Like Orwell's well-known adage that 'some animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others,' it would appear that some massacres, at least in the eyes of the Murdoch's Australian, are also more equal than others.
This could be said of Beijing's 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre as featured in Saturday's Australian. Forgive me for being cynical, and without, of course, detracting in any way from the gravity of the Tiananmen massacre itself, but I think it is safe to conclude that its commemoration in The Australian arises not from any real, heartfelt sorrow at the fate of its victims, but stems rather from the paper's enthusiastic embrace of Trump's anti-Chinese demonisation, rhetoric, and sabre-rattling:
"The first contingent of troops entered the square at about 1am on June 4. Live rounds were shot at civilians there and at other areas of central Beijing. No official death toll has been released but estimates range from several hundred to several thousand. Following the military engagement, up to 10,000 people were arrested - including most of the leaders of the protests who had refused to or were unable to flee China. Several dozen were later executed.
"The most famous, and poignant, incident to reach world attention featured 'tank man' - a lone, bespectacled figure carrying a shopping bag who walked in front of a contingent of 13 tanks that were driving west from the square on June 5. He moved sideways to try and speak to the soldiers inside before being pulled away by young men who emerged from the watching crowd - whether to rescue him or arrest him after emerging from the nearby Public Security Ministry remains unknown, as is his fate.
"Six days after the army cleared Tiananmen, Australian prime minister Bob Hawke shook with uncontrollable emotion, weeping as he addressed the huge crowd, including hundreds of Chinese students, gathered in Parliament House for a memorial service."(The ghost of Tiananmen still haunts, Rowan Callick, The Australian, 1/6/19)
But note this also:
"Renowned Sinologist John Fitzgerald... tells The Weekend Australian that while the students had an immediate impact on Australia's cities, their long-term contributions were probably more important: 'They brought Shanghai and Beijing dialects on to city streets, swelled the congregations in Pentacostal churches... " (ibid)
So why am I drawing attention to the Australian's coverage of Tiananmen?
In a word, Gaza.
The WHO estimates the still ongoing Israeli killings of Palestinians along the border fence from 30/3/18-30/3/19 at 277.
Before that came:
Operation Cast Lead (2008-09) saw the massacre of 14,000 Palestinians.
Operation Pillar of Defence (2012) saw the massacre of 100 Palestinians.
Operation Protective Edge (2014) saw the massacre of 2,200 Palestinians.
And before those came:
Operation Rainbow (2004) (with 59 Palestinian deaths accord. to HRW).
Operation Days of Penitence (2004) (with 133 Palestinian deaths accord. to B'Tselem).
Operation Summer Rains (2006) (with 416 Palestinian deaths accord. to B'Tselem).
Operation Autumn Clouds (2006) (with 53 Palestinian deaths (?)).
Operation Hot Winter (2008) (with 54 Palestinian deaths accord. to B'Tselem).
And before those came:
Operation Defensive Shield in the West Bank (2002) (with 497 Palestinian deaths accord. to the UN Secretary General).
All of the above within this century.
No need, even to cite the casualties of the First Intifada (1987-1993) estimated, for the record, at between 1,162 -1,204 Palestinian deaths.
And so I wonder, rhetorically, has any Australian politician ever cried publicly for these Palestinian victims of Israeli guns, rockets, tanks, planes and warships? Have any ever wept in private?
Is there not a rank stench of hypocrisy in all of this?
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9 comments:
Of course no Australian politician sheds a tear for, or even genuinely cares about the Palestinians, except with the notable exceptions of Lee Rhiannon and Melissa Parke. For the apparatchiks of the Anglo Zionist Empire, the brave people of Gaza and the West Bank are unpeople. They are only mentioned when the toady's in Canberra robotically state: 'Israel has the right to defend itself'. Hypocrisy is almost too mild a word.
Totally in agreement, MERC. The stench of western hypocrisy is almost unbearable!
I don't know the truth about what happened in Tiananmen Square. I do know not to trust the news organs that promulgated the stories of thousands massacred, because they have consistently and provably lied to us on other matters and because they (or their masters) had a vested interest in pillorying the Chinese government. Here is another view:
https://www.globalresearch.ca/what-really-happened-in-tiananmen-square-25-years-ago/5385528
Again let me repeat, I don't know what happened and how many died, and who started the violence. I just know not to trust the sources of the massacre story. But going back to your theme, MERC, I will start to take notice of these news organs again when they report the violence perpetrated on an ongoing basis to the people of Gaza.
Gezzah,
Don't forgot Josh Wilson member for Fremantle and WA Senator Sue Lines, who both got it in the neck in April for comments they made critical of Israel at the WA Labor Friends of Palestine launch.
Both have proved to have backbones because neither has recanted nor sought forgiveness for speaking the truth - although each kept their heads down during the fall-out and did not publically defend their statements.
Blatan conspiracy to commit genocide more appropriate in my book.
Right on Gazzah!
Imagine the howls of rage around the world and the instant reaction if any other country did anything remotely like this to the indigenous population.
some massacres are indeed more equal and more tolerated than others. Remember the Sharpeville massacre in apartheid South Africa?
How and why does the Bandit State get a free pass?
I note that the ABC is having a Tiananmen binge. I counted three articles on the ABC website in the last couple of days. All, of course, giving the official line on the Tiananmen Square event.
Thanks for that Monk. I hardly follow Aussie politics at all, let alone look at any mainstream media (too stomach churning apart from being a pack of cow dung) so didn't know about Josh Wilson or Sue Lines. The sycophancy of nearly all Aussie politicians defending a war criminal, mass murdering apartheid state is completely shameful. Any other country (apart from United States and UK) and there would be howls of outrage and buckets of crocodile tears.
Clearly the Zionist enterprise was and is doomed to fail from the start. It is only a question of how long and how many lives will be destroyed in the process.
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