by James O’Neill*
To the casual observer, Australian foreign policy remains an enigma. For the first 130 years of its existence following British colonisation it remained a loyal colony, sending its young men and women to fight wars for its foreign master. The first such adventure I am aware of was Australia’s contribution to the Crimean War.
Modern day journalists have convenient memory losses about Crimea. The fact that Britain and its Empire fought Russian troops on Russian territory, which Crimea was, is conveniently forgotten. Nowadays, Crimea’s return to Russia following a relatively brief period as part of the Ukraine following Khrushchev’s “gift” to Ukraine in the 1950s is almost completely misrepresented in the mainstream media.
Crimea had a vote on the issue of returning to Russia following the illegal American financed coup in Ukraine in 2014, when a pro-Russian president was evicted from office and forced to flee. The vote in favour of returning to Russia (“returning” is always ignored by the western media), had a very high (>90%) turnout, and a comparably high vote in favour of the resolution to seek reunification with Russia.
When western politicians are asked how come it is that they supported Kosovo’s separation from Serbia by popular vote, but opposed Crimea, the fact of the matter is that they could not provide a rational basis for distinguishing the two situations. The reality of course is that the basis for the opposition is antipathy to all things Russian, regardless of the facts.
Australians fought on behalf of the British in the Boer war. Again, it is almost impossible to find a rational basis for Australia’s involvement in that conflict. Apart from periodic rugby tests against the Springboks (an entirely white rugby team pre-independence) Australia has little involvement with the Republic and even less knowledge of its current politics.
The name Nelson Mandela is widely known, but one will search long and hard for any political support for Mandela during his long incarceration during the apartheid era. There are after all significant similarities between the white political leadership of both countries and the treatment of their black populations, a tiny fraction in Australia’s case but the overwhelmingly oppressed majority in South Africa.
Some glimmers of acting in Australia’s interests was apparent in World War II when Australian troops were withdrawn from fighting Germans and Italians in the Middle East to return home to protect Australia against the suddenly noticeable Japanese threat. Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and China in 1937 did not, it would seem, raise any sense of concern. In December 1941 that all changed with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. American troops were based in Australia as part of the United States war effort against Japan.
They have remained in Australia ever since, although successive Australian governments have been remarkably coy about acknowledging just how many American bases are in Australia. Pine Gap is a rare exception to that general ignorance, although even here the real situation is known to a relatively small group.
Pine Gap is a United States military base with an important role in the US’s spying efforts in this part of the world and a key component of any military attack by the United States on its Asian foes, especially China. One reason for the Australian government coyness about discussing Pine Gap is that in the event of a nuclear war against China and/or Russia, Pine Gap would be a prime nuclear target.
The other uncomfortable truth about Pine Gap is that in 1975 the day before the then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was to announce its closure to the Australian parliament, he was dismissed in a blatant coup by CIA asset John Kerr, the then Governor General.
Whitlam’s other great sin from the United States point of view was his withdrawal of Australian troops from the Vietnam war. That war was a classic illustration of Australia fighting on behalf of a foreign power, in this case the United States, in a colonial war of choice.
Quite apart from the ultimately fruitless Vietnam war, the United States and its allies also attacked Cambodia and Laos, dropping a huge number of bombs that remain a threat to the present day. If any Australian government has apologised for that ongoing atrocity it has escaped me.
Vietnam was far from the last of Australia’s illegal wars. More recent decades have seen the illegal invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, Iraq in 2003 and Syria in 2015. All three are ongoing despite the lack of any legal foundation for their presence, and in the case of Iraq simply ignoring a demand by the Iraqi parliament in January 2020 that all foreign troops should leave the country.
Supplying 93% of the world’s heroin is far too lucrative for the United States to voluntarily leave Afghanistan. On the rare occasions Afghanistan enters the Australian political landscape the public are fed the usual nonsense about Australian troops training Afghanistan forces.
Australia’s role in helping safeguard the opium crop is strictly off limits as a topic of political or mainstream media discussion. There is some unwelcome publicity being given at the moment as a result of the ABC alleging a Victoria Cross decorated Australian soldier committed war crimes.
That is the subject of ongoing litigation so I will not comment further on the alleged facts. What is interesting however, is how tightly the media coverage of the matter is confined. Why is it issues relating to the now 19+ year invasion and occupation are carefully avoided, not even managing regular Parliamentary scrutiny?
An identical reticence surrounds the ongoing occupation of Iraq, 17 years ago and still continuing. Iraq is always worth bearing in mind next time you hear an Australian politician (as they frequently do) explaining the virtues of the “rules based international order.”
It is one of the more enduring of Australia’s multiple international hypocrisies. No politician is able to explain how they reconcile Australia’s military presence in Iraq with (a) the illegal nature of the original invasion; and (b) the clearly expressed vote of the Iraqi parliament in January 2020 that all unwanted (i.e. Australian and United States) foreign troops should leave. After waiting for their cue from the Americans, the Australian government simply ignored the Iraqi’s demands.
It may be too much to hope for, but the current coronavirus panic may force some related changes to Australia’s foreign policy. The Australian Prime Minister duly carried out his assigned role as mouthpiece for the Americans by unsubtly suggesting an inquiry into the “Chinese virus” as Donald Trump unwisely and inaccurately described it.
The Chinese, to put it mildly, were not pleased. They had thought, perhaps unwisely, that being Australia’s biggest foreign market (35+%) and largest source of foreign tourists, largest source of foreign students, and third largest source of foreign investment might at least have earned a measure of politeness and respect.
It was not to be. Chinese patience has finally run out. It is doubtful the students and tourists will return, and certainly not in the same numbers. Australian exports to China are being subject to increasing restrictions. The loss of even a significant proportion of that trade will have devastating effects, the bluster and fantasy pronouncements of the politicians and their (mainly) Murdoch press apologists notwithstanding.
So desperate has the Australian government become in reality that the Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne rang her Russian counterpart on Wednesday, 20 May. The fact of the telephone call and information about its content can be read in the Russian media. The Australian media, protestations as to being a free press notwithstanding, have failed to report the phone call or discuss its implications. Payne’s own Foreign Affairs department has refused to comment.
If the Australian government think that they can really repair the years of lying about, and badmouthing of, Russia, they are delusional. The reality is that Australia faces some brutal consequences of its foreign policy stances. Their years of sickening obeisance to American fantasies about being the world’s dominant power are chickens that are now coming home to roost.
Frankly, I doubt that they have the wit, the wisdom or the courage to charter a fresh course where Australia’s national interests are the paramount consideration. I hope I am wrong. Time will tell.
*Barrister at Law and geopolitical analyst. He may be contacted at joneill@qldbar.asn.au
reply to some quibbles from the usual suspects :
The reason Obama backed out of Syria is because the Russians sent a battleship down there and parked it off the coast. I remember well the media tracked this thing through the Baltic Sea and English Channel, they knew where it was going. Obama and Hillary then went and did Libya instead (to wreck Gaddafi’s Pan-Africa Federation thing). Much later Trump had a private meeting with Putin who speaks good English of course and next thing you know Trump gives Golan Heights to Israel and the Russians take over in Syria and start squabbling with the Turks. That was Trump doing a deal.
It’s very plain to see Russia wants Turkey in the pincers, they need to keep the Black Sea open (ice free port). Israel wants South Lebanon for water security (source Paul Craig Roberts). The US was sending all sorts of mercenaries in, that’s all about replacing Assad and putting in oil pipelines from Qatar to the Mediterranean.
Now the Russians are doing a pipeline under the Baltic sea so hopefully this will all give a push to electric car demand in the US.
Richard , hands down I would prefer alliance with the U.S ( as it was under JFK in the early 60’s) Vs his contemporary Mao in that same era .
But, the CCP of today , for all it’s numerous shortcomings , is NOT the CCP of 60 years ago.
Meanwhile the U.S , especially post 9/11 , has degenerated (at an accelerated rate ) into an authoritarian , surveillance police state that has committed off-the-charts-heinous human rights abuses & war crimes .
Today it is no contest . China under the CCP is the lesser of two evils for Australia ( even more so when factoring in the benefits from trade with China ) .
Truth – your comment exposes your own thinking as being, either very naive and unwilling to believe all the evidence for why Communist China is now even worse than Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union combined as to human rights abuses, or you willingly accept the Globalist/Deep State agenda.
If there is another reason for your comment that I have not covered, then I would like to read it?
The main difference between deep state and CCP is that deep state had a head start on globalist stuff, that’s why they seem worse. But some sources say Mao killed 300 million, before that Chang Ki Shek killed lots of commies. More recently the Rohingas were “moved on” it would appear as part of the one road one lane program to go through Burma to the harbour there. Philippines had their islands stolen and muslims and others got reprogrammed by torture and various means. “virus people” put in mass graves. Hong Kong 2 systems had 27 years to run.
Why would you bother to defend it, they don’t have a proper constitution, that’s the biggest difference. So many people either side are brainwashed.
We don’t have to worry about continued royalties from Rio Tinto, that’s a Rotschild company, nothing to do with Australia.
Wheat beef whatever can go on the international market, who cares. If we stop importing most of their plastic novelties it will be a good thing. China – so what. Overrated, excitable, tyrannical, yes haven’t heard that word in a while.
Okay. Well here’s another quote question – for 20 points, who said:
“May your chains sit lightly upon you…”
OK Ned , heard the bit about the 4 kids that Dave has & will be adding that to my file on him .
I’ve made an issue out of knowing Dave’s history because , as I think you’ll concur , he’s doing much more than just reading a teleprompter .
He’s making his own narrative & broadcasting his own interpretations so I’d feel a lot more at ease if I knew he didn’t have a shady past .
Truth – if what you write concerning what the X22 Report puts out, then why have i not read any comment from you regarding the treasonous Australian Broadcasting Corporation?
You seem to be very selective in who you promote and those you choose to not mention?
Ned , I recall G5 mentioning , in one of his articles , that he didn’t see scorch marks on the Apollo 11 capsule that was placed on deck – which further erodes the credibility of the official story .
Meanwhile , in relation to Judge Sullivan , I confess to know nothing about him so I defer to others who do to determine if he’s an honest broker or not .
Truth – I would suggest you look up how the heat shields on those capsules were designed to deflect any adverse, entry into the atmosphere heating, that could have caused serous damage to the exterior integrity of the capsule and to those inside.
The lengths the scientists at that time went to in keeping their ‘people’ safe will open your eyes – hopefully!
And on judge Sullivan, he is an Obama holdover, and is denying justice for General Michael Flynn.
He will eventually find himself in jail because of his Deep State alliances.
Nemesis , I stopped watching the ABC a long time ago because they’d long since abandoned proper investigative journalism .
So, whatever adjective you choose to describe them, be it treasonous , parasitic or just plain irrelevant , is fine with me – I’ll not be defending them anytime soon .
As for listening to ABC radio , if Jon Faine is anything to go by & indicative of the calibre of people they’re employing , then taxpayer funding in its entirety should be withdrawn at once .
Truth – thank you.
Ah yes, Our billion dollar a year ABC! (PLUS INTEREST)
Which reminds me.
Where is our fiend friend Faine these days? We Know where his mate Frydenberg is.
From October 2010:
Nowadays here who does Faine remind me of?
Followed the next day by Friend Frydenberg and A PRIME MINISTER.
Then people wonder why we have been at war for nearly 21 years and billions in debt. We are run by ‘idiots’……….…. being most kind!
G.F.F , ( Gillard , Faine & Frydenberg ) , aka Great Fiends Forever – a wretched triumvirate indeed.
Dee / Mary ( or anyone ) , I’d really love to have an update on Kevin Bracken . Can you or anyone close contact him & perhaps persuade him to write an article giving us an update on what he’s been up to since he went public with his courageous stance .
I do wish Kevin well .
I have sent Kevin the link to your request.
Thanks Ned.
I’d really like to hear from this champion of courage .
The quintessential Aussie who stands up for what is right & won’t take a backward step .