DEUS VULT

The Latin tattoo on Hegseth’s bicep translates to "God Wills It." It was a battle cry for Christians during the First Crusade. This specific tattoo was flagged by fellow National Guard members in 2021 as a potential insider threat due to its adoption by white extremist groups.

When the leadership of the world’s most powerful military begins framing geopolitical strategy as a “holy war” and dismissing international law as “stupid rules,” the risk for a middle power like Australia becomes existential. It seems we are currently tethered to a crusader doctrine that prioritises biblical prophecy over regional stability, a path that threatens to drag us into conflicts that serve a specific theological agenda rather than our own national interest. By remaining limpet-like in our devotion to this alliance, we aren’t just outsourcing our defence; we are importing a brand of radicalisation that contradicts our own commitment to a pluralistic, rule-of-law society.

Distancing ourselves from the Yanks is no longer a matter of anti-American sentiment, but of sovereign survival and social cohesion. As the U.S. moves toward an overt Christian extremism, the shared values often cited by Canberra are rapidly evaporating, replaced by a ‘might makes right’ ethos that ignores the very global institutions Australia relies on for trade and security. To protect our own borders and our domestic harmony, especially in light of our new stupid hate speech laws, Australia must pivot toward a ‘Defence of Australia’ doctrine that prioritises self-reliance and regional partnerships. We cannot afford to be the junior partner in a divinely sanctioned forever war that leaves us economically crippled and socially fractured, all for a mission we never voted for and a theology we don’t even share.