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Issue No. 148 | 16 August 2002 |
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Peak Performance
Interview: Labor Law Unions: Critical Conditions Bad Boss: Shifting The Load History: Peeking Out Safety: Flying High Corporate: Salaries High, Performance Low International: War on the US Wharves Review: And the Signs Said... Poetry: Tony Don't Preach Satire: Latham Dumps Rodney Rude as Speech Writer
Politics The Soapbox The Locker Room Bosswatch Human Rights
 Miranda's Not Fair on OutworkersAnother Capitalist Party?Justice For All?Kill the Photos!Right Wing Lackies
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Tool Shed Lex Loser
*************** Downer and his PM have been leading the charge to soften public opinion ahead of war with Iraq, making the hawks in the Bush Administration appear positively restrained. With international opinion turning against invasion without the backing of the United Nations, Australia now stands alone in advocating such unilateral conflict. The fighting words are now hitting back with Iraq this week canceling $800 million in wheat sales. In a region where we are already infamous for allowing Mid-East refugees drown at sea and locking up children in desert jails, we are also wearing the unenviable tag of yankie cheermaster. When Simon Crean pointed out the link between Downer's Rambo words and the loss of wheat sales, he was accused of being unpatriotic. This personal attack left Downer in the position where he had politicised the most basic of national issues - whether we should go to war with a another nation. Then again, this comes as no surprise from a government that has shown its preparedness to politicize immigration, race and the plight of asylum seekers. Unlike the Gulf war, Australia is backing a US offensive that appears likely to take place without the approval of the United Nations. Under the situation during the Hawke era, Australia is no longer regarded as a good international citizen. Our government belittles UN reports into our detention centers; it refused to join the international effort to combat global warning, it won't even sign up to a convention against torture. Under Downer we have become a global pariah thanks to a government that has seemed desperate to erase Paul Keatings Big Picture ever since it stole power. The whole episode reminds us one of the more bizarre moments in the days immediately following September 11. Remember the Taliban spokesman in Pakistan who held daily press briefings as the Americans prepared to come in and run over the top of them. Desperate for a local angle, one ABC reporter was determined to get a local angle. "What was the Taliban's reaction to news that Australia would be backing the Amercians?" The po-faced emissary breaks into giggles, then outright laughter. The Amercians are coming to crush us and you ask us what we think about Australia? It sums up the arrogance of Australia's international position. As we turn our backs on our international obligations, dodge around new global initiatives and basically behave like the Trailer Trash of the international community, we posture as if our pronouncements hold any weight at all. Downer's excesses this week were just a symptom of a government that has turned reaction into an art form, with no coherent visions for Australia's place in the world. After all, when you spend your time in the parts of George W Bush where the sun don't shine, its hard to see anything clearly.
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