The General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Rev Prof Dr Jerry Pillay has issued a blunt criticism of the actions of the United States for their attacks in Venezuela. It begins,
“The attacks conducted by the United States of America in Venezuela and the capture and detention of President Maduro and his wife are stunningly flagrant violations of international law. These actions set a dangerous precedent and example for others who seek to shrug off all constraints against the use of armed aggression and brute force to achieve political objectives.”
It goes on to make the important point that,
“In these dangerous and uncertain times, the world needs wise and courageous leaders for peace, rather than the proliferation of conflicts and the normalization of international illegality risking a deeper descent into chaos.”
Unfortunately, while both Labor and the LNP support ever increasing ties to US foreign and military policy, we are not likely to see such leadership from these two major parties. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and Opposition Foreign Affairs spokesperson Michaelia Cash have welcomed what they call Nicolas Madura’s capture according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
While the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, in The Guardian stated “We continue to support international law and a peaceful, democratic transition in Venezuela that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people,” there was no criticism of the United States flagrant violations of that law.
Only the Greens, Defence spokesperson, David Shoebridge, has used language that reflected that used by the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches when according to the Guardian he ‘alleged the kidnapping of the president was a gross breach of international law, and “continues the world on a dangerous path of lawless aggression”’.
It is clear that neither the Labor Party nor the LNP can conceptualise an Australia in which foreign policy is decided independent of white major colonial powers. This is what gives AUKUS its tremendous emotional power over the politicians of both major parties. No amount of rational debate, or the pointing out of facts, is having any effect on those politicians. They remain locked into a racist colonial and imperial vision in which right is might, especially when the mighty are white.
It leads eventually to the situation in which the US can invade another country and detain its president to protect its oil interests, and the leaders of our major parties either applaud or offer no words of criticism.
In such situations it is important for civil society including the churches to take a lead in creating such an alternate vision.
The statement from the World Council of Churches ends with a quote from Psalm 34:14
“Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”
What does seeking peace and pursue it look like in the Australian context?
A couple of years ago, the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) conducted a community survey looking at this question and released an important document entitled Charting Our Own Course: Questioning Australia’s involvement in US led wars and the Australia-United States Alliance – A People’s Inquiry. APCVA’s Peter Catt was one of the contributing authors. This is a good starting point for pursuing peace in Australia.
Since the release of the report IPAN has also been clear about the danger which AUKUS represents as it ties us more tightly to the foreign policy of a belligerent and increasingly irrational superpower. In many ways this situation is not new: the old Testament prophets warned against trusting in chariots and doing deals with the superpowers of the day, for example Egypt.
Rather scripture attests to a steadfast God who in the words of Psalm 34 sees and hears those who try to act rightly, as they pursue the way of peace.
Len Baglow
