Just watched Breaker Morant again on the History Channel. One of the best movies ever made, anywhere, IMHO.
I hadn't seen it for many years but on watching it again I found myself drawing paralels with the David Hicks case and could not really escape the conclusion that, as a nation, in some respects we haven't really come very far since the days of the Boer War.
We still act like a colonial outpost, subservient to the master Imperial Power. During the Boer War,(and again during WW1) it was the British who ruled over us while we just sat back and took it. In Breaker Morant's case, he became a political porn, with a British Court Marshall self appointed as his Judge, Jury and executioner. There was another interesting comparison between Morant's as well as Witton's and Hancock's defence council (the part played by Jack Thompson) He reminded me of Major Michael Mori, putting up a far stronger defence than the Military had expected.
With Hicks, it's the US and once again, acting like a colonial outpost, we've just sat back and taken it. Only now, as it's finally becoming a political liability for the Rodent are we being seen to be making waves over it...Comments?
The Breaker and David Hicks
Certainly an interesting comparison although I feel it's more like we have allowed ourselves to slip back into the colonial outpost syndrome.
As a nation, we broke out of the syndrome when Curtin brought the Australian troops home in 1942 after the Japanese entered the war.
He stood up to the British at a time when they wanted us to leave our troops in the Middle East and Europe.
Menzies and co. then set us on the downward spiral again with their pandering to the US and their involvement in Vietnam...who can forget the horrible catchcry of "All the way with LBJ"
Howard has repeatedly shown that he wants to be remembered as a world statesman and given that Australia is not big enough for him to achieve that, he has had to ride the coat tails of the Yanks again.
Having said that, successive ALP leaders have not exactly distanced themselves from US acts that have no real bearing on Australian politics.
As for Hicks...he's no Breaker Morant (not that I think you were comparing the two)
As a nation, we broke out of the syndrome when Curtin brought the Australian troops home in 1942 after the Japanese entered the war.
He stood up to the British at a time when they wanted us to leave our troops in the Middle East and Europe.
Menzies and co. then set us on the downward spiral again with their pandering to the US and their involvement in Vietnam...who can forget the horrible catchcry of "All the way with LBJ"
Howard has repeatedly shown that he wants to be remembered as a world statesman and given that Australia is not big enough for him to achieve that, he has had to ride the coat tails of the Yanks again.
Having said that, successive ALP leaders have not exactly distanced themselves from US acts that have no real bearing on Australian politics.
As for Hicks...he's no Breaker Morant (not that I think you were comparing the two)
"You can quote me on this... He is gawn" - bomberdonnie re Hurley's contract status 25 February 2012