Fraser attacks US military control, demands independence

Vanguard July 2013 p. 10
Alice M.

In a bold speech at the launch of Melbourne Globalist on 2 June, Malcolm Fraser, former Australian Liberal Prime Minister between 1975 and 1983, condemned Australia’s subservience to US foreign policies and complicity in the US wars of aggression.  Fraser called on Australia to become an independent nation and free itself from control by any big power. Amongst the many “prominent” guests in the audience was the US Consul-General.  Vanguard thinks this is an important speech and has reproduced here in parts Fraser’s quotes and paraphrased comments.

Fraser warned that the stationing of over 2,500 rotating US troops in Darwin, next to the fully fledged marine  offensive air and naval units, is clear evidence of US preparations to use Darwin (together with other US military and intelligence installations on Australian soil) as a launching pad for US military attacks into the region.  He said that the complacency and the acquiescence of the two main political parties to US preparations for wars of aggression made Australia complicit in future US wars in the Asia-Pacific.

Fraser said Australia was “hostage to the decisions of a country 10,000 miles away.  Today, the US has influence over our armed forces.  Influence might be the wrong word – the right word may be control”, he said. “Since the 1990s Australia’s dependency on the US has become closer than ever before. “  “Australia has no defence independence in its own rights.”  So much so that Australia’s defence forces do not have their own independent communications system.   We have no communication system of our own and need approval from the US military to use its communication facilities based on our soil, he said. Australia’s defence and military forces are enmeshed into the US war machine.

Fraser said when the US decides to launch a military strike from Australia’s soil it would not consult, or even notify, the Australian government before launching an attack.  “They’ll do it and we’ll read it in the newspapers.  Our prime minister will be told about it after the attack is made.  Because that’s the way these things work.  That, for me, is a total denial of Australian sovereignty and if we were ever independent, it’s a denial of Australian independence.”

He said the US has firmly locked Australia into the US military machine by the recent appointment of Australian army general Richard Burr as the second in command of US Pacific operations.  This appointment creates an illusion that Australia is an equal partner. But in truth, he said, it is designed to force Australia into whatever war or conflict US is engaged in and to prevent Australia from pulling out of US military operations.  It is another way of tying Australia to the decisions made by the US, he said.

At the start of his speech Fraser declared that “Australia never had a foreign policy of our own and we have never been independent”.   He said that up to the 2^nd World War the British government determined our foreign and defence policies.  After the 2^nd World War Australia’s foreign and defence policies followed the US.

Fraser acknowledged he made a mistake in supporting the US war on Vietnam and the Australian government’s involvement in supporting this war. 

Vanguard applauds and welcomes Fraser for his honesty in taking a principled public stand, strongly urging Australian people to demand a sovereign defence and foreign policy that does not submit to the dictates of the US, or any other big power.

His tireless work and public calls for a peaceful and independent foreign policy, sovereignty and an independent Australia advances the anti-imperialist interests of the people.  

US economic imperialism leads US military aggressions and domination

Fraser represents the liberal, patriotic capitalist class in Australia that longs for national sovereignty and understand the dangers of dependency on foreign powers that force Australia into wars of aggression.  He is gravely concerned that decisions of going to war and foreign occupations are made by foreign big powers, not the people and government of Australia.  He understands the importance of nations’ right to self-determination and opposes big power domination over smaller countries and people. 

Fraser does not view the world from a Marxist, anti-imperialist class position which points to the relentless compulsion by monopoly capital to expand (to ensure it continues to survive) as the main force driving imperialist military aggression, occupations and domination of countries by imperialist powers.   It is from our understanding of these class relations and class power that we hold the view that genuine and thoroughgoing national independence can only be achieved and secured by the people in a socialist Australia where the working class runs our country to benefit the overwhelming majority, not the tiny handful of foreign and local monopoly corporations.