Words by Alex Bastiras
What is AUKUS?
The Australian ruling class is beating the drums of war, with the Albanese government having recently announced the $368 billion AUKUS nuclear submarine deal. This military pact between Australia, the United States, and Britain involves the building of a domestic nuclear submarine industry. We must be clear; this is an imperialist project aimed at preparing for war with China.
Shamefully, ‘liberal’ media outlets The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age are enthusiastically participating in the warmongering parade. In early March, both papers printed a series titled “Red Alert,” arguing that the Australian public needs to prepare for war with China within three years. This hysterical promotion of imperialist propaganda was an attempt at justifying Australian militarism. It’s important to acknowledge that this isn’t a case of Australia acting as a lapdog for the US. The Australian ruling class believes it can advance its own imperialist interests through having an alliance with a great power like the US. Protecting the profits of Australian capitalists is the key objective here.
What do socialists say?
War is a tragic inevitability under capitalism. The competition between different ruling classes is inherent to capitalism, and it is this competition which produces the horrors of war. Socialists argue that when the rich and powerful wage war, it is not them, but rather ordinary people who suffer. Therefore, workers and the poor have a clear interest in resisting militarism. The AUKUS pact is also an insult to workers across Australia; while workers are being forced to tighten their belts as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, the ruling class are spending hundreds of billions on machines of death.
Imagine what this money could be spent on. We could increase JobSeeker so that it’s above the poverty level. Billions could be poured into fixing our decrepit hospital system. Public housing could be built for Indigenous people to raise their standard of living. The fact that this money will instead be spent on weapons is absolutely criminal.
Defenders of AUKUS argue that it is necessary to protect Australia from Chinese aggression. Although socialists have no illusions about the awful nature of the Chinese state, we must expose this argument as ridiculous. Australia’s alliance with US imperialism is what is putting Australians in peril, not China. If there is a war between the US and China, Australia would most likely be in the firing line because of the presence that the US military has in this country. So, if politicians want to increase the safety of the Australian public, then they should withdraw Australia from the US alliance.
The role of universities
It is disgraceful that our universities have leapt at the opportunity to play a role in this drive to war. Shortly after the AUKUS announcement, the University of Adelaide indicated its readiness to help prepare the workforce needed to build nuclear submarines. Universities across the country have strong ties to weapons companies, so there is no doubt that they are keen participants in this imperialist project. As Xavier Dupe, Education Officer for the National Union of Students argues, “education should be for public good, not to help world powers wage bloody slaughter for profit.”
Where to now?
The question must be asked then, what can be done to fight against AUKUS? It is my strong view that students and staff need to build resistance to the degree factory model of universities. We must protest against the deep ties between universities and weapons companies. This can be achieved through actions such as building mass campaigns to kick weapons companies off campuses.
Additionally, if imperial tensions increase between the US and China, then students will need to help build a strong anti-war movement in this country. We can look to student history for some inspiration here. Students in the 1960s and 70s built mass movements of protest and resistance in opposition to the Vietnam War. This included activities such as hiding draft resisters on campus, and building huge street demonstrations in opposition to the war.
In order to fight against Australian imperialism, it will be critical to build mass movements that involve both students and workers. To sit idle will only strengthen the hand of the ruling class criminals.
On Dit 