A Public Service Message for those Labor supporters still unaware that Labor enabled AUKUS

Labor’s supporters are having a hard time of it justifying AUKUS. They knew it was a Morrison initiative and therefore toxic. Yet Labor snapped it up like a famished stray dog. So they decided it must be a brilliant pre-election ploy that would all come to nothing. Obviously, they were wrong.

Let’s debunk the ‘it’s all Morrison’s fault’ and ‘Labor were wedged’ apologism we’ve been hearing from the Labor die-hards about the AUKUS equation right now.

“In his most wide-ranging interview on foreign affairs and national security, Albanese, fresh from a fortnight’s scolding from the government for allegedly being soft on China, explains to Inquirer: “I don’t think it’s much understood that a precondition of American support was that there be bipartisan support for it in Australia. Without Labor’s support, it wouldn’t have happened.”

In the past the idea of nuclear-powered submarines was widely discussed in Liberal and Nationals circles. But one obstacle always was the idea that Labor would oppose it. Modern strategic threats, and Albanese’s leadership of Labor, changed that.

To effect that historic change, Albanese moved fast but followed proper Labor Party process: “We were briefed on the Wednesday by the (security) agencies and the Defence Department. As an example of our good faith on national security issues, I didn’t speak to any journalist about it but the Prime Minister’s office briefed out the fact of our meeting.”

Present at that critical first briefing were Albanese, his deputy Richard Marles, opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong and defence shadow Brendan O’Connor.

“I was convinced by our capacity needs, that these could be filled by nuclear propulsion rather than by conventional subs. I was convinced it was necessary. It was the right call based on our changing strategic needs,” Albanese says.

“We had a number of preconditions: that it not breach the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and that it not lead to a domestic nuclear industry. We came to a preliminary view quickly and called a shadow cabinet meeting for very early the next morning. Then we called a full caucus meeting (this is disputed by Aaron Patrick¹) and by 11.30 we had gone through our processes.”

On a range of issues including the South China Sea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tibet and the treatment of the Uighur minority, Albanese says Labor would implement exactly the same policies as the Morrison government today. – The Albanese doctrine: ‘Don’t play politics with security’ – Greg Sheridan – The Australian

The hard core of Labor supporters is left in the unenviable position of either continuing to falsely blame the LNP (tacitly admitting AUKUS is a disaster) or supporting AUKUS – cos Labor. Thankfully, a growing number of grassroots Labor members, the public…

…and at least one Labor MP (Josh Wilson, the MP for Fremantle) are saying WTF!

 

 

“The AUKUS agreement – arrived at with some characteristically questionable secrecy by the former government, and some strange ministerial arrangements – is not a sports team of which we have all suddenly become life members,” Mr Wilson said.

“It will only be effective if we do our job as parliamentarians, which is to look closely and ask questions in order to guard against risk.”

 

Former Labor heavies enter the fray

Dingo News has been amplifying Paul Keating’s “reservations” about AUKUS from inception. (And yes, fully aware of his neoliberal antecedents.)

 

Tweet 1 “Rules-based” – ‘Dummies’: Paul Keating takes aim at foreign policy fundamentals – James Robertson – New Daily
Tweet 2 Rudd and Abbott – Australia to be left ‘strategically naked’ for 20 years under nuclear submarine deal, Rudd says – Stephanie Dalzell – ABC
Tweet 3 “Che Guevara” – ‘Throwing toothpicks at the mountain’: Paul Keating says Aukus submarines plan will have no impact on China – Daniel Hurst – The Guardian

 

I will admit that amplifying Gareth Evans is even more distasteful² but the cause comes first.

Evans – “The big three for me are whether, for all the hype, the submarines we are buying are really fit for purpose; whether an Australian flag on them really means we retain full sovereign agency in their use; and if it does not, whether that loss of agency is a price worth paying for the US security insurance we think we might be buying.

 

We need to remind ourselves more often that both the UK and Canada sat out the Vietnam war without alliance rupture

 

The core issue is how comfortable we should be in so obviously shifting the whole decades-long focus of our defence posture away from the defence of Australia – which has always included a strong presence in our archipelagic north and, within a very considerable radius, the sea-lanes so crucial to our trade – toward a posture of distant forward defence. The case must be made, not just asserted.” – The three big questions Australia’s leaders must answer about the Aukus deal – Gareth Evans – The Guardian

Bob Carr has weighed in too…

Among those in attendance (Marrickville Town Hall) was Bob Carr, a former NSW premier and Labor foreign minister, who said the tone of national foreign policy debate had shifted suddenly about five years ago. He said there was an alternative to AUKUS and the increased potential for “sleepwalking into a ruinous and horrific war” in which one defence source told him Australia would get “licked”. “The biggest factor driving China panic is Australian security agencies who believe their counterparts in the US are disappointed that Australia might not go all the way with the USA,” he said. – Albanese keeps debate in check, but two ALP heavyweights deliver brutal AUKUS verdicts – James Robertson – New Daily

Bob Carr also spoke up about an investigation into the French submarine fiasco. Apparently, Labor has decided we’re just going to let this $5.5 billion loss pass – unexamined and unaccountable.

 

Carr: “Five minutes ago Canberra was fiercely unanimous that nuclear subs would not deliver stronger defence. So we are certain they’ve got it right this time?”

 

Paul Keating has launched an extraordinary attack on the country’s tops spies, branding them “nutters” who had gone “berko” over the threat from China

 

Let’s enlarge on Keating’s ridicule of a “rules-based” international order

We’re even spouting the same delusional propaganda as the Yanks now

 

Countercurrents.org have addressed this obscenely inaccurate Australia/USA propaganda.

“Under the Australian Labor Government  Australia remains a craven ally of the US, and second only to the US as a supporter of Apartheid Israel and hence the vile crime of Apartheid.

Since the fall of Singapore in February 1942, White Australia has been fervently allied with America. Since the UK- and US-complicit Coup that removed the democratically elected and reformist Whitlam Labor Government on 11 November 1975. [41 – 42]

The sine qua non of Australian politics accepted by both the Coalition and Labor has been a craven and morally blind “all the way with the USA” regardless of the frequent  and deadly US atrocities.

The serial invader, serial war criminal and genocidally racist US has invaded 72 countries (52 since WW2, [43 – 45] has indulged in 469 invasions of other countries since 1778 [46– 47] has committed 251 invasions since 1991 [46, 47] has over 800 military bases in over 70 countries (China has only 1) [48] and subverts all countries. [45]

The SEP don’t hold back either. “As an imperialist power, Australia has laid waste to the Pacific, subjugating its people and enforcing their poverty, for the best part of a century.

This included its colonial rule in Papua New Guinea, and more recently, military occupations in East Timor and the Solomon Islands.

The Labor government and the ruling elite for which it speaks is currently bullying the various Pacific states to align with the US war drive against China, while also aggressively pushing the interests of the Australian gas and oil corporations.”

How any Labor supporter can ignore this sycophantic hypocrisy knowing American wars have resulted in so many civilian deaths and the wanton destruction of entire countries is beyond the ken of this gentle scribe. These are the people monsters we want to ally with?

 

Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? (Labor)

Talk to Labor voters and other Australian commentators about the Albanese Labor party’s capitulation to US interests and they’ll tell you Labor has no choice but to go along with the USA’s unipolar objectives else they’ll be deposed in the same manner as Gough Whitlam’s Labor government.

It’s an amazing and scary admission on a few levels.

Caitlin Johnstone spells things out in her article Australia’s Real Fear Isn’t China – Australia is not arming itself against China to protect itself from China. Australia is arming itself against China to protect itself from the United States.

We even grudgingly accept Murdoch’s role as a propagandist for US warmongering, Climate Change denial, Covid minimisation, etc…  as though it’s an inconvenience we can do little about.

Need it be pointed out, that Labor’s policies dovetail with Murdoch’s propaganda?

Australia being submissive to a foreign power means our governments, judicial system, media, police, intelligence agencies, indeed every instrumentality of the State is suspect. None truly capable of democratic autonomy.

Last election, we exchanged some willing collaborators for some cowardly collaborators.

 

Labor acquiescence to US influence is nothing new

Labor has gone along with every military initiative – the Liberal/USA alliance could dream up – for decades.

Both Rudd and Gillard put the USA at the forefront of any military considerations.

 

 

 

“Albo” is merely continuing this “Labor” tradition, albeit at an accelerated pace due to America’s obsession with China’s growing economic and military power.

As John Menadue has summarised: “We have committed ourselves to ‘high end warfighting’ and combined military operations, and unfettered access for US forces and platforms in northern and western Australia.”

That’s what Peter Dutton signed us up for last year as Defence Minister. His replacement, Richard Marles, is on the same page.

 

Last election, we exchanged some willing collaborators for some cowardly collaborators

Surrendering our sovereignty to the world’s eminent serial warmonger at enormous cost to our nation’s social and physical infrastructure wasn’t something Labor highlighted in pre-election mode.

 

War Powers reform rejected by Labor