Prime Ministerial self-indulgence

Of course, it is not just Prime Minister Rudd who is at serious fault but Australia's political culture as a whole. This matter has gone almost totally unremarked. Little serious information about international developments and trends filters through to the Australian electorate, unless there is a need to drum up a case to go to war or to legitimize a budgetary splurge.

Many discreet exchanges will take place in St Petersburg that lay further groundwork for new alliances and future institutional arrangements. It is reasonable to assume that President Putin will be a courteous and considerate host but will not feel obliged to exert himself to rescue Australia from its awkward situation.

It is customary for English speaking observers to discount the long term coherence and purpose of the BRICS grouping. This displays a type of mono-lingual complacency and an ignorance of the discreet strategic guidance of China. It also overlooks the signals sent from the Durban, South Africa, March 2013 BRICS Summit. This announced a BRICS Development Bank that is to provide funding for infrastructure projects and create a "Contingent Reserve Arrangement" worth $100 billion to help member countries counteract future financial shocks.

There may or may not be startling announcements from the G 20's St Petersburg Summit. Nevertheless, it seems certain that the Russian Presidency will ensure that many participants are engaged in exploring, evaluating and planning future directions. Equally certain, it seems that these will present a new Australian Government with many challenges for Brisbane in 2014.

In closing, it might be noted that Australian political leaders and even major Australian mining corporations seem to have neglected the way in which new institutional arrangements are beginning to support major transformative infrastructure developments. These are not only in the BRICS outposts of Africa and South America, but also, and most importantly, promise to enhance greatly the cooperative development of Russia, India and China throughout Eurasia.

In this vast area, China is equipped with its very fast train technology to open up vast new areas for mineral development serviced by rapid and inexpensive rail transport. Yet our Prime Minister has chosen to ensure Australia misses a unique opportunity to take a reading of this dynamic at the very highest level of global leadership. How many years will it be before future Australian jobs are put at risk by this sort of complacency, self-indulgence and strategic neglect?

What a man believes upon grossly insufficient evidence is an index into his desires -- desires of which he himself is often unconscious. If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence. The origin of myths is explained in this way. Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)