Defence: Nuclear the only way to go for Australia

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Advertisement

This was published 4 years ago

Defence: Nuclear the only way to go for Australia

To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number.


Contrary to the opinion expressed by Peter Johns (Letters, 4/7), development of nuclear weapons is the only safe bet for Australia in view of the declining influence of the US and the all pervasive pursuit of regional dominance by China. If there is one lesson of history which must be understood, it is that asymmetric capacity in terms of defence dooms you to slavery and serfdom. One only has to examine the history of the Americas, and the colonial domination of Africa and Asia, to realise that without an independent credible defence capability your community will be overwhelmed. Review the history of the Incas, the Aztecs, the North American Indians, the Chinese during the "opium wars" and the whole of sub-Saharan Africa, and of course Australia if you want examples.

Dispatches from the economic frontline! Illustration: David Pope

Dispatches from the economic frontline! Illustration: David Pope

In the modern world, the only credible defence capability is nuclear weapons and the capacity to deliver them to a hostile enemy. Australia has yet to learn the lessons of 1941 when it had no independent defence capability and was facing subjugation by a hostile Japan. Whatever one's opinion about the state of Israel, one thing is certain. Without independent nuclear capabilities they would have been overwhelmed by now.

Greg Angelo, Balwyn North

Don't rely on the US to rescue us

Australia's former chief strategist Hugh White is right in his view that Australia as a middle power cannot defend itself against a super power, and that we cannot rely on the US to rescue us. US influence and power is diminishing largely as a result of repeated failures of its foreign policy over the past three decades. White's call for our military rearmament should be heeded for our survival as a nation in a rapidly changing world. I would argue that rearmament should also include the development of nuclear bombs and delivery vehicles if we aim to feel safe. Consider North Korea.

Bill Mathew, Parkville

Australia asleep at the wheel

Peter Hartcher's article on Australia's defence vulnerability ('Standing on our own feet", 2/7) could not be more timely, especially with its reference to the threat posed to the ANZUS treaty in the age of Trump. Moreover, with the arguable exception of India, Australia and New Zealand are isolated regional oddities by virtue of being uncorrupted and pluralistic Westminster-based parliamentary democracies. By contrast, Pakistan, Myanmar, Cambodia and the Philippines resemble increasingly "vassal states" drawn into a Chinese sphere of influence, with venal autocratic populists and military elites now entrenched in their political systems.

Advertisement

Notwithstanding the recent re-election of the moderate Joko Widodo to the Indonesian presidency, our neighbour is increasingly coming under the sway of fundamentalist-inclined mass Islamic political organisations spurning that nation's founding ethos of religious and political tolerance. To use a metaphor commonly applied by historians to pre-World War One Europe, Australia, having blithely ignored defence and foreign policy issues in the recent federal election, appears to be "sleepwalking" into a dangerously uncertain future.

Jon McMillan, Mount Eliza

Atomic war nothing but a dead end

Chris Uhlmann has suggested Australia must become a "hard target" and that a realist would want to open the debate on Australia acquiring nuclear weapons ("Putin's short sharp shock", Comment, 3/7). There are better alternatives to such an expensive and dangerous step. For example, we could aim to be strictly neutral, and plan to become the Switzerland of the South Pacific. We might have to sacrifice some of our traditional scruples and freedoms but this would be less immoral than acting as a lackey of the US and drifting into a MAD (mutually assured destruction) atomic war. Any other suggestions?

Peter Goad, Middle Park

Any bombs tucked away?

Scuttlebutt (ex-soldiers do talk) suggests Australia already has access to nuclear weapons through a deal Bob Menzies made with the UK during UK testing on Australian soil. We were to have access to the bomb if we needed it. It's inconceivable that at least one ally wouldn't have a bomb or two Down Under.

Graeme Gibson, Caringbah, NSW

FORUM

Tax package a stunt

The Coalition has continued to con the media, the Labor Party and the public with its handling of tax changes. The first part of the package is important and, given the state of the economy, is welcome.

Labor would have done the same. However, the third stage, scheduled for 2024, is not worth the paper it is printed on. At the next election, there will be another tax debateon the pros and cons of the Coalition's proposal and Labor's alternative.

Even if the Coalition prevails at the next election, there is no guarantee it will keep its current proposal. Economic conditions will be completely different in six years. The handling of this tax package has been nothing more than a bit of political theatre orchestrated by a government strong on stunts but weak on substance.

It's purpose is to hide the fact the Coalition has no ideas on how to cope with the rapidly deteriorating economy that it has inherited, from itself.

Graeme Henchel, Yarra Glen

Spend up, everyone

How good are these tax cuts? With interest rates at an all-time low and predicted to get lower, the projected tax cuts to those earning $200,000 of $10,500 will finance property loans of over $730,000. In Perth, with prices being the lowest they have been for years, that means you could buy two negatively geared properties to help the grandchildren get into the property market. Who says housing is unaffordable? You just need to have a go to get a go.

Colin Hughes, Midland DC, WA

It's all about the deal

Kim Bessant (Letters, 4/7) bemoans that Labor "will not stand up for fairness and the principle of progressive taxation" . No, now Jacqui Lambie is back, like Donald Trump and Pauline Hanson, it is simply a matter of deals being done.

Beverley McIntyre, Camberwell

RBA overrated?

The Reserve Bank lowered interest rates and ... nothing changed. So it lowered interest rates again and ...yet again, nothing changed. So it lowered interest rates again – still nothing changed. What's that about the definition of insanity: continuing to do the same thing and expecting a different result? But at least the board gets paid well.

Erica Grebler, Caulfield North

The year that was on fire

Hey, Shane Wright, I was interested in your claim that 1978 was the best year in music ("We need to party like it's ... 1983", 3/7). So I know that your article was about the economy, but ... whatever. I would like to suggest 1985 as a super standout year, with albums such as Talking Heads' Little Creatures, Listen Like Thieves from INXS, and one of the best albums ever in The Head on the Door, by The Cure. Bruce Springsteen played two brilliant concerts at Melbourne Showgrounds that year and I was there for both.

Trish Thompson, Northcote

Recycling begins at home

Congratulations to the Indonesians for returning Melbourne's trash to where it belongs ("Indonesia rejects recycling", 3/7). Australia is very good at exporting "raw" materials to other countries and then buying them back at a much higher price. We even buy back our own recycled plastic. And the Reserve Bank is wondering why our economy is going downhill ("Do more to rescue economy, says RBA", 3/7). Scott Morrison and Daniel Andrews, take note of the RBA's suggestion to stimulate the economy by investing in infrastructure. And join the dots – take responsibility for our own rubbish and invest in Australian-operated recycling plants.

Ellaine Downie, Balwyn

Rebuild the sector

As a former TAFE planner, I was disheartened but not surprised to read there are difficulties in providing extra "free" training places ("Staff shortfall hits TAFE", 3/7). Worthy as the initiative is, it does not address the systemic operating constraints foisted upon the TAFE sector by the neo-liberal economic madness of the 1990s, which persists today and which still connotes ideological virtue.

Make no mistake, TAFE in Victoria was efficient, robust, co-ordinated, flexible, and attuned to community, industry and individual training needs and aspirations. It also generated a sizeable slice of its own operating income. Privatisation did drive down system training costs (while increasing individual costs), but collaterally, sector planning went out the window, together with much of the human and capital resource of TAFE institutions and their service to the community. Myriad private providers emerged, most with profit as their primary training goal, cherry picking high-demand courses with low capital cost, and often careless about provision quality.

The challenge for government is how to rebuild a robust public TAFE sector. One-off funding initiatives may help, but ultimately will not do the trick.

Keith Boast, Lake Wendouree

Invest in prevention

The Law Institute of Victoria is pleased to see an outbreak of political bipartisanship regarding Victoria's approach to soaring prisoner numbers ("Opposition softens 'tough on crime' approach", 3/7). The economic cost to Victorians for a system that is not delivering on its promise to reduce crime and recidivism rates is escalating.

We need to look at the model and invest in prevention and behavioural programs before an individual reaches court, divert people with mental illness into appropriate rehabilitation services, and reform our bail laws. Spend the money on innovative approaches in youth justice that lead young people away from beginning a life of crime. Give them education, job opportunities and accommodation services. Only detain them as a last resort. If we invest appropriately when people first come into contact with the criminal justice system, we will save Victorians a lot of difficulty, and money, for years to come.

Stuart Webb, president, Law Institute of Victoria

IS problem is ours too

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton wants to stop former IS fighters returning to Australia. That does not make the problem disappear. Where does he expect them to live? Does he want to leave that responsibility to the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, also known as Rojava, the mainly Kurdish area of Syria?

Have the Kurdish fighters who defeated IS militarily and paid a very high price in terms of deaths and injuries not sacrificed enough? Are they now to be burdened by these criminals? We need international solidarity to resolve this issue. We must not wash our hands of it. Australia should take its share of responsibility and support the Kurdish people in Syria who fought so courageously.

Helena Grunfeld, Brunswick West

Blind to cyclists

Linda Reynolds (Letters, 3/7), as a bike rider I could be lit up like a Christmas tree and some motorists would not see me because they are not looking for a bicycle rider. I wear my bright yellow vest and have front and rear flashing lights on every time I ride, regardless of time of day. I try to keep my road riding to a minimum but I often see a motorist do a double-take on pulling out from a road when they realise they have not factored my existence in to their driving because they have been looking only for cars.

Eleanor Prout, Ringwood East

A win for consumers

Thank you, Allan Fels, for ensuring that last year's premium for home and contents insurance must be displayed on renewal notices ("Same house and risk, so why pay more?", Comment, 2/7). I received my house insurance policy renewal last week showing a 23 per cent increase – long-term policy, same house and risk, no claims. Armed with this information, I signed up with a competitor at 30 per cent less. Knowledge is power and through the actions of Mr Fels, consumers can no longer be treated as mugs by insurance companies.

Arthur Shulkes, Ballarat

Signal for smokers

Let's hope the government backs the Heart Foundation's call for $200 million to fund a new mass media anti-tobacco campaign ("'Nowhere to hide': untold risk of smoking revealed", 4/7). Continuing pressure, in the form of advertisements and restrictions on where smoking is allowable, was crucial for me in kicking my 40-year habit 10 years ago. The horrible photos on the packets themselves were the final straw. This time around, the campaign might highlight not just the health and financial benefits, but the tremendous feeling of mental freedom that comes with quitting.

Patrice McCarthy, Bendigo

Admit it's interesting

Sam Duncan assumes the mass disappointment of tennis viewers when they switched on their sets expecting to see the Ashleigh Barty match in full ("Seven crashes Barty party", Comment, 4/7). The disappointment must have been short lived given the viewer numbers for the Kyrgios/Thompson match were comparable to a Wimbledon final.

I am no fan of Kyrgios and his attitude and behaviour. However, what many of us don't own up to is that we find him interesting. A sublime talent that looks as though it will not be fully realised, accompanied by self-destructive behaviour. That irritates us, but it also contributes to his being interesting. In the end, he and Jordan Thompson were Australians, ranked next to each other and it was a very interesting match. None of this takes anything away from Barty, who is a treat on and off the court. We will still see plenty of Ash. It's a fair bet she will go deeper than Nick. Tough decision for Seven again coming up, given Kyrgios and Nadal have a 3-3 head-to-head. Whatever happens there, the right decision was made the other night.

Ian Hollingworth, Caulfield East

Advantage of silence

With reference to many of these "celebrities" pontificating on all sorts of social, ethical and moral issues in areas including religion, sport and politics in which they have little or no expertise, that old saying comes to mind: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak up and remove all doubt".

John Paine, Kew East

AND ANOTHER THING . . .

The economy

During the election campaign, ScoMo claimed a Coalition government would be great for the economy. Now after only three months, the RBA has identified the con in economy.

Michael Hipkins, Richmond

Has anyone seen Jobson? Jobson Growth where are you? Are you out there?

John Everett, Eltham

Unlike increasing the dole, tax cuts for the top bracket will be good for the economy – of the Cayman Islands.

Chris Goodman, Clifton Hill

The passing of stage three tax cuts signals the end of my aspirations – for a fair and equitable society.

Tim Hartnett, Margaret River, WA

Robo debt demands and pensioners' unrealistic deeming rates: keeping the poor in their place. How good is that?

Wendy Knight, Little River

Governed by Jacqui Lambie. Oh, well done Australian voter.

Tony Haydon, Springvale

Tennis

Ashleigh Barty must have too much class to be shown on Channel Seven.

Juliet Drew, Glen Iris

And if Kyrgios was No.1 and Ashleigh Barty No.43?

William Hennessy, Clifton Hill

Perhaps Channel Seven just thought Nick Kyrgios would attract more viewers.

Tony O'Brien, South Melbourne

World stage

Perhaps this is what the Commander-in-Chief discussed with Our Dear Leader in the DMZ ("Donald Trump's July 4th parade divides US", 4/7).

Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook, NSW

So who's got the bigger military parade, Kim Jong-un?

Henry Herzog, St Kilda East

Elsewhere

Woolies selling pokies (4/7). So which aisle will they be in?

Myra Fisher, Brighton East

Sami's "pre-ironed" (Letters, 4/7) clothes don't bother me, but his cleaning of his teeth in the shower is a real environmental disaster.

Greg Oates, Huon Creek


*Sign up to editor Alex Lavelle's exclusive weekly newsletter at: www.theage.com.au/editornote.

Most Viewed in National

Loading