Thanks romingfree

Yes I agree that there is a risk that the US may shift priorities due to defence funding reductions (under sequestration) or shift its focus to other trouble spots. NT can't become too economically dependent.

Regarding joint facilities like Pine Gap - don't know if information gained would be directly useful for Marine forces in Darwin.

Australia's levers over the US hopefully keep the US honest and supportive. Major levers we have are our geography (good for bases), weapons that can interact with US forces and the money we spend (or overspend) on US weapons. Australia having to participate in US ventures like Iraq and Afghanistan can be a bit of a curse.

What role China wants to play in our region is indeed a big unknown.
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Hi asho

A self-reliant Australia foreign-defence policy may have advantages in us not being locked into American strategic priorities. But it would certainly cost. Of other Western countries with a fair bit of autonomy:

- Switzerland requires and pays for national service

- Sweden heavily funds a large arms industry, and

- Israel has national service, an arms industry and the high costs of nuclear weapons.

How far do we want to go?

Regards

Pete

OK Peter. You don't like the yanks, and you don't want a US military presence in Australia. Even though this is supported by both Labor and Liberal governments. That makes your position a fringe group position.

You even sneer at the allied effort in Afghanistan that brought Osama bin Laden to justice. Personally, I think that genetically eradicating the worst kind of religious fundamentalism using Predator drones and Apache helicopters is a great idea. The Afghans are now talking about "the American generation" of Afghan youths, (especially young females) who have now been exposed to western ideas and who lijke what they see. How is the Taliban gonna keep 'em, down on the farm, now that they have seen Pareee?

Honestly, Peter. How it is that you adopt a position totally at odds with mainstream thinking is beyond me? I suppose it is another case of people like you having a compulsive need to think that you are special, so you adopt the position of chronic naysayers to draw attention to yourselves.

So how's life in Alabama LEGO or is that Moonshine talking?

If you were paying attention matey you would have noticed http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=16207#281886

"I think in the end the annual visits of the Marines are a good Australian-US policy.

In 2011, when the policy kicked off, the reasons were not as immediate. However with the dramatic increase in Chinese naval activity (ie. power projection) near Australia over the last two months an increased US presence in Australia is needed."

Keep off the banjo's n turps bro

http://youtu.be/Uzae_SqbmDE

:)

Blind Freddy can see that America’s “pivot to Asia” is “containment of China”. Stationing US marines in Darwin is only the most overt of Gillard’s ( and now I suppose the current government’s) commitment. Surely, if we live in a democracy, the Australian people are entitled to a full explanation.

Hi Leslie

I wouldn't hold ya breath. On so many security issues (for which we taxpayer's pay) the attitude appears to be "we don't need to tell you - so we aren't going to". Hence we only learnt from the Dutch media, not our own muzzled media, about important battles of our troops in Afghanistan a few years back.

Multinational arms companies (eg. Lockheed) that sell to our government would learn more realities from our government than we learn.

Regards

Pete

If you are suggesting that that white people of Alabama are ignorant, banjo playing inbreds, Plantagent, you are just as big a racist as I am.