An insightful ABC Big Ideas discussion between Professor Michael Wesley (University of Melbourne and Lowy Institute +) and Geoff Raby (former Australian ambassador to China and author) explored how Australia is being drawn by the United States alliance into North Asian conflicts (with China) rather than concentrating on building strong relationships with Sout-East Asian neighbours (particularly Indonesia and Malaysia) who favour military non-alignment.
Commenting on how Australia might withdraw from AUKUS, it was stated “… we are in AUKUS because it embeds us even further in US strategic policy in North East Asia” and “… politicisation of the alliance whereby particularly the Labor Party is worried about being accused by its opponents of not being able to manage the alliance with the United States. So that makes them very risk averse …”
Both major political parties fear that Australian withdrawal from AUKUS would be perceived by the public as weakness.
And this brings me to the role of responsible literary fiction – to alert the voting public of the potential adverse future outcomes of blind adherence to a military alliance with USA that sucked Australia into the Korean War, Vietnam War, two Iraq Wars and the Afghanistan War.
For thought provoking insight, read “Queen’s Pawn to D4” by Rod Johnston
