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July 09, 2003
a different voice
This is the voice of American paleoconservatism. It is Pat Buchanan from The American Conservative. The full article is here. I have linked to this article before
Not how different this voice is from Australian conservatism. Buchanan says:
"Iraq, in retrospect, was no threat whatsoever to the US. We fought an unnecessary war, and now we must rebuild a nation at a rising cost in blood and treasure."
You do not hear Australian conservatives saying that. They do not say that Iraq, in retrospect, was no threat whatsoever to Australia. You do not hear them questioning the US engaging in an imperial war.
In contrast to Buchanan, Australian conservatives are happy for Australia to go along with whatever the US does. The US policy in Iraq is Australia. The US policy on North Korea is also that of Australia. There is little questioning by Australian conservatives of the Howard Government's embrace of US neo-con strategies as their own.
Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at July 9, 2003 09:57 AM
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Comments
View also the Australian reaction to the worrying indications and lack of assurances about the David Hicks trial. The UK has been strongly vocal on behalf of the interests of their citizens, but we are happy to trust that the US will deal with our citizen appropriately rather than risk offending.
Posted by: dan at July 9, 2003 11:56 AM
Howard & his crew appear to have a very limited vocabulary where the US is concerned. It's limited to "OK"; "When"; "Where"; and "ooooh, that feels so good". The words "wrong"; or "incorrect"; or "sorry" don't exist.
Posted by: Niall at July 9, 2003 07:59 PM
Australian conservatives are too busy congratulating themselves for their hard headed realpolitik to have time to be critical of GW Bush.
Posted by: mark at July 9, 2003 08:23 PM
The bit that stuns me, and has had me stunned for weeks, is that the Yanks wanted to give at least one of the Australians (Hicks) back! And The Australian Government refused responsibility for and care of an Australian citizen! We told 'em to keep him in an illegal hellcamp and to do with him as they will! And then The Australian Prime Minister publicly pronounces Hicks guilty of being a member of al Qaida BEFORE the 'trial' ferchrissakes! This passeth all understanding ...
Posted by: Rob Schaap at July 10, 2003 12:46 AM
From what I can make out, it appears that the Australian Governmentis quite happy to see a secretive US military tribunal try David Hicks even through
US citizens captured in Afghanistan in the same circumstances enjoy the full protection of US law and its constitutional bill of rights.
It is double standards. Australian ciitzens are second class citizens despite Australia being a loyal ally of the US.
Posted by: Gary Sauer-Thompson at July 10, 2003 03:23 PM