Margie Pestorius

Boeing, the Pentagon and Australian-based Propaganda Units

Wage Peace friends have been out disrupting the US propaganda machine because the weapons companies are pushing for war

On 6 September 2023 our friends interrupted this public lecture. General Mick Ryan is there at the lectern. He’s an ex-ADF General – now a #USPropagandist – and he’s about to tell people about why we must prepare for war by buying more US weapons.

ALP stalwart Paul Lucas moves in. But even 30 minutes later we were still there telling an alternative story about what is going on!

greg holds 'US propaganda' banner next to Mick ryan at public lecture

Watch on YouTube as we disrupt his latest propaganda engagement.

#BewareBoeingsWars Boeing is a weapons company

Our friends also attended Boeing slowly walking up to their suburban location in Brisbane. We prevented the weapons dealers arriving for work. Beware Boeing’s wars we warned. Boeing is a weapons company. With BAE, Thales, and General Dynamics, Boeing is pushing for war while taking the big bucks from Australians. #EarthCareNotWarfare

Keep watching. Keep speaking up. You are all making a difference when you talk about what weapons companies are doing.

Watch this short video as we present the neighbourhood with the reality of having the third biggest weapons company in the world in their residential area.

#USPropaganda

Boeing couldn’t have a better friend than General Mick Ryan. He’s always suggesting Australia buy more weapons from the United States. (Which is one of the reasons we suspect him as a propagandist).

At Mick’s lecture we discovered another connection between the University of Queensland (UQ) and the Pentagon’s propaganda arrangements.

Turns out Ryan was being shepherded by the deputy head of “Defence” and “Space” Research at UQ, Greta Nabbs-Keller. Dr Nabbs-Keller has a history as an ADF “intelligence” officer. She is a Bahasa Indonesian speaker. She is also director of the “Hypersonics Program” research at UQ that Boeing is central to.

In his introduction ALP stalwart Paul Lucas acknowledged Nabbs-Keller for her UQ position. It appears she set this lecture up. Is she on the propaganda team too? We wonder why someone who organises research partnerships is accompanying an unpaid adjunct ‘professor’ for a novel he’s written about the “war over Taiwan”?

General Mick Ryan has been propagandising for the Military Industrial Complex (MIC) – for the Pentagon, for Empire since early 2022 (according to his LinkdIn). He’s been given ‘expert strategist’ status by the mainstream media.

We have to wonder why no other “strategist” can be found to back the Pentagon talking points he does. Whether on the payroll (he claims not) or a “useful assistant” it is unclear. He is certainly centring himself. And UQ is part of that story.

One of General Ryan’s “positions” is adjunct professor at UQ, but it’s hard to find what he researches there. Or how he got professor status as someone with a minor masters degree.

The Pentagon is the US’s Empire Department. With the mega weapons corporations, the MIC drives the plans for war. It’s good for the MIC businesses. The propaganda organisers involved teams of people operationalising the plan. They are tasked with drawing people into their pro-war scenarios. They spruik for war.

The propaganda units have to soften up and prepare populations – to build a consensus that war is a good idea. Dr Binoy Kampmark gives another view on Ryan here. And Caitlin Johnstone here.

You can make a difference with us on this – so stick with us! Tell this story and tell other stories that you see. The more you are out and about with us, the more you can help confirm these relationships.

We will be at UQ again and again over the next few weeks. Please join us if you are in Brisbane = just email us to say “I’m in”!

If you are following from afar – please use the social media amplifier effect!

We Need you to Call Out the Propagandists #USPropaganda

Label articles pushing for war, and the people who organise them #USPropaganda is pentagon propaganda. You see them – YOU label them. Tell people. Talk about it. We have to make visible what they are doing in real time.

Watch on YouTube as we disrupt Ryan’s latest propaganda engagement.

What you can do:

Retweet this almost viral tweet!
Repost that or this Facebook version and from Instagram
Start using our “slogans” as hashtags because they help frame our work: #USPropaganda #EarthCareNotWarfare and … #BewareBoeingsWars

We are ordinary people. We make a big difference when we work together. It’s all we got! Reply to us direct by email.

#EarthCareNotWarfare #USPropaganda #AUKUSwillFUKUS

Child’s Play? Militarism in the classroom

Weapons don’t just design and build themselves – they need highly-skilled people to do this.

But most of us have no intention of joining in mass murder. What’s a weapons company supposed to do?

It turns out they have lots of tricks and techniques to get hold of the people they need – and they target them younger than you might think, right in school. Or even before…

Zoe was one they tried to inveigle into the war business. Elise West from Medical Association for the Prevention of War is one of the campaigners aiming to erase weapons companies’ ability to get a hold of our kids. You’ll hear from both of them in this episode.

Produced and presented by Zelda Grimshaw and the team at Wage Peace

Links mentioned in the episode:

MAPW’s report Minors and Missiles: https://www.mapw.org.au/campaigns/weapons-companies-influence/

Gruen, Series 14, Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDGOOoPRV4Q

BAE Systems and The Smith Family: The strange case of the weapons maker and the Australian children’s charity | Paul Daley | The Guardian

UPDATE 1: since the interviews for this episode, the NSW Education Department has also designated weapons companies as not appropriate to be involved in the school classroom.

UPDATE 2: Teachers in Australia are mobilising to end militarism in our classrooms. Join the campaign here: https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/no_defence_curriculum

Find us at Wage Peace:
https://linktr.ee/wagepeace

* In loving memory of Zoe Hulme Peake. “We can imagine something better, together. *

Wage Peace Wins Global Peace Award 2023

Global anti-war organisation World Beyond War announces that Wage Peace has won the 2023 Global War Abolisher of the Year

August 28, 2023

World BEYOND War enthusiastically presents the Organizational War Abolisher of 2023 award to Wage Peace Australia. This organization is a leading global inspiration to many peace-related campaigns, including those working to close down giant arms fairs. Wage Peace Australia accurately describes its approach: “We jump on tanks, blockade weapons factories, occupy arms dealers’ offices and reclaim military bases as well as engaging in public discourse and other more conventional campaign methods.”

Please – we encourage you to watch the presentation video here. The 2023 War Abolisher Awards are on the website at https://worldbeyondwar.org/war-abolisher-awards/ .

Wage Peace Australia’s campaign to disrupt the largest weapons bazaar in Australia, the Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition, has been so successful that the arms fair will no longer return to Brisbane. It will, of course, likely be held in a different city, but if people learn from the nonviolent, educational, disruptive activism used in Brisbane, then this arms fair and every other one could be chased out of every location on the planet, leaving those whom Wage Peace Australia refers to as “Harms Dealers” nowhere to do their harming. Zelda Grimshaw, one of the coordinators of the Disrupt Land Forces mobilization, paid tribute to the communitarian spirit underlying this success:

“Wage Peace is proud to be part of a powerful community of resistance to militarism in Australia, and we are proud of the generative role we play in that community. This award recognises Wage Peace’ creative initiative in disrupting the Land Forces weapons expo. We are thrilled to accept the War Abolisher of the Year Award on behalf of the hundreds of peace-loving humans who answered our call to drive weapons companies out of Brisbane. We are grateful for the support of First Nations elders in this struggle. We are grateful for the global community connected through World Beyond War.

Now let’s cancel those nuke subs.“

Wage Peace is also involved with a campaign to resist the involvement of weapons companies in Australian education. Currently underway is a Wage Peace podcast: “Get Your Armies Off Our Bodies.” The podcast offers an accessible and fresh look a the weapons industry in Australia, presenting militarism through the eyes of Wage Peace people and their friends.

Wage Peace Australia works with peace groups in West Papua, and has helped World BEYOND War to do the same. Wage Peace Australia created the War on West Papua website. Wage Peace Australia is known for its selfless work in collaboration with other organizations. It needs to be known to a broader world.

Wage Peace Australia’s educational and activist endeavours are explicitly aimed at abolishing war, and its members do outstanding work on demilitarizing security and building a culture of peace, two pillars of World BEYOND War’s strategy for creating a global security system free of the scourge of war.

Wage Peace Australia’s Margie Pestorius, in accepting this award, said

We view people-powered disruptive action as being key to shifting the value base and bringing ordinary people into engagement on militarism, defence, war, international relations, and foreign affairs discourses.

We recognise and commemorate the Frontier Wars which rolled out across Australia from 1800 to 1930. We support people-to-people events and ceremonies that respond to the horrific violence inflicted by the British military with settler communities over 140 years. We acknowledge the strong, organised resistance of First Nations peoples in this land.

World BEYOND War is a global nonviolent movement, founded in 2014, to end war and establish a just and sustainable peace. The purpose of the awards is to honor and encourage support for those working to abolish the institution of war itself. With the Nobel Peace Prize and other nominally peace-focused institutions so frequently honoring other good causes or, in fact, wagers of war, World BEYOND War intends its awards to go to educators or activists intentionally and effectively advancing the cause of war abolition, accomplishing reductions in war-making, war preparations, or war culture. World BEYOND War received hundreds of impressive nominations. The World BEYOND War Board, with assistance from its Advisory Board, made the selections.

The awardees are honored for their body of work directly supporting one or more of the three segments of World BEYOND War’s strategy for reducing and eliminating war as outlined in the book A Global Security System, An Alternative to War. They are: Demilitarizing Security, Managing Conflict Without Violence, and Building a Culture of Peace.

No AUKUS: No Subs! The only beneficiaries are the Military Industrial Complex.

Download below!

Wage Peace and AUKUS and the Submarines

Aukus is an agreement – a “security pact” – between the governments of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States aimed at what, we don’t quite know.

Wage Peace offers a distinct perspective on AUKUS, presenting a series of insights and reflections supported by references.

This narrative encompasses layers of complexity, much of which remains submerged beneath the surface, akin to a hidden submarine. Hence, we’ve crafted an informative poster for your contemplation, ideal for mounting on your toilet door.

Submarines carry and launch nuclear missiles, standard missiles and hypersonic missiles. Missiles are bombs. The Military Industrial Complex wants more and bigger military projects because it’s good for business, and that is its business model. Big projects necessitate the corporation to be involved for a LONG time, receiving lots and lots of government money.

First Nations Land, Submarines and Nuclear Waste

We assert that the nuclear weapons corporations want Australia to take and hold ALL UK and US’s high level nuclear waste. This is not widely documented though people following the issue in the 80s and 90s know it in their bones.

First Nations people have said No! to radioactive waste on their land 6 times. So the government under direction of the nuclear corporations will regulate it as “Defence” Land.

Australians are more likely to accept a waste dump if it’s labelled “Australian” Nuclear Waste. That’s why the nuclear companies want it labelled an “Australian” Nuclear Sub.

David Hardaker of Crikey has suggested that this is a key driver of the entire “AUKUSwillFukus” deal.

Ships and Submarines and Weapons

Americans have a zillion military projects on the go. 1 trillion US dollars a year is being spent on military projects. Every electoral area in the US has military projects which make that area beholden to the Military Industrial Complex.

There’s not enough engineers in the US for their too-BIG military projects. So Australia’s tax dollars will pay for US military shipbuilding. Through AUKUS, the US has organised Australia to fund, educate and pay a workforce to build US weapons. It’s a lie that these weapons belong to Australia. And even if they did – we would be opposed to such flagrant wasteful, distasteful purchases.

Which corporations get the BIG BUCKS? General Dynamics/Electric Boat, BAE and Boeing.

Boeing develops hypersonic missiles. It is developing these in Brisbane at the University of Queensland. The Universities are being drawn into this scenario.

Each Corporation has its pet Australian university. BAE – Adelaide Boeing – Brisbane Thales – Sydney LockheedMartin – Melbourne

Big Guys on the Inside, Submarines and State Capture

Canberra is run by ‘operatives’ of BIG corporations and consultancy firms: like Crosby Textor (CT). It’s been “infiltrated”. It’s not just about lobbying – it’s been “captured”! State Capture.

Crosby Textor infiltration is a great case study that is very relevant to AUKUS. The last Prime Minister’s private secretary had been CEO for Crosby Textor. Crosby Textor also did electioneering for Boris in the UK and the LNP in Oz. AND Crosby Textor has BIG contracts with General Dynamics. It’s basically funded by General Dynamics.

Back in the 90’s, Mr Textor was pushing for nuclear waste dumps.

Revolving Doors on the Top Floor and Submarines

Oz ambassadors and defence ministers transition into weapons companies. Chris Pyne (Nioa, Elbit), Brendan Nelson (Boeing) and Kim Beazley (Lockheed Martin)

We also have US naval commanders (appropriately labelled “Swamp Monsters” by Caitlin Johnstone) sitting near the top of the Defence Department.

Propaganda Outfits with BIG BACKERS and Submarine

A bunch of “institutes” pumped with cash from billionaires push the Pentagon’s line for AUKUS alignment: CSS ASPI USSC AMCHAM AAA

Each has it’s own associated ex Defence Minister or Ambassador on its board.

E.G. Hockey at the AAA – Nelson at AMCHAM

Exporting Weapons, Components and Submarines

Australia is organising to be a BIG weapons exporter. In 2018 they announced that Australia would plan for being in the top 10 exporters of the world. It’s strange because actually they are in the top 3 or 4 importers of weapons. This is extraordinary for a country without any threats of enemies.

Australia is already the 3rd BIGGEST importer of weapons. And Australia is attempting to develop its ‘manufacturing capabilities’.

But the US won’t allow certain types of manufacturing: the necessary Intellectual Property (IP) is withheld. We are only allowed to make what the US allows, that benefits the US. This is outlined in the excellent book of Professor Clinton Fernandes – Australia a Sub-Imperial Power.

We think there is a one main thing going on there.

ENDLESS WARS bring endless profits for endless corporations.

We can tell that Australia is planning for war with China and we are heading for war – but why and how. Who is involved? And how did these submarines come to be?

We are provoking war with China to sell weapons and keep the economy going in the USA.

Because the USA is a military industrial complex.

The US with Australia is provoking war with China to avoid war with the USA.

REFERENCES

Hardaker, David. 2023 Crikey AUKUS nuclear dump deal decades in the making by players with prescience

https://www.crikey.com.au/2023/07/26/aukus-nuclear-dump-deal-decades-old/

Hardaker, David. 2023 Crikey AUKUS’ nuclear waste dump is the secret no-one talks about. So what’ll it cost?

https://www.crikey.com.au/2023/07/24/aukus-nuclear-waste-dump-cost-australia/

Introduction to State Capture in Australia https://australiandemocracy.org.au/statecapture

E6 Jangan Bunuh Kami Lagi / Stop Killing Us: West Papua Part 2

The canoe last episode that brought Adolf and 42 others to Australia, is not the only journey in solidarity between here and West Papua.

This is Izzy Brown’s story, about the Freedom Flotilla, and family connections to the West Papua campaign – including one connection that’s too close to home.

Sounds from:

Wantok Musik’s album We Have Come to Testify, Various Artists: https://wantokmusik.bandcamp.com/album/we-have-come-to-testify

Combat Wombat, Plant Dem Seeds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ1qPSvfWmw

Freedom Flotilla documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE4PjQNKIzQ

Episode links:

War on West Papua, tracking weapons sales into the territory:

waronwestpapua.org/

Freedom Flotilla: https://freedomflotillawestpapua.org/

Freedom Flotilla exchange: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8MgUSzcJmg

Investigation into ASIO and Timor Leste leaks: https://etan.org/et99c/december/1-4/01asio.htm

Reports on West Papua: https://humanrightsmonitor.org/

Filep Karma and the Citizens’ Tribunal on the Biak Massacre: https://www.biak-tribunal.org/video-testimony-filep-karma/