America’s Oligarchy is Australia’s Dilemma

Australia’s once-stable alliance with the U.S. has become a high-stakes game of risk management as America slides further into oligarchy. The rise of corporate dominance over politics, fueled by Milton Friedman’s shareholder primacy doctrine, has transformed U.S. governance into a system that serves billionaires over citizens. For Australia, this shift means an end to the “good ol’ days” of shared democratic values. Instead, Australian leaders must navigate an unpredictable superpower where economic coercion and political backchannels dictate foreign policy. Whether it’s tech regulations, defence contracts, or trade agreements, Australia is now constantly looking over its shoulder—balancing national sovereignty with the realities of American corporate and political influence. The question is no longer whether Australia can say no to America, but whether it can afford to. The alliance remains—but at what cost? Read the Medium article.About the Author - Greg Twemlow writes and teaches at the intersection of technology, education, and human judgment. He works with educators and businesses to make AI explainable and assessable in classrooms and boardrooms — to ensure AI users show their process and own their decisions. His cognition protocol, the Context & Critique Rule™, is built on a three-step process: Evidence → Cognition → Discernment — a bridge from what’s scattered to what’s chosen. Context & Critique → Accountable AI™. © 2025 Greg Twemlow. “Context & Critique → Accountable AI” and “Context & Critique Rule” are unregistered trademarks (™).