Page 1 of 1

60 years of ANZUS

PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 10:24 am
by Gingernuts
Given the visit of the UN President to celebrate this treaty, I thought it might be a good discussion topic.

So - is ANZUS still relevant in todays world? Struck at the beginning of the Cold War, world politics is a very different place 60 years on.

The US is in decline economically, with power shifting to countries in our region.

Is it a good idea for us to remain so parochial about our relationship with the United States?

Re: 60 years of ANZUS

PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 10:36 am
by Psyber
I was never a huge fan of us being so hugely committed to the US alliance, but I do think a balance of alliances is sound strategically, and therefore desirable.
I suspect we may have been even more obsequious to the Indonesians back in the Whitlam era had it not been for that alliance.
(I used to call Australia "South Irian" after we capitulated so weakly to the Indonesian annexation of western Papua/New Guinea.)

Of course, it may have been different had we developed our own nuclear deterrent back in the 1950s and 60s. ;)

Re: 60 years of ANZUS

PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 11:56 am
by BIG SEXY
HAHAHHAH....ANZUS looks like a rude word

Re: 60 years of ANZUS

PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 3:13 pm
by Sky Pilot
I firmly believe we need to be in a close alliance with the USA. Anything we can do to give them a bigger footprint in this region will only benefit us way out into the future. You wouldn't trust China as far as you could kick it surely? And now - presumably with bi-partisan support - we have invited them to have more visits with their warships FFS. What's that all about? Gives them carte blanche to explore our coast l;ine port facilities and to lay listening devices and other subversive apparatus anywhere they like on the sea bed and along Highway One or wherever.
Perhaps I'm just too suspicious....

Re: 60 years of ANZUS

PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 7:23 pm
by redden whites
Sky Pilot wrote:I firmly believe we need to be in a close alliance with the USA. Anything we can do to give them a bigger footprint in this region will only benefit us way out into the future. You wouldn't trust China as far as you could kick it surely? And now - presumably with bi-partisan support - we have invited them to have more visits with their warships FFS. What's that all about? Gives them carte blanche to explore our coast l;ine port facilities and to lay listening devices and other subversive apparatus anywhere they like on the sea bed and along Highway One or wherever.
Perhaps I'm just too suspicious....

:lol: :lol: Champgne comedy

Re: 60 years of ANZUS

PostPosted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:58 am
by scoob
"US Forces get the nod..."