LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE EAST GLOOM?

The sudden prospect of military war being averted in the Middle East has caused the pro-Zionists everywhere to reveal themselves as warmongers. Dr. Henry Kissinger, for example, has consistently urged President Bush to strike fast because the U.S.A. has "passed the point of no return" and "time is not on our side". Kissinger is the man who conceded that Saddam Hussein may not have intended to seize control of the Saudi Arabian oilfields, but that President Bush's "courageous decision" to send troops could have changed Hussein's mind. There is no evidence whatever to suggest that Hussein proposed to invade Saudi Arabia in the immediate future, whatever he might conceivably have attempted in the past.

Hussein has consistently claimed, as did his predecessors, that Kuwait is historically a province of Iraq, that because of a line drawn on the map in the early twenties, Kuwait was severed from Iraq, one consequence of this being the lack of a deep-sea port for Iraqi oil exports. Hussein has also claimed that Kuwait oil drilling on the disputed border between Kuwait and Iraq was drawing upon Iraqi oil. Hussein' s murderous and repressive record must not be allowed to obscure the fact that his war on Iran and his take over of Kuwait were related to oil politics.

As we have observed previously, Hussein allowed himself to be trapped into the Kuwait situation by both Moscow and Washington. From the beginning the Zionists left no doubt that they were delighted with developments and could hardly contain their expectations of a major military conflict that would enable them to resolve, in the short term at least, the festering Palestinian problem, and also have the Americans destroy Iraq as a major military force.

The Australian of December 7th carries a report from Jerusalem which reveals how the Israeli leaders not only want Hussein out of Kuwait; they want Iraq destroyed completely, claiming that this will remove the major military threat to Israel in the future. But events have forced President Bush to attempt to change course. The reason is a growing change of public opinion in the U.S.A.
Numbered among those courageous American journalists prepared to challenge the Zionist lobby, is the distinguished conservative columnist Pat Buchanan, former speechwriter for President Reagan. Buchanan is a possible Republican Presidential candidate of the future. As he frankly admits, he was at one time a strong Israeli supporter, but has in recent years changed his position.

Joseph Sobran of the conservative Catholic weekly, The Wanderer, is also another powerful voice criticising the Bush adventure into the Middle East. Giving evidence before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a growing number of former military and other leaders have started to raise serious doubts about the Bush policy. President Bush may well feel pleased that the U.N. Security Council has agreed that unless Hussein leaves Kuwait by the middle of January, he is then entitled to use force. But Democrat Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Pell, has struck a raw nerve in the American body politic with his charge that America's allies "will fight to the last drop of American blood".

American public support for President Bush is starting to erode. This has forced him to offer to start negotiations. Hussein has wisely responded by permitting all foreigners to leave Kuwait and Iraq before Christmas. As Dr. Alfred Lilienthal and other authorities on the Middle East have consistently claimed, no permanent peace and stability in the region is possible which does not resolve the problem of the dispossessed Palestinians and the continued occupancy of territories controlled by Israel since 1967.

Coming events are going to decide whether at long last Western nations are prepared to stand up to Zionist pressure. As one of our readers correctly points out, the essence of the issue which could lead either to a horrendous war, or to peace, will be found in two pages, 150 and 151 of the book, Prophecy and Politics, by the American evangelical Christian, Grace Halsell. This book is compulsory reading at the present critical time. Widespread dissemination of the information in this book could make a major contribution to ensuring that there is an informed Australian public opinion. (Prophecy and Politics is available from all League bookshops, $14.00 posted.)

BRITISH REBUFF TO INTERNATIONALISTS

Eric Butler sent this report from London, U.K.,
The election of John Major as the new British Conservative Prime Minister was an event of great historical significance. Major's victory was a manifestation of the instinctive conservatism of the British people. From the moment that Margaret Thatcher made it clear that she was going to attempt to slow down the rate of the surrender of British sovereignty, the Internationalists declared psycho political war against her. Some of Margaret Thatcher's domestic policies made her extremely vulnerable.

While the underlying principle of the "Poll Tax", that all those benefiting from Municipal services should make a contribution to Municipal revenues, has some merit, the method of implementation has been badly handled and was seized upon by Margaret Thatcher's enemies. Continuing high inflation and destructive interest rates provided ready ammunition for the anti-Thatcher campaigners.

But the basic issue was the future of the United Kingdom in a European Community structure, which the internationalists are now feverishly attempting to completely centralise as part of the emerging New World Order programme. Against all odds, Margaret Thatcher had insisted that she was not going to board a European train moving towards an uncertain destination. She was not moved by the claim that the train was leaving anyhow and that the U.K. would be isolated if it refused to board. All the evidence indicates that Margaret Thatcher was attempting to engage in a delaying strategy.

Backed by enormous money power, the extremely wealthy Michael Heseltine was the internationalists' "star" whom it was confidently felt could defeat Margaret Thatcher at the right moment. The major media, including the B.B.C., carried an unrelenting war against Margaret Thatcher. The precipitating factor, which brought the drama to a head, was a 19-minute speech in the House of Commons by the former Deputy Prime Minister, Sir Geoffrey Howe, explaining why he had resigned from the Thatcher cabinet. This was a savage attack in which the truth about the anti-Thatcher campaign emerged.
Howe charged that Margaret Thatcher had a "nightmare image of a Europe positively teeming with ill-intentioned people".

Backed with high-pressure media support, Heseltine at long last decided that the moment had come to strike. He quoted what he claimed was the evidence that he was the best qualified, that she would best serve her party and her objectives by retiring gracefully. Margaret Thatcher lost no time in letting it be known that she was backing John Major. The relatively unknown John Major was soon baffling the predictions of the political pundits by gathering a growing groundswell of rapport. The "outsider" had struck a chord with both the grassroots of the Conservative party and the British public. The polls revealed the astonishing fact that although closely associated with Margaret Thatcher he was rated as the man most likely to lead the Conservatives to victory at the next elections.

Although John Major has said that he does not support any further surrender of British sovereignty on the European Common Market issue, he will be under enormous pressure. Politics is the art of the possible, and in an attempt to ensure a Conservative win at the next elections, Major will have to seek to accommodate the pro-Europeans. For tactical reasons he may feel obliged to bring Michael Heseltine into his Cabinet. But if Major can win the next elections, he will be in a very different and stronger situation. And with events moving with such rapidity, the situation in Europe could be so changed that British public opinion would strongly endorse an open retreat from the venture into the E.E.C. and he could lead an embattled Conservative Party to another election victory.

While Margaret Thatcher won a small overall majority in the first leadership vote, this was not sufficient for victory under the Party's constitution, which required a further vote, with the way cleared for other candidates. Although initially Margaret Thatcher had decided to fight on, she had been badly wounded and was persuaded to resign.

THE GREATER CRIME

from Jeremy Lee
The hunting down of deposed National Party politicians in Queensland is being pursued with all the puritanical zeal of Cromwell's Roundheads. Three former Ministers now languish in goal. Others face charges. The ultimate target is, of course, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, now approaching 80. One cannot help feeling there is more than a simple desire for justice in the baying from Labor members and journalists, as they anticipate the humiliation of a man still respected in many parts of Australia.

Of course there should be accountability and restitution by those who abuse positions of trust. But there would be no government minister of any party in any government entirely immune from the eyes of those determined to expose any anomaly. Whatever else is said of Sir Joh, deliberate personal gain was not amongst his failings. He is probably the only State or Federal politician who consistently refused to accept the enormous superannuation benefits his many years in parliament entitled him to. Contrast his attitude with the facts exposed by Professor Geoffrey Blainey on October 19th in Perth.

The combined Federal and State commitments for the superannuation of public servants and politicians to be paid out in the years ahead now exceeds $55 billion, over $3,200 for every living Australian. Geoffrey Blainey said: "... Mr. Hawke and Mr. Keating have rightly drawn attention to the enormous overseas debt incurred by Australian businesses. They have been appropriately silent about the enormous debts incurred inside Australia by all governments for their own superannuation schemes, schemes from which Mr. Hawke and Keating will be happy beneficiaries. I offer this chilling fact. If by chance the Federal Government magically stabilised Australia's foreign debt, that colossal debt would, in the lifetime of most people now in the public service, be exceeded by the indebtedness of the present governmental schemes of superannuation. And that debt - unlike the foreign debt - must be met directly by the taxpayers…"

How does one compare one crime against another? Can it really be said that politicians who pass legislation voting themselves and the public servants hundreds of thousands of dollars each in superannuation, to be paid for by taxpayers the majority of whom are not eligible to the same benefits themselves, and who had no say about the legislation in the first place, are somehow less criminal or more moral than a Premier who refused to accept his superannuation handout, but is now to face charges of corruption? Whatever else is said, the idea of tax funded handouts running into tens of billions of dollars to politicians and public servants, while farmers, businessmen and families are destroyed, is corruption on a scale, which may yet sink Australia.

CANBERRA

A COLOSSUS THAT IS OUT OF CONTROL from The Sunday Age (Melbourne, December 9th). The correspondent is Edward Rock, of the Christian Alternative Movement:
"Only a form of insanity can produce a recession in a country teeming with abundance, with a capacity to ensure the economic welfare of every citizen. The undisputable hallmark of insanity is inability to recognise and abide by reality. "The situation created at Canberra over the past few decades is one of uncontrolled power in combination with a total divorcement from reality. This combination is quite diabolical, and the root cause of our current miseries.
"Restore grassroots democracy, so that the levers of power are exercised by the people in their local, decentralised communities, and the problem would be licked within five minutes. Such a reversal of power would have the same effect as taking a problem out of the hands of a hundred people and putting it in the hands of two or three. It is essential the Australian people take on the uncontrollable colossus of Canberra and defeat it.
"Economic simplicity is the opposite of economic insanity, which marks the ravings of the economic witch doctors now in control. Such economic simplicity would go back to the starting point which recognises we have the capacity as a nation to produce and distribute every essential commodity to feed, clothe and house every citizen with little physical effort. "This is an indisputable fact, except to those whose minds have distorted reality.
However, economic democracy is impossible without political democracy, and the present combination of irresponsible party hacks blindly endorsing policies made in a power vacuum is the antithesis of genuine democracy.
"The Swiss system of people at the grassroots exercising control and restraint over parliament through citizens' initiated referendum and voters' veto offers Australians a last chance. The politicians will hate it. They will resist; we must persist. Let us get stuck into the battle."

(Those who wish to make contact with the Christian Alternative Movement, which fosters political policies which will (or would) incarnate the Word into our societies, may do so by writing to 15 Simmons Court, GREENSBOROUGH, Vic., 3088.)

HOLOCAUST

FRED LEUCHTER