AN AGE OF BLACK MAGIC

Mr. Eric Butler reports from Winnipeg, Canada, on the North American scene.

As Canadians have not yet completely capitulated to the metric madness, petrol (gas) is still sold by the gallon and acres are used instead of hectares. In the United States there was such violent opposition, including the use of chain saws in some areas to remove offending metric road signs, that the metric programme for the roads has been (temporarily at least) suspended.

Reflecting on these matters as a friend stopped at a Winnipeg petrol station to fill his car's tank on the way to a country meeting, I also noticed the petrol bowser detailed how much tax, Federal and Provincial, was included in the price. Total tax inflated the price by nearly 50%. And yet one of the many myths of this "enlightened" era is that the current worldwide inflation was triggered off by the Arabs increasing crude oil prices. As an Iranian delegate to the 1975 World Anti-Communist League Conference, held in Brazil, demonstrated, the increase in crude oil prices had only a minimal effect on inflation.

Governments moralising about how the wicked Arabs have been the major cause of current inflation are themselves the major inflators of prices by imposing crushing taxation. Occasionally a Government does concede that it can reduce inflation by the simple process of reducing the most direct inflationary taxes. The Canadian Government, preparing for an early Federal Election, has brought down a mini budget, the major feature of this being a policy of subsidising a reduction in the Sales Tax in those Provinces that apply this tax. Already a wide variety of items have been reduced in price.

A reduction in prices is an effective increase in consumer purchasing power. Prime Minister Trudeau and his colleagues no doubt hope that increased consumer demand will not only have a stimulating effect on a depressed economy, but will persuade Canadian electors to re-elect the Trudeau Government. It is significant that the Sales Tax reductions are only for six months. The elections will then be safely (hopefully) out of the way!

Party politicians the world over have become increasingly cynical about electors, believing that the great majority can be enticed to co-operate in destroying their own independence by accepting uncritically what can only be described as a form of Black Magic. Technology has made it possible for millions of people to be hypnotised by those controlling the mass media, with the result that they believe the most incredible, and dangerous, nonsense. Consider, for example, a Canadian economy that even with over one million officially unemployed has produced such a glut of consumer goods that the advertising "industry" is resorting to every conceivable gimmick to persuade Canadians to buy more. And yet I read with astonishment an advertisement on my way to a meeting in Saskatchewan, that concerned Canadians could (at $15 per person) attend a Seminar at which "eminent economic experts", University administrators and business leaders were going to discuss the answer to Canada's depressed economy. And what is the answer? Increased productivity:!!

I put the paper with the advertisement down, reflecting on the old saying that those whom the Gods wish to destroy, they first make mad. I was encouraged by the hearty laughter of my audience at the meeting when I outlined this example of Canadian madness. The most effective answer to Black Magic is to refuse to accept its reality and to laugh at those who do.

FORMER STALIN SECRETARY AT WASHINGTON CONFERENCE

Mr. Eric Butler filed the following report from Washington, D.C., U.S.A. at the end of the recent World Anti-Communist Conference.

One of the highlights of the 1978 World Anti-Communist League Conference was the address by Mr. Boris Bajanov, one time private secretary to Soviet dictator Stalin. Mr. Bajanov caused a stir when he claimed that information concerning a major gambling indiscretion by Winston Churchill in France had been carefully filed away by the Soviet and that Stalin had produced this information to blackmail Churchill on the question of the compulsory repatriation of those who had fled to the West during the Second World War.
Mr. Bajanov also claimed that the Soviet leaders decided in the 'twenties to infiltrate the Roman Catholic Seminaries in Italy with young Communist agents.

Mr. Bajanov joined the Communists in the Soviet at an early age and eventually became a member of the Politburo. His idealism was shattered by the criminal brutality of the Soviet leaders and he eventually managed to defect in Persia in 1928. Several attempts were made on his life by Stalin's agents and, as Mr. Bajanov pointed out, even Solzhenitsyn had written that he had been one of Stalin's victims. But as Mr. Bajanov said with a smile, he was able to write to Solzhenitsyn reminding him of Mark Twain's famous comment when he read his own obituary notice. Mark Twain observed, "The report of my death is somewhat exaggerated."

Mr. Bajanov explained that Solzhenitsyn felt it would be unwise for him to attend the conference, but he asked if those present would indicate that they wished him to send a message of greetings to Solzhenitsyn. The outburst of warm applause indicated how highly Solzhenitsyn was regarded all over the world.

The general applause that greeted the resolution congratulating the Queensland Premier, the Hon. J. Bjelke-Petersen, on his consistently strong anti-Communist stand, revealed that the Premier has become an international symbol of resistance to Communism. Particularly enthusiastic were the representatives from Taiwan, South Korea and Indonesia. The resolution of support originated with the Youth division of the World Anti-Communist League, where it was moved by the Canadian delegation, and it gave me great pleasure to be able to speak to the resolution in the W.A.C.L. committee that dealt with it before sending to the final plenary session of the Conference.

The Crown Commonwealth League of Rights resolution calling for support for the right of the Rhodesians to make their own internal settlement, and for an end to sanctions, was also carried unanimously, both in committee and in the final plenary session. The essence of the resolution was immediately cabled to Salisbury by the Crown Commonwealth League of Rights.

While in Washington I ascertained that there has been a marked development of pro-Rhodesian sympathy. The proposal to close the Rhodesian Information Centre in Washington has been dropped. A major contribution towards expanding the American understanding of the realities of the Rhodesian issue has been an up-to-date paperback by Robin Moore, the best selling author of The French Connection, The Green Beret, and other books.

Moore writes with tremendous passion concerning his first hand observations of the Communist terrorist war against Rhodesians. A striking full page advertisement in the New York Times, advertising Moore's book, Rhodesia, tells Americans that the Carter-Young-Vance support for Mugabe and Nkomo is in fact official American endorsement of a Marxist bloodbath in Rhodesia.

Mr. Ron Gostick, heading the Canadian Chapter of WACL, gave a hard hitting report to the General Assembly in which he stressed the importance of the Crown Commonwealth Report on how the West finances economic blood transfusions to the Communists. A League representative immediately distributed copies of the Report to the large number of new delegates present.

The Carter Administration was strongly condemned by the WACL Conference for refusing to give Dr. Ian Anderson, Chairman of the Candour League of Rhodesia, a visa to attend the Conference. I have no doubt that the refusal to grant a visa was on the instructions of Andrew Young and his friends.

One of the most controversial motions put forward at the WACL Conference came from Saudi Arabia, which claimed that if the "rich" nations did more to assist the "underdeveloped" nations, this would help stop the Communist advance. I spoke against this in committee, stressing that the wording of the resolution indicated a grave misunderstanding of the nature of the communist question. Eventually my amendment was accepted, calling for the preparing of a comprehensive report on the issues raised in the resolution. Subsequently the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Don Martin, chief delegate of the British chapter, undertook to be responsible for the Report, which will be presented at next year's WACL Conference, scheduled to be held in Paraguay. This Report could prove to be the most important since the Crown Commonwealth Report of two years ago.

The Conference enabled representatives from all parts of the English speaking world, including South Africa and the U.S.A., to continue the evolving of an ongoing strategy designed to turn back the deadly threat to what is left of Civilisation. Mr. Bajanov was emphatic that there could be no compromise with the Communist criminals.

I left the Conference with my ears still ringing with the pleas of spokesmen for the hundreds of Cubans who attended the final session, for assistance to free their country only ninety miles from the USA. If the politicians in Washington were the defenders of Civilisation, they would tell the Soviet criminals that unless they got their Cuban clients out of Africa, there would be an invasion of Cuba. Castro treats the West with contempt when he moves at least 50% of his best troops to Africa, leaving Cuba relatively undefended. Castro understands the rot inside the West. And it is that rot we in the West must first destroy before we can destroy the real Communist threat.