[Marxism] Rudd and Oz and the USA

["gary.maclennan@xxxxxxxxx" <gary.maclennan@xxxxxxxxx>]

I had resisted commenting on the disgraceful resolution in the Australian
Parliament on the 12th March  congratulating Israel on 60 years of
statehood, and describing it as a "robust democracy" and a "custodian of
freedom" .  Thankfully there were counter ads against this placed by unions
and others, so to an extent honour was satisfied.

 However The Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was not finished with his version of
foreign affairs, and on the 14th of May he issued a press statement that

Australia was considering filing a law suit against Iran's president in the
International Court of Justice for expressing anti-Israel sentiments.* *



Why is Rudd doing this?  Why is so anxious to show that he is the most
right-wing leader of the Labor Party since Kim Beazley? I do not actually
believe that this is the work of a sincere committed right winger.  Right
wing Rudd is but there is a deal of cynical opportunism about both the
resolution and the threat to sue Ahmadinejad.



My answer is that the resolution and the near comical threat against
Ahmadinejad are efforts to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Rudd is super
loyal to the Americans. Why is such proof necessary?  Well there have been
carefully seeded reservations expressed in right wing opinion pieces about
Rudd's links to China.   His ability to speak Mandarin is apparently a
source of right wing paranoia.  What is feared it would seem is that Rudd
will take Australia out of the American sphere of influence and into the
Chinese one.



Hence I think the craven crawling on Israel and Iran.



There were reports that when Bush met Rudd at the April NATO conference in
Bucharest, that Bush's manner was very cold towards Rudd. I think that is
the recent for Rudd's  notorious salute of Bush that followed and also the
resolutions on Israel and the talk of bringing charges against Ahmadinejad.
The fear of the USA and especially the Bush regime runs deep especially
among America's "staunchest" allies.

regards

Gary
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