On ANZAC day, 28 April 2021, Michael Pezzullo, secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, made an extraordinary speech, urging Australians to brace ourselves, yet again, “for the curse of war” – with China.
Using ANZAC day to make such a speech is deeply problematic, not least because Pezzullo drew a false and misleading analogy between a past war and potential future war.
A future war with China, or with any other great power, will be unlike any conflict we have known; it will be unwinnable, and probably catastrophic.
A few days later, newly-appointed Minister of Defence, Peter Dutton, also indulged in war talk, saying that ‘ordinary Australians’ supported a tougher stance towards China.
It is not rational, and it is not in Australia’s interests, to talk up war. War talk is in itself dangerous – with Australia’s diplomatic capacity at an all-time low, the likelihood of miscalculation is high. War talk is divisive – it creates fear and confusion and makes rational debate near impossible; it affects the daily lives of Asian Australians.
War talk also misrepresents the capacity of the Australian military: we simply cannot militarily confront China, and would likely be unable even to fully defend our own borders.
War talk only serves the interests of those who indulge in it – a cynical exercise in fearmongering in order to divert attention and increase personal and political power – whilst making the world a more dangerous place for the rest of us.
Read MAPW VP Dr Margie Beavis’ response, published in the Canberra Times 20/5/21