One week after the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States as only the second President to serve non-consecutive terms, apart from pardoning everyone involved in the January 6th riots at the Capitol which included the murder of some and the permanent brain damage of other police officers (which kind of negates any and all rhetoric that he will ever say about supporting the police), and starting a series of trade wars, the one promise that Trump made which absolutely has not been kept was to end the war in Ukraine on Day One.
That is probably a good thing.
Because given Trump's own hints to buy/invade Greenland, to vow to take back the Panama Canal, his statement that "anything could happen" in relation to starting a war with Iran, I can only assume that the statement that he wants to to end the war in Ukraine is to surrender it to Russia. Trump has for several years made statements that the United States should pull out of NATO because NATO nations don't pay their won way apparently, and his actual executive order which has pulled the United States out of the World Health Organisation, means that we should assume that as Commander-In-Chief that he personally sees the US Military as his possession and that he will use it if he feels that other nations do not show him personal fealty. This was last demonstrated in 2017 when he ordered cruise missiles to be sent into Syria; without really having a military objective for doing so.
So given all of this, a conversation which was held in a press gaggle on board Air Force One aught to leave the world at large slightly worried and Australia in particular very worried indeed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8CfuMh87gA
Reporter: Can you tell us about your call with the King of Jordan today?
President Trump: It is a very good call; he's a friend of mine; I know him very well; I've gotten along for the over the years very well and he's done a wonderful job. He really houses, you know, millions of Palestinians and he does it in a very humane way, and uh, I compliment him on that but he really... Jordan's done an amazing job of housing largely pal-Palestinians and he's done it in a very successful...
Reporter: What was the subject of discussion was it (interrupted)
President Trump: Pretty much that. I said to him "I'd love you to take on more." 'Cause I'm looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now and it's a mess. it's a real mess. see You'd like Jordan
Reporter: See? You'd like Jordan to House people from (interrupted)
President Trump: I'd like him to take people. Uh.. I'd like Egypt to take people and meeting with talking to, uh, General el-Sisi tomorrow. Sometime I'm L(?) and uh I'd like Egypt to take people and I'd like Jordan to take people.
I could I mean you're talking about probably a million and a half people and we just clean out that whole thing. It's you know, it's over the centuries that's had many many conflicts that site, and I don't know it's something has to happen but uh it's it's literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything's demolished and people are dying there so I'd rather get involved with some of the Arab Nations and build housing at a different location where they can maybe live in peace.
Reporter: for change temporar or... (garbled - interrupted)
President Trump: Could be either it could be temporarily, could be long term.
- via Forbes, 25th Jan 2025
Under the previous Trump Administration, Donald Trump personally via executive order, changed the official stance of the United States and officially recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In no way did that ease tensions in the region and if anything emboldened Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to look for any excuse for Israel to 'defend itself' against Palestine. Netanyahu found that excuse on October 7th 2023, when Hamas led an attack on Israel by firing more that 4300 rocket; which killed 1139 people. Israel responded by repaying evil for evil and instead of an eye for an eye, has killed at least 53000 civilians and so that works out to be an an eye for two whole classrooms of now blinded children.
Now it should be pointed out that Hamas and Hezbollah are evil. This doesn't change the fact that Likud and the IDF as directed by Benjamin Netanyahu are also evil. I can not say how much I wish that Hamas, Hezbollah, Likud, and the IDF should all be exiled to a place in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Backing one evil side in a conflict against another evil side does not make either side less evil. The only thing that makes sense here is that the various parties find some sort of weird gratification in seeing innocent people pulped into chunky marinara.
Mr Trump who is a deeply narcissistic fool, in saying that "we just clean out that whole thing" should be taken to mean that if "anything could happen" in relation to starting a war with Iran, then committing American troops to fight a war in Israel to clear Gaza is not off the table either. As Mr Trump's moral compass is such that the ends are bent in such a way that no matter which way it points, the points always point back to him, would have no moral qualms in turning ever more people into chunky marinara.
What does this mean for Australia though? We can rest assured and know that if the United States does decide to fight a war in Israel to clear Gaza, that not only will Australia be complicit in evil but active in sending troops to commit evil.
The United States Department of State, has this to say about Australia's role in being an obedient little lap dog with no back bone:
https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-australia/
Bilateral defense ties and cooperation are exceptionally close. U.S. and Australian forces have fought side-by-side for more than one hundred years, in every major conflict since World War I, beginning with the Battle of Hamel in 1918. In 2022, the United States and Australia marked the 80th anniversary of several key World War II battles, including the Battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal. Moreover, 2021 marked the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Australia, New Zealand, and United States (ANZUS) treaty, Australia’s pre-eminent alliance, which enjoys broad bipartisan support. Australia invoked ANZUS for the first time in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
- Bilateral Relations Fact Sheet, US Department of State, 23rd Jul 2024
Ever since January 26th 1788, Australia has basically never had any kind of foreign policy, with regards anything. Australians fought in the Crimean War, and the Boer War, and both the First and Second World War; because the various State Governments and then the Commonwealth Government rolled over and immediately became an obedient little lap dog with no back bone for big brother John Bull. The Pacific Conflict from 7th December 1941 changed our perspective a bit and after World War Two, Australians have fought in Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iraq again, because the Commonwealth Government rolled over and immediately became an obedient little lap dog with no back bone for big brother Uncle Sam.
The signing of the AUKUS Treaty as far as I can tell, provides less than zero benefit to Australia; with the 'purchase' of imaginary submarines to the value of $368bn. That is a call on the Federal Budget of $350m per week, every week, for 20 years. If the rightist side of politics wants to complain about the cost of the ABC, then they need to repeatedly punch themselves in the head until they bleed because the yearly budget of the ABC is less than three weeks of the loyalty and fealty payments that we have committed to in tribute, for literally nothing at all. Australia is never ever ever going to see even a single submarine; and if you think that we are then not only do I have a bridge to sell you but you might also like to repeatedly punch yourself in the head until you bleed because that's the only way that any kind of sense will be beaten into you.
The question therefore is not whether or not Australia would send troops to fight a war to clear out Gaza until every last building has been levelled and to turn whomever is left into chunky marinara (because we absolutely would without question), but the consolation question of whether or not Australia is obligated to send troops.
The AUKUS Treaty between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, mentions literally nothing about either what happens in the even that any of them are attacked or if they choose to be the belligerent. The ANZUS Treaty of 1952, despite the fact that New Zealand unilaterally pulled out, is still in operation in perpetuity until the point that either Australia or the United States pulls out. Now I would assume that in the event that Australia was attacked by China or some other future great power, that the United States would drop us like a plate of cold vomit and pull out immediately. However, Australia as the obedient little lap dog with no back bone, would rush to the aid of the United States.
Article II of the ANZUS Treaty states that:
https://www.aph.gov.au/~/media/wopapub/house/committee/jfadt/usrelations/report/appendixb_pdf.ashx
Article II
In order more effectively to achieve the objective of this Treaty the Parties separately and jointly by means of continuous and effective self-help and mutual aid will maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack.
- Article II, ANZUS Treaty, 29 Apr 1952
Now as previously mentioned, Australia invoked ANZUS for the first time in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; which was seen as a direct attack on United States' soil. So good, so far. However, the United States sending in troops to fight a war to clear out Gaza, is not of itself an "armed attack" which needs resistance. I can absolutely see Australians being sent in to murder unarmed Palestinians, on the basis that everything that moves will be assumed to be the enemy (this is the current stance of the IDF in practice), but the one consolation that we have before we do decide to get blood on our hands and lick it up and politely ask for more, is that it will not be because of legal obligation, but it is all right, everything is all right, the struggle is finished. We love Big Brother.
No comments:
Post a Comment