I just hope that Australians will very soon wake up to the way that this country is becoming locked into being part of Gearge W. Bush's USA "defence" system. I use inverted commas here, because it is getting increasingly clear that, with the USA's missile bases being set up around the world, with the "new generation" of nuclear weapons in the pipeline, with the doctrine of "pre-emptive strike" - well, other countries are getting nervous.
Five new US bases are planned in Australia - that looks awfully like five new targets!
Add to all this the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership - locking Australia into leasing uranium, (so receiving back international wastes) and Australia becomes an attractive target for terrorists, and an object of suspicion and fear to our near neighbours.
Christina Macpherson www.antinuclearaustralia.com

How can Australians become more aware of the dangers implicit in our relationship with the US imperium? Our media consistently ignore any references to the 735 military bases the US maintains in over 130 countries around the world. Chalmers Johnson's latest book Nemesis provides some terrifying insights into the instability unleashed on the world, not just in the last decade but increasingly over the last forty years by US expansionism.

The first two comments are from anti-US ravers looking for any opportunity to have an anti-US rave. The author of the article is primarily appealing for the environment. I hope the comments following this one realise this.

Healthwatcher uses the same old tried and tested, (but obviously false) argument. If you can't logically answer someone's statements - well then - you just ignore the content - and go for the personal attack!
Well done, Healthwatcher - but people are waking up to this old tactic - you'd do better to actually discuss the US military expansion!
Christina Macpherson
www.antinuclearaustralia.com

i quite enjoy healthwatcher, with belly and runner together, i can form an opinion on what ozzies think. discouraging, but better to know.

i don't have much sympathy for you either, chris. 100-1 you voted for a politician in the last election, and called it your "democratic duty".

but the way i look at it, when you vote for a politician, any politician, you are consenting to be ruled by whichever one comes top of the heap. your vote legitimizes howard, even if you despise him. consequently, you're just as guilty as howard at selling out australia.

if you were a citizen, instead of a subject, you would vote for initiatives, referenda, even recalls, as they do in california. they call that their democratic duty. unlike you, they know what democracy is.

You can hardly blame the Yanks for using Australia as a toilet, not when our lickspittle PM wets himself everytime Bush II mumbles his name.

Myself I wonder if former Liberal leader and armaments salesman Andrew Peacock will get a commission on every depleted uranium missile fired into Queensland & NT. Who said theres no money in nuclear waste?