We have to start with some words about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump and what that might mean for Australia. It almost certainly now means the re-election of someone who is profoundly pro-Russian, anti-European and with an ambivalent attitude towards the Asia-Pacific region. Australian politicians are so in thrall of the US that they constantly drone on about shared values, which are actually few and far between. The US remains our strongest security partner but we will have to do more for ourselves – after all the US previously withdrew from Asia as part of the Guam doctrine in the early 1970s.
Related to this, last week there was a very important South Korea – Australia defence forum in Canberra. This was an initiative from the ROK and included offers made at Ministerial level for cooperation on cyber, uninhabited systems – and a remarkable initiative to co-develop and jointly fund a space port. Defence officials should be on their way to Seoul right now to follow up on this.
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Again another excellent and informative PodCast. I’m in total agreement with your sentiments on US and Australia’s shared values and as for slavishly following the US on Equipment, that’s just Ludicrous. So far we we have contracted for Billions of Dollars ( not counting the gift ) of U.S. equipment to be built in the U.S. (most to be delivered in The distant Future) in preference to local equipment that can be built here or from other Suppliers under License. So much for Sovereign Capability. It seems like we’ve been told, buy this from us or we won’t sell you this, it’s ridiculous. Common Sense dictates that reliance on one supplier exclusively is the easiest way to be blockaded, If push comes to shove the U.S. is not going to sell anybody anything that they need themselves. Self sufficiency is paramount to a good Defence and the sooner we get started the better.