Alternative News

Transcript:Neutrality would keep us out of a U.S.-China warANDREW 1: Good morning listeners. My name’s Andrew and with me is Bevan Ramsden. We’re from IPAN, the Independent and Peaceful Australian Network. In this edition of Alternative News we examine neutrality as an alternative Australian foreign policy in the light of recent surveys which show that a clear majority of Australians are in favour of Australia remaining neutral in the event of war between the U.S. and China. We have discussed neutrality in a previous program but are re-visiting the subject in the light of Bevan Ramsden’s recent participation in an International Conference on Neutrality. This Congress had the theme of ‘Neutrality – a Strategy for Global Stabilisation’. Bevan, give us the background to this conference.BEVAN 1: The Congress was held in Bogota, the capital of Colombia. It is situated in the Andes on a plateau 2,500 metres above sea level. Bogota is home to 12 million people in a country with a population of 50 million. The primary organisers of the Congress were World Beyond War and the International Peace Bureau. The two- day Congress involved 50 speakers from 25 countries on 5 continents. Some of the presentations from distant countries were made over the internet but most were in person.The Congress was held in a venue within the Republic of Colombia’s Congress Building, which houses the Colombian Parliament. We were addressed by four Senators at the opening breakfast meeting within the Congress Building. I was present as the IPAN representative and was the only representative from Australia.ANDREW 2: I understand that the Vice President of Colombia took part in the conference.BEVAN 2: Yes, on the second day we met with the Colombian Vice President, Francia Marquez, who spoke to us about her position on neutrality and we all shook hands with her at the end of her speech. Whilst she endorsed the Congress’ aim of formulating a strategy for ensuring peace world-wide, she raised some criticism of neutrality as such, as did several others at the Congress. The particular criticism deserves our attention because IPAN has endorsed the principle of “non-nuclear armed neutrality” in our vision for an alternative defence for an independent Australia.The concern is that neutrality could be taken to mean “isolationism”; “washing ones hands of world problems”; “turning ones back on injustices in the world” etc. Vice President Marquez said we cannot turn our backs on the suffering of the people in Gaza, for example.ANDREW 3: You say this discussion has implications for IPAN and its policies. Can you explain why this is so?BEVAN 3: It has implications for IPAN because we have proposed an alternative defence policy for Australia based on the concept of non-nuclear armed neutrality. Listening to the Vice President and other speakers at the Congress, it became clear to me that we need to carefully elaborate and explain exactly what we mean by neutrality. We certainly would not favour an isolationist approach.To be of any value to the Australian people, a policy of neutrality would have to involve positive engagement with the countries in our region and beyond and the taking of a stand on the side of peace and justice. For example, in relation to Gaza, a neutral Australia would not become involved militarily but would use all available diplomatic and economic measures to oppose Israeli Zionist genocide, and bring about a permanent ceasefire and secure a safe and peaceful future for the Palestinian and Israeli people. ANDREW 4: Some listeners may not have heard about this alternative defence policy which IPAN has formulated. Can you provide some details?BEVAN 4: IPAN’s alternative defence policy is based on non-nuclear armed neutrality and emphasizes diplomacy as the first option in the resolution of conflict between states. The ADF would be reconfigured for, and confined to, defence of Australian territory and its surrounding waters out to the 200 nautical mile...

This show contains excerpts from speeches and music which were part of the International Solidarity May Day event which was held on Thursday 2nd May, 2024 at Trades Hall.Featuring performances from:Advanced League of People's Artists (ALPA). (facebook)Victorian Trade Union Choir (website)

In today’s CICD Alternative News, Bevan Ramsden and Andrew Fullerton from IPAN will examine the Albanese ALP Government’s policy of enmeshing us even more tightly in the US war machine, a policy which, in the event of a US war on China, will place us in grave danger of retaliatory strikes and is proceeding despite the fact that Australia faces no military threat. They also will look at the AUSMIN 2023 talks which took place a few weeks ago between Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and their US counterparts, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

A. Fullerton and B. Ramsden (IPAN) "seek to counter the misinformation and war mongering hysteria emanating from the corporate media and certain politicians in which China is portrayed as a military threat, and which seeks to build public support for a war to weaken China economically, and maintain US economic and military dominance in the region and worldwide."The show contains a history of the China-Taiwan situation since the end of WW2. The show covers USA's and Australia's policy and some context."The Australian Government does not recognize the ROC [Republic of China, i.e. Taiwan] as a sovereign state, and does not regard the authorities in Taiwan as having the status of a national government. Dealings between Australia and Taiwan therefore, take place unofficially. [...] Despite this, successive governments have supported the US policy of containing and confronting China in the South China Sea and elsewhere."

The QUAD summit scheduled in Sydney on 24 May was cancelled due to the last minute announcement that US president Biden will not be attending. AUKUS: The Australian Anti-AUKUS Coalition calls on the Australian government to withdraw from any future Quad meetings and will oppose any future meetings of the QUAD in Australia.Labour, Greens & Defence Experts have published and open letter calling for an AUKUS Parliamentary Inquiry.The White house responded to the threat of imminent defeat of UKRAINE.Stella Assange addressed the National Press Club in Canberra.

Margaret Williamson speaks about America’s military domination and issues with our sovereignty and the cost of the AUKUS nuclear submarine program.The American government is taking us to war with China. The danger of going to war with China is enormous.Margaret spoke about “we the people need to unite and stop this madness.”

Margaret Williamson speaks about America’s military domination and issues with our sovereignty and the cost of the AUKUS nuclear submarine program.The American government is taking us to war with China. The danger of going to war with China is enormous.Margaret says “we the people need to unite and stop this madness.”

Chauvinistic Western media attacks on China.Figures on Chinese economy 2020-2021 and Q1 2022.Israeli military murders journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.Nakba Day brief history and comment."Nakba is not a static event but rather an ongoing reality for Palestinians."

Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN - https://ipan.org.au) members Andrew Fullerton and Bevan Ramsden discuss climate change impacts and their similarities to the aftermath of wars as well as military spending in Australia

John Speight speaks about link between arms sellers and "need to re-arm", USA-Australia military spending, aukus, nuclear submarines.

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This week we're going to touch briefly on a protest in Japan before having a look at Belarus. We'll go over its formation as a modern state, its economy and geopolitical importance before a quick bio of Lukashenko and a look at the current situation. First, to Japan. HOKKAIDO PROTESTS The GSDF, Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force, or ‘army’ as it would be called in any other country, roused protests in the northern island of Hokkaido, when they conducted training exercises using 3 tanks, 11 armoured trucks, and 32 military vehicles on a public road on the first day of September this year. Protestors chanted ‘don’t use our road’ . The protests are unusual for their location; while Japan’s pacific island of Okinawa, where 40% of the island is used by the U.S military has long been the site of protests by local people against the presence of U.S bases due to noise, pollution, and assaults by US Marine Corps members, Hokkaido, in the far north, is usually known for snow in the winter and hiking in the summer. However, Hokkaido has been the site of increased cooperation between the US Marine Corps and the GSDF and this January they conducted some of the largest joint exercises in the history of Japanese cooperation with the American military, involving 1600 members from the GSDF and about 2500 US Marines. The increasing size of the exercises and the cooperation between the GSDF and the Marines is no coincidence. It comes after years of efforts by both Japanese politicans and the US to push the boundaries of Japan’s post-war constittion which forbids Japan having a standing army. Recent administrations have tested the limits by using Japanese forces as support for American military operations and increasing the scope and range of cooperation with the Marines. However, as the Hokkaido protesters show, the militaristic politicians don’t have it all their own way. Older Japanese have vivid memories of the awful consequences of the last time Japan had a strong military society and several generations have grown up used to a country which put its own prosperity ahead of military expansion and well aware of Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the firebombing of Tokyo. The protests in Hokkaido will not be the last we hear of Japan’s large pro-peace constituency. Now toBELARUS The East-slavic state of Belarus emerged from feudalism under the alternating dominion of Russia and Poland. Various programmes of Polonization or Russification have changed the religion and character of its people over the centuries. HISTORYBelarus as a national identity didn't exist prior to 1917Belarusian as ethnicity existed, this is correct.Prior to the 1861 abolition of serfdom in the Russian Empire the people of what is now Belarus would have identified more with their village and their lord than the national identity of Belarus. As an outcome of WWI and the Russian Civil war the region was split and a portion of the West became part of Poland. The Catholic religious minority is concentrated here. The remaining part of the country became the Byelorusian Soviet Socialist Republic which was part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics until its dissolution in 1991.At the same time as the Byelorusian Soviet Socialist Republic was established the Belarusian National Republic was established as a puppet nation of the German empire. This is the origin of the white-red-white flag of the contemporary opposition. This flag was also used by the Nazi occupation administration and its colloaborators during WWII. The Belarusian National Republic was almost immediately side-lined by the Soviet Socialist Republic of Byelorusia and to this day carries the auspicious title of longest serving government in exile. The BSSR was occupied by the Nazis in 1941 before being liberated by the Red Army in July of 1944. In 1945 Western Belarus was returned from Polish possession to the BSSR.After WWII Belarus joins what became the United Nations. In 1986 the country suffers greatly from the...

In today’s program we will speak about: Julian Asssange: Andrew Fowler is an Australian award-winning investigative journalist, and the author of The Most Dangerous Man in the World: Julian Assange and WikiLeaks’ Fight for Freedom. The deal between Israel and UAE supports the illegal annexation plans.The Joint Statement of the United States, Israel, and the United Arab of Emirates supposed to Normalize Relations with Palestinians and to advance peace in the Middle East region.Does this mean Israel has or will end its occupation of Palestine? No this is not the case. And Raise the Rate Campaign.

In today’s program we will hear Nick Deane, who is a peace activist from Marrickville Peace Group and NSW representative on Independent and Peaceful Australia Network IPAN’s National body. Nick was invited to speak at a zoom event organised by Dr Hannah Middleton and Denis Doherty on US Marines in Darwin. Nick has been active in a campaign to stop the annual stationing of U.S. Marines in Darwin. Nick speaks about what are the strategic advantages to Australia from the presence of the U.S, and who actually benefits, from this arrangement?

Covid-19, we are seeing the COVID-19 outbreaks mainly in private aged care where there are no mandated skilled staff ratios. In comparison, Victorian state-run aged care has very few cases. The difference? These facilities have mandated skilled staff.75th commemoration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, With so much turmoil in the world right now, it can be difficult to step back to truly assess where we are. But, we must commit to remembering the past. 6 August 2020 marks 75 years since the U.S. atomic bomb was dropped on the people of Hiroshima, and on Nagasaki on 9 August 1945.

This show compiled by the Alternative News team and presented by Zachary Doney, CICD member.LOOSE TRANSCRIPT:[presenter signs on]This show will consist of some general news, both domestic and international and then a closer look at a current hot-button topic, that of the South China Sea.General NewsDomestic:An anti-China rally supposedly took place at Martin Place, Sydney with many people waving the Australian flag, holding signs that say “CHINA LIED”. This happened around the same time Black Lives Matter protesters were arrested in Sydney.The Council of Attorneys-General decided there was not enough evidence to raise the age of juvenile detention from 10 years old to 14 years old and has postponed the issue until at least 2021. International:Pyongyang has reported their first suspected coronavirus case and have put their city into lockdown to stop the virus from spreading.Australia has sent a letter to the United Nations declaring that China’s claims on islands in South China Sea are ‘illegal’. Australian politicians have cited the security of South China Sea as one of our interests under ‘Operation Gateway’.Australia has consolidated our alliance with the US at the Australia-US Ministerial talks, but resisted going all the way with the US in their aggression towards China by conducting “freedom-of-navigation exercises” in the South China SeaAustralia promised to continue joint military exercises with the US to pursue their shared national interests in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean to apparently “deter bad behaviour”. We ask that the militaries of both China and the US stay home.At the talks, Australia and the US also spoke of expanding the US military presence in Darwin and of installing a US-funded military fuel reserve for the American military in the Northern Territory.Mike Pompeo complimented Australia on our new $270 billion defence strategy that makes us what he called an “extremely capable partner of the US” in defending international law.Thousands of workers, peasants, and students mobilised across India in late July against the Modi administration’s neoliberal policies to privatise India’s railways. Many protestors were arrested including Council of Indian Trade Unions cadres and members of the Dakshin Railway Employees’ Union.Vietnam evacuated 80,000 people from the city of Danang after three people tested positive for coronavirus. Most of the people evacuated were local tourists from around Vietnam. Vietnam has been a role model in containing the virus with a total of 446 confirmed cases and 0 deaths.After elections were postponed in Bolivia last week for the third time since the 2019 coup, the Bolivian Workers’ Union, Central Obrera Boliviana, and the organised coca farmers of Cochabama mobilised the people to demand democracy from the interim government. The Bolivian workers’ union told the government that if the decision to postpone elections is not retracted, then the workers will enact a general strike and road blockade nationwide on Monday the 3rd of August.The Census Bureau of America found that almost half the population of the US are facing evictions for not being able to pay rent because of the financial strain coronavirus has put on the country. Millions of people could be forced out of their homes.Early this week, the Israel Defence Force fired into Lebanon to stop an evidence-free “Hezbollah infiltration” attempt along the Blue Line. The IDF fired into a civilian house in Lebanon. Hezbollah claimed that the Israeli army were pre-emptively firing at Lebanon in fear of a Hezbollah retaliation attack after one of their members died in an Israeli air strike in Syria. Hassan Diab, the Lebanese Prime Minister said the incident was a “dangerous military escalation by Israel” and that if escalation continues, it will be an excuse for a push to alter the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon which ends next month. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon are conducting research into the...