The moral degeneration of the Labor Left

In an earlier short essay Julia Gillard, a former leading light of the Victorian Socialist Forum, made much of her working class background in its opening passages. She then, in the tail end of her article, heaped praise upon "open markets", which of course is a reference to neoliberalism and deregulation. This is meant to soothe the rich, lest the first paragraphs leave them with the wrong impression. So "our favourite princess" openly announces to all and sundry that she is a class traitor, something she will need to affirm again and again for the rich are greedy and thereby fickle. How else to explain the mania regarding Labor's "reform credentials" that was unleashed following the Government's decision on the parallel importing of books? An intolerance for the slightest deviation from Labor is a natural consequence of greed.

In a retrospective on the first two years of the Rudd Government the Australian Financial Review reported that, "the Government has been well and truly captured by the national security establishment". Indeed it has. The Rudd Government's expansion of Australia's offensive military power, in reality done within the context of the "alliance" with the United States and thereby following on from the "Howard Doctrine", is being implemented by Comrade John Faulkner, a long standing senior member of the Left faction of the New South Wales ALP.

Comrade Faulkner has been busy. He is also helping to expand the war in Afghanistan. According to Paul Kelly Comrade Faulkner "is known" for his "belief that Australia must meet its alliance obligations". Furthermore, "more significantly", Kelly reveals in relation to Afghanistan, "Faulkner privately backed McChrystal's position". That is, Comrade Faulkner fully supports the escalation of the war. Notice that Faulkner's Afghan policy follows on from his belief about our "alliance obligations", as it was with Menzies during the Vietnam War. It is clear that Comrade Faulkner shares Howard's global conception of "our alliance obligations", although the same doctrine was evident when the Hawke Government supported George Bush during the First Gulf War. Let us give "the silver budgie" his due.

The industrial aspects of the Rudd defence plan are being overseen by Comrade Greg Combet, who performs this crucial role when he is not tending to his million dollar beach pads. The centre piece of the Rudd defence policy consists of 12 big new submarines, to be geared towards offensive strike missions, and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Corporate welfare plays an important role in both programs. The actual building of these submarines is just as important as the capabilities they are meant to provide. This relationship also applies with respect to Australia's involvement in the international consortium to develop the F-35.

For instance according to a report, commissioned by the South Australia Government and written by General Peter Cosgrove, the Rudd defence policy will lead to spin-offs for high tech industry and should be seen in the context of "nation building". It would lead to "jobs growth" and improved "social well-being across the nation". Jobs growth is a technical phrase meaning publicly subsidised profits for corporations.

No record exists of Comrade Tanner expressing his displeasure at such examples of military producerism.

It might be argued that this defence industry policy should be seen in the context of defence self reliance. On this view building big weapons platforms in Australia enhances Australia's strategic independence. This is false. If defence self reliance were the goal then the objective of Comrades Combet and Faulkner would be the achievement of logistical independence for our military forces. Australia relies upon the United States for strategic re-supply in the event of war. Moreover, successive governments in Australia have deliberately cultivated this type of strategic dependence upon the United States.

We can put all this together and ask; what has become of the Labor Left?

Elementary.

It has become a pack of stacking, deregulating, warmongers.