News Roundup - 17 May 2024
David McBride
David McBride, the whistleblower of the Afghan Files — which revealed war crimes of Australian invaders killing 39 Afghan civilians – has been sentenced to prison while those higher ups still get away scot-free.
Michael West
Michael West
This is a momentous day for the system of justice in Australia. David McBride, the Afghan war crimes whistleblower has been packed off to prison for 5 years and 8 months – a non-parole period of 27 months.
He endangered no lives. He was not involved in the murder of 39 Afghan civilians by the Army. Its generals remain decorated, off scot free. Army command and Defence chiefs have taken no responsibility.
McBride had complained through the requisite Army channels but his complaints about proper legal process fell upon deaf ears. This is essentially an administrative story where a lawyer saw failure in legal process, was rebuffed when he tried to go through the right channels, and eventually went to the press to reveal the failure. Then had his life destroyed.
[Source: Michael West]
Unlike Michael West though, I don't think this is merely an administrative failure.
Through and through, most of all, the murderous conduct of Australians in Afghanistan, the apathy by the rest of Australians on this, the invasion of Afghanistan in the first place reeks of something deeply, fundamentally Australian. It reeks of the brutal massacres of brown and black people that constituted the founding of this country, actions which, as the country has proven here, have never left its arsenal.
For Australians to have abandoned McBride and Julian Assange to the persecution of the empire for their roles in revealing its crimes — Australians grinning at the Matildas decked in green and gold while cancelling Russians and Belarusians from competing under their own flags; Australians painting murals and logos blue and yellow for Ukraine while my Afghan friend was left wandering the streets here, eating berries from other people's trees and hospitalised after drinking 4 litres of alcohol in a day; I have only the deepest rage.
The true France
France is still trying to maintain control over its remaining colonies – sending troops 16,000 km across the world to oppress New Caledonia.
RT
New Caledonia, which lies between Australia and Fiji, is one of a number of territories around the world that remain largely under French control in the post-colonial era. It has a population of about 300,000 people, of whom the indigenous Kanak people make up about 40%.
The unrest, which has left three Indigenous people and a police officer dead, is the worst outbreak in four decades. It started on Monday after lawmakers in Paris proposed granting French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for ten years voting rights in the province. Local independence activists fear the reform will dilute the indigenous Kanak vote. The constitutional amendment has been approved by both chambers of the French Parliament but still needs to be approved in a joint session of the National Assembly and Senate.
[Source: RT]
The uniparty – LiberLabor, LaborLiber… take your pick
I don't know how they do it, but Albanese's Labor in particular, time and time again, has proven to be better mass marketers of Liberal policy than the Liberals could have ever hoped for.
"Tax cuts" used to be the motto of just the Liberal party; nowadays ads with "tax cuts for everyone!" by Labor grace the television channels.
Watch the 30 second television ad on Vimeo at the bottom of this webpage
The Liberals happily signed onto AUKUS; Labor happily continued it.
It goes for pretty much everything at this point.
