Australia's dominant political class continues to bully those who resist the imposition of their style of democracy

I first heard news of Fiji's expulsion of Australia's and New Zealand's High Commissioners on ABC News Breakfast. There was vision of Stephen Smith, the Labor Government's Minister For Foreign Affairs, gazing grimly into the camera, warning that drastic action would be taken against Fiji's military rulers for this latest desecration of the democratic order. Prime Minister Rudd later warned that his government would not tolerate 'this coup culture to spread elsewhere in the Pacific' obviously meaning there were signs that other Pacific Island nations were not too happy with the imposition of Australia's particular brand of the democratic order.

I wonder whether it has occurred to Kevin Rudd and his mates that there could be fault on the side of the Australian government, that Fijians and other Pacific Islanders have genuine issues with Australia's rigid political ideology, and that that ideology is not conducive to the culture and customs of those tiny nations, that the Islanders are not a bunch of primitives that need constant preaching from the ideologues presently trashing Australia's way of life with legislation got up behind the scenes with scarce input from the ordinary Australian - our democracy in action.

Credit is due to ABC News Breakfast's anchors, Joe O'Brien and Virginia Trioli (at least while I was watching), for not immediately resorting to the usual inflammatory rhetoric when Fiji's unlawful 'junta' is given to its primitive ways. Indeed, they were rather subdued. May be it was because they (on their own account) were receiving a flood of emails from Fijians and other Islanders telling Australia to get the hell out of their business.

How dare Fijians resist the political wisdom of Australia's dominant political class. How dare they resist the salvific promise of the looming charter of rights legislation and the Victorian government's equal opportunity legislation. What ingratitude if those ignorant people refuse the enlightened way Australia's foremost human rights lawyers are blazing for them.

Australia's High Commissioner expelled

Australian expels Fiji diplomat in retaliation

Comment: gerard@gerardcharleswilson.com