Arrogant west helped created Ukrainian crisis

The military industrial complex has run amok worldwide since President Eisenhower warned of its burgeoning power in 1961.

Eisenhower's successor, President Kennedy, displayed a smidgen of arrogance with the failed invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. Eisenhower's warning came to its real fulfilment later, in concert with brazen arrogance, on both sides of the East/West divide.

While the mainstream media often makes much of arrogant militarism by the eastern bloc, similar activity by the West is usually soft-pedalled or swept under the carpet; be it by France, Great Britain, or the US.

The crisis in Ukraine may have been avoided if NATO had not, in June 2021, reiterated it was still committed to that country being granted NATO membership.

A statement issued by the heads of state and government participating in the North Atlantic Council in Brussels on June 14, 2021 said: "We reiterate the decision made at the 2008 Bucharest Summit that Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance with the Membership Action Plan (MAP) as an integral part of the process ... We stand firm in our support for Ukraine's right to decide its own future and foreign policy course free from outside interference."

It went on to state that: "The success of wide-ranging, sustainable, and irreversible reforms, including combating corruption, promoting an inclusive political process, and decentralisation reform, based on democratic values, respect for human rights, minorities, and the rule of law, will be crucial [in achieving eligibility for NATO membership]".

There were some key events omitted from The Canberra Times "explainer" on the Ukraine-Russia-NATO tensions. Their inclusion would have presented a far more balanced report on this unfortunate situation.

In 1990 Gorbachev tried to negotiate no further NATO expansion towards the east. President George Bush refused.

In 1997 Yeltsin tried again. This time Clinton refused.

Not long after France, Germany and Russia all tried to prevent further NATO expansion east.

Yet again this was refused.

These failed attempts at achieving a diplomatic resolution that would have pre-empted this avoidable security crisis seems to vindicate President Putin and his claim that force is the only language the West understands.

The only way to stop Russian aggression against Ukraine is for NATO to unequivocally warn Russia that if it invades the rest of the country it will face the full force of NATO's combined might and power.

Sanctions are not enough; Vladimir Putin will just brush them off.

I appreciate this is a big call. However, Putin will listen to nothing less.

If he takes over the whole of the Ukraine the security situation in Europe will alter significantly.

It is imperative for NATO to act now and call him out.

Though not required to do so under its treaty, it should assist its neighbour in a meaningful way.

If it does not Putin will continue to walk all over the West.

In "Ukraine tensions cast a long shadow" (February 23, p5) Michael Shoebridge, of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, is quoted as saying that two authoritarian actors were seeking spheres of influence letting them dictate the choices of countries in their regions. He was referring to China and Russia, and he was correct.

But what about the other authoritarian actors, the US and the European powers which, since World War II, have sought, and in some cases are still seeking, spheres of influence to let them dictate the choices of countries all over the world?

For example, since 1945 the US has tried to militarily dictate the choices of Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Iran, and even China; none of which is located anywhere near the US.

As for the Europeans, the UK has tried to dictate the choices of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh; France has tried to dictate the choices of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos; and the Netherlands has tried to dictate the choices of Indonesia.

Of course, there have been benign actors too. For decades Australia has given some aid (but not a lot) to South Pacific island nations. How dare China now give aid to those countries, and thus weaken the influence that Australia has generated with its paltry contributions?

I wish the Australian government - and the opposition that supports it on this issue - total success in their decision to place sanctions on Russia but I doubt their effectiveness.

Any sanctions that Australia could impose would be no more than a minor irritation to a huge Russian bear on the warpath. The all-powerful President Putin would probably barely notice.

If the past performance of the Morrison government is anything to go by, Ukrainian- Australians can take little heart from assurances that Ukrainians fleeing their country will be "top of the pile" if they apply to come to Australia.

That's exactly what Mr. Morrison promised Afghan-Australians worried about their relatives fleeing the Taliban in August. However, despite repeated pleas from veterans, church groups, community leaders and the Afghan-Australian community, the Morrison government has failed to create one additional place for refugees from Afghanistan in response to the humanitarian crisis there.

In fact, since coming to office, the Morrison government has been continually reducing Australia's allocation of visas for refugees, from 18,000 to 13,750 annually. This year's intake is already oversubscribed with approved refugees waiting for entry to Australia.

Immigration Minister Hawke recently announced 10,000 places for Afghan refugees over four years, also to come from within the existing allocation.

If the government's messages of support to Ukrainian-Australians and Afghan-Australians are to amount to anything more than spin there must be extra places added to Australia's humanitarian visa program. This is what previous Australian governments - of both political persuasions - have done in response to international crises.

So far the Morrison government refuses to do this.

At our recent U3A meeting we were talking about the gothic novel in the eighteenth century, and about the way it seemed written in an attempt to convey the experience of the sublime in response to an overpowering sense of terror. People wanted to read these books.

I couldn't help thinking that what is happening between Russia and the Ukraine is evoking the same kind of emotional sequence... with Putin trying to provoke some sense of the sublime with long references to the history of the area and Russia's role in it, and military gestures which could be seen deliberately to inspire horrendous terror.

In the gothic process, this terror in some way accelerates a sense of reaching toward the sublime.

How else could he have persuaded thousands of soldiers to risk their lives in the way it looks as though they will do?

The government is once again targeting the most vulnerable people in our society. It is now hiring private detectives to spy on people suspected of not fully accounting for their pension payments. These people will then be charged with fraud and forced to pay back any outstanding amounts.

Meanwhile big businesses who received millions of dollars in financial support through JobKeeper, and refused to pay it back after making profits are not only not charged with fraud but are let off scot free.

This government had to repay millions to people as a result of its appalling Robodebt system. It is now seeking other ways to make life even more difficult for those people having to rely on government payments to exist. It's not enough to reduce the JobSeeker payment to below the poverty line; it now intends to make life impossible for all others who receive pension payments.

In reply to Penleigh Boyd (Letters, February 20), are voters aged 18 and over required to prove an interest in politics before being able to vote? Why should paying rates and car insurance be a prerequisite for voting? As young people see their elders trashing the planet and thus their futures I think their voices should be heard at the ballot box.

Everyone is hoping there can be a negotiated peaceful solution to the crisis in Ukraine and an avoidance of bloodshed on both sides. However, the prospect of war seems to have put a spring in the step of both Morrison and Dutton as they plan for the May election. Maybe they will wheel out "shirt front" Tony to make things even worse.

Australia's actions against Russia won't have any real effect because our economic engagement is so small. But of course, it is important to join in with and encourage the international response to the crisis. What a contrast with the government's cowardly unwillingness to step up in response to the climate crisis.

I see Scott Morrison has asked that visas applications for Ukrainians be put at the top the queue. I assume that means that the back log on processing visas for fleeing Afghans has been cleared.

If eastern Ukraine needs peacekeepers then why doesn't the UN and NATO step up and send in their own. After all, how could Putin object to that? Surely the extra help would be welcome.

Our PM is a hypocrite when he calls Putin a thug. Has he forgotten how we treated Iraq and Afghanistan? Or the way Israel treats the Palestinians? Is it just double standards or a bid to buy votes?

I want to hear the Chief Medical Officer tell us that with the ACT approaching 1000 new cases a day (the equivalent of 19,000 cases a day in NSW) this is the time to relax mask wearing. We don't need political COVID-19 decisions made on a "keep up with NSW" basis.

The ACT government's rollout of electric buses can proceed on schedule, despite concerns about lengthy recharging times. An Australian company, Janus electric, has developed a replaceable battery system. The system would allow an electric bus to replace to a depleted battery with a fresh one and be back on the road in only a few minutes.

Penleigh Boyd (Letters, February 20) wonders why the Greens are so keen to promote a voting age of 16. It's all about votes as those in that age group are more likely to vote for them than any other political party.

Give Senator Colbeck a break, Douglas Mackenzie (Letters, February 19). If you want to cite the bloke's key performance indicators you tell us what they should be. With responsibility for about 2700 nursing homes looking after about 190,000 people and staff numbers so short we had to call in the army to help, blaming the senator for the rise in the number of aged care deaths is about as sensible as blaming Ken Wyatt for Indigenous crime levels.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: