We live in a global community, and many of us enjoy the benefits. A far greater number have no such enjoyment, existing in disadvantage; in poverty, hunger, homelessness, oppression, violence of one kind or another- preventable travesties.
Worse still, unacceptable numbers of our kin exist in dispossession, statelessness, destruction, mutilation, despair, death. And the privileged of the global community watch these obscenities in horror, disbelief, despair, rage, feeling powerless or, perhaps, apathetic. Well-meaning but self-emasculating politicians comfort themselves with sensitive and tactful words of diplomacy. And the world progresses from one parlous state to a more perilous one heralding the spectre of a yet-worse cataclysm. The human decency of universalism is sacrificed by the cowardice and ineptitude of human immaturity, and the precipitating allegiances to personal security and imagined gain.
We are, perhaps, at the most significant crossroads humanity has yet confronted. Three benighted heads of nations, tragic, narcissistic, psychopathic bullies — Trump, Putin and Netanyahu — are exercising power well in excess of their remit, coercing and controlling their own people and violating sovereign nations.
Diplomacy doesn’t work with narcissistic, psychopathic bullies. If bullying behaviour isn’t called out and disallowed, it continues, worsens and corrupts everything around it. Appeasement is not a valid option. Acceding to demands and coercion is not a valid option. Responding with violence is not a valid option; that merely validates violence and produces more violence.
Concerted, courageous non-violent resistance is called for. And much of the world is not calling; not speaking or acting with efficacy against this evil. Ideally, sanctions must bite deeply and immediately. The world is three years late, and has lost tens of thousands of precious lives. Complete isolation of the recalcitrant leaders from the rest of the nations may be the only way to eliminate unacceptable behaviour. Such isolation carries huge economic and social cost to all parties involved. But what price a life of freedom and dignity for all?
Of concern to us in Australia should be the pathetic responses of Peter Dutton who meekly stated, ‘Trump is plain wrong’, and Albanese who refuses to make any comment at all about Trump. With the imminent election, both want to sound reasonable and not offend voters. They also don’t want to offend the US which was once a strong ally, but is now aligning with Russia and Israel, all guilty of genocide and war crimes. Because of Trump’s psychic sickness, he is the only important person in the world.
By extension, as president of the United States of America, the US is the only important country in the world. Trump believes himself to be a Christian. But his behaviour and that of his followers are not those of Christ. Netanyahu is the leader of the Jewish people of Israel, but his actions are not those of a man of God. Putin demonstrates no interest in any god other than himself.
Our political leaders mouth the timid words “we will agree where we can and differ where we must”, but their lack of action seems to be saying that being bullied is acceptable. They are yet to advise Trump that while the US is unashamedly aligned with genocidal Russia and Israel, we choose to no longer be aligned to the US.
To demonstrate refusal to remain aligned with the now-rogue US, we need to act to terminate AUKUS, claim a sovereignty we’ve never really had and increase our spending on Australia’s security, but not for the benefit of the US or because Trump demands it. We need to look to, befriend, support and cultivate our neighbours – not out of fear or for personal benefit, but rather because we all belong to the one local family, and desire peace and mutual security. It can be argued that the US needs Australia at least as much as Australia needs the US. We do have leverage. We voluntarily host a military base, troop rotations and communications of a nation that is no longer a secure, trusted ally. One wonders why.
Many nations of the world — Australia included — have become so enmeshed with — so dependent upon — the US economically and militarily, that extricating themselves without significant negative economic and security consequences seems impossible even to contemplate. That means economics and fear of insecurity have been allowed to supplant and neutralise the inherent kindness of the human heart.
The ideal of this kindness, sometimes termed universalism, relies upon a motivation that we humans seem extremely reluctant to accept and be guided by. Sensible religion thinks of the source of this motivation as heart/soul/spirit, the rejection of which leaves us at the mercy of the only other motivation, ie, ego, arguably the cause of every malady known to humanity.
The actions of the current terrorist triplets attest to this. Every tyrant throughout history, motivated by an unsubmitted ego and leaving a trail of destruction, has come to an ignominious end. Trump will eventually come to learn that to make any nation great, we must make every nation great. If we are ever to achieve peaceful co-existence in this global community, surrender of the ego to the heart/soul/spirit is our only path. The ego sees kindness and compassion as weakness, whereas in reality it is the only true strength. To submit to our centre is to access the light of wisdom and life-giving humanity, and find the courage to say and demonstrate “no” to bullies.
John White
John White was raised in Mount Barker, Western Australia, in a traditional working family, and attended the local state school. He worked as a farmer, singer and radio broadcaster before training and working as a secondary school teacher. Later John retrained, and has worked and taught for the past forty years in psychotherapy, counselling, group dynamics, restorative justice, spiritual direction and clinical supervision. John is the author of three books – No Bars Hold (Xlibris, 2010), Uncommon Sense: Reclaiming Humanity (Coventry Press, Melbourne (2019) and Making Australia Fair: Challenging Privilege, Wealth and power (Coventry Press, 2021).
John is married to Jennifer. They have two adult children and four grandsons. John and Jennifer live in Toodyay, WA, and are active advocates for truth and justice.