This morning, the Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group distributed the following Anzac Day
statement at the 8 Hour Monument in Melbourne:
http://melbacg.wordpress.com/2014/04/25/gallipoli-never-again/ Please feel free to
distribute this further. As next year is the 100th anniversary, expect an unprecedented
deluge of nationalist and militarist propaganda. ---- Gallipoli 1915 ---- World War I was
a crime against humanity, where two great imperial alliances clashed over their spheres of
interest, fighting about territories, markets and resources. The Gallipoli landing was a
failed venture for Britain and its dominions. On 25 April, British, Australian and other
imperialist troops landed on a Turkish beach. The idea was to break through and take
Istanbul, but they were bottled up by Turkish forces and, by the following January, sent
packing. It was a waste of over 110,000 lives, a pointless massacre which was followed by
more bloodshed when the Anzacs went to fight Germany on the Western Front.
After Gallipoli
The blood of the Anzacs, however, has been useful for some. Ever since WWI, Australian
governments have made propaganda about the supposedly unique nobility of the Anzacs in
order to sanctify the wars in which they fought. In recent years, they have even taken to
claiming they fought for ?freedom and democracy?, a lie that wouldn?t have washed at the
time. Back then, soldiers were told they were fighting for ?God, King and Empire?. They
were honest about the King and Empire part, but even then, the idea that soldiers on both
sides could be fighting for the same God was hard to explain.
Gallipoli Today
Today, sentimental images of Anzac heroes are brought out every April in Australia, to
build support for Australian imperialism and to foster militarism. With the old Diggers
dead and gone (and therefore not in a position to speak inconvenient opinions like
opposition to war), the eyes of Australian governments are on using the Anzacs to sanctify
current and future wars. Don?t think about which country Australia is invading, or whether
the war is justified and especially don?t think about how many brown people they are
killing. Instead, just marvel at the heroism and sacrifice of anyone who will pick up a
gun for Australian imperialism.
Gallipoli Never Again
As long as the image of the Australian military can never be publicly impugned, it will
never be possible to defeat an Australian government?s imperialist war. As John Howard
showed with the Iraq War, a Prime Minister can defy public opinion in order to start the
war and rely on militarism to undercut opposition after that. The working class, however,
has no country. Neither the Anzacs of 1915 nor the Australian military of 2014 are ?our
troops?. We must reject nationalism and militarism and prevent Australian governments ever
again sending young people out to kill and die for Australian imperialism.
SAY NO TO MILITARISM
Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group
25 April 2014
Related Link: http://www.melbacg.wordpress.com
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