Key Points

It is time for a hard-headed cost/benefit analysis of the US Alliance. Any such analysis should include the following questions:

• Does the Alliance create more problems than it solves?

• In the Indo-Pacific Region, do we want a balance between the US and China, or US dominance?

• What intelligence do we get from the US that would still be needed without the Alliance?

The American alliance is an article of faith in Australia because it is said to underpin our security. There have been many reviews and White Papers but perhaps it is time for a hard-headed cost/benefit analysis. Here I consider some of the questions that must be asked.