MISLEADING THE POPE ON "LAND RIGHTS"

It is regrettable that the Pope's tour of Australia, during which the Holy Father made many statements warmly welcomed by the overwhelming majority of Christians, should have finished on a controversial note concerning Aboriginal "land rights". The Pope's blanket support for "land rights" has provided anti-Roman Catholics with yet another opportunity to strike an anti-Papal note. Even the mild mannered Professor Geoffrey Blainey has been moved to protest that "The Pope's visit was marked by an act of political meddling that has few parallels in Australian history" Melbourne Herald, 4th December.

As all informed Christians know, the Doctrine of Papal Infallibility is confined to the area of Faith and Morals. Papal statements outside Faith and Morals are, of course, of importance, and while members of the Roman Catholic Communion are obliged to treat them with respect, they do not have to automatically agree with them. They are free to disagree, as many do. In the nature of reality, the Pope cannot be expected to be an expert on complex and controversial issues like "land rights", and must therefore rely upon advisers.

On his Canadian tour, Pope John Paul caused dismay among large numbers of Roman Catholics as well as other Christians, with his unqualified endorsement of The New International Economic Order. It was subsequently pointed out that this endorsement was on advice of a well-known liberal Canadian Roman Catholic Bishop. The philosophy behind The New International Economic Order is anti-Christian in its endorsement of centralised power on a global scale. Obviously the Pope was misled about The New International Economic Order. He was, unfortunately, also misled on the "land rights" issue.

If some press reports are correct, the Pope's actual statement in Alice Springs was prepared by Jesuit Father Brennan, whose biased views on Aboriginal "land rights" are well known to students of the subject. The League of Rights has over the years publicised the long term manipulation of the 'land rights' issue, and how many 'useful innocents' have been used to advance a policy which, if fully implemented, would be disastrous for all Australians, irrespective of their racial back grounds. Upon his return to Rome, the Pope said that in Alice Springs he had met with representatives of the Aborigines. But who were these 'representatives"? Christian Aboriginal leaders like the Rev. Cedric Jacobs, O.B.E., were not invited to meet the Pope and to explain why they strongly oppose the Labor Party's "land rights" policy.

It is, of course, the duty of all Christian leaders to draw attention, where necessary, to human problems and social injustices, and the Pope would not have left himself open to criticism if he had confined himself to making it clear that he was concerned about the problems of the Aborigines and had called upon other Australians to accept their responsibilities towards fellows. But the Pope was used to endorse the radical and divisive "land rights" programme advanced by the Fabian Socialist Labor Party.

Not surprisingly, Mr. Hawke and his colleagues have remained quiet about what is a pro-government attitude on a major Australian political issue. Pope John Paul projects the image of a good and compassionate man. But that image can be marred if his advisers lead him into the arena of partisan politics. The Pope's statement on "land rights" will now be quoted with relish, even by those who have no sympathy with Christian values and principles.

It will not seriously affect the deep and growing opposition to "land rights" in Australia. But it will tend to diminish, however slightly, the authority of the Pope to speak on those issues, which rightly come within his domain. Which is a pity. (Suggested reading on "land rights": Red Over Black, by former Communist Geoff McDonald; $8.00 posted; Land Rights Birth Rights, (The Great Australian Hoax) by Peter B. English, $15.00 posted; Healing a Divided Nation by the Rev. Cedric Jacobs, O.B.E., $6.00 posted. Order from all League addresses.)

NORTH AMERICA IN CRISIS

Eric Butler arrived back in Australia last week and provides the following report
The conflict between Canada and the USA concerning Canadian timber exports to the USA is a manifestation of the growing mood of protectionism in the USA. While President Reagan joins the free trade, internationalist bandwagon, American Congress increasingly reflects grassroots opposition to a flood of imports, which have already played havoc with large sectors of the American economy. In spite of the "Reagan Revolution", the American economy is in a state of deepening crisis.

A "conservative" government has used Keynesian deficit financing on scale dwarfing that of all past administrations. Reagan's "tax reforms", accepted uncritically in Australia and elsewhere, have proved completely phony. All that has happened is that the indirect tax burden has been increased with a relatively small reduction in direct taxation. The result is an increasing polarisation of American society with a concentration of power. Widespread real poverty is a grim reality in the nation held up as the richest in the world.

It is not surprising that a majority of Americans believe that President Reagan has lied about the USA-Israeli-Iran secret arms affair. The Reagan Administration lied about the Libya affair with one senior official resigning in protest. If it is true that President Reagan is not fully aware of everything taking place inside his administration, this raises the serious question of whether, for example, President Reagan fully understood the significance of the various agreements signed with the Soviet during the first, 1985, Summit Conference. There was agreement that there should be greater "trade" more American exports to the Soviet Union, and, of course, greater credits. But generally overlooked was the cultural and education exchange agreement, with far reaching implications. The agreement provided for the assignment of Soviet specialists to the United States to advise on the teaching of Russian. This agreement has been aptly described as "ideological treason."

In 1980 President Reagan promised the American people that if elected he would abolish the United States Department of Education, agreeing with those who claimed the Department was unconstitutional. But instead of abolishing the Department the Reagan Administration has increased funding for controversial experimental centres, which strongly influence everything that goes on in American classrooms. And now comes cooperation in the educational field with a nation, which Reagan not so long ago was referring to as "The Evil Empire."

The Sovietisation of American children is under way, with a variety of exchange programmes involving high school students and teachers. Critics of the Reagan Administration point out that while the President and his wife Nancy go on television to denounce the growing drug menace, the Reagan Administration's lax immigration policies results in a growing flood of illegal immigrants from Mexico, many of them engaged in the drug traffic. Non-European immigration now poses a major long-term threat to the social stability of the USA.

But American Congressmen tend to ignore long threats while concentrating on what they see as the more immediate threat of Japanese exports destroying American domestic industries. Only a few weeks ago a group of American Congressmen issued a blunt warning to Tokyo that there could be American retaliation against Japanese trade policies. But like all highly industrialised nations, Japan must, under present conventional finance economic policies, constantly strive for a "favourable balance of trade". If denied ready access to American and Canadian markets (Canada has a trading deficit of $2 billion with Japan) Japan may be increasingly drawn towards greater participation in the "modernisation" of Communist China.

Both in Canada and the U.S.A. the rural crisis continues to worsen. Canadian wheat farmers are depressed by the news that Communist China is moving towards another big grain crop with a surplus for exporting. In sheer desperation the Reagan Administration is urging a drastic reduction in grain production, with farmers paid not to produce, in an attempt to halt the spiraling increase in surplus farm stocks. The rapidly deepening crisis in North America is going to threaten the political stability of both the U.S.A. and Canada. A new Western Canadian separatist movement may emerge with far reaching consequences for both the U.S.A. as well as Canada.

BRIEF COMMENT

TAXMAN HITS LIKE LIGHTNING

FROM HANSARD

Representatives, August 19th, 1986
... Mr. Peacock asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, on notice ... "Is he able to say to what extent Vietnamese immigrants have been able to use their privileged status in Kampuchea to force Khmer out of desirable occupations of land?"

Mr. Hayden: " …The Australian Government has made it clear to Vietnam and the ASEAN countries that we would be seriously concerned if allegations that Vietnam intended to change the population balance of Cambodia were substantiated."

BUT MR. HAYDEN IS NOT CONCERNED THAT THE POPULATION BALANCE OF AUSTRALIA IS BEING CHANGED! IN FACT, HE WELCOMES THE PROSPECT OF A NEW RACE DEVELOPING IN AUSTRALIA. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE 20TH. CENTURY "MORAL SICKNESS" OF THE WEST, WHICH FUTURE HISTORIANS WILL ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN.