Managing editorMichelle Pinidiscusses the absurdity of David McBride's continued imprisonment, even though documents he leaked triggered Ben Roberts-Smith's arrest for alleged war crimes.

As each new day brings ever more distressing news, its difficult not to think about Hitlers Nazi Germany and the lessons that the world appears not to have heeded.

In 1938, Time MagazinenamedHitler "Man of the Year", with his image adorning itscover in January 1939 the year in which he later invaded Poland. Many prominent people, including members of the British aristocracy and even Australias Robert Menzies, publicly expressed respect for Hitler's Nazi state.

With hindsight, apart from some crazed terrorists who still worship him, Hitler is now seen as a monstrous blight on history, withmembers of the Third Reich rightfully prosecuted for theirgenocidal crimes.

Today, a convicted felon, sexual predator and likely deranged figure who also helpedincitetheCapitol Attacksits in the White House, throwing around the might of the worlds largest military machine, threatening entire civilisations and spewing ugly words of hatred, with fingers perched perilously close to thenuclear codes. Yet, the world, mostly, simply looks on.

On Easter Sunday, Trump warned that a 'whole civilisation will die tonight'if Iran refused his latest demands.

All is fair in love and war, of course, as can be seen with the current disinterest in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza.

The Australian Government is not only silent to the madness, it even goes as far as toassistTrumps America in its bullying ways.

Back in 2024, the Albanese Governmentbrought homewhistle-blower Julian Assange after 14 years of exile and imprisonment on foreign shores. This was a worthy and compassionate act, signalling that Australia, under the new Labor Government, would no longer sit idly by while innocent people were persecuted. It certainly did not look like a governmentthat would support flagrant human rights violations.

At that time, for the most part,Independent Australiawas the only Australian media outlet thatcontinuedto publicise his plight and advocate on Assanges behalf. Shamefully, the majority of publications, both here and overseas, even those considered more progressive, simply profited from the information he shared with the world and for which he was persecuted. These outletsonly finallycame to Assange's defencewhen his releaselooked like a fait accompli one from which they may further profit.

And today, just like their treatment of Assange, the silence is deafening from media outlets and commentators on the imprisonment of whistleblower and former military lawyer,David McBride.It is no surprise that few have publicly supported McBride even now, ten years after he blew the whistle on war crimes in Afghanistan by Australias elite forcescrimes such as the murder of unarmed civilians, including children, which were later substantiated by theBrereton Inquiry.

The Albanese Government the one that brought Assange home nowsupportsthe actions of dangerous bullies, such as Israels ethnic cleansing under Netanyahu and the general madness of Trumps America. It does so through the AUKUS agreement, by ignoring the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza and the Israeli/U.S. aggression in Iran even sending Australian troops to assist thislatest evil.

For decades, propaganda has steered the course of the mass media's narrative, dominated by the needs of state and corporate power.

And it has prosecuted and imprisoned whistleblowerDavid McBride for exposing war crimes in Afghanistan.

This week, Australias most highly decorated military man was also arrested.Ben Roberts-Smithfaces five counts ofthe war crime of murder, allegedly committed in Afghanistan.Roberts-Smith's arrest would not have been possible were it not for evidential documentsprovided by David McBride, which led to the "Afghan Files", and for which McBridecontinues to rot in gaol for his trouble.

Roberts-Smith is just the second Australian Defence Force member to face a war crimes charge under Australian law.

But even as one of the highest-level prosecutions over these atrocities unfolds, McBride continues to live out his five-year and eight-month prison sentence, branded a criminal for publicising the evidence. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus did not intervene at McBride's trial in 2024.

Supporters rallied together in defiance of the verdict against whistleblower David McBride, which some have declared a 'war on truth'.

With Roberts-Smith, however, the testimonials from the mainstream media and high-profile commentators have beenboth swiftand dripping with praise.

Although the alleged crimes for which Roberts-Smith is facing prosecution are particularly heinous, it matters not, apparently, because he was the recipient of lots of shiny medals.

Notable commentators jumping to his defence includeTony Abbott,Michael McCormackandBridget McKenzie,among others.Seven Network owner and billionaireKerry Stokesfunded Roberts-Smith's earlier defence (to the tune of around $30 million).Billionaire andAustralia's richest personGina Rinehartwas also quick toaskthat "compassion" be extended to Roberts-Smith, and questioned the "time and taxpayer money spent on his prosecution".

Highly decorated officers are a symbol of military superiority. They evoke bravery and righteousness, making governments look powerful, and filling impressionable minds with nationalistic pride and desire for the kind of glory that can only be obtained when soldiers do the bidding of governments, by travelling the world and killing people.

McBride, however, who risked his life to expose the truth? Well, that just makes everyone look bad. Just like Assange. Just likeBernard Collaery and Witness K. Just likeTroy Stolz. And just like Tax Office whistleblowerRichard Boyle, who will face trial in September.

Though David McBride's release of information about horrific war crimes by elite military personnel may well be considered "in the public interest" to the rest of us, his public interest defencefailedto impress the ACT Supreme Court.

A Senate Inquiry that promised whistleblower reform instead buried critical evidence, suppressed firsthand testimony and reinforced the very system that punishes those who speak out.

There are no effective protections for whistleblowers (despite the Public Interest DisclosureAct)because they expose the glaring and usually ugly problems within the whole system. Unless, of course, they hail from foreign systems, such as the Third Reich soldiers whose following orders defence was rejected at the Nuremberg trials.

The U.S.-Israeli military attacks on Iran, meanwhile, violateinternational law, specifically breachingthe UN Charter on the use of force, but no matter. The United States actuallysanctionsthe International Criminal Court for attempting to investigate American war crimes. In addition, by virtue of the Bush Administration's "Hague Invasion Act"(American Servicemembers' ProtectionAct),the use of military force will be used to free U.S. or U.S.-allied military personnel from attempts at prosecutionfor war crimes.

So, you know, try it they dare ya.

Follow managing editorMichelle Pinion [email protected] Independent Australia on [email protected], X/Twitter@independentausand FacebookHERE.

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