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Issue No. 164 | 06 December 2002 |
The Politics of Security
Interview: Trade Secrets Industrial: It�s About Overtime, Stupid Unions: Full Steam Ahead Bad Boss: The BBQ Battle Axe Economics: Different Dimensions of Debt History: Raking the Coals History Special: Wherever the Necessity Exists History Special: Learning from the Past History Special: A 'Cosy Relationship' Politics: Regime Change for Saddam International: World War Corporate: Industrious Thinking Review: Jack High Culture: Duffy�s Song Satire: A Nation of Sooks Poetry: Mr Flexibility
We Paid Witnesses Who �Lied� African Immigration Scam Widens School Staff Block Parents� Pay Yarra Operators Dodge Accident Probe Financial Windfall in Radio Sale Vic Anti-Union Campaign Backfires Coles Myer Breaks Out Of Sweat Police Sick of Being Kicked Around Jobless Dumped on Drought Farms Men Only Scholarships Hit Snag
The Soapbox Awards The Locker Room Bosswatch Month In Review
The Golden (Th)Ong Overtime Cap is Flawed Outsourced Education
Labor Council of NSW |
Tool Shed Colonic Tool
************* The Prime Minister was having a blinder, stroking Laurie Oakes all around the Channel Nine studios last Sunday, when, suddenly, the wily operator induced him to self-destruct. Scoring at will, from both sides of the spectrum, Howard couldn't resist the glory shot that would write him into Uncle George's good book for all time. Oakes floated up the "neighbouring countries" wrong-un, and Howard took leave of his senses or, at least, his responsibilities. Yes, the Prime Minister said, he would support a pre-emptive military strike on a neighbour's territory if that country harboured a terrorist threat to Australia. Not surprisingly, the leaders of Malaysia, Thailand, the Phillipines and Indonesia didn't leap to the conclusion that he was talking about New Zealand. Howard's big on the theory of security, big enough to cake-walk an election, but he's a disaster when it comes to the practise. It is doubtful that there has ever been a Prime Minister more threatening to the wellbeing of the average Aussie. First, from seeming obscurity, he gets us on Osama's hit list. Personal mentions no less as the guru of gore runs through game plans that seem to revolve around the annihilation of as many innocent children, women and men as possible. Now Howard's set back relationships with the very countries who matter most when it comes to defending Australia from the threat posed by Bin Laden and his fundamentalist fellow-travellers. The Phillipines responded by suggesting plans for an anti-terrorism pact might be abandoned, and an Indonesian spokesman labelled the Howard Doctrine a "threat of aggression". Malaysia's cantankerous and somewhat mischievious leader, Mathatir Mohammed, talked about an "act of war". Even Singaporean officials took strong exception. Clearly, Howard has no intention of launching an Asian war, so why the rhetoric? It was hard to see it as anything other than one last, gratuitous grovel at the feet of George Bush. After all, it was the American unilateralist who proposed rewriting the UN Charter to validate "pre-emptive strikes" against foreign states. Bush wants a cloak of respectability for US extra-judicial assassinations, such as that carried out recently in Yemen, and, eventually, the legal pretext to go to war against Iraq, with or without UN sanction. Two fundamental principles have allowed suspicious nations to tiptoe around widespread warfare since the US, and Australia, got their come uppance in Vietnam - non-interference in the affairs of other sovereign states, and acceptance that armed force must be reserved for clear-cut cases of self defence. Bush wants to dump both so he can bomb the be-jeysus out of anyone, anything and anywhere he desires. From a purely selfish viewpoint, it is understandable that the representative of the world's most powerful nation, armed to the teeth with nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, might benefit from such a fundamental change to the rules. It is not so clear why the representative of a small country trying, often vainly, to define its relationship with bigger, culturally different and militarily stronger neighbours should be nearly so enthusiastic. After all, when you're talking international law, you're talking about the rights of all nations. Justifications for US or Australian military actions must apply equally to Iraq and Israel, Pakistan and Pyongyang, not to mention heavyweights within striking distance of our shores, like Indonesia and China. John Howard is the worst kind of Tool. He doesn't just tool around for his own gratification any more, but has become a tool in the service of others.
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