LIGHT IN THE GATHERING GLOOM

By Eric D. Butler
Christmas 1982 will be recorded as one of the most significant moments in history. What is left of Christian Civilisation totters on the brink of horrendous developments. The growing gloom of 1982 will be followed by a descent into what can only be described as a New Dark Age - not unless some type of miracle occurs to reverse the policies of death. But there can never be complete darkness while the light of Truth continues to shine.

No one who has studied C.H. Douglas, beyond doubt the greatest mind of the twentieth century, is surprised about the succession of disasters, which have afflicted mankind during this century. As predicted by Douglas and his disciples over the past sixty years, perseverance with financial policies designed to make a false economic philosophy work, would inevitably lead to increasing disaster. The overall result of finance economic orthodoxy is increasing centralisation of all power over the individual, who is progressively driven down the scale of existence as bigger groups, becoming eventually mindless mobs, are manipulated by power maniacs.

Just as the growth of practical Christianity freed the individual from the group, freeing his most divine attribute, creative initiative, resulted in a distinctive type of Civilisation, with its respect for the rights of the individual, so the retreat from practical Christianity is leaving behind a growing wasteland, physical, cultural and spiritual.

With each further attempt to centralise power, there must be further disintegration. But no matter how man defies Reality, he cannot change it. No matter how many times an individual jumps over a cliff and crashes to the bottom, the law of gravity remains. When enough people adopt a sufficiently humble approach to that Truth, or Reality, which Christ said would make us free, and obey it, then the regeneration of a sick society will begin.

The Light of the World guided man through the long centuries of the Dark Ages, showing him the way forward. That light will continue to shine so long as there are sufficient to heed the advice "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father Who is in heaven". This light is going to be needed as never before in the developing New Dark Age.

Readers of this and other League journals, whose eyes have been opened to the Truth, now have a special place in the human drama. Their dedication and sense of service to the Truth will decide the future. On behalf of the League and its staff, I wish all readers and their loved ones a Happy and Holy Christmas.

POLITICAL GIMMICKRY AND 'WAGE FREEZE'

The Fraser Government's counsel, Dr. Gavin Griffith, presenting the case for a "wage freeze" before the Full Bench of the Arbitration last week, confirmed our view that Mr. Fraser and his colleagues are engaged in political gimmickry, designed to win the next elections by claiming to be "doing something" about the economic crisis. When questioned by the Arbitration Deputy President, Mr. Justice Ludke, on whether it would be possible to assess the effect of the freeze, Dr. Griffith said, "One would have to be here in January, 1984, to establish whether it was a leap into light or into the dark".

Mr. Justice Ludeke referred to 1931 when the then Arbitration Court cut all award wages by 10 percent on the application of the Federal Government. When Mr. Fraser attacked the Hayden budget of 1975, he indicated very clearly that he understood that an increase in indirect taxation, particularly Sales Tax, was the major cause of price increases and wage demands.

The Melbourne University Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research predicts that as a result of the Fraser Government's policies, the inflation rate for 1983 will be nearly 12 percent. This means that if wages are fixed at present levels, there will be a reduction of 12 percent in the purchasing power of the people, even greater than that imposed 50 years ago in the Great Depression. History records that the 10 percent cut in 1931 was disastrous. There will be even greater disaster in 1983. But Mr. Fraser hopes to get re-elected before the electors wake up.

BRIEF COMMENTS

In spite of the latest Morgan Gallup Poll figures, which show that electoral support for the Labor Party now stands at 50 percent, compared with 41 percent for the Liberal - N.P. Coalition, the campaign to replace Mr. Bill Hayden with Mr. Bob Hawke continues. Mr. Hayden has been criticised for Labor's failure to gain only a 2.7 percent swing in the Flinders by-election. But Mr. Hawke adopted a very high profile in the election campaign. The two Victorian State by-elections, held on the same day as the Flinders by-election, showed electoral support for the Cain Labor Government remaining firm. For different reasons, both the ALP and the Liberals, along with the media, have failed to canvass the question of whether the relatively poor showing of the ALP was because of the ALP candidate, real estate agent, Mr. Regan Ward. During the last week of the campaign Mr. Ward issued a writ against "The Age", Melbourne, because of serious allegations published about Mr. Ward. Unless the Fraser Government's wage freeze gimmick fools electors, Labor must remain favourites to win the next Federal elections. Mr. Hawke's powerful backers find this disturbing. We also are disturbed, because Mr. Hayden will continue the disastrous policies of the present Government. A Hawke government would be even more disastrous.

The media have publicised the claim that 40 percent of those voting in the Flinders by-election wrote "no dams" on their ballot papers. Our suspicion that this figure was grossly exaggerated has been confirmed by a reader who acted as a scrutineer, who says that the figure could not have been higher than 10 percent. It will be recalled that in the Lowe by-election the anti-dam campaigners claimed that 15 percent had written "no dams" on their ballot papers. Scutineers can only observe but not touch ballot papers. Electoral officers do not count the number of ballot papers marked "no dams", confining themselves to counting votes and discarding the informal votes. The claim of 40% is a classic example of how the media can be used to present false information.

The Fraser Government's decision not to impede the decision of the Tasmanian Government to build the Franklin River dam is blatantly political. Mr. Fraser is a strong supporter of the World Heritage concept. But he is also hungry to hold on to power. With Tasmanians, rightly or wrongly, overwhelmingly in favour of building the dam, opposition by Mr. Fraser could result in the loss of five Tasmanian seats. However, with the well-financed conservation movement now threatening to campaign on the dam issue in every marginal electorate at the next Federal elections, Mr. Fraser and his colleagues could find themselves attempting a new round of doubletalk.

THE RACE AGAINST INFLATION