A Government Aligned With US Ambitions
“Pandering to the strategic goals of the United States, which puts a target on our nation’s forehead, our Government keeps lying to us.” This striking opening from Michael Pascoe sets the tone for a compelling critique of government transparency and sovereignty.
The “Axis of Evil” and the Roots of Mistrust
First, some context before unpacking our government’s ongoing deceit. On January 29, 2002, President George W. Bush declared Iran, Iraq and North Korea the “axis of evil,” despite none being tied to 9/11. The invasion of Iraq followed swiftly, and by January 2003, North Korea exited the NPT treaty, later testing nuclear weapons in 2006—a predictable response to perceived threats.
Israel, Iran, and the Logic of Nuclear Deterrence
Israel and Iran entered their own nuclear tensions. Israel never signed the NPT and maintains a deliberate ambiguity about its arsenal. Meanwhile, Iran, still reeling from the Shah’s overthrow, brutal war, and sectarian pressures, began pursuing nuclear capability to deter perceived threats.
The World’s First “Threshold War”
Today, Israel has launched direct strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, triggering what expert Farah N. Jan calls a “threshold war”—the world’s first where a nuclear power uses force to stop another from reaching the same status. She warns this dynamic risks unraveling decades of deterrence and may ignite an uncontrollable escalation cycle.
The Logic of Escalation
Jan paints a stark picture of nuclear brinkmanship. “Iran increasingly believes it cannot deter Israeli aggression without nuclear weapons… Israel… can only delay it,” she writes. Such logic, she warns, threatens more than regional stability—it’s a global peril.
Preventive War and the Collapse of Global Norms
Israel’s actions advance “preventive” war logic, undermining rules-based international order. Australia’s passive stance—treating both actors equally and calling for merely “de‑escalation”—amounts to silent complicity.
Australia’s Silent Complicity
Ben Saul from Sydney University underscores this danger: “The risk of abuse of ‘anticipatory’ self‑defence… is simply too dangerous… Allowing each country to unilaterally decide… is a recipe for global chaos.”
The Illusion of Sovereignty
Our government goes further—supporting US‑backed actions, while denying culpability. Critical intelligence bases like Pine Gap and US submarine/air bases in WA and NT are dismissed as mere “rotations,” masking deep compromise of sovereignty.
The AUKUS Smokescreen
As Orwell might approve, those in power define reality, labelling black as white while obediently aligning with US strategic ambitions. The recent Four Corners “Submerged” segment on AUKUS highlighted how our national security narrative is spun until contradictions are ignored.
Lies, Contradictions, and Broken Promises
The coverage revealed the government’s web of lies. From assurances that AUKUS would be safe and base-free, to confident claims we don’t need alternatives—each narrative fell apart under scrutiny, exposing misleading spin and broken promises.
A Crisis of Trust in Democracy
And the logical conclusion? If dictators react to threats with nuclear programs, Australians face relentless lies from politicians. Voting remains—but trust is evaporating. With nearly a third of voters abandoning major parties, one must ask: what comes next when governments betray transparency?
