State Legitimacy for the existance of the Military

I made the comment on catallaxy files that bad governance and military intrusion was endemic enough in the South Pacific that there may be value in Australia or New Zealand extending its institutions for the purpose of stabilising some of those nations. However I don't think it would be of value unless the island nations military came under the central command of the ADF. This would require a short-term transition of the ADF to a multi-ethnic regional force.

One of the reasons why this approach may have merit is because of the ADF's commitment to civil legitimacy. This is in direct contrast to recent events in Fiji and Thailand - not to mention the reminder with Pinochet's death of what happens to political freedom and civil liberties under military juntas.

The RAAF's Fundamentals of Australian Aerospace Power contains:

It must be stressed here - yet again - that armed forces are the only institutions within a state that have the authority to employ lethal force in defence against foreign attack. Thus the Australian Defence Force is the only Australian organisation that has the authority to employ lethal violence in defence of Australia, and that authority must come from the Federal Government. Unless we have the authority of the state we are just criminals, what the American philosopher Micael Walzer calls 'willfil wrongdoers' rather than loyal and obedient subjects defending what we believe to be right at great personal risk. Without the state we have no legitimacy and all of our acts are illegal.

I tend to believe militia has a role, but it must come under state, rather than federal, regulation. The sentiment is the same, unless there is a commitment to civil rule the military becomes a criminal entity and illegal one. One of the greatest attributes and traditions of the Australia military in the 20thC is that commitment.

Permalink, State Legitimacy for the existance of the Military, Dec 2006, cam
Alan: nope: No Pacific government is going to give the ADF permanent, temporary, transitional or even momentary command of their armed forces. The Australian government has no greater ability than any other government to see past its nose when it comes to foreign and security policy.

What Pacific government would want a rerun of RAMSI, where Australia ended up picking winners among the local elite and promoting its own candidate for prime minister? What Pacific government would want to rerun Tonga, where Australia and New Zealand rushed in troops to protect a constitutional order Louis XVI would have found congenial? What Pacific government would want to rerun Enhanced Co-operation, with Australian officials implanted in PNG\'s bureaucracy?

The Howard government actually required Nauru to amend their constitution to allow implanted officials. The Howard government tried to get PNG to amend its bill of rights to immunise Australian implanted officials against local law.

Australia is the only Pacific nation without a bill of rights and with a government that seems to subordinate everything to the immediate and temporary whims of an unchecked executive. It is not what we have to offer them, it is more a matter of what they have to offer us.

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