How long have the Yanks been treating us badly?

[old man emu]

There's an old saying, credited to the ancient Chinese General, Sun Tzu, “Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.”  But what if that friend is a wolf in sheep's clothing?

 

Australia's BFF is supposed to the the United States, but is it really? Best friends don't put you down, or treat you like a lesser person, but that is what the United States has done since at least 1918. It started with the planning for the aftermath of WWI, you know, the first time the United States saved all of Mankind. Our Prime Minister at the time was William "Billy" Hughes. 

 

Hughes had made several trips to Britain during the War, to represent Australia to the British War Cabinet. In May 1918, he travelled via the USA and met US President Woodrow Wilson. Hughes raised the matter of German holdings in the Pacific, saying that they should be annexed by Australia. Wilson would have none of it, and Hughes described him as being "as unresponsive as a Sphinx in he desert". 

 

In early October 1918, Germany approached Wilson over a peace deal, considering Wilson to be the least belligerent of the Allied leaders. Without consultation with the other allied countries, Wilson proposed a 14-point plan from world political reconstruction.

 

 

 

Hughes was furious at the lack of consultation. He refused to be a member of the British team at any future peace conference, and demanded Australia's own seat as a matter of right. Hughes was a street-fighter. He delighted in sledging Wilson, who had been a professor at Princeton University. Hughes kept referring to him as "the schoolmaster". Later, during discussions, Hughes pressed his claim for annexation of German territories in the Pacific, explaining that the Pacific islands protected Australia "like a fortress". In front of the World leaders, Wilson told Hughes that Hughes spoke "only for 5 million people". Furious at the disdain for the Australians' contribution to the war, Hughes shot back, "I speak for 60,000 dead. How many do you speak for?"

 

Then throughout the 20th Century, the tentacles of the United States' empire-building encircled Australia. In WWII the United States used Australia as a warehouse. Their demi-god leader, Macarthur, was dismissive of the abilities of Australian troops, despite the victory of the untrained militia-men on the Kokoda Track. Macarthur was egoist and self promoter. His opinion of Australian troops is at odds with that of a great, and respected Field Marshall, Erwin Rommel, who said, "If I had to take Hell, I would have the Australians take it, and the New Zealanders hold it". However, Macarthur abandoned the Australians to backwater tasks, while his glorious Marines liberated South-East Asia.

[facthunter]

When you keep thinking YOU are the best in the world and GOD speaks through MY lips you don't need any other opinion. IF America did some serious introspection It would realise it's in decay and failing as a cohesive society. OUR current gov't could do with a bit of reality also and are losing trust fast.. Over announcing and underperforming on the essentials that make a country good for all the people and not  bully the already stressed for election purposes. In the old days "getting blood out of a stone" was the expression..  As they say "There's nothing NEW under the sun" .  Nev

[nomadpete]

1 hour ago, old man emu said:

There's an old saying, credited to the ancient Chinese General, Sun Tzu, “Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.” 

A quote from "The art of War", which I believe has long been required reading for Chinese students of business. At least they are honest about how to succeed at business.

 

Thanks for dredging up those great pics. And for showing us that we once had a PM who stood up for us.

[old man emu]

Hmmm.

Billy Hughes - Labor - Lead Australia  as Prime Minister WWI 

John Curtin - Labor - Lead Australia as Prime Minister WWII

Gough Whitlam - Labor - Lead Australia as Prime Minister out of Vietnam War.

 

Robert Menzies - Liberal - 

Do I see a trend here?

[facthunter]

I don't see where you are going with Menzies. He was kicked out after the WW2 commenced.  It was the UAP then.  Renamed "Liberal" later but they are conservatives like UK TORIES, not Liberals and getting morso. like US republicans. The UK Tories are not climate denialists.

 The LNP have run with it by deliberate choice and are stuck there. not knowing what to do.

    Australian LABOR is really Social Democratic with a Union connection ancestry..  The LNP is Trump Imitating Popularist quasi Religious climate denial manipulators with a woman and TRUTH problem. What is the NP?  An opportunist GRAFT on the backside of the Libs there to make the numbers and apply blackmail whenever the chance arises.. Nev 

[old man emu]

3 hours ago, facthunter said:

don't see where you are going with Menzies.

Yeah, that was just a dig at the conservatives. Menzies lost because of internal politics within his own party. That was not helped by his losing three Ministers in the Canberra air disaster.

 

On 20 March 1939 Menzies resigned from the coalition ministry in protest at Cabinet's decision, under pressure from the Country Party (Earle Page leader), to repeal the pension provisions in the recently passed National Insurance Bill. Menzies was thus a backbencher when less than a month later, on 7 April, Prime Minister Joseph Lyons suddenly died. Deputy Prime Minister Earle Page formed an interim administration until the UAP, lacking a deputy leader due to Menzies' resignation, could elect a new leader. In the party room meeting of 18 April 1939, Menzies was elected leader of the UAP and two days later in Parliament, Page launched a vitriolic attack on Menzies, giving vent to the years of political hostility and personal bitterness between the two men. Page refused to serve in a government headed by Menzies and withdrew the Country Party from the coalition.

 

The establishment of an Advisory War Council on which Government and Opposition would have equal representation, and which the Government could inform and consult on all matters to do with the conduct of the war allowed the management of the war effort to continue without the interference of part politics. However, Menzies left for London in late January 1941, returning to Australia in May and Fadden was acting Prime Minister over this four month period. On Menzies' return, he found the coalition deep in political intrigue. Under pressure from his own party and his coalition partner to resign, he he stood down as Prime Minister and as leader of the UAP on 28 August 1941.

 

The UAP-Country Party Coalition Government continued in office with the minority party now providing the leader. Prime Minister Fadden's Government however lasted only 40 days. On 3 October 1941 it was defeated during the budget debate on a no confidence motion when the two Independents, Wilson and Coles, crossed the floor to vote with Labor. Then Fadden advised the Governor-General to ask Labor's John Curtin to form a government.

 

So it's was wrong of me to belittle the conservatives at the start of WWII. I suppose they did do a lot to mobilise Australia when the threat was only in Europe. Labor was passed the ball just before the Pacific  War started, and they had to deal with the problem of our forces mainly being in North Africa, well away from the Japanese threat.

[Old Koreelah]

15 minutes ago, old man emu said:

…Menzies resigned from the coalition ministry in protest at Cabinet's decision, under pressure from the Country Party (Earle Page leader)…

A story about Earle Page I heard from the horse’s mouth: 

 

The in-laws roped me into attending a Labor fundraiser, where I was priviledged to sit near the guest speaker. He was the great Fred Daly (the only member of Whitlam’s government who had any experience as part of a previous Labor government). 
He told us about making his maiden speech when first elected in the late 40s, amid heckling from the members opposite.
 

He had only just got started: “I was born in Currabubula…” When there was a loud interjection from the leader of the Country Party, Earle Page: “ Where the bloody hell is that?”
 

 Fred immediately shot back: “In your bloody electorate!”