Australia and the World - Essay Example

Date Analyzing the close and long standing cooperation between the United States of America and Australia from the post world war eras through the cold war to the current state of affairs, many issues are agreeable. To begin with, it is perfectly logical to come to a fairly commonplace conclusion that U.S. power and influence impacts massively on virtually all aspects of Australian society and governance. So profound is this effect that some scholars have had to evaluate and hold a view that the level of American domination of this bilateral correlation is tantamount to social and cultural annexation Australia, making any neutral observer come to an unequivocal finality that Australia is just another offshore state of the U.S (Tan and Achary, 2004, 207). However, it would be out rightly incorrect to ever assume and argue that the realignment of Australian society and policies towards closer ties and more intimate cooperation with the U.S. is a direct result of imposition of American power upon the country and its society. Even notions that America is intentionally Americanizing Australian society cannot go unchallenged. Australia is not by any chance an unwilling participant in this bilateral partnership; in fact there is overwhelming historical and longstanding evidence to the contrary. Australian persistent push for maintenance of this strategic realignment with the U.S. is as a result of deeply entrenched national interests. Chief among these interests is the crucial and fundamental issue of security. So much a driver for cooperation with the US is security for Australia that it forms the catalyst for close correlation in almost all other spheres. From early on in her history, Australia has had to be confronted with certain realities right in her territorial geological location, raising the urgency and decisiveness with which these threats had to be addressed. These apparently overwhelming external threats in the form of geopolitically aggressive environment left no doubt in the budding federation that traditional ties were not comprehensive and commensurate to the seemingly existential threat she was confronted with, especially owing to the fact Britain had reduced reach and influence in the region (Philip and Rogers, 1998, 295). The most prominent of her fears was a particularly racial and hateful but increasingly powerful and abrasive Japan that was very outspokenly opposed to stability of a white race in the Far East region As thus, she made decisive efforts to counter her isolation in the pacific by seeking security cooperation with the United States even while maintaining her imperial ties with Britain. What followed was a series of cooperation that formed the basis for the current situation of near societal parity between these long term allies. This argument reinforces the assessment that this strategic alignment is actually founded on Australia’s security needs. Australian –American ties hit new highs in the invasion of China by Japan. The event in Australia seemed to be a pointer towards the magnitude and dramatic nature of the determined and daring enemy Japan could prove to be (Johnson and Andre, 2008,178). The desperation that followed this invasion sent the message straight even to the hard lined anti-American elements in Australia who were of the opinion that Australia stood to lose should Americanization of its society continue (Hubbard, 204, 180). It became obvious to all that it would be imperative that the country step up cooperation with the US especially when it became clear that Britain would not be able to guarantee security for Australia. The events that followed, including the wars, crated a sense of deep understanding and special correlation between these two allies who got to focus more towards their situational similarities. The closeness between these allies grew exponentially during the Cold War era where military cooperation directly resulted in cultural integration and absolute understanding. The adversity and more warm relations that developed during these wars and American assurances of security to the Pacific lone ranger again reinforces the opinion that Australian alignment towards the United States is founded in security needs for Australia. Then came another round of threats to Australia from within the region. These were in the form a resurgent China with a communist ideology which generally viewed the capitalist Australia as reason for worry and challenge to her ideology in the region. Then the volatility that was a direct result of bloody war in Korea made the region relatively threw the region into uncertainty and created an extremely tense environment in the region. Australia conveniently found reassurance and hope in American reach, capability and massive authority within the Asia- Pacific region to reassure her security and solace to keep her chosen way of life and confidence to remain largely unaffected (Deakin, 1971, 154). Again, we see a continuing tendency of close cooperation completely initiated by Australian interest, specifically protection by the United States. During the Cold War era, we get to see an interesting tendency with regards to Australian policy and position on issues. It is at this particular time that the argument that ties to the United States is basically driven by security needs for Australia. This is especially in instances where the U.S. Pemberton reiterates Australia’s unwavering support to Britain and clearly states that the country pays loyalty first to the United Kingdom. Australia sides with Britain on most matters and remains sympathetic to it on contentious issues where they differ with the United States, sometimes to the displeasure of US officials (Tanter, 2013). This happens concurrently as Australia increasingly embraces US power as the cold war shifts to the Asia-Pacific. The policy in the country is seen to be in a way that is bonded and unequivocally bonded to the United Kingdom while seeking American power only on matters of national security or potential confrontation. Typically a work with and pledge loyalty to Britain but keep her military to only fight alongside the special and powerful ally that is the United States. From the various events of this time and their implications, it is particularly evident that Australia’s cooperation with the United States is most largely initiated by military cooperation than other policy catalysts. In fact the need to develop closer ties with the United States became more necessary to Australia with the gradual and steady collapse of the British dominion when it became evident that Britain was no longer a viable security guarantee for the country. However, it is intriguing to note that the general outlook in relation to policy towards Britain on other sphere did not indicate any substantial shift. The suggestion to pursue closer military ties was therefore a result of British military uncertainty. With the subsequent demise of the British empire and in anticipation of her imminent withdrawal and eventual retreat back to Britain, Prime Minister Herald Holt finally admits that the alliance with America was even the more important to Australia. He goes ahead to encourage the United States to commit forces into Asia and expand its permanent military bases and also step up military presence and activities. This is however despite complete internal pressure by the Australian population that there should be no attempt to sever the country’s rich and proud history and connections with Britain (Johnson and Andre, 2008,178). Even much as Australia became a crucial US ally, most observers viewed the alliance as a reluctant one only in existence for the reason of security for Australia and not necessarily because the country finally accepted American values. In fact studies show that popular opinion in Australia throughout the time was that which viewed America as a protector rather than a viable friend that could be widely acceptable. In this case, there is a lot of mutual cooperation between these nations. Putting the situation into the wider context, it seamlessly falls into the trend of other reasons for cooperation that we clearly see are invoked by the primary need for security and American protection by Australia. While many Australian leaders have had to make official commitments and military pacts with the United States, the country has always sort to follow her mother country Britain. Even though there have been instances of complete depiction of the general American culture and other aspects of life in Australia, it can be concluded that most of the times the country has sort closer ties it was as a direct result of an impending threat to her security and not as Americanization as commonly wrongly assumed. This is very clearly seen in most of our discussion where the clearly discernable policy has always rested in correspondence and in sympathy with the United Kingdom. Any instance where the country seems to have gotten closer with the United States and when they cooperated was during instances of security scares for the country. In fact while the country has been a military ally with the U.S. and fought hand in hand alongside U.S. forces on a number of occasions, the country has maintained a long standing relationship with the U.K. and the debate on any instance of shift has been questioned with genuine concern by her citizens. From this discussion, it is therefore perfectly logical to conclude that the cooperation between Australia and the US is basically initiated by Australia’s security needs References Philip B. and Rogers B., (1998). Americanization and Australia. New Zealand: UNSW Press. Pp 284- 294. Deakin, A., (1971). Australia and the United States, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, pp 53–56. Hubbard, C., (2005). Australian and US Military Cooperation; Fighting Common Enemies. Brisbane: Ashgage Publishing Co. Pp 78- 82. Acharya, A and Tan, S., (2004). Asia Pacific Security Cooperation: National Interests and Regional Order. Bangalore: M. E. Sharpe. 204- 207. Johnson, V and Andre V., (2008). The ANZUS Treaty 1951; Documents on Australian Foreign Policy. Michigan: University of Michigan. Pp 176-181 Tanter R., (11 November 2013). The US Military Presence in Australia; The Asia Pacific Pivot and the Global NATO. Oceania: The Asia- Pacific Journal Read More