{"postID":135485598,"cachedAt":719886022.70974803,"updatedAt":719886022.70974302,"content":{"type":"doc","content":[{"type":"captionedImage","content":[{"type":"image2","attrs":{"topImage":false,"srcNoWatermark":null,"bytes":913953,"href":null,"internalRedirect":null,"fullscreen":null,"belowTheFold":false,"src":"https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/f90c6a72-a312-404c-a975-364f33653d99_1080x565.png","title":null,"width":1080,"type":"image\/png","height":565,"imageSize":null,"resizeWidth":null,"alt":null}}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"type":"text","text":"Listen to a reading of this article (reading by Tim Foley)","marks":[{"type":"link","attrs":{"target":"_blank","href":"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/going_rogue\/the-star-spangled-kangaroo","class":"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"}},{"type":"em"}]},{"type":"text","text":":"}]},{"type":"soundcloud","attrs":{"thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/i1.sndcdn.com\/artworks-2MJyYlWT4AsyQKdC-9YFTNA-t500x500.jpg","title":"The Star-Spangled Kangaroo by Caitlin Johnstone","author_name":"Caitlin Johnstone","targetUrl":"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/going_rogue\/the-star-spangled-kangaroo","description":"A new US warship has been ushered into service in Sydney. The ship is called the USS Canberra to honor the military union of the United States and Australia, and, if that's still too subtle for you, it has a literal star-spangled kangaroo affixed to its side. \n\nReading by Tim Foley.","author_url":"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/going_rogue","url":"https:\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1575470470"}},{"type":"button","attrs":{"text":"Subscribe now","class":null,"url":"https:\/\/www.caitlinjohnst.one\/subscribe?","action":"checkout_url"}},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"type":"text","text":"A new US warship has been "},{"type":"text","text":"ushered into service","marks":[{"type":"link","attrs":{"class":"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor","href":"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2023\/jul\/22\/uss-canberra-us-navy-ushers-new-warship-into-service-at-ceremony-in-sydney","target":"_blank"}}]},{"type":"text","text":" in Sydney. The ship is called the USS Canberra to honor the military union of the United States and Australia, and, if that’s still too subtle for you, it has a literal star-spangled kangaroo affixed to its side."}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"type":"text","text":"That’s right: the first US warship ever commissioned in a foreign port has been emblazoned with a kangaroo covered in the stars and stripes of the United States flag. An Australian officer will reportedly always be part of the staff of the ship, to further symbolize the holy matrimony between Australia and the US war machine."}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"type":"text","text":"“I can think of no better symbol of this shared future than the USS Canberra,” "},{"type":"text","text":"gushed","marks":[{"type":"link","attrs":{"class":"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor","href":"https:\/\/au.usembassy.gov\/ambassador-kennedy-speech-uss-canberra-commissioning\/","target":"_blank"}}]},{"type":"text","text":" US ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy. “Built by American workers at an Australian company in Mobile, Alabama, her crew will always include a Royal Australian Navy sailor, and from today forward, she will proudly display a star-spangled kangaroo.”"}]},{"type":"captionedImage","content":[{"type":"image2","attrs":{"topImage":false,"srcNoWatermark":null,"bytes":223351,"href":null,"internalRedirect":null,"fullscreen":null,"belowTheFold":false,"src":"https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/9266a5ec-1d5c-445e-b64a-0d403dcbc19e_498x589.png","title":null,"width":498,"type":"image\/png","height":589,"imageSize":null,"resizeWidth":null,"alt":null}},{"type":"caption","content":[{"type":"text","text":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USEmbAustralia\/status\/1684072620625629184","marks":[{"type":"link","attrs":{"target":"_blank","class":null,"href":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USEmbAustralia\/status\/1684072620625629184"}}]}]}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"type":"text","text":"And you know what? She’s right. Not because of her giddy joy over the complete absorption of Australia into the US military apparatus of course — that’s a horrifying nightmare which is increasingly "},{"type":"text","text":"putting this nation on track","marks":[{"type":"link","attrs":{"target":"_blank","href":"https:\/\/www.caitlinjohnst.one\/p\/on-war-with-china-australia-is-caught","class":"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"}}]},{"type":"text","text":" toward a frontline role in Washington’s war plans against China. But she’s right that the star-spangled kangaroo and the ship which carries it is a perfect symbol for the way these two nations have become inseparably intertwined."}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"type":"text","text":"In fact, I’d take it a step further. I’d say the star-spangled kangaroo should be the new symbol for our entire nation."}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"type":"text","text":"I mean, we might as well, right? Australia is "},{"type":"text","text":"not a sovereign nation","marks":[{"type":"link","attrs":{"target":"_blank","href":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IER2SGbjCWo","class":"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"}}]},{"type":"text","text":" in any meaningful way; we’re "},{"type":"text","text":"functionally a US military\/intelligence asset","marks":[{"type":"link","attrs":{"target":"_blank","class":"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor","href":"https:\/\/consortiumnews.com\/2023\/03\/15\/caitlin-johnstone-australias-real-fear-isnt-china\/"}}]},{"type":"text","text":", and "},{"type":"text","text":"according","marks":[{"type":"link","attrs":{"target":"_blank","class":"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor","href":"https:\/\/www.minister.defence.gov.au\/speeches\/2022-07-12\/address-center-strategic-and-international-studies-csis"}}]},{"type":"text","text":" to our defence minister Richard Marles our own military is being moved “beyond interoperability to interchangeability” with the US war machine so they can “operate seamlessly together, at speed.”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"type":"text","text":"The US "},{"type":"text","text":"imprisons","marks":[{"type":"link","attrs":{"target":"_blank","href":"https:\/\/www.caitlinjohnst.one\/p\/the-assange-case-explained-simply","class":"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"}}]},{"type":"text","text":" Australian journalist Julian Assange for exposing US war crimes like he’s the personal property of the Pentagon, and when the US doesn’t like our Prime Minister because he’s "},{"type":"text","text":"too keen on Australian independence","marks":[{"type":"link","attrs":{"target":"_blank","class":"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor","href":"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2014\/oct\/23\/gough-whitlam-1975-coup-ended-australian-independence"}}]},{"type":"text","text":" or "},{"type":"text","text":"perceived as too friendly with China","marks":[{"type":"link","attrs":{"target":"_blank","class":"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor","href":"https:\/\/www.wsws.org\/en\/articles\/2020\/06\/24\/coup-j24.html"}}]},{"type":"text","text":", they simply replace him with another one."}]},{"type":"captionedImage","content":[{"type":"image2","attrs":{"topImage":false,"srcNoWatermark":null,"bytes":337230,"href":null,"internalRedirect":null,"fullscreen":null,"belowTheFold":false,"width":447,"title":null,"src":"https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/1da69139-2fa6-4ec2-9607-86f6467d06ca_447x506.png","type":"image\/png","height":506,"imageSize":null,"resizeWidth":null,"alt":null}},{"type":"caption","content":[{"type":"text","text":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PeterCronau\/status\/1684081574596464640?s=20","marks":[{"type":"link","attrs":{"class":null,"href":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PeterCronau\/status\/1684081574596464640?s=20","target":"_blank"}}]}]}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"type":"text","text":"We even "},{"type":"text","text":"found out recently","marks":[{"type":"link","attrs":{"class":"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor","href":"https:\/\/www.caitlinjohnst.one\/p\/australians-arent-allowed-to-know","target":"_blank"}}]},{"type":"text","text":" that Australians are not permitted to know if the US is bringing nuclear weapons into this country. That is a secret the US keeps from all of us, and our government respects their privacy on the matter."}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"type":"text","text":"So I think the star-spangled kangaroo is an entirely appropriate symbol for this country. Put it on our flag. Put it on our money. Put it on all our warships and planes, and on every military uniform. When you walk into an Australian government building, Yankarooey (or whatever stupid Aussie nickname we make up for the thing to mask our own cognitive dissonance) should be the first thing everyone sees."}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"type":"text","text":"Undignified? Certainly. Humiliating? Absolutely. An admission that Australia is not a real nation? Of course. But at least it would be honest. If we’re going to act like Washington’s subservient basement gimp, we may as well dress the part."}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"type":"text","text":"______________"}]},{"type":"subscribeWidget","content":[{"type":"ctaCaption","content":[{"type":"text","text":"Caitlin’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber."}]}],"attrs":{"url":"https:\/\/www.caitlinjohnst.one\/subscribe?","text":"Subscribe"}},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"type":"text","text":"All my work is free to bootleg and use in any way, shape or form; republish it, translate it, use it on merchandise; whatever you want. 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If you want to read more you can ","marks":[{"type":"em"}]},{"type":"text","text":"buy my books","marks":[{"type":"link","attrs":{"class":"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor","href":"https:\/\/caityjohnstone.medium.com\/books-by-caitlin-johnstone-a5a5e6f71772","target":"_blank"}},{"type":"em"}]},{"type":"text","text":". The best way to make sure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list ","marks":[{"type":"em"}]},{"type":"text","text":"on Substack","marks":[{"type":"link","attrs":{"class":"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor","href":"https:\/\/caitlinjohnstone.substack.com\/","target":"_blank"}},{"type":"em"}]},{"type":"text","text":", which will get you an email notification for everything I publish. For more info on who I am, where I stand, and what I’m trying to do with this platform, ","marks":[{"type":"em"}]},{"type":"text","text":"click here","marks":[{"type":"link","attrs":{"class":"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor","href":"https:\/\/caitlinjohnstone.com\/about\/","target":"_blank"}},{"type":"em"}]},{"type":"text","text":". All works co-authored with my husband Tim Foley.","marks":[{"type":"em"}]}]},{"type":"captionedImage","content":[{"type":"image2","attrs":{"topImage":false,"srcNoWatermark":null,"bytes":null,"href":null,"internalRedirect":null,"fullscreen":null,"belowTheFold":false,"width":417,"title":null,"src":"https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/d8420b38-606b-4c7a-b653-52f1ed12b2fa_417x194.jpeg","type":null,"height":194,"imageSize":null,"resizeWidth":null,"alt":null}}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"type":"text","text":"Bitcoin donations: 1Ac7PCQXoQoLA9Sh8fhAgiU3PH"}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"type":"text","text":"Featured image via Department of Defense"}]}]}}