As Biden, and his “bumboys” Boris and “that fella down under”, announced the formation of a new pact AUKUS, we were witnessing a provocative new low in international relations. The complete enmeshing of Australia and its military in the U.S. war machine.
The new alliance adds acute focus on the Indo-Pacific region, long the playground of the biggest imperialist power, the U.S., and the lesser minions the U.K. and France. Dotted with secret military bases and for decades used for nuclear testing, the Indian and Pacific Oceans and Australia will be vital to a renewed attempt to maintain the dominance of U.S. imperialism.
The AUKUS pact and the new $90 billion nuclear submarine contract locks Australia into the aggressive plans of the U.S.A and is a serious blow to Australian sovereignty and independence.
There are a few important aspects to consider. Australia has no nuclear submarines and no working knowledge of them in its military forces. The submarines are useless for the defence of Australia’s coastal sea-lanes as they are designed for deep water offensive nuclear warfare.
The technology and maintenance of the nuclear propulsion will be controlled by the U.S manufacturers and government. Without viable crews and experience, U.S. military personnel will be in control.
Importantly, we provide a huge transfusion of cash to the U.S. military-industrial complex. Can we expect the cost to remain at $90 billion given past experience of all former arms deals? Just as the French submarine debacle blew out to $90 billion after it started at $50 billion.
The revocation of the Australian-French submarine deal and Morrison’s new pact has put paid to to an expanded French presence in the Indo-Pacific region. On cancellation the French ambassador complained of dishonesty and duplicity by Australia and the U.S.
The French have grounds for complaint as plans for the pact have been in train for 18 months. Yet Morrison had just met President Macron, in June this year with out letting on.
And while we are speaking of the French , they were willing collaborators in the push to patrol the South China Sea. They also seek to rejuvenate their claims on distant French colonies like Tahiti and New Caledonia where first nations people are asserting their independence in a referendum this December. Now this region is to be patrolled by the “Anglosphere’.
At this point, the focus of U.S military action is the South China Sea. Little Britain who served us so well in Singapore, in World War II, are also joining in, to gauge sovereignty there.
Is it not too unreasonable to expect expanding Australian involvement in this provocation by the fawning lick-spittles of the LNP Federal government. Evidence of this was “Valdemort” Dutton’s announcement of expanded $3 billion new facilities for U.S. military personnel “rotating” here (currently 2500) with plans for the storage of U.S. missiles and munitions presumably for use in the South China Sea.
This new alliance and the nuclear submarine deal places the Australian people in a grave situation and various people and groups are marshaling to defend our remnant sovereignty.
Scottish Journalist Johanna Ross writing in Infobrics elaborates on the international displeasure at the formation of the AUKUS pact
