I do not support wars of aggression. Australia’s history of throwing itself behind US-led military engagements, including violent occupation of overseas territories, is shameful. Nor do I support our dangerously extensive military spending. There is a lack of transparency around the economic and political motivations behind these choices that greatly angers me, quite aside from the staggering toll military engagement takes on the regions, environments and people involved. I urgently entreat our future Australia to move spending priorities away from the military and towards more generative and regenerative causes, such as local and global environmental rehabilitation and more resilient social welfare and support systems, that would begin to put resources back into the areas and people our military has so greatly depleted.
This is not a case of ‘perhaps we can do both’. Significant military activity is dangerous, unethical, and completely at odds with any opportunity for a stable and peaceful future for Australia.
