This is not just about poor, defenseless Palestine but about the maintenance of the US empire. It’s at the core of the rotten system that seeks to dominate the world with China the ultimate target. We are a danger to ourselves and to the world by behaving as we do. When the time comes China will defend itself using whatever means it has at its disposal including economic ones and Australia has a lot to lose.

The US empire is in crisis and like empires before it it is determine to hang on. This time, though it’s a global issue. At the very core of all this has been Israel’s takeover of Palestine and the US support for it. The “captured” Western world does nothing to stop it and are in fact allies and complicit in the whole thing.

This goes way beyond the middle East and perpetual wars. The US has controlled the debate and actions on climate change too and Australia has said or done nothing in response.

In an address to a media conference in London earlier this month John Pilger described her as the most warlike Australian PM of his lifetime. Is it not past the time when we discarded any pretence that she owes the least bit of allegiance to the Left and call her for what she is: an American/Israeli stooge who confuses her own personal ideology with Australia’s best interests.

For the avoidance of doubt I should add that the Coalition response to the news that Australia was going to abstain on the Palestinian vote later today was to decry it for showing insufficient support for Israel!

If you think that Australia is going to acquire a sense of international responsibility and show independence in its forthcoming Security Council voting pattern then I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.