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Do Australian soldiers want to kill other Australians?
Posted by John, September 26th, 2012 - under Army, Muslims, Racism, Soldiers.
Fresh from killing Muslims in Afghanistan, now it appears that Australian soldiers, defenders of freedom and justice, want to kill Muslims in Australia too.
According to the ABC, one facebook page perhaps set up by a soldier and with comments from more, apparently based at Townsville, ‘contains references to using machine guns and a sniper rifle on those who took part in the riot. ’ ‘The riot’ is ABC code for the peaceful protest of Muslims in Sydney which the police attacked.
So Australian soldiers want to kill other Australians.
Thus one comment says:
Mate, what I would given to drop the legs on a MAG 58, slap on a 500 round belt, adopt a stable firing position in the middle of the street and lay waste to every single one of those cancerous ****.
Another couple of comments refer to the Cronulla riots or Cronulla round 2 or make similar references. Various others talk about different weapons to use. One says ‘I wonder if I could buy a flame thrower legally.’
Are they Australian soldiers? Here is what the ABC says:
Some of the men making the comments have photos of themselves in uniform, including one person who has a variety of pictures of himself holding different machine guns.
Another of the men appears in a helicopter pilot’s uniform.
A simple search reveals photos of them on the Australian Defence Force’s public website or in Townsville media either during or after serving in Afghanistan.
If this is how they react to Muslims in Australia, imagine what they might do in Afghanistan, unrestrained by the rule of law or prying media eyes? And if this is the level of racism and hate they display to Muslims here, what new levels do they take that too in the Muslim countries we invade?
The armed forces are trained to kill people. Their role is offensive, attacking other countries at the behest of Australian capitalism and its governments.
Another role is defensive. If needed the State will mobilise the armed forces to defend the Australian propertied classes and their system from the Australian working class and class struggle like strikes, let alone revolution.
This has been infrequent in Australian history, but has happened. Mostly the police do the attacking but sometimes the Army is used.
Police and soldiers were used against the miners at the Eureka stockade. 30 miners and five soldiers were killed.
In the late 19th century the army played a key role in breaking strikes and controlling strikers on the wharves and mines and other workplaces.
In 1929 at Rothbury police killed one bystander when they fired on strikers.
Under Labor in 1949 troops were used to break the miners strike and in 1989, again under Labor, the air force helped defeat pilots who were attempting to break out of the Accord and win real and substantial wage increases for their members.
It is no surprise the armed forces hold racist (and sexist) views. They are the cutting edge of Australian capitalism and their job requires unthinking unquestioning responses.
They are trained in an atmosphere of nationalism, and traditionally Australian nationalism ahs gone hand in hand with Australian racism. They are trained in the ideas of a superior way of life – bringing democracy, helping women, that sort of nonsense so t is not surprising that societal superiority can spill over into racial superiority.
The armed forces because of the role they play can also see themselves above society and reflect the worst aspects of it. Those they are trained to kill – of late Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan – have to be dehumanised in their eyes to reduce or repress the normal human reactions associated with killing innocent people or even the enemy.
The enemy outside becomes the enemy within.
I don’t see or hear any expressions of outrage, any police raids, any riot police used to suppress these potentially dangerous individuals who look as if they are using facebook to make threats against fellow Australians.
Compare that to the reaction to the peaceful Muslim demonstration in Sydney attacked by police. Hysteria – a rabid media, putrid politicians and police and a raging general public.
There has been no such outrage and reaction to the soldiers. For example my local ABC TV station didn’t even mention the issue on its News tonight.
Why the difference? Could it because one group is Muslim, the other isn’t? Because one group is oppressed, the other the oppressors?
There will be a perfunctory investigation, a bit of tutting about a few rotten apples, maybe even a sacrificial lamb or two and then it will be back to business killing Muslims.
The systemic racism of the armed forces will be white washed over.
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Comments
Comment from Magnet
Time September 27, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Hi John, I really get what you’re saying – you’re right, the hypocrisy is putrid, perhaps a bit less putrid if you can understand the forces behind it – Chomsky/Herman are quite useful reading for that, but you’re probably already on top of that.
Australia has a bad problem with racism, because we/society/government/media deny it and don’t educate people out of that habit.
The (PM’s) b/s flying around the UN to coax a seat out of the Security Council, didn’t mention the way ATSI people are treated here – mysteriously, not. And, anti-ATSI pages are shut down daily on Facebook, no news there.
The situation with ADF is yet more complicated, some join to validate their racism while others are conditioned. Some – probably a lot, have PTSD & won’t get treated. It wasn’t that different after WW2 as far as I can gather from my rels.
There is only one way to beat racism and that is love and education.
Comment from Kay
Time September 27, 2012 at 4:08 pm
For heavens sake! These poor soldiers are just letting off a bit of steam about that ridiculous Muslim ‘riot’ in Sydney. They are stuck in that godforsaken country, Afghanistan, seeing their mates killed by Muslims who are supposed to be allies, and then they hear about a bunch of trouble-making Muslims beating up on police officers and carrying on like idiots back home! No wonder they are less than impressed!
And all this crap about these terrible capitalist oppressors killing Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan! I am certain there are far more innocent Muslims killed by other Muslims than there are killed by ‘capitalist oppressors’. A bit like the Catholic versus Protestant atrocities in Northern Ireland really. But in the Middle East it is Sunni versus Shia, war lords versus the Taliban, tribal conflicts, the Kurds, uprisings against dictators, dictators killing their own people etc etc.. Capitalism and socialism hardly even get a look-in there!
Comment from Lorikeet
Time September 27, 2012 at 4:51 pm
I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Kay. There are certainly capitalists involved in the heroin trade.
There is also no excuse for Australian soldiers to incite racial and religious hatred on Australian soil.
Comment from John
Time September 27, 2012 at 5:21 pm
Interesting insight Magnet when you say some join the ADF to validate their racism (and presumably sexism for many of the male recruits.) Also, I agree about not treating returned soldiers. I think the neglect of sick defence personel is a disgrace. They also appear to be completely abondonned when they come home instead of helped.
Comment from John
Time September 27, 2012 at 5:23 pm
So why aren’t the police investigating them just to make sure they are only letting off a bit of steam. After all a placard about beheading all those who insult the prophet is just letting of a bit of steam too, isn’t it? Much less offensive than soldiers talking about arming themselves and blasting people away since soldiers might well be able to do it.
Comment from John
Time September 27, 2012 at 5:28 pm
I think you have to see capitalism as a global system, and the US attempting to control the Middle East and the flow of oil (eg to China) and the invasion of Iraq was and is an important part of that. The invasion of Afghanistan is part of the US attempt to contain China and show the Chinese it is top military dog. That has worked well hasn’t it?
Comment from Ross
Time September 27, 2012 at 5:49 pm
The armed services has always used racial hatred to dehumanise their foe so good people become murderers.
While we do have a minority of outlaws from the southern parts of Lebanon involved in crime, most Muslims are law abiding.This is the divide and conquer tactic being used so our Govt can bring in even more repressive laws because we are realising that the financial criminals are behind the tyranny inflicted on us and the Muslims.
This is all been orchestrated because the elites want us to fight amongst ourselves while they screw us even more.They have always used these tactics.
The Mulsims are being demonised for a purpose;ie to justify the invasion of Muslim countries for oil,gas and resources. If Gadaffi had just potatoes in Libya instead of oil and gold,Libya would not had been invaded.Gadaffi was also working a an African currency backed by gold to rival the $ US.Saddham did the same by selling oil in EUROs instead of $ US.
On the 4th June 1963 JFK signed Executive Order 11110 which gave Congress the power to issue new money instead of the Federal Reserve.He also wanted to break up the CIA.By Nov that year he was dead.
China has refused to let private Western banks to take full control of it’s currency.This is why China is now been demonised.Syria and Iran are in similar situations.
When the Western Imperialists want to give a country democracy and freedom,look for oil,resources and an existing independant banking system.These criminals back all manner of despots who terrorise their people.Saddham Hussien was a Western loved creation until he tried to become independant.
So now is the time to choose between a Global Oligarchy run by bankers with their tyranny or freedom and true democracy which currently we do not have.
Comment from Darryn Fabish
Time September 27, 2012 at 10:56 pm
I don’t entirely agree or disagree with the what has been written by you john but I would like to add a few notes about my experience within the Royal Australian Regiment. Despite what people think, the ADF isn’t completely made up of members of European origin although the majority of members are. My platoon (30 members) contained 7 soldiers of ethnic heritage and this ratio seemed fairly consistent throughout our battalion. In my experience they were just as loved and accepted as anyone else. I honestly believe they received particularly strong encouragement, admiration and support from the Anglo-European soldiers for having the courage to join a Defence Force notoriously painted by the media as a group of aggressive racists. Although I will admit I often think we were blessed with the personnel that ended up in our platoon as we mostly seemed to be people of good nature, with the exception of a couple of closed minded idiots thrown in there to keep us honest. Outwardly racist behaviour was not common practice through fear of an angry six foot Maori Sargeant catching wind of such leanings, and if a member of a platoon was subject to racial abuse then he could be sure that 29 other members were standing right next to him. And lastly as far as I remember I never had a serious conversation about politics during my time in the ADF, it is the last thing soldiers want to chat about. Sorry for being all over the place, lots to say but i’m up early tomorrow. Thanks
Comment from Kay
Time September 28, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Lorikeet
I wasn’t aware the Taliban were known as capitalists! After all, the heroin trade is what has always funded the Taliban. The Taliban and the war lords just fight over control of this very lucrative trade.
Comment from Ross
Time September 28, 2012 at 9:08 pm
Kay the Taliban had stopped the poppy fields back in 2000.This is why there was a world wide heroin shortage.
With the invasion of the West the Taliban needed to buy arms to fight and the West needed the drugs for profit.Why do you see US soldiers guarding poppy fields?
The corporates have always created conflicts and profit from both sides.
Darryn Fabish,It is good see you are beginning to question the establishment.
View the reality/facts and make up your own mind.We are daily confronted with a litany of lies and deception.
Comment from John
Time September 28, 2012 at 10:37 pm
Thanks Darryn.
Comment from Kay
Time September 29, 2012 at 7:22 am
Ross
Unfortunately there is such a history of extremely profitable poppy growing in Afghanistan that it is hard to see it ceasing, especially given the paucity of other equally profitable ventures in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has for some time been the world’s biggest producer of heroin. And yes, in 2000 the Taliban conducted an extremely successful albeit brutal campaign to stop poppy growing in response to a very lucrative UN grant to the Taliban. But heroin can be secreted away and the price of heroin just went up on the ‘supply & demand’ model.
At this stage, poppy growing and heroin production is once again rife. Everyone is benefiting except the users dying from overdoses etc. The Kazai government benefits. The Taliban benefits. The war lords benefit. Drug dealers benefit. Even poor Afghan farmers benefit. And corruption is rife everywhere, especially given the enormous fortunes to be made from heroin.
It is a pity that such clearly suitable poppy growing areas can’t be used for legal morphine/codeine production. But the price for licit morphine is so much lower than the price of illicit heroin. The cost of morphine is too high for many of those suffering severe pain.
It is interesting to note that Australia is one of the world’s biggest producers of licit morphine/codeine.
Comment from Ross
Time September 29, 2012 at 11:31 am
Kay I thought you would have known.Tasmania is the largest legal grower of poppies for the medical industry.They must be of the GMO variety since there are no signs of self seeding outside the farmer’s fencing boundaries.
Comment from Kay
Time September 29, 2012 at 3:58 pm
Ross Yes, I was aware of the big poppy fields in Tasmania (all well guarded at harvest time, I assume), but I wasn’t aware that Tasmania was the largest legal grower in the world.
Comment from sam
Time October 2, 2012 at 2:27 pm
Hi Darryn, please tell me when soldiers stood side by side when Aborignals were denied land like their so called equals? Im keen to know when this huge backflip in the ADF happened
Comment from Lorikeet
Time September 27, 2012 at 1:44 pm
I have seen Christian church leaders on TV speaking out against anti-Muslim sentiments and provocation. I believe most thinking people don’t want civil war in Australia, nor do they want religion outlawed altogether.
Not all religious extremists are Muslims (although some are) and not all extremists are religious, nor do they necessarily belong to the armed services.
Those who deliberately incite racial and religious hatreds should be dealt with in the courts.