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How to Defend Australia by Hugh White

by
September 2019, no. 414

How to Defend Australia by Hugh White

La Trobe University Press, $34.99 pb, 318 pp, 9781860640996

How to Defend Australia by Hugh White

by
September 2019, no. 414

Barely a decade ago, Australia was in the middle of much excitement about the Asian Century. Today, those heady days seem a distant memory. A growing number of pundits see the north as troubled by dangerous flashpoints and great power rivalries. On top of that is an America apparently in strategic retreat from the region, further aggravating Canberra’s long-held fear of abandonment by its great and powerful friends.

No wonder debating Australia’s defence has lately become a booming cottage industry. The 2018 issue of Australian Foreign Affairs on ‘Defending Australia’ warns of the ‘collapse of Australia’s defences in a contested Asia’. At home, we are told that China, the fast-expanding Asian power, is busy engaging in a ‘silent invasion’.

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Comment (1)

  • While Hugh White's 'How to Defend Australia' is a welcome and challenging presentation, there have been subsequent issues since mid 2019 that also imperil Australia. We are increasingly vulnerable to the risk of internet attack on operating businesses, the electrical power supply network, and other vital community services. Also, the impact of the Covid-19 virus was unknown in 2019 and is now a serious factor in the security of Australia. Does Hugh White have a contribution to offer on these issues, perhaps in a new edition of 'How to Defend Australia'? I welcome a response.
    Regards
    John Brodribb
    Posted by John Brodribb
    04 June 2021