I was somewhat dismayed, but not really surprised, to hear that not one of the studio audience of Sunrise could name the Federal Treasurer. It is a measure of how important politics and making an informed choice at election time is to the ordinary person. Since 1951 the ANZUS treaty has been Holy Writ in Australian defence and political thinking and and our pathetic conservative media has made it so despite evidence that it is a dead duck as far as Australian interests are concerned.
For a start, how interested in the "Alliance" is America? To thinking people, "Malcolm Trumble" and "that fella Down Under" says it all - not all that much. In fact NZ woke to the treaty's "US interests only" nature 40 years ago and banned US nuclear warships from NZ which led to its suspension by Big Brother - the "Alliance" is now the AUS treaty not to be confused with the recent AUKUS "agreement" which is a Tory wet dream boosted by Murdoch with no substance whatsoever.
ANZUS or AUS guarantees us absolutely nothing security-wise. It is an agreement to "consult" in difficult times and as Nation States put self interest first and last it is difficult to imagine being of much help at all if another nation more important to the US strategically became hostile to us. In fact, there is proof of that in recent times. The only time that Australia has invoked ANZUS on its own behalf was over the Oz peace keeping decision regarding East Timor. The US refused to assist not wanting to compromise its far more important relationship with Indonesia.
On the other hand nothing...nothing ..has held us back from signing up to any immoral regime change adventure that the US has applied its power to, often begging (as Menzies did re Vietnam) to be allowed to join in. All have been failures of course and our participation has made us less secure, not more. Hitching ourselves so uncritically to a Hegemon which has been at war for the most part of its history can only worsen our situation,
Clearly, the problem can only be solved here but with a reptilian US citizen having a near media monopoly which monsters progressive opinion, a citizenry which can't name prominent political office holders but which has a deep reverence for the bullshit that is Anzac, you'd have to concede that prospects do not look at all hopeful.
As usual, everything that I've said here is checkable What you need is more curiosity like the name is Josh Frydenberg - a member of Melbourne's wealthy elite - didya get it?
For a start, how interested in the "Alliance" is America? To thinking people, "Malcolm Trumble" and "that fella Down Under" says it all - not all that much. In fact NZ woke to the treaty's "US interests only" nature 40 years ago and banned US nuclear warships from NZ which led to its suspension by Big Brother - the "Alliance" is now the AUS treaty not to be confused with the recent AUKUS "agreement" which is a Tory wet dream boosted by Murdoch with no substance whatsoever.
ANZUS or AUS guarantees us absolutely nothing security-wise. It is an agreement to "consult" in difficult times and as Nation States put self interest first and last it is difficult to imagine being of much help at all if another nation more important to the US strategically became hostile to us. In fact, there is proof of that in recent times. The only time that Australia has invoked ANZUS on its own behalf was over the Oz peace keeping decision regarding East Timor. The US refused to assist not wanting to compromise its far more important relationship with Indonesia.
On the other hand nothing...nothing ..has held us back from signing up to any immoral regime change adventure that the US has applied its power to, often begging (as Menzies did re Vietnam) to be allowed to join in. All have been failures of course and our participation has made us less secure, not more. Hitching ourselves so uncritically to a Hegemon which has been at war for the most part of its history can only worsen our situation,
Clearly, the problem can only be solved here but with a reptilian US citizen having a near media monopoly which monsters progressive opinion, a citizenry which can't name prominent political office holders but which has a deep reverence for the bullshit that is Anzac, you'd have to concede that prospects do not look at all hopeful.
As usual, everything that I've said here is checkable What you need is more curiosity like the name is Josh Frydenberg - a member of Melbourne's wealthy elite - didya get it?
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