Wall Of Silence
News that two Australian sailors were aboard the US submarine that sank an Iranian vessel pisses me off no end and raises troubling questions about Australia’s quiet involvement in a war the public was never consulted about. The two sailors were on the US submarine as part of an AUKUS submarine training program, according to Nine News. If Australian personnel participated in an operation that attacked Iranian forces, Australians deserve immediate and full transparency about our country’s role, who authorised it, and under what legal framework it occurred.
Instead, we’re copping the now familiar wall of silence. Wong, Marles, and All-American-Albo are saying as little as possible while hoping the story fades from public attention. When Australian service members are involved in lethal military actions alongside the United States, the Australian public has a right to know exactly what is being done in our name.
The issue is not the sailors themselves. Australian personnel routinely serve on exchange postings with allied forces and carry out assigned duties. The responsibility sits with political leadership in Canberra. If Australian sailors were on a submarine that attacked an Iranian vessel, the government must explain whether Australia had prior knowledge, endorsed the action, and whether Australian personnel were involved in the decision-making or execution of the strike, along with other important questions that do not come to mind now because I am way too old, angry and tired.
They were quick to offer political support for US and Israeli military actions in the region, but that eagerness now sits uneasily beside the reluctance to explain Australia’s own participation. You cannot cheer from the sidelines while pretending you have no role in what is happening on the field.
Australians have been dragged into conflicts before under vague language like “alliance obligations” and “shared security interests”. The details emerge only later, long after political decisions have been made and consequences have begun to unfold. If Australian sailors were involved in sinking an Iranian ship, the government owes the public immediate clarity, not carefully worded evasions.
At the very least, the country deserves an honest answer to a simple question: how did Australian personnel end up on a submarine firing on Iran, and why were Australians not told?
To ensure I’m able to keep sharing my thoughts as clearly as possible despite my gradual cognitive decline, I’ve started relying on Grammarly to polish sentence structure, improve clarity and conciseness (helping rein in my tendency to ramble a bit), suggest words when they slip my mind, and ensure each post stays true to my own natural tone and voice. I write it, Grammarly fixes it. Respect for the reader.
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