Tuesday, 10 May 2016

Australia, concentric circles and strategic priorities (Rod Lyon, ASPI The Strategist)

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The issue of setting strategic priorities is one that’s dogged Australian defence white papers since their inception in the mid-1970s. History, culture, strategic commitments and global power balances pull Australian priorities outwards. British settlement of Australia initially tied our fate to that of the British empire; our Western cultural roots made us more comfortable dealing with states and societies founded on similar values; our ties to great and powerful friends encouraged us to paint on a broader canvas; and our distance from key global power balances meant that if we wanted to be a force for good in the world we’d have to be expansive in our strategic priority-setting.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/australia-concentric-circles-and-strategic-priorities/

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