Amir Butler

While the original pretext offered to the Australian people for the invasion and occupation of Iraq was the presence of weapons of mass destruction and their certain use against Western targets, the justification has now moved from the pragmatic to the ideological. As Prime Minister Howard has repeatedly articulated, the project is now one of … Continue reading “Forcing Square Pegs Into Round Holes”

Last week, CBS’s Sixty Minutes II program showed footage of American soldiers creating “human pyramids” from detained Iraqis. However, it should be remembered that Iraqis, and indeed Muslims in general, are no strangers to “human pyramids.” The last time that such pyramids were built in the region was in the 13th century when the hordes … Continue reading “The Mongol Invasion of Iraq: Lessons Never Learned”

On the 25th of April, Australia commemorated Anzac Day – a day that pays tribute to all Australian servicemen in general, but particularly pays homage to those Australians who died during World War I.  It was, predictably, used by the Australian Prime Minister John Howard to bolster support for the increasingly unpopular occupation of Iraq.  … Continue reading “The Lesson of the ANZAC’s”

The events in Madrid should be proof enough that Australia has no choice but to follow Washington – George Washington, that is. In 1796, George Washington penned his farewell address in which he expressed what was known as the “Golden Rule” of American foreign policy. At the time, Europe was the America of today: powerful, … Continue reading “Australia Must Follow Washington”

It is a key to winning any war that one knows the nature of their opponent. However, from the moment the planes hit the World Trade Center, the United States government has not only made no meaningful effort to understand the nature of its enemy but has sought to obfuscate any understanding of the causes … Continue reading “America’s Financial War on Terror: Fighting for Failure”

In November 2003, George W. Bush described what he termed the third pillar of America’s security: "global democratic revolution.” If Iraq and Afghanistan were the first "beneficiaries" of this revolution, then it seems almost certain that Saudi Arabia will feature somewhere in Bush’s revolutionary plans. The post-September 11 story goes that Saudi Arabia is the … Continue reading “Leave Revolution in Saudi Arabia to the Saudis”

It is said that there are no atheists in foxholes. It is also clear from the collective wartime contribution of the War Party that there are no neoconservatives in foxholes either. Fighting the wars they agitate for is a task for the “great unwashed,” not the Philosopher-Kings of neoconservatism. Perhaps this is why the neoconservatives … Continue reading “There Are No Neocons in Foxholes”

On November 6th, George W. Bush announced that America, through it’s interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan was leading a "global democratic revolution". That he should have made such remarks on the eve of Leon Trotsky’s birthday – the architect of "global socialist revolution" – was of course just coincidence. However, the similarities between Trotsky’s idea … Continue reading “America’s Foreign Policy and the Sword of Empire”