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Silence In The Face Of Fascism Is Complicity: Australia Must Speak Up

Writer's picture: Gregory AndrewsGregory Andrews

Everyone learns early on that bullies thrive when we back down. It’s no different in foreign policy: when we appease authoritarianism and human rights abuses, we become complicit. This is why Australia - and the rest of the democratic world - needs to speak up now against fascist leanings of the MAGA movement in the United States. We must show the same courage and ethical conviction that Right Rev. Mariann Budde demonstrated at the inaugural prayer service in Washington when she publicly challenged Donald Trump’s bigotry towards LGBTQI+ people and immigrants.


As Australia’s former national focal point for the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) - a position dedicated to preventing genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity - I learned about and worked on the risks of overlooking early warning signs. With Trump’s MAGA ideology continuing to gain traction in the US, it is crucial that Australia step forward and say, “No, that’s not OK.”


Lessons from History


The lead-up to WWII reminds us of the devastating costs of appeasement. Adolf Hitler’s rise was not inevitable; it was enabled by everyday Germans swayed by propaganda and wealthy business people and international leaders who feared confrontation and retribution. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s policies of appeasement emboldened the Nazis and helped set the stage for catastrophe. The subsequent Nuremberg Trials reinforced that silence in the face of fascism is complicity - an enduring principle woven into the R2P doctrine at the United Nations. But commitment alone is never enough; prevention demands sustained bravery and action.


American Democracy Under Threat


Long regarded as a beacon of democracy, the United States now faces a dangerous rise of authoritarianism, fascism, and plutocracy. High-profile attendance by the world’s richest men at Trump’s inauguration and Elon Musk’s Nazi-style salutes are alarming signs. From attacks on democratic norms to the spread of hate speech aimed at minorities, the Trump movement echoes grim patterns of 1930s Germany. Normalisation of xenophobia, white supremacy, voter suppression, and anti-democratic rhetoric should be setting off alarm bells for Australia and the global community.


The Lemkin Institute - a genocide prevention body - issued a Red Flag Alert in response to Musk’s reported Nazi gestures, warning of the deep symbolic resonance with fascist ideologies. His dismissive, inflammatory response, as covered by Radio France International, only amplifies the urgency of speaking out. Silence in the face of such behaviours is not neutrality; it’s a form of endorsement.


The Moral Clarity and Imperative


Donald Trump has already pardoned almost all of those convicted in the January 6th assault. Combined with his executive actions and rhetoric targeting Greenland, Panama, Canada, migrants, transgender people, and his expansion of the death penalty, this should compel allies like Australia to speak out. Doing nothing normalises these extremes. And once embedded in the United States, they can ripple across borders.


Australia should stand against these developments - not out of animosity, but out of a steadfast commitment to democracy, justice, human rights, and peace. And because we need to be honest with our friends. As underscored by R2P, halting the spread of potential atrocities begins with confronting hateful ideologies at their source.


While pacifism can stem from a well-intentioned moral stance, it can also come from fear of retribution. But like the bullies in the school yard though, it is perilous to give way to abuse and injustice. We’ve seen how bigotry and tyranny grow when good people remain silent. Early, forceful action could have avoided the Hollocaust and saved millions of lives.


In the face of rising authoritarianism, our voice matters. Remaining silent doesn't absolve us; it makes us part of the problem. Australia's foreign policy approach to the US must shift to embody the integrity and courage Rev. Mariann Budde displayed on day one of the MAGA era. She took the stage at the inaugural prayer service to respectfully and firmly challenge Donald Trump’s harmful rhetoric.

Yes, I used AI to generate this image of a kangaroo telling its friend an Amerian bald eagle like it is.

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