurement. That is where we might foster a friendly, co-operative relationship with Western European nations. That’ll kick the US military industrial complex in the goolies. The only caveat on international relationships and alliances should be that there is mutual national respect, the ally is either a genuine democracy or a constitutional monarchy, whichever, as long as it respects the rights of its citizens and their well being.
Aukus: leave it. Billionaires: tax them like its the 1950s again. Same mining royalties. Institute genuine electoral reform. Limit the period anyone can be a parliamentary representative. Diversify media ownership… go back to something like pre-Hawke media laws. Introduce hefty fines for propagandising media.
Well said. We need to earn our good name as a non-aligned nation and work towards world peace.
I have not trusted anyone from the US since I was five years of age and nothing since has changed my mind. Thanks to Drumpf, the rest of the planet’s people are at last seeing them for what they are – mostly a people who believe their own propaganda.
Ditch AUKUS, it has already cost too much. Close Pine gap to the US of A, and get them out of Exmouth. We can do much better on subs -I’d go to Sweden they have non-nuckear subs that are so quiet the killed the USsubs three times I exercises; and they are smaller and much cheaper.
Start our own social media website with a progressive culture and invite other progressives from any country to join us.
The modern battle for hearts and minds is definitely online .
What might we call it? Warble? Beta? OurSpace?
COME ON MIKE CANNON BROOKES!! A little side project for a progressive billionaire?
Dream big!!
If you haven’t already, check out BlueSky – Twitter for progressives
https://bsky.app/profile/thepolitics.bsky.social
Find, support, be politicians advocating on taxing the richest companies and individuals. To create a stark contrast to the echo chamber that two-party systems have evolved into.
BDS all things US. Boycott, divest, sanction. Remove their military from our country and we need to be independent and non-aligned in this new world, certainly not with the nation that has caused the most wars, invaded the most countries and killed the largest amount of people, especially now that nation has a deranged and undemocratic leadership.
If you have the opportunity next federal election, vote for a Climate 200-supported independent candidate. Both major parties are heavily in the pockets of the US.
Boycott, even ban movies, streaming and TV programmes made in the US and win on several counts:- avoid super-violence, mushy characterisation, simple plots and entitled behaviour.
Boycott, even ban, US-owned food chains.
Do without oranges in summer! Give your system a rest, so that when oranges are ripe in Australia, the novelty will work better to reduce the effect of your winter colds and flus.
Maybe announce that we will consider every vote at the UN a conscience vote from now on. And publicly start a university program on defense sovereignty and US Imperialism.
Our biggest import from the US is ‘Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers’ and in this category the biggest group of products is ‘Automatic Data Processing Machines, Magnetic or Optical Readers’ worth $1.44b in 2024. So buying computers from non US companies – like ASUS and ACER could help. Also, we could stop watching all those US TV shows that we are flooded with.
I have replied to the e-mail rather than commenting on social media as I have decided to do an “about face” on Facebook (or should that be fakebook ), owned by Zuckerberg and have decided to Exit from X, owned by Musk. My small contribution to being un-American
Perhaps our Government, Federal, State and Local could be encouraged to post to other social media outlets?
This is the perfect place to share your thoughts while avoiding Facebook and X
We are such fools and so lazy ourselves.always trying to get the cheapest deal and the maximum advantage. Are you aware that for every $100 you spend on foreign owned travel and accomodation companies that between $15 and $30 of each hundred dollars has fled our shores, overwhelmingly with no tax return to our government. The GST component on those transactions is indeed a murky arrangement also. Whilst we might all get upset with the mean way our “best friend for ages” has treated us and a tit for tat tariff strategy on USA goods would not be a wise decision, every Australian has the opportunity of depriving all of the international leeches who now so dominated our travel and accomodation industries of some revenue. Most are US owned and based. Contact the hotel, motel, real estate agent anywhere in the world, for free, and pay a fair price for a fair deal. How much of Booking.com’s revenue of $21.4 billion in 2023 came from Australia, and then there’s Expedia and Trip Advisor and all the Uber clones and the massive Airbnb? We could buy an extra nuclear sub with the savings and give America another almost billion dollars to help build them, subs that none of us in cur lifetimes will probably see. Why do we want to “Make America Great Again?” As Dick Smith so vainly pleaded some decade and more ago “Wake up Australians.” But no heed we gave. * Booking.com is an Amsterdam company, not USA, but Expedia and Tripadvisor are far bigger. Airbnb is a monster revenue raiser for the USA.
Ia there a petition that states Zuckerberg should immediately divest of all his shares of Meta? If not, shall we create one? I’m in . . .