As the USA-Israel war machine kills and injures more people in Iran and beyond, driving the world towards recession, or more likely depression, Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mate Pauline Hanson has been doing what she does best, fear-mongering and lying to the Australian public.
So what does the war mean for this country, and who is responsible for the economic pain if it continues?
With the price of oil and gas skyrocketing, and the cost of most things set to rise dramatically as a result, One Nation are now claiming to be champions of Australian fuel security, and blaming Labor, the Greens and net zero policies for the closure of local refineries, while exaggerating existing shortages.
Sensible suggestions that the transport problem might have been partially sidestepped if Australia had made the transition to electric vehicles, powered by renewable energy, have been ridiculed by Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce.
Both were in parliament (and voting with the government) when most of the local oil refineries were closed, under Scott Morrison’s watch. At the time, neither said or did anything about the issue.
It’s true that Australian fuel reserves are limited (we have a little over a month of petrol, diesel and jet fuel), but according to Energy Minister Chris Bowen they are the highest they have been in fifteen years. Remember when Angus Taylor, as energy minister, thought it would be a good idea to store Australia’s strategic oil reserve in the USA?
Meanwhile, in the by-election for Sussan Ley’s old seat of Farrer, One Nation has announced its candidate David Farley, who once thought he was being funny when talking about abattoir technology designed to process old cows. ‘Julia Gillard’s got to watch out,’ he said, in 2012.
Described as an ‘agricultural businessman’, Farley has the usual murky connections with big water and energy interests, in line with the whole One Nation operation, which is being underwritten by Gina Rinehart and other ultra-wealthy donors as it continues to pretend to be acting on behalf of ordinary Australians.
Labor is not expected to stand in Farrer, where progressive hopes rest with community independent Michelle Milthorpe.
Banging the drums of war
A collapsing Coalition and worsening economic conditions are helping One Nation’s polling surge in the states and federally, with Labor’s messages increasingly failing to resonate. The situation isn’t helped by the government’s legless position regarding the war in Iran.
Back in February 2003, Anthony Albanese quoted Shakespeare in parliament when he said, ‘Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war, in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervour, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind…’
At the time John Howard was taking Australia to join the USA in fighting Iraq and Saddam Hussein’s imaginary weapons of mass destruction.
Young Albo asked, sensibly enough, if there was any way to justify Australia’s support for the doctrine of pre-emptive strikes. He argued that any US-led military action not sanctioned by the United Nations would be illegal under international law.
‘Our government is about to redefine us in the eyes of the world as willing backers of US militarism,’ he said.
‘We are a multicultural nation, and yet here we are sending a message, particularly to the Islamic world, that we are a part of the old, white, Anglo-Christian order, and we have the President of the United States who invokes God in defending his government’s actions.’
Sound familiar?
Recently, Anthony Albanese was one of the first politicians in the world to jump on board America’s latest crusade. There were Australian sailors on the US submarine that sank the unarmed Iranian warship Iris Dena, off Sri Lanka, in what appears to be an obvious war crime, and there’s now talk about sending Australian military assets into the conflict zone of this illegal war.
Pine Gap and other local facilities are already involved. It appears that the US may have dramatically underestimated their ability to deal with Iranian missile reserves, while Israel is now promising to murder anyone chosen as the country’s next leader. Imagine if any country made a similar promise to Israel or the US? Where will it end?
Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney was here last week, urging Australia and other middle powers to seek common cause, rather than blindly following mad kings into disaster, but there’s no sign that his message got through, despite the diplomatic handshakes.
It seems the drums of war are as deafening as ever.
Originally from Canberra, David Lowe is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and photographer with particular interests in the environment and politics. He’s known for his campaigning work with Cloudcatcher Media.
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