From deputy sheriff to lone ranger: the loneliness of the US alliance

Australia must make a radical change and engage its neighbours and develop a comprehensive and integrated defence system. Spending AUD 368 billion on submarines wont help defend the homeland. Its better to spend less and do more for Australia’s own defence, rather than support superpower hegemony, when Australia’s contribution will only be token anyway. There are better alternatives to develop right now, rather than invest in a strategy that will come too late anyway.

Australia must abandon its geo-political outlook and replace it with a regional outlook. Australia must prepare the economy for new linkages within the region, or it will suffer economically, and become the poor country on the fringe of South East Asia. Australia must make hard decisions now, or the nation will be locked out of a new world economic system. That’s Australia’s biggest threat today.

Australia cannot afford to create enemies

Australian defence doctrine is based upon a fallacy that China is an enemy. Australia is the only country within the region that has made this assessment. There is little probability, China would make any unprovoked attacks on Australian territory, and even less probably it would land troops or invade Australia. It is also highly un-probable China would attack Australian shipping or aircraft within international sea-lanes or airspace. Even Australia’s defence white paper has not stated any of these events are probable. If, any of the above events did happen, nuclear powered submarines, designed for open waters, and deep submersion are not the right miliary tools for any of these potential events.

Nuclear submarines become a self-fulfilling prophecy.  If you make China the enemy, China will become the enemy.