The recent military operation ordered by former US President Donald Trump against Venezuela, resulting in the abduction and detention of its president, represents more than a regional power play. According to security analyst Allan Behm, it marks the catastrophic destruction of the established rules governing international behaviour.
A Global Licence for Lawlessness
Trump's tactical success in Venezuela has come at a massive price for the international community. The act has effectively licensed other major powers, notably Russia and China, to pursue similar aggressive tactics in their own spheres of influence. Russia has already demonstrated this propensity, and China may now feel tempted to follow suit, particularly regarding Taiwan.
This new precedent compounds existing global uncertainties. In Europe, Trump administration threats to annex Greenland have severely rattled NATO allies. In Asia, the US "pivot to Asia" is a distant memory, eroding confidence among friends from Japan and South Korea to the ASEAN nations and Australia itself.
Australia's Latent Power and Proven Diplomacy
The critical question posed is what can be done. The answer, Behm argues, is that Australia can do quite a lot. Often overlooked, Australia wields considerable national power, ranked 14th globally with an economy comparable to Russia's. Yet its leaders rarely speak or act with the agency this strength affords.
Historically, however, Australia has been a formidable force for constructive internationalism. The Chifley government, through Dr H.V. Evatt, played a central role in negotiating the UN Charter after the Second World War. Later, Percy Spender secured the ANZUS Treaty and established the Colombo Plan.
This tradition of "good international citizenship" continued under Prime Ministers Fraser, Hawke, and Keating. In 1986, Australia instigated the formation of the Cairns Group, a coalition of 20 agricultural trading nations that endures today. It helped shape the G20 in response to the Asian financial crisis.
A Call to Saddle Up Once More
In security matters, Australia's agency has been crucial. It helped create and lead the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (1991-93), the UN's largest peacekeeping operation since the 1960s. It played a major role in East Timor and was instrumental in restoring peace to Bougainville and the Solomon Islands.
Behm contends that invoking Thucydides – that "the strong do what they can and the weak endure what they must" – is not good enough. The architects of the UN system understood that the strong benefit from rules-based order as much as the weak. Australia's interests still align with America's in upholding this system.
The path forward is not about walking away from the US but about furthering a common interest in constructive internationalism. Australia must use its considerable power and diplomatic heritage to help re-establish the legal foundations of global peace, prosperity, and security. As Behm concludes, with the world going pear-shaped once more, it is time for Australia to saddle up again.
