Menzies House

Indonesia bullies and Australia genuflects

D uring the 1960s and 1970s Aussies developed a rite of passage. It was a sort of walk-about, a Pied Piper compulsion to explore the world. The curious were beckoned to new horizons beyond the isolated realm of the antipodes that still suffered the stigma of exclusion from the cultures—the affectation of European superiority.

Aussie pilgrims trekking the northern hemisphere soon learned that the word “Australia” invoked admiration and respect in general. “Very brave, very good soldiers,” was the usual epithet respectfully fielded by those nations we went to visit, to observe and to further understand our heritage and that of others.

Travelling Australians were welcomed and respected by the people of other nations. They liked out friendliness, our laid-back attitude, our sense of fun and most of all, our matter of fact straightforwardness.

However, toadyism from our succession of spineless politicians soon destroyed Australia’s international reputation and taught the lesser nations that all they had to do to get their way was yell and scream. We apologise for everything, we write a few cheques, promise more and accept a steady course of abuse into the bargain.

Indonesia has not forgotten Australia’s successful military action in East Timor and many Australians have not forgotten the murdering of five Aussie journalists by Indonesian soldiers and the denials and cover-ups by both governments, disgusting as it was. Australia’s lack of support for its own sent the signal that we were weak.

Toby's Sunday Light

Toby’s Sunday Light is not so light today.

Having babysat UK’s little Prince George and taught him rudimentary oz-speak like “G’day sport”, “a schooner of Tooheys Old thanks Mate” and “stuff the tax office” Toby returned home via Italy where he was struck with déjà vu.

Toby reports:

The little Italian island of Lampedusa is 11 square miles. Its population is about 4,500 – usually.

Until the “refugees” arrive. 50,000 in one year – 2011.

And what they do in Lampedusa is a vision of what is going to happen, happening, in Europe, England, Ireland… and here in Australia.

An invitation to strife

EXCLUSIVE:

By Jim McCrudden

Rudd hadn’t been in the job a week before he was behaving like the schoolboy sneak, the cowardy-custard who regularly finked to the Headmaster.

A trip had been arranged ages ago for the Australian PM and the Indonesian President Chitty-Chitty-Bam-Bam (see The “Ruddafoolia” Dictionary for translation) to rap.

Ex-PM Gillard was to go, of course, but she copped the cold steel of a vengeful shiv between her shoulder blades of course, so Kevin 747 was winging off in her seat. Kevin 747 loves going to faraway places with strange sounding names, especially on the OPM (other people’s money) system.

UP GOES THE BLACK FLAG

Jim McCrudden dares to write about the murder of US Amassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens like no other about the wave of Islamist insanity now spreading like a lethal virus against Western interests in some 20 countries. All of it driven by a perceived insult to the prophet Mahammad in a Youtube clip.

Four days ago, on September 11, the 11th anniversary of the Twin Towers massacre, Egyptian Muslims attacked the US embassy in Cairo; the Marine defenders were ordered to withdraw and hide, and Islam’s ancient black flag – the one used when they began the conquest in the Middle East and Europe – was hoisted in place of the torn down and desecrated US flag.

Simultaneously, Libyan Muslims attacked and set fire to the US Embassy in Libya murdering at least four men including the ambassador who was dragged through the streets—that’s him above, his name is Chris Stevens—and burnt the place to the ground. Stevens apparently died in Benghazi hospital of smoke inhalation. A news report made by the Libyan Free Press reported that Ambassador Stevens was raped before he was killed.
In each case the murderers claimed they were offended by a movie made in America. The offence, of course, is a convenient bullshit masquerade. Certainly they were offended by a movie they had never seen but only heard about, but the attacks were co-ordinated to take place on September 11th for obvious reasons. There was also an attack on the US embassy in Yemen.

Doing Karzai’s dirty work

The shrill cry of “Alu Akbar” (God is great) might well have been the last words our three soldiers heard before Afghan National Army Sergeant Hekmatullah opened fire slaughtering his mentors at a base in Oruzgan province recently.  That amounts to 45 foreign troops murdered this year in what is now called, “green-on-blue” attacks. A Taliban spokesman said they did not know the Afghan soldier.

Prime Minister Gillard said, “We cannot allow even the most grievous of losses to change our strategy. In my view, that wouldn't be appropriately honouring the men we have lost. In my view that would be letting our nation down. We went there for a purpose and we will see that purpose through.” Other defence “experts” contend that an immediate withdrawal from Afghanistan would effectively give victory to the Taliban.

Gillard's Foreign Policy Fold

David Elson discusses Julia Gillard's handling of relations with the U.S. and China:

In poker one maintains a poker face; a blank expression that reveals nothing as to the player's emotions and next move, leaving opponents and observers alike guessing.

In revelling in the visit of US president Barrack Obama, and trumpeting to the high heavens the establishment of a US military base in Australia, ostensibly in response to China's growing military might in the region Prime Minister Julia Gillard has played our hand and needlessly antagonised China.  Past Prime Ministers have dealt with issues relating to a declining traditional ally whilst establishing and maintaining relations with our major trade partners now primarily in Asia.

Contrast the recent circus in Darwin with the approach taken by former Prime Minister John Howard presented as he was with growing trade with the People's Republic of China (PRC) and cultural and military linkages to the United States of America (USA), two nations that due to the nature of their respective governments are not always the best of friends.  Two events best encapsulate how the Howard Government managed with these divergent allies:

Australia Participates In UN’s moment of silence for Kim Jong Il

Via the Australian Conservative come news that the United Nations held a minutes silence to mark the death of murderous communist dictator Kim Jong Il.

The Sydney Morning Herald notes that "The United States, Japan, South Korea and most leading European countries have boycotted a minute's silence at the United Nations General Assembly for North Korea's late leader, Kim Jong-il" 

Of course, Australia would have also boycotted this disgusting tribute to a criminal, right?

The next line in the SMH report: "Australia's representative was in the General Assembly during the tribute."

I see. 

Tim Andrews

Greg Sheridan Demolishes Malcolm Turnbull

Greg Sheridan, the highly-respected Foreign Affairs Editor of The Australian, eviscerates Malcolm Turnbull for being devoid of values, well outside the Australian Mainstream (and certainly to the left of Labor, let alone the Coalition), and "overestimated intellectually", in a hard-hitting piece in the Weekend Australian. Some extracts:

MALCOLM Turnbull has delivered two important speeches on China that help explain why he was such a disastrous Liberal leader and why he should never be considered for the leadership again.

The two speeches were to the London School of Economics in October and to Asialink this week. They contradict Liberal Party policy, they contradict Liberal leader Tony Abbott and Liberal foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop, and they show Turnbull as well to the left not only of his party but of the Gillard government, and indeed of Kevin Rudd. They suggest Turnbull's values and world view are in many respects outside the mainstream of his party, and on some key matters outside the mainstream of Australian life.

Yet in other ways the speeches are not left-wing. Rather they are devoid of political values at all. It is worth noting that in two long speeches about China neither the words, nor the concept, of human rights received any mention.

...

But I think Turnbull is overestimated intellectually. His is the kind of intelligence which can be relied upon to have read the most fashionable books of any moment, but you wonder about his ability to take the longer view, his sense - or lack of it in this case - of any strategic culture.

...

This nonsense from Turnbull does not constitute serious strategic thinking. But politically it suggests a lot of Turnbull-centred turbulence may well lie ahead for the Liberal Party.

Read the whole thing.