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One wonders who actually governs this country more and more as the weeks go by, it doesn't feel like it's an Australian government but anything but as we see Australia in thrall to America, lobbyists, armament companies, anyone but the Australian public who are the ones that truly decide who gets to govern us and who doesn't, only to find they have sold their loyalty to outsiders. What an extremely disappointment the majority of Australian politicians have become at selling us out so cheaply.

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Agreed!

While the LNP have become little more than a coordinating office for various business lobbies, if Labor cowers, claiming to be wedged, whenever they venture to diverge from LNP policies, then of what use are they? They certainly can't claim to be leaders. Rupert's the de facto PM of Australia.

Fatima Payman is the only one in the Labor party with a spine, the rest of them could learn from her example.

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You've hit the nail on the head here Joel.

Yesterday I listened to British Human Rights lawyer Tyab Ali speak about his desire to study international human rights law. He said the numbers 6 million and 75 million affected him greatly. 6 million murdered in the holocaust and 75 million people killed in WWII.

WWII had well displayed the capacity of man to do the unmentionable.

Following that experience, the wise leaders of many nations got together to set up the United Nations and a set of international conventions to prevent such a catastrophe ever occurring again.

The ICC and ICJ along with the United Nations Security Council are bodies set up to ensure the implementation of those conventions.

Today Peter Dutton has announced that the next liberal government will withdraw Australia from the ICC!

For months Albanese's labor government has been duplicitous in its callous disregard of international law along with the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, particularly their RIGHT TO LIFE.

The belief held by leaders of the western world, that the ICC is an African court, unless your name is Putin, becomes more apparent everyday. Including in Australia.

The last federal government legislated, ostensibly to prevent foreign interference in our democracy, it was really aimed at wealthy Chinese businessmen buying access.

For months now the influence of bodies such as AIPAC and the ADL over US politics and politicians has become increasingly plain to see. The staggering amounts blatantly used to equip the campaign of a candidate prepared to support the views of the Zionist lobby definitely have an adverse effect on politics and governing in the USA. To believe that similar powers aren't utilised in our democracy would be naive. The fact that a group of Australian politicians got together to form the Parliamentary Friends of the IHRA, is significant. That group then approached the Australian university sector seeking implementation of the IHRA definition of antisemitism. That definition conflates Zionism with Judaism, and defines criticism of Israel as antisemitic.

The Zionist lobby, equipped with this definition, widely accepted by the neocons running our universities, now get to call Antizionist Jews, Self-Hating Jews and Antisemites, and any other person, or body critical of Israel, Antisemitic.

It would be laughable if the Zionists weren't so serious.

It's time to cease supporting the international thuggery and warmongering that enables western imperialism.

The domination and subjugation of the peoples of the world in support of the military industrial complex, is all capitalism has to offer, and its time to be done with it, and the governments that enable it.

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How we underestimate how dangerous Marles is: https://amp.abc.net.au/article/102666972

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It's past time we ended the political duopoly in this country. Both major parties have demonstrated their craven submission to the US, and major multinationals with complete disregard for the well-being of Australia. Tacit support for Netanyahu's genocide, failure to adequately support Ukraine, allowing the wholesale destruction of our environment by overseas interests, turning a blind eye to predatory banking practices, and the revolving door of politicians sliding into lucrative corporate positions based on their preferential treatment given to vested interests, is tearing apart the fabric of our society.

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While I agree with your comments on the duopoly and the failure of our politicians to attend to the myriad of problems confronted by the average Australian Craig, I disagree with your beliefs around Ukraine.

Congress in the USA, recently passed a bill providing $100 million of military aid to Ukraine and Israel, $65 million of which remains in the USA to feed the American military industrial complex. Renowned neocons state publicly how cheap a war this is for the USA, only Ukrainian lives, property and infrastructure are at risk, and the US economy is going well.

Why would they ever wish to stop that?

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Thank you Joel. Your depth of research and poignant expression never ceases to impress me

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Lest We Forget Zomi.

I wrote this back b4 7Oct ...

Our Path To Peace And Prosperity Is To Not Be The Lackey Country - by Brett B Stokes, Adelaide 10Aug2023

A response to Rex Patrick's article titled "Death of Sovereignty: everyday Australians will pay the cost of US kowtowing, AUKUS, inevitable war".

To my fellow Australians, today 10th August 2023, it would seem we are locked in to disastrous war and cruel austerity, that we have no choice.

Rex Patrick called it yesterday.

The transparency warrior former senator ex submariner says war is inevitable.

I disagree.

Why do I disagree?

Because history, and people power.

Rex is 56, so in 1972 he was just 5.

The impact of the 1972 victory, and the path we took to get that victory, we were there and we know the reality, we oldies know.

Rex quotes from "All the way with LBJ" because he read it in history books.

I was there then, emerging into puberty at a time when censorship was very real.

Along with puberty came a political awakening, sparked by images from the war zone, images that burst through the censorship.

There was the young girl running from the burning petrol dropped on her by our side.

There was the street execution, bullet to the head, by the puppet Good Guy boss of the regime we were fighting to preserve.

There was the burning monk, sitting in the flames, dying to draw attention.

And there was the photo from the My Lai massacre, which featured on the quality printed pamphlet that went into letterboxes all over Adelaide.

There was blowback from some people who thought such letterboxing was treachery, that it was worth abuse and maybe a beating in response.

Slowly, the peace movement grew and grew.

And then we won a great victory, with the election of Gough Whitlam's mob in 1972.

Gough told the yanks where to go, and the people reaped the rewards of real reforms.

Nowadays the ALP is captured, controlled by war worshipping climate crims, smug traitors who choose war and austerity.

To me, Albo is Bob Santamaria unburied and updated.

Like Santamaria, Albo will cause the ALP to split.

Like Santamaria, Albo will be left with the right wing rump.

The real people remaining in the ALP will call out the Albo gang, soon, and there will be a split.

The "Real ALP" people will then work with the Greens, Adam Bandt will be PM and it will be a lot like 1972 again.

When will the spilt come?

When will we have Bandt PM and tell the yanks to eff off?

Hey, it took five long years back then before the internet, before mobile phones.

There were lots of people working to get lots more people involved.

We did face to face chats with friends, we did letterboxing.

There were long lead times before rallies and lots of promotion, little posters and pamphlets everywhere.

We grew the peace movement so large that we Stopped The Country To Stop The War.

And we did stop the war.

"Get active now"

blessed be all who challenge the war worshippers

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