The outbreak of war in the Pacific, failed to deter 'Pig Iron' Bob's plans for appeasement of the Japanese. Menzies championed the idea of a "Brisbane Line" whereby Australia would cede Northern Australia to the Japanese. Many believed the plan would result in a Japanese puppet government in Canberra, Menzies may have seen himself as the Vidkun Quisling style Prime Minister of this new Australian State.

Just as Menzies was pro war in 1914/18 he failed to volunteer to fight in that war, although over 80% of eligible Australian males did so. John Howard a strident admirer of Menzies, did likewise during the Vietnam War, support the war, but fail to fight it!

SR,

Still trying to change the subject I see. Still trying to insinuate that my information comes from something you found in Quadrant I see. Oh well standard SR there.....make comic errors and double down. Prefer to look the clown than admit error.

My point was very specific. That between September 1939 and June 1941 the WWF deliberately sought to disrupt the war effort by sabotaging the loading of supply ships for Diggers fighting in the MENA region and that they did that because the WWF leadership were controlled by Moscow which was, at that time, allied to Hitler. Further that this showed that the communist union leaders were more concerned about obeying Moscow than helping fellow Australians.

Now I get that you and poor deluded Paul, unable to argue against what is established fact, but desperately wanting to hide this despicable period in union history, want to change the subject to...well anything other than that.

This period was not something western communists want to remember. There's the story of Peter Seegar, who spent 1940-41 demanding that Roosevelt stay out of the war, even issuing albums with anti-war songs. Unfortunately for him, the album was released in May 1941 and Hitler invaded in June 1941. At that point the US communists demanded Roosevelt get into the war. The album was recalled and as many copies as possible destroyed - memory-holed. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_for_John_Doe)

It is thought that the famous scene in Orwelll's 1984 where the crowd suddenly start chanting vilification at Eastasia having previously been denouncing Eurasia, comes from this period. Communists in most western countries went from denouncing the war to demanding at greater war effort virtually overnight. None of them had their own countries interest at heart. The welfare of Russia was their only concern.

No wonder you want to change the subject.

Dear mhaze,

You specifically claimed that the unions were “working on behalf of the German war machine in 1939-1941”.

What rubbish.

All you have done is double down on discredited pieces in circulation, many written around the time of the Patricks Waterfront Dispute to attack unions.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-11/stanley-australias-secret-and-unhistorical-war/5960090

Given you are so reluctant to provide evidence of any description it is most likely because it would tip your hand.

So I’m going to give you another opportunity to support your fresh claim that: “That between September 1939 and June 1941 the WWF deliberately sought to disrupt the war effort by sabotaging the loading of supply ships for Diggers fighting in the MENA region and that they did that because the WWF leadership were controlled by Moscow which was, at that time, allied to Hitler.”

As to Australian’s supporting the war during those early years many simply did not. Menzies had hoped that many of those serving with Australia’s Militias would have fleshed out the AIF ranks but he only managed to raise a single division, the 6th thus the push for conscription.

This was in a large part not only because of a reticence of the men but also because of the reluctance of Militia commanders to release soldiers and equipment.

Many Australians were also rightly concerned about sending men and materials half way around the world when the looming threat of Japan was real and present.

Were those commanders and the Australians who did not want to see the defense of the country degraded also: “working on behalf of the German war machine in 1939-1941”?

Unsubstantiated, preposterous revisionist, hogwash for you yet again. Stump up old boy or give it a rest.

mhaze- Perhaps if we are involved in a conflict with China we may be in a similar situation as to WWII and the Vietnam War- we should be aware of likely Communist subversives now so that they can be managed in the future. Though we need to be aware that the Communists will try to use Communist conflict with the authorities to cause wider dissent within the community. It's sad that there are home grown people that aren't loyal to their own communities.

Pauliar,

Once again you are lying through your teeth. The "Brisbane line" was not an attempt to appease the Japanese, rather it was a military strategy to fight the Japanese based on the capability of the relatively tiny Aus population at the time.

SR,

Although the news of the atrocities committed by the communists wasn't widely known in the 1930s, by the 1950s it had become clear that communism was a murderous system at least as bad as fascism.

Menzie's actions were aimed at the toxic communist aligned movements primarily in the unions and while he had little success the Australian Communist party started falling apart after 1956 when the brutal invasion of Hungary opened everyone's eyes to the true colour of communism .

SM,

You write: "Menzie's actions were aimed at the toxic communist aligned movements primarily in the unions"

The obvious retort is the union's response was aimed at toxic undemocratic laws attempted to be instituted by a fascist inspired, fascist admiring, fascist apologist who Australians rightly turfed as leader during the war given his fascist tendencies.

His words in a letter to his sister are pretty telling:

"The Germans may be pulling down the Churches, but they have erected the State, with Hitler at its head, into the sort of religion which produces a spiritual exaltation that one cannot but admire and some small portion of which would do no harm among our own somewhat irresponsible population."

That Australians were far more comfortable with a left leaning government during the war than one led by Menzies shows they had a sense of what this bloke was about.