Ask Bucko

Over eighty years ago Australian Prime Minister John Curtin prepared a New Year’s Eve message for the Australian people. It was written only three weeks into the war with Japan, but more than two years after we had joined in with the United Kingdom in its battle with Germany. The message was published in the Melbourne Herald on 27 December, 1941: 

“Without any inhibitions of any kind, I make it quite clear that Australia looks to America, free of any pangs as to our traditional links or kinship with the United Kingdom.”

With this message he informed the world that Australia’s foreign policy direction must change, in response not only to the military crisis with Japan, but to Australia’s isolated position in the Pacific. From that moment, he states, Australia will be proactive, the architect of her own interests. 

Australia duly disengaged from the ‘general war’ to concentrate on the Pacific conflict. Both Churchill and Roosevelt were surprised, and dismayed, but the die was cast. Australia survived the war, but only with massive assistance from the U.S. America has been the cornerstone of our foreign policy ever since.

Are Australia and the U.S. still a ‘perfect match’?

Eighty four years later, is it time to re-consider the partnership? Although America is still arguably the pre-eminent power on earth, does Australia need its protection, and secondly, does America provide that protection, and if it does, at what price?

Is there any credible threat to us, or would we be more sensible to take a leaf out of New Zealand’s book, and be no-one’s enemy, and no-one’s target? It is important to look at our similarities, but also at the areas where we diverge.

Shared history, shared values?

For years, at least until President Trump was first elected, there was a type of consensus that what we had in common far outweighed our differences. The world had faith that the U.S. had checks and balances in place, to protect the country from out of control presidents, and they were largely successful during his first term in limiting the damage Trump could do to the body politic.

The country is rushing headlong into an authoritarian nightmare

As if his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic wasn’t criminally negligent enough, the writing was on the wall when he refused to accept the election loss. The subsequent pardoning of the January 6 insurrectionists has turned American democracy on its head, and made the country into a lawless rogue state.

The Republican Party has become his personal plaything, and the apparent leaders of the country appear to be employed solely to stroke Trump’s ego. His cabinet meetings are meaningless, as the cabinet rubber stamps every ill-informed decision, and America actually retreats from world leader, to a nation being robbed by unqualified, sycophantic grifters.

Don’t mention the nepotism word; they have turned the Federal Government into a Trump corporation, and shame has left the building. The whole family appears to be on the payroll.

‘Trump’s foreign policy’

Some of Trump’s thought bubbles don’t go away. He wants to annexe Canada, to conquer Greenland, to turn Gaza into a beach resort, and he has trashed the NATO Alliance. He has sided with a bunch of authoritarian ruffians, and thinks that he can bomb countries and kill their citizens without sanction, or permission from Congress.

If he can threaten Canada, he can threaten us. The same for Greenland. If he can cozy up to Putin, who will he befriend next? If he bombs ships in the open sea, who is safe, from a leader who appears not to understand the laws of cause and effect?

Many have used the “shared history, and shared values” argument to justify our continued relationship. Others question the value for Australia, which has stood loyally by its mighty ally, through its many wars, with not much to show for the effort, except in terms of lost lives, and wasted military resources. We were never there as equal partners. 

Democratic standards

Australia and the U.S. are both nominally democratic societies, and yet there is a tradition in the U.S. of actively trying to suppress the vote for minorities, and to rig elections by gerrymander. These practices are outlawed in Australia.

Trump has recently suggested outlawing postal voting, which will impact the turnout of Black and Hispanic voters. Australians are used to electoral matters being decided by independent umpires. We are not only encouraged to vote, we are fined if we do not.

There is a credible fear that Trump will pull the trigger on the Insurrection Act, and declare an emergency, thus cancelling elections in the future. His use of American troops on American soil is the culmination of his disregard for the Constitution, and his desire to impose martial law.

So as Congress and the Senate, and the Supreme Court rollover for Trump’s power grab, Australia needs to withdraw from the AUKUS deal, stop subsidising America’s warship production, continue to respect America’s choices in leaders, and quietly distance ourselves from a country quickly changing into an autocracy.

Trump is a danger to the entire world!

Trump is dangerous. People always underestimate his ability to break things, and think that his limited intelligence limits the damage he can do. This time, under Trump 2, he has enough fanatical background assistance to actually make lasting, bad changes, and many observers are only now realising how far down the road he has landed, in nine months. And when he dies, J.D.Vance is waiting. Be very afraid.