Antinuclear

Why Richard Marles Backs the U.S. War Machine

Richard Marles is a senior figure in the Labor Right, a faction increasingly indistinguishable from the Liberal Party on core issues such as defence, foreign policy, and trade.

20 June 2025 AIMN Editorial, By Denis Hay  

Description

Richard Marles backs the U.S. military power on Australian soil. Discover how it risks our sovereignty, and what citizens can do to reclaim it.

Introduction – A Quiet Coup Over Australia’s Defence 

Location: Tindal, Northern Territory. Action: A U.S. B-52 bomber roars overhead. Thoughts: “Are we a launchpad for war?” Emotions: Unease, betrayal.

It’s 2025. As Defence Minister Richard Marles smiles beside a Pentagon official, another defence deal is signed. Few Australians notice. Even fewer understand its implications. Our government says it’s about ‘defending democracy.’ But whose democracy, and against what threat?

While China is still our biggest trading partner, we’re warned of its menace. Meanwhile, U.S. troops, bombers, and weapons quietly embed themselves deeper into our soil. This isn’t protection, it’s occupation by consent.

How did we end up here? And why is it that Richard Marles backs the U.S. military over Australia’s sovereign interests?

Problem: The Erosion of Australian Sovereignty

A Defence Strategy Written in Washington

Since becoming Defence Minister, Richard Marles has overseen a shift that aligns Australia more closely with U.S. military goals than ever before. The 2021 USFPI agreement expanded joint military operations.

Billions have since been given to help U.S. base upgrades in Darwin and Tindal, alongside hosting U.S. nuclear-capable planes.

This is yet another example of how Richard Marles backs the U.S. military agenda, prioritising American strategic interests over national independence.

“It’s not just alliance cooperation, it’s dependence,” says defence analyst Dr. Alison Broinowski.

The Permanent U.S. Footprint

• U.S. bases in Australia: Pine Gap, Robertson Barracks, and now expanded northern airfields. Ref: How US Military Bases in Australia Threaten Our Future & How to Remove Them
• Rotating forces: Thousands of U.S. Marines cycle through annually, training for potential regional conflicts.
• Infrastructure: Funded by Australian public money for U.S. strategic benefit.

Public Money, Private Empire

Under Marles’ leadership, defence spending reached 2.4% of GDP in 2024. That’s over $60 billion, more than education or climate resilience combined. But this isn’t public defence, it’s public subsidy for the U.S. military-industrial complex.

This is precisely how Richard Marles backs the U.S. military, not just with rhetoric, but with billions in public funds diverted from services Australians urgently need.

The Manufactured ‘China Threat’

A Convenient Villain

There is no evidence that China poses a military threat to Australia. Defence intelligence reports confirm no plans for invasion or aggression. Yet headlines scream of ‘Chinese expansionism,’ fuelling fear and compliance.

Who Benefits?

• Weapons contractors profit from panic.
• U.S. hegemony is preserved through Australian complicity.
• Political careers thrive on appearing ‘tough on China.’

“The U.S. has surrounded China with 200+ military bases,” notes historian John Pilger. “China has none outside its borders. Who’s the aggressor here?”

Real Consequences for Australians

Story: Emily, a nurse in Perth, struggles to afford rent. Her hospital is understaffed. Meanwhile, Marles commits $368 billion for nuclear submarines, years away from delivery, if ever.

“Why do we always find money for war, but never for nurses?” Emily asks.

Because Richard Marles backs the U.S. military, while ignoring the suffering of frontline workers like Emily.

The Labor Right: A Party Captured by Foreign and Corporate Interests 

Richard Marles and the Rise of Labor’s Conservative Core

Richard Marles is a senior figure in the Labor Right, a faction increasingly indistinguishable from the Liberal Party on core issues such as defence, foreign policy, and trade.

Rather than upholding the Labor tradition of peace, workers’ rights, and democratic independence, the right faction embraces military alliances and market orthodoxy.

Their influence is evident in Labor’s full-throated support for AUKUS, Marles’ open enthusiasm for U.S. military integration is no coincidence – Richard Marles backs the U.S. military model as central to Labor’s right-faction ideology, and the suppression of internal dissent from more progressive voices within the party.

“Marles speaks more like a U.S. Pentagon spokesperson than an Australian minister,” notes a former Labor policy adviser.

How the Right Faction Is Reshaping Labor

This shift reflects how Richard Marles backs the U.S. military, pushing Labor further from its peace-promoting roots.

• 
  Suppresses internal debate on AUKUS, Palestine, and climate.
• Aligns with corporate donors, including arms manufacturers.
• Stifles progressive legislation, watering down meaningful reforms.

The result? A Labor Party that once represented workers and peace is now compromised and cautious, often at the expense of sovereignty and social justice.

A Peaceful, Sovereign Path Forward

Reclaiming Foreign Policy Independence

• End the U.S. military presence on Australian soil.
• Cancel or renegotiate treaties that erode autonomy.
• Prioritise diplomacy over deterrence.

Invest in Public Needs, Not Foreign Conflicts

Redirect defence billions to:

• 
  Fully fund Medicare.
• End homelessness.
• Provide free tertiary education.

Australia, as a sovereign nation with currency-issuing power, can fund peace just as easily as it funds war. The real limitation is a lack of political will, not a shortage of money.

Learn from Global Examples

• Costa Rica abolished its military in 1948. Today, it ranks among the world’s happiest and healthiest nations.
• Finland and Switzerland remain militarily neutral but are globally respected.

“We must stop being a staging post for other nations’ wars,” says Senator David Shoebridge.

Marles, the U.S., and Our Crossroads

For decades, Australia walked a delicate line, partner to the U.S., yet proudly sovereign. That line is vanishing.

Richard Marles has accelerated Australia’s subservience to U.S. military interests under the guise of strategic cooperation. But what we face is not defence, it’s deterrence at the cost of independence.

This is the inevitable outcome when Richard Marles backs the U.S. military without accountability or public consent.

And it’s happening with full ministerial approval, Richard Marles backs the U.S. military posture without public scrutiny or debate.

It’s time Australians asked: Who does our government really serve?

Q&A – Reader Questions Answered…………………………. https://theaimn.net/why-richard-marles-backs-the-u-s-war-machine/

June 22, 2025 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international