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Date Posted: 21:27:40 01/22/03 Wed
Author: Goktimus Prime
Subject: The Australian Contingent
In reply to: Dark Star 's message, "Adding some other points to this." on 18:44:30 01/22/03 Wed

"We tend to want to be the hustler of the sandbox, so long as everyone likes us and does what we want we're okay with them."

...and that sounds awfully like a form of dictatorship, doesn't it?

Australia just committed its first load of naval forces as the HMAS Kenimbla (sp?) departed to reinforce stationed US and British forces. More army and Au-SAS troops are to be deployed very soon. Here, folks are pretty upset that Prime Minister Howard has already decided to commit troops without the consent of the Australian people. One radio journalist made a very valid comment yesterday that Howard should listen to the voices of the Australian people before he listens to the voice of President Bush. Bush didn't elect him as Australian Prime Minister -- the Australian people did, and it's pretty f**ked up that he's already decided to bend to the will of US politics without any consultation or even a public address to the people who put him in office. Especially when Australia, the US and the UK (and even there it seems to be a decision of politicians rather than from the people) are the only three out of the 191 chartered members of the United Nations who have backed the notion of a "pre-emptive" attack on Iraq. It's really not good when 182 of our allies are telling us that this is a bad idea...

Our thoughts are with all the troops that are being sent over to the Gulf now, but at the same time, we're asking our leaders if those men and women should even be there in the first place.

This is the first time in my memory that Australia has ever committed troops for a cause that I am opposed to. Australian military involvement in campaigns such as Desert Storm, Bosnia and of course, the liberation of our newest ally, East Timor -- all of which were campaigns sanctioned and supported by the United Nations -- were campaigns that I supported, as they all involved the abolition of oppression and the defence of freedom. Australia is one of the only countries in the world that has never attacked another nation. Even our involvement in Vietnam was for the defence of South Vietnam and to reinforce our American allies. Australians pride themselves on being a nation that will fight in wars, but has never started one. I fear that an involvement in a US-led pre-emptive assault on Iraq may tarnish a reputation that many Australians have been so proud of...

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