This book investigates how the pursuit of security has paradoxically created insecurity and suffering, both domestically and internationally. Anthony Burke, a professor of politics and international relations, examines Australia's foreign policy and national life from its colonial beginnings to contemporary crises like 9/11 and the Iraq War. He argues that the nation's perceived security has consistently been achieved at the expense of others, highlighting instances from the Great War and Vietnam to the treatment of asylum seekers. The book proposes a new, cosmopolitan framework for national existence that prioritizes non-coercive responsibility.

This celebrated book has been recognized for its critical examination of Australia's security policies and their human cost. The author's argument that national security has often been built upon the suffering of others is a central theme that resonates throughout the analysis. The work is noted for its historical sweep, connecting contemporary issues to Australia's colonial past. It offers a thought-provoking alternative vision for national existence, advocating for a more cosmopolitan and less coercive approach to international relations.