The $370 billion strategic gamble of AUKUS operates in two dimensions. There’s the real world — one where nuclear submarines are funded, built and maintained; the workforces who do those things are properly resourced; and strategic naval needs are assessed against hard facts. Then there’s the fantasyland inhabited by Anthony Albanese, Richard Marles, the defence establishment and the shills and spivs making a living from spruiking AUKUS. In this fantasyland, it was never acknowledged that the production rate for US Virginia-class attack submarines is far below what it needs to be for America to hand over several second-hand subs, filling the gap while British firm BAE tries and spectacularly fails to build the giant new SSN-AUKUS submarines to a British design between now and 2050.