In his January speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney gave the impression of a banker turned soothsayer, a Daniel coming to judgment. Here was a born-again man of international relations who would rally the middle powers (from the middle) and try to assert influence and power in a way deemed fit for this rule-torn world.
So far, the middling powers have not gotten far. In fact, they have shown themselves despicably fawning and incapable of taking a stance on the legality of the US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Even worse, acts of predation and villainy in breach of the United Nations Charter have received the seal of approval. Suggestions that they can also do things separately from the United States in some fictional coalition of law-abiding states are risible. It’s rather difficult to talk about sound and sober independence when your real estate is essentially part of a foreign imperium.
During his official visit to Australia earlier this month, Carney did little to address this corrupting blight on a program of independence that is compromised before it begins. He expressed admiration for the role played by Canada and Australia in developing a structure of international order after the Second World War without conceding that they had been complicit in undermining it. Cowardice can never be officially accepted as policy, though governments do their best in behaving along such lines.
His colleague and host, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, dared mention Iran in his welcoming address, not as a target and victim of the crime against peace – a grave offence in international law – but as a unilateral aggressor in firing missiles, in retaliation, against various countries either friendly or directly allied to the US with American military bases. These attacks had been “indiscriminate,” adding to the “orchestrated antisemitic attacks on a synagogue and a small business here in Australia in 2024.” (Evidence of Iranian involvement in those events has been skimpy at best.) And, as the Australian PM said in a joint press conference with Carney, “the possibility of Iran getting a nuclear weapon [was to be] removed once and for all,” a remark both disingenuous and politically illiterate.
Refusing to point any finger at the outlawry of Israel and the US, Albanese basked in middle power smugness. “Australia and Canada must seek and create new ways to stand with – and for – each other.” Both countries worked together as a “positive choice – not a necessity.” Peace, security and prosperity should not be seen as “the preserve of the great powers alone. They are our common cause – and our collective responsibility.”
The Australian opposition leader, Angus Taylor, proved sinister in his interpretation of the Davos speech as effectively warranting a continued trashing of the rules-based order precisely because the rules were a sham front to begin with. But instead of pointing out the brigands responsible for repudiating that order, Taylor swanned off with mentioning “autocratic regimes that behave with impunity.” (Now who could he have been referring to?)
In his address to Australia’s parliamentarians, Carney spoke of building something more positive from the “rupture” in the international order. “In an era of rupture in the global order, middle powers like ours must step up. By deepening our partnership, Canada and Australia can lead in creating resilient economies, secure supply chains, and a safer world for our citizens.” It was up to middle powers to “help write the new rules that will determine our security and prosperity” rather than leaving things to the “hegemons.” Multilateralism had not been abandoned so much as evolving.
These vague views about middle power heft as strategic gold dust are far from convincing. They have nothing of the resonance of the non-aligned movement born at Bandung in April 1955 when twenty-nine governments from Asia and Africa sought a third way that would involve no participation from member states in “collective defence agreements” favourable to the US or the Soviet Union. Neither Carney nor Albanese have even mentioned that salutary precedent. Given the security, military and economic ties shared by Australia and Canada with the United States, a third way of noble virtue and high principle is hardly tenable. The lamentably subservient conduct of both governments to the illegal predations of Washington against Iran are a case in point. When international law needed to be defended, it was smeared and distorted.
As if to illustrate the inability of middle powers to sever the yanking chain of superpower submission, it subsequently emerged that three Australian personnel were on board the US attack submarine responsible for the deaths of 87 sailors in the strike on the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka. Absurdly, Albanese asserted that Australian personnel did not participate “in any offensive action against Iran” despite being part of a crew responsible for the lethal exercise. There were “long-standing third-country arrangements that have been in place for long periods of time, and what they do is ensure that Australian Defence personnel, where there are embedded in third countries’ defence assets, they act in accordance with Australian law, Australian policy, and that is, of course, taking place across the board.” Middle power nonsense, at its best.
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Carney — “In an era of rupture in the global order, middle powers like ours must step up…”
We are not middle powers.
We are dependants.
Subordinates.
Subjects.
Underlings.
Minions.
But there is one genuine middle power in the world at the moment that can hold its head high:
Iran.
And if there’s one thing we underlings hate, it’s being shown up for the lap-dogs we are.
Steve:
Totally agree. Who would have thought that authoritarian leaders of Russia and China are being out “authoritarian” by autocratic Western leaders.
This constant harping on the presence of two or three Australian personnel on that submarine is starting to get up my nose.
Whatever their role on that vessel, they would have played no part in the decision to fire on the IRIS Dena. They would not have been part of the chain of command. What were they supposed to do, even assuming – which we do not and can not know for a fact – that they were cognisant of the USAnian intention to fire that torpedo at an innocent unarmed vessel: attempt to stage a mutiny?
Dr Kampmark
Your ‘sneering’ is duly noted. Your disdain for Mark Carney’s middle power pushback means a preference for the man babie’s bullyboy tactics.
NO, I did not like your sneering article – it distroyed my respect for your normally well thought out comtributions.i
Stephen Bowler, you referred to Carney’s “middle power pushback” as though it’s something to be admired.
But I see no pushback.
Moralising rhetoric is not pushback.
If Canada and Australia were to declare the US and Israel are guilty of war crimes, we could call that pushback.
If Canada and Australia announced withdrawal from military alliances with the US, we could call that pushback.
If they announced a suspension of all economic ties to Israel, we could call that pushback.
If they announced a proposed joint motion to have the US ejected from the UN, we could call that pushback.
Until Carney and Albanese get their priorities right, we should all sneer.
Well said, sadly the “middle powers”, will always be middle powers, the knee bending is ingrained.
@ Steve, ajogrady: Agreed. NO-GO-ALBO has clearly demonstrated that his personal preference to replace Little Johnnie Howard as the longest serving Prim Monster since Menzies (the WWI draft dodger), so national priorities must be tempered to suit the idiocy of TACO Trumpery & his too many imperialist brain f@rts favouring the best interests of American multinational corporations at every expense to American taxpayers.
However thinking that NO-GO=ALBO would countermand the professional whingeing 19th century Viennese ZIONAZI philosophy, that has entangled the ancient Judaism theology, by pointing any finger ”at the outlawry of Israel and the US” is unrealistic thank to the too many ”political donations” that have purchased Australian LABOR complicity.
According to LABOR, it is quite OK for Butcher Bibi, the amoral ZIONAZI Knesset & the even more amoral IDF, to assassinate 70,000+ Indigenous Palestinian landholders in A Hannibal Directive operation, to gain ownership of the lands coveted since the Judaism followers were taken in chains to Babylon ….. millennia ago.
Now just move on to demolishing Lebanon the same way and the pipedream of ”Greater Isrevil” between the Nile and Euphrates is one offensive action closer, thanks to the profits achieved by American armaments manufacturers at American Taxpayer expense.
@ Ieefe
You are absolutely right, those Australian sailors serving on the US sub would not have been a part of the command chain. But, that is the point; and I believe it is the point Binoy is making.
They’re being a part of that crew makes Australia a part of an attack on an Iranian asset, and so a part of this illegal war – a part of Trump and Mileikowski’s (aka Netanyahu) wet dream. It dumps Australia in a war of Trump’s choosing. AUKUS takes away Australia’s autonomy. Labor was throwing away our autonomy by signing up to AUKUS and in particular embedding Australian service personnel in the armed forces of a violent, psychopathic, rogue nation. That is what I believe is the foundation for Binoy’s “the inability of middle powers to sever the yanking chain of superpower submission…” as it applies to Australia.
@Steve
On your comments on ‘pushback’ and ‘sneering’ I absolutely agree, well said. Talk is cheap, particularly talk to your audience is cheap. Mark Carney’s speech at Davos was brave, it was spot on, and it would have been an absolute winner in Canada. I might be being unfair on Carney, as I’ve only read the headlines of what he said in Australia, but standing in absolute unison with what Albanese is saying is just giving tacit support for Trump. I saw a report that now that he is back in Canada, he has ‘Canada will never participate’ in this illegal war. He was a guest here in Australia but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have said that here.
Thommo, thanks for mentioning Carney’s speech at Davos.
It was very good, as you say.
And good to see that he is backing that up now in Canada.
But we have to ask how genuine or determined he is on those points.
As you point out, even though he was a guest here, he could have quite easily taken a harder line without causing offence.
With his background in Big Banking, I have my doubts about him, but we’ll see in the next few months.
There’s a lot of re-arranging going on.
Cheers.
Remember the same author is linked to Wikileaks that received rhe DNC email dump via Trump’s ecosystem (alleged to be the fragrant Farage when visiting the Ecuador Embassy, Mother Jones).
The same had Russian GRU fingerprints all over it (ByLine Times UK); the more recent Epstein partial and curated DOJ dump was similar too.
Including mostly anodyne low level and granular communications, that are sufficient to create a narrative that focuses upon outer circles ad centrists, but disappears the inner circle elites and actual perps….
Another gutless comment from Andrew Smith.
All smear and innuendo, but devoid of substance.
Just to confirm the existence of a middle power that can hold its head high, here’s the Quote Of The Day, from Alireza Tangsiri, Commander of the IRGC Navy:
“We guarantee the security of any oil tanker, under any flag, that can convince an American destroyer to escort it through the Strait of Hormuz.”
So for Carney and Albanese, that’s what a genuine middle power looks like.
Note to the underarm Bowler; your posts, by virtue of their grammatical errors – NO, babie’s, distroyed, comtributions, i – fail the test of integrity and careful comment. The fact that your recent offerings in these pages, only two at last count, were both characterised by a type of snivelling & carping approach to the authors of the essays commented upon is noted. Lift your game, son. Try to do better. Nobody appreciates a whinger.