Re: Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran
To Indonesia (which had been informed about the activity of the ‘Bali Nine’ by the Australian Federal Police, knowing they would face the death penalty if arrested in Indonesia and who had themselves been informed by the father of Scott Rush [one of the ‘Bali Nine’], out of concern for his son): If you execute them, the Australian government is considering its options. Political leaders speak up.
Re: Stern Hu
To China: Chinese Ambassador ‘called in’. Mandarin-speaking Rudd angry. Media campaign – ‘Release Stern Hu!’
Re: David Hicks and Mamdouh Habib
To the United States: They’re all yours, master. Do what you want with them. If you’d like us to provide an observer while the torturing is being done, let us know.
Major Michael Mori, of the US military no less, did what no Australian political leader had the courage to do, and represented David Hicks (the ‘token white Taliban’) for years to gain his release from his imprisonment and torture. His career in the military was ruined as a result.
I recall on one occasion when Michael Mori was being interviewed in Australia, he said that he couldn’t understand how this country could abandon one of its own citizens, as it had David Hicks. Mamdouh Habib was similarly abandoned to the ideologues and agents of US capital.
* * *
In response to the treatment of cattle sent from Australia to Indonesia
Total outrage
In response to the deaths by drowning of 353 men, women and children as a result of the sinking of SIEV X, ‘sailing’ from Indonesia to Australia
SIEV X?, what SIEV X?
Senator John Faulkner fought to have investigated the possible complicity of the (yes, you guessed it) Australian Federal Police in sabotaging boats used by refugees in Indonesia to come to Australia.
materialism, mysticism and art 
Australian government’s actions are mostly politically motivated. Truthfulness and integrity do not seem to me play a very big role.
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Hi Yi Ping Wang,
I totally agree. For example, Australia’s involvement in East Timor was not to ‘help’ the East Timorese, it was for the same geopolitical reason Australian troops were put on East Timor in the second world war (the East Timorese were used against the Japanese and then abandoned by the Australians when they left) – East Timor is Australia’s gateway to Asia.
And it was for the economic reason of the resources of Timor Gap – Australia got busy continuing to rape East Timor of its resources (I think of the photo taken in 1989 of the Indonesian and Australian Foreign Ministers – Alatas and Evans – shaking hands in a plane above Timor Gap having just divided up the spoils below) even before it was declared a nation (Paul Cleary’s Shakedown sets this history out). This struggle is continuing, with the Ozzies playing the hardest ball all the way.
The ‘fair go’ is an ideological lie (every nation has them) that Australians should reflect on. Those who believe it are willingly complicit in it. It’s a capitalist ‘go’ in an island nation that fully exploits its wealthy island status, as refugees (many fleeing from turmoil Australia helped create) learn only too well. Phil
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Yes, the ‘fair go’ is indeed a lie in Australia. I see a lot of people in Australia chant ‘fair go’, but act like mobs. 😦 As you know, I am interested in figuring out the workings and origins of this mobbing mentality in Australia. I am very grateful for the information that you have been sharing on your blogs. So far I have traced the ills of Australian culture to the industrial revolution. Thank you. 🙂
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FitzSimons’ series on the SBS which you told me about and which recently ended (‘The Great Australian Race Riot’) looks at this, but from the perspective of capitalist ideology. In my view, Australian culture is still very much a convict culture (shame, servility, cynicism, ‘tall poppy syndrome’, hostility to vision). This is to be expected, so close to the events of the beginning of its white domination. The more people who come to this country to live from non-Anglo backgrounds (and particularly Asian backgrounds, given where Australia is) the better for this country. And thank you for your always thoughtful comments. Phil
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Dear Phil, yes I agree with you that the negative symptoms of the Australian culture are very much what you have described being ‘shame, servility, cynicism, ‘tall poppy syndrome’ and hostility to vision’. My interest is finding out the cause of this mentality. I am not too sure if more people come here from non-Anglo backgrounds will necessarily be better for this country. As a non-Anglo myself, I see most enduring a fate of either being one of them or being ostracised for life, and both ways are painful victimisation to the new-comers. One thing good about having new-comers however is that there may be more fresh-pairs of eyes at least at the beginning of their stay. Last night I watched Australia The Story of Us (episode one) on Prime : https://au.tv.yahoo.com/plus7/australia-the-story-of-us/-/watch/26293579/australia-the-story-of-us-sun-15-feb-season-1-episode-1/ (available for viewing in 28 days). And watching this gave me some new ideas. While I have found the vulgar part of the Australian culture repulsive, last night I realised how crimes exploded in the UK and how British government shipped out the convicts without providing adequate supply for them. I saw how the convicts had to struggle to be self-sufficient and how the rum rebellion happened because the colony was not allowed to use currency. And that led me to look up causal links between the industrial revolution and increased crime rates in Britain (inspired by your take on capitalism). So now the picture is a little clearer for me. I see the leadership in Britain ineffective to care for its subjects, or to control the rapidly deteriorating social equality. I see damaged and oppressed people being given raw deals over and over, and learned to do the same to others. I see a social order that views the people as slaves to be exploited rather than resources to be supported and nurtured. And I see Australia as a troubled teenager from a very dysfunctional family continuing its self-defeating ways learned from the early days of its life. I hope figuring out the cause of the situation can be helpful with its healing. There are so much more that I want to find out, and I am very appreciative of the great amount of information that you have been sharing on your blogs. I really want to spend time reading your understanding on Marxism to start with. Thank you very much for inspiring me with your knowledge and insights. Best wishes Yi Ping Wang
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Hi, Yi Ping Wang, thank you for your (as always) thoughtful comment. I have made it a post. Best regards, Phil
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