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aligned with malignant empires.....

Australia has always been aligned with military empires: first the British Empire and now that of the USA. In the current era this alignment is misguided. It comes with enormous social and economic costs and does not protect us from current threats – indeed it makes us more of a target. There are alternatives, and we can work together towards them.

 

We can resist the US military empire that threatens us all    By Christopher Walker

 

This was the subject of a conference hosted by Raising Peace in conjunction with World Beyond War on 21 September 2024 in Sydney and summarised here. The theme was “NoWar2024: Resisting the USA’s Military Empire” and was part of an international peace conference, with sessions in Germany, Colombia and the USA.

Australia has long been willing to pay a high price for its alignment with foreign empires. The atomic bomb tests in South Australia were carried out by the British military empire. At the conference we heard about their impact on First Nations people and the land. The Indigenous owners of the area were not considered, not consulted, and experienced the atomic tests as ‘bright light then a black mist’. Panelist Karina Lester described how her father and others were blinded and their health impacted. Their land was polluted with radioactive craters. Indigenous people have a well-founded opposition to nuclear waste sites in their country.

The AUKUS agreement is the most recent example which aligns Australia even more closely with the USA’s military empire. Australia has become more militarised and has given over much of our sovereignty. At huge expense, we are purchasing nuclear submarines, building a port near Fremantle to cater for US nuclear submarines and allowing the expansion of US military bases. At Pine Gap additional satellite dishes have been erected in order to increase its capacity for surveillance and spying. The Tindal airstrip south of Darwin is being extended to enable B-52 bombers with nuclear bomb capacity to land. Other air strips are being developed as alternative sites should a war with China erupt. Dr Albert Palazzo described how our alliance makes our cities, ports and airports potential targets.

Australians are not told about these developments, about the movement of nuclear material within Australia or what takes place in Pine Gap.

We are willingly being absorbed into the weapons industry led by the US, with no control over how and where our contribution is used.

The military are also infiltrating our education system from primary to tertiary education. Dr Sue Wareham detailed how weapons companies ensure students are repeatedly exposed to their brand names, providing materials, sponsorships and camps. They entice the best students into their industry, and thus away from areas such as health and the environment, presenting it as glamorous and fun. Teachers and others are opposing this militarisation of education, arguing that weapons companies, like those selling alcohol, tobacco or gambling, are not suitable education partners. There is debate at present in regard to universities receiving funding from the military.

The Australian media and governments do not question the Australia-USA military alliance. Peter Cronau and Bob Carr described how our national fear and felt need for a protector result in the conventional wisdom always to go along with the USA’s military empire. We are a loyal and trustworthy ally. We defer to US policy. We do not question the military effect on the environment, on our economy, or our people.

How do we build a different future?

There are things we can do. We can nurture the idea of détente rather than military posturing. We can be willing to build relations with other nations, including China, and caution the USA and its military enterprise and empire. We can get more information about the USA’s bases in Australia and be ready to just say no to them. We can challenge weapons companies in their involvement in our education system. Indigenous voices, with their experience of two layers of colonisation and empire, should be heard by our leaders.

We should exercise our sovereignty as an independent nation rather than feel we need a big brother to protect us. We can become less fearful of the outsider and insecure, and no longer give uncritical support to the USA’s military empire. Instead, we could become neutral and non-aligned. We should broaden our national security policy so that it is not only a matter of the military. We can foster more cultural awareness and look to diplomacy and non-violent means to resolve conflicts. As Ray Minniecon and others observed, we can be secure without first resort to military solutions.

We can get comfortable with our own nationality, acknowledging the truth about our past and present, and looking to where we want to go and be in the future. We could become a republic, overcome our fear and embrace what it means to be neutral. White Australia needs to become more uncomfortable with its actions in order to change for the better.

As activists, we need more than a communications strategy. We need to understand what our objectives are, who we are targeting and how to get there. Lilli Barto gave a compelling case for the importance of direct action to achieve change, with simple guiding principles: do no harm to other living things and respect the actions of other activists. We can be open to more ways of direct action and having an influence.

Raising Peace runs a festival of talks each year around the International Day of Peace, of which the NoWar2024 conference was one part. Many of our other sessions this year explored the importance of a peace oriented mindset. It is clear that resolving conflict peacefully will be better achieved by people who understand that peace is not an abstract idea: it is achievable through different ways of thinking, courage and hard work.

History does have surprises. Change can come about suddenly. There is hope.

Panellists included First Nations representatives Karina Lester and Ray Minniecon, former Foreign Minister Bob Carr, journalist Peter Cronau, Dr Sue Wareham from the Medical Association for the Prevention of War, Lilli Barto from Wage Peace and defence analyst Dr Albert Palazzo. Dr Keith Suter and Melanie Morrison of the Sydney Peace Foundation were the MCs .

https://johnmenadue.com/we-can-resist-the-us-military-empire-that-threatens-us-all/

 

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

the grayzone's....

The Grayzone's Jeremy Loffredo visits highly sensitive Israeli military and intelligence sites hit by Iranian missiles, from the Nevatim Airbase in the Negev to the Mossad HQ in Tel Aviv, and documents the state's attempts to cover up the damage it suffered.

Loffredo also encounters non-Jewish citizens of Israel denied bomb shelter access, and clear evidence that Israel's own citizens have been transformed into human shields.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu0zptW49eM

 

On the ground investigating Iran's strikes on Israel

 

Israel

18 January 2024

Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Thank you very much for coming to this press conference. I said at the outset, when I was preparing to leave Australia, that I would be seeking to add Australia's voice to the effort to find a pathway to peace. And that is what we have done. That is what I have done. And I want to, at the outset, make a few observations about that. The first is that it is really clear, speaking to people, to civilians, to Israelis, to families of the hostages, to Palestinians, it is really clear just how heavily this conflict weighs on the peoples of this region. As I said at Yad Vashem, one of the things that is a takeout for me is the importance of us all remembering our common humanity. This is a region, this is a conflict which is complex and difficult. But actually, ultimately, Israelis and Palestinians want very similar things. They all want peace, security and dignity, and the ability to live their lives in peace, in security and dignity. The cause of peace is challenging, but it's one that we must strive for. And Australia does have an interest in a just and enduring peace, and we all have an obligation to deal with that challenge in its entirety, rather than simple binaries.

As you know, I've engaged with officials in Israel and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. I have had the opportunity and the privilege of speaking with the families of hostages still held. I've had the privilege of visiting Yad Vashem. I've engaged with the Chair of the Foreign and Defence Committee in the Knesset. I've engaged today with representatives of communities affected by settler violence, as well as here in Israel, the Foreign Minister of Israel and the President of Israel, the National Security Adviser, and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the Foreign Minister and Prime Minister and I will be meeting with the Commissioner of UNRWA tomorrow. A great many issues have been discussed. They include, obviously, the October 7 attacks and I have repeated Australia's condemnation of those attacks. We have called for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages. We have spoken about a pathway to peace. We have spoken about the importance of a humanitarian ceasefire, which obviously cannot be one-sided, and that we want to see steps towards a sustainable ceasefire.

I've spoken about Australians' concerns. Australia is a friend of Israel's. We are also a friend of the Palestinian people. Australians are increasingly concerned about the civilian toll and are increasingly concerned about the urgent need for humanitarian access. I've spoken about the risk of regional escalation and we have spoken about settler violence. These and many other issues have informed my discussions. I appreciate the courtesy which has been shown to me by the people and Government of Israel and by the Palestinian communities and the Palestinian Authority. And I'm happy to take your questions.

Journalist: At the beginning of the meeting with the Prime Minister, he said that he was calling out for an end to the occupation. How does the occupation end when there are still settlers living in the West Bank? Did you discuss that with Israel?

Foreign Minister: Look, we have a very clear view about settlements. We have said, as a government, we believe settlements are contrary to international law. We have also consistently said that they are an impediment to peace. If there is one thing I would emphasise, it is clear from the conflict that the path to peace demands a just and enduring two-state solution. It demands the recognition of Palestinians' aspirations for statehood and it demands security for Israelis. And we don't believe, as the Australian Government, we've made that clear, that settlements are consistent with that pathway to a two-state solution.

Journalist: Minister, you called on Hamas to lay down their arms, but just hours before you arrived, they were firing a barrage of rockets into Israel. Is it your view, in calling for a ceasefire, that peace can be achieved through diplomatic negotiations with a terror organisation?

Foreign Minister: We believe that Hamas has no place in the future governance of Gaza. We believe that Hamas is a terrorist organisation which have engaged in atrocities and terrorist acts. That is clear.

Journalist: Can I just ask a follow-on question to that than perhaps? You've said also that Israelis and Palestinians want the same thing and that is peace –

Foreign Minister: I think peace, security and dignity. I think that was what I said, because I think it is important to recognise that for Israelis and you've been here, October 7 was a deeply horrific and traumatising event, and peace and security go hand in hand.

Journalist: I think, from the Israeli perspective, as rockets are still being fired across the border, how do you get that message through to Hamas to lay down their arms? Is that through diplomatic discussions?

Foreign Minister: Well, look, ultimately there needs to be, what we have been pressing for is humanitarian access. We have been urging the protection of civilian lives and we have been urging, as have many others, including the United States, a political horizon, that is a pathway towards a political process in which the aspiration for statehood can be resolved. Hamas has no place in that. Palestinian people have a place in that. And that is what we need to focus on.

Journalist: From your discussions today, would it be your expectation that the Palestinian Authority would be the authority to go into Gaza on the day after?

Foreign Minister: Well, that's ultimately a matter for the Palestinian people and the parties to this. Obviously, that's a discussion that is occurring, including internationally and including with the United States. But what we do know is that Hamas can, given who they are and what they believe, and they are an organisation dedicated to the destruction of the state of Israel and to the destruction of the Jewish people, so they can have no place in a process for peace.

Journalist: In Jordan you said that you had grave concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. What discussions did you have with Israeli power brokers about how deep your concerns run, and what did they say to you about how they are going to address that because there are kids that literally are dying right now with malnutrition and dehydration?

Foreign Minister: I didn't just express my concerns. What I have consistently said is, what I have consistently sought to do is express the concerns that Australians have. That Australians are concerned with the loss of civilian life, which is mounting, Australians are concerned with the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which is dire, and that we want to see civilians protected and we want to see humanitarian access and we encourage the increase in humanitarian assistance going in. And, as you know, we've also provided additional assistance to UNRWA as a result. Yoni, did you have anything you wanted to ask?

Journalist: Yes. You've spoken previously of Israel's right to defend itself, and you say Hamas has no place in any future governance of Gaza. Could your calls for a ceasefire in Gaza mean you are no longer supportive of Israel's war against Hamas. And if so, were you ever supportive of Israel's war against Hamas?

Foreign Minister: Oh, really? I don't agree with the premise of any of those, I don't agree with how you have framed that question. We have been consistent in Israel having a right to self-defence. What we have also said is how it conducts itself in the pressing of that right, in the exercise of that right matters. And that has been my position from day one, that Israel does have a right to defend itself. It has a right to security, how it exercises that, matters. That is why we have international humanitarian law. That is why we have international obligations and norms around the protection of civilians, around proportionality, around distinction, and we have been very clear about that. So, I said at the outset, this is not about simple binaries. And your question seems to suggest that if we advocate for the application of international law, that somehow, we are not supportive of Israel's right to defend itself. I disagree.

Journalist: Are you saying that Israel is breaking international law?

Foreign Minister: No, I am simply saying we are a democracy. This is about who we are. And I spoke about this with our Israeli friends. We are a democracy. So, too is Israel. And we hold ourselves to higher standards because of who we are.

Journalist: My name is Ittay Flescher. I'm a Jewish-Australian from Plus61J media.

Foreign Minister: Hello, how are you?

Journalist: So, wonderful to see you here at this time, I know today you visited Yad Vashem. And for many Israelis, October 7 brought back many memories of the Holocaust. And I know you also visited Ramallah today. And for many Palestinians, the experience of what's happened in Gaza has brought back memories of the Nakba, the displacement and the loss of life. And I also know this war has torn apart many Jewish and Muslim communities that maybe once had relations before the war that have really broken down. And you've seen that sort of firsthand today from the places you've visited. I wanted to ask, what can Australia do to promote social cohesion? Maybe here, but even more so in Australia, between different communities that have been so heartbroken by this war?

Foreign Minister: Well, can I talk about here first? And I should come to this with some humility, because I'm an Australian politician and I don't have an answer for the Middle East. I can advocate our views, but I did meet today with an organisation called EcoPeace. And I asked them. As you know, they work in Jordan, in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and also in Israel, and they have Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian staff, and they have been very successful in the work that they do, particularly in relation to water security. And I asked them, how is it you have been able to keep bridging the distance between those communities? And it was ultimately, I think, I don't want to speak for them, and I'm sure they could speak to you, but it was ultimately about shared objectives. There is history and pain and anger in so many parts of the Middle East. What my message is actually, ultimately, Palestinians and Israelis want peace, security and dignity. And what this shows us is we do have to deal with a pathway to a Palestinian state as part of that. You asked about Australia. I think what I would say is one of the great wisdoms of Australia and why our multiculturalism has been successful is we have understood that we might have differences of opinion, but we deal with them respectfully and inclusively, and I hope that we can hold on to that. I know that this is a conflict that is so distressing for so many Australians, but we must hold on to that. We treat each other with respect.

Journalist: There are a significant number of Australian-Israelis who are fighting inside Gaza at the moment. Has the government sought any advice, legal advice, about the legalities of them fighting there if Israel has breached any international humanitarian law?

Foreign Minister: No. Anything else?

Journalist: Can I just ask a quick question about Iran?

Foreign Minister: Sure.

Journalist: Of all the theatres of war that we're seeing playing out right now, including aggression in the Red Sea, in light of, there is one thing in common and that is Iran's influence, in light of the sustained attacks that we've seen on ships, clearly an attempt to disrupt the global supply chain, including ships that come and go from Australia, does that in any way change Australia's position on sending a warship to support coalition efforts in the region?

Foreign Minister: Well, I think the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister have spoken about this, and obviously, Australia is in the process of providing additional personnel. You're right, Iran has long played a destabilising role in this region. And when you come here, I think that is a much more greater part of the conversation because of the experience of this region than in Australia, but it has long played a destabilising role. Obviously, decisions as to the allocation of assets are made on the basis of advice and the priorities that Australia has in terms of our region. But this, we are very clear in our support for the actions of our friends and allies, and we will continue to do so.

Journalist: Just quickly, the funding announcement yesterday. The Australian Government pledged several million dollars to the UNRWA agency but we've seen evidence of UNRWA buildings and material being misused by Hamas in Gaza. Your former Labor colleague David Feeney has criticised this provision of funding and says investing in UNRWA is investing in hatred. What confidence do you have in UNRWA and what confidence do you have that Australian funding will not be misused?

Foreign Minister: Well, look, two things I would say is, one is we want services to be provided, we want health services to be provided, we want children to be educated. And UNRWA is the only entity which is able to do that for Palestinians and that is why we support them. You are right that we should ensure that our funds are used appropriately. We make that a priority. And in terms of the engagement of others, this is an issue I raised with the Palestinian Authority, I expressed my continued expectation about those funds being used appropriately. I expressed to them that it was extremely important, given the focus on this, that any funds Australia provides are used appropriately for the provision of the services that we are seeking to fund. And we wanted to make sure that there was appropriate transparency around that and work with them to ensure that that is the case. Last question.

Journalist: The Chinese Ambassador has blamed Japan for the sonar blast that injured Australian navy divers. Is he, in your opinion, trying to stoke divisions between us and our ally?

Foreign Minister: The Chinese Ambassador advocates for his country. That's his job. What I would say about that incident is we stand by the assessments of the ADF and the representations we made. Thank you very much.

 

https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/transcript/press-conference-jerusalem-israel#

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.