(Above: US troops arrive in Darwin)
Preamble
Preamble
Since the 1788 British invasion and occupation of Aboriginal lands, Australia has been used as a military outpost and base, first by British colonialism and now by US imperialism, in the Asia-Pacific region.
After World War 2, British colonialism was replaced by US imperialism in Australia as the dominant economic, political and military power over the people. Australia’s military forces and government policies have always been subservient to British colonialism and US imperialism.
Today, Australia’s military forces and foreign policies are integrated into the US imperialist policies and military machine. Australia continues as an economic and military base for US imperialism.
Since WW2 Australia has been a host to more than 10 major US military bases and has opened many local air force and naval bases facilities to the US military. Its Pine Gap base directs drone strikes in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, while other bases carry out widespread electronic surveillance of ordinary citizens.
In November 2011 US President Barak Obama and Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced an escalation and expansion of joint US and Australian military activities in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
Australia as a launching pad
The expansion and closer integration of Australia into the US military includes permanent stationing, disguised under the banner of troop rotations, of more than 2500 US troops in Darwin, expanding and upgrading existing naval ports and air force facilities and building new military facilities to accommodate the increasing use by the US military across the country, including nuclear warships. Cocos Island is likely to be another new US military base.
This together with an almost complete integration of the Australian government’s foreign policies into the US war machine will make the whole country a US military base and a launching pad for US wars of aggression in the region.
The Australian government’s role as sycophantic US deputy-sheriff is critical to America’s continuing economic and military domination in the Asia-Pacific and in its preparations for imperialist wars. This has serious implications for Australia’s sovereignty and independence and for peace and welfare of all peoples in the region.
Imperialist economic crisis gravely increases the risk of war
Behind the US military escalation in Asia-Pacific is America’s own economic decline, the global economic crisis and a deep fear of the economic growth of China that is beginning to challenge US economic and political hegemony and dominance throughout the region, including Australia.
US monopoly capital has immense economic investments, control of markets and political power in the region that it uses to exploit and oppress the people of Asia-Pacific. US controls many important trade shipping lanes and has many military bases and troops stationed throughout the region to protect its present and future economic investments, control of resources and markets.
Imperialism means wars for the redivision of the world
The US military arms and trains the local puppet governments’ armed forces to suppress resistance by the people to imperialist domination. They have unleashed war on the people of the Philippines.
Territorial disputes are flaring up between China, the Philippines and Vietnam over the vast unexplored undersea gas and oil fields in the South China Sea. The US is manipulating the Philippines puppet government to provoke and increase the tensions in the region. Similarly, the US is directing Australia’s acquiescent governments to stoke the fires of imperialist wars in the region.
Resolution
The social and economic cost of subservience to US imperialism is enormous. Australia's military spending is twelfth in the world on a per capita basis. Meanwhile public schools, hospitals and transport are starved of funds.
The new US imperialist military expansion and provocations in the Asia Pacific are a threat to peace and national sovereignty of countries and people in the region. US imperialism is the main instigator of imperialist wars for control of resources, markets and for its monopoly capital investments across the globe.
Australia’s military integration into the US imperialist war machine assists the US to wage predatory wars against people and nations. In the past, Australia has swapped imperial masters as one dominant power declines. An independent Australia and the interests of the Australian people are not compatible with future domination by any hegemonic power.
Australian people want peace and independence and to build friendship and solidarity with the people of the Asia-Pacific. They do not want to swap one imperialist master for another.
· Oppose and expose US and foreign military and intelligence bases in Australian or the Asia-Pacific region
· No US and foreign troops on Australian soil
· Oppose Australia’s role as US deputy sheriff in the Asia Pacific Region
· End Australia's integration into the imperialist US war machine
· Promote an independent Australian foreign policy that builds peace and respects independence and sovereignty of countries and people in the Asia-Pacific
· Support peaceful resolution of territorial disputes
· Build active connections with the broad united front movement to kick out all foreign military bases and troops from Australia and across the Asia-Pacific
· Expose and oppose foreign corporate war industries in Australia
· Oppose the integration of Australia into the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. The US military build-up in the Asia pacific region goes hand-in-hand with the vigorous push for the TPPA by US imperialism
· Investigate Australia’s military policies, US military activities in Australia and Asia-Pacific, US-Australia military alliance and Australia’s role as an agent for US imperialism in New Guinea, East Timor, and other Pacific nations
· Immediately withdraw Australian troops, advisors and military privateers from Afghanistan and Iraq
· Independence for Australia against foreign domination
· Fund peace, not war
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