MOMENTOUS EVENTS

At the time of writing, events continue to move with such rapidity in the former Soviet Empire that any firm predictions made at the moment could be overtaken by events a little later. But it is now clear that the old Soviet structure has been dealt a mortal blow. Gorbachev has always been the internationalists' man, but as the various Republics declare their independence of Moscow, Gorbachev appears to be becoming increasingly irrelevant.

We would not be surprised to see an attempt made to have Gorbachev appointed as the next Secretary General of the United Nations. This has already been suggested as a means of ensuring that the services of "this talented international politician" are not lost. As the structure of the U.N., dominated by thousands of Soviet appointees, has not been affected by the convulsions back in the former Soviet Empire, Gorbachev would be at home here, working to advance his concept of reformed Communism".

Willi Brandt, chairman of the Socialist International, is now held up by the "reformed Communists" in Moscow, as a man to be followed. Brandt is a strong advocate of the New International Economic Order. Some of the "reformed" Communists are also quoted as suggesting that Sweden should be the model for the Socialism of tomorrow.

The Marxist virus is far from dead amongst the ranks of the "reformed" Communists still operating throughout the Russian Federation and the other Republics. The repressions of 70 years have burst asunder and it has not required a vote to demonstrate the deep hatred of Communism, particularly the brutal tactics of the K.G.B. in imposing it.

But it must never be forgotten that it was the self-styled intellectuals who in the West were responsible for arguing that one of the greatest tyrannies in the history of mankind was an advance towards a new civilisation. There are thousands of these people still in influential positions in Australian society, many of them poisoning the minds of young Australians with their "progressive" theories. They are in the forefront of opposition to any realistic finance economic policies, and over the years they have done everything possible to smear the League of Rights and to undermine the values the League promotes.

The euphoria concerning what is happening throughout the old Soviet Empire will, in the not too distant future, give way to the stern discipline of economic realities. Consider the state of Poland, where a Solidarity Government opposed to the tyranny of Communist domination, is now imposing upon the suffering Polish people the lower standard of living demanded by the International Monetary Fund.

Boris Yeltsin and his colleagues have still to face the test of how to get an economy operating which will serve the individual consumer. They will not be assisted by financial "experts" from the Western world, who have presided over the worst depression conditions since the Great Depression days of the thirties. Perhaps one of the most ominous developments is the report that the World Bank is making available £38.5 million for a trust fund for "technical co-operation for the Soviet Union and its republics to help implement market oriented reforms".

TASMANIAN PULP MILL C.I.R.

"A record number of Burnie ratepayers turned out for the pulp mill C.I.R. to record an overwhelming 'yes' vote of 92.4%. " The Advocate, Tasmania, August 31st.

The Burnie City Council's Town Clerk gave the figures: 92.38% for the pulp mill, 6.68% against the mill, and 0.94% informal. The poll result will now go before Burnie Council, and then probably forwarded to the Tasmanian State Government. The Public Affairs Manager for North Broken Hill, Mr. Oldfield, is delighted with the vote, which is an endorsement from Tasmanians that they want an environmentally sound pulp mill, with its economic benefits. Furthermore, Mr. Oldfield asserted that a clear message has been given to Canberra that resource security legislation must be passed.
Some 43.48% of municipal government voters recorded votes, which was more than double the 20% turnout anticipated at Tasmanian municipal polls. Burnie (Tasmania) is one of the few Councils which have the Citizens' Initiated Referendum. North Sydney is another. We have little doubt that the victory for "direct democracy" at Burnie will displease the Tasmanian greens".

MR. IAN McLACHLAN CALLS FOR BANK DEBT WRITE OFF

"Rural Australia will not emerge from the recession until as much as 35% of the industry's debt is written off by the banks, according to the Federal Opposition spokesman on Industry and Commerce, Ian McLachlan." - The Countryman (W.A.,) August 29th.

Mr. McLachlan is a former head of the National Farmers' Federation (N.F.F.). He told the Rural Press Club of W.A. recently that as high a percentage as 35% of the $15 billion tied up in rural loans was non-performing (the borrowers are unable to repay the interest on the loans, let alone repay any of the principal), and the majority of the 35% (non-performing) debt would have to be written off by rural lenders (this means the banks) before the rural recession could be overcome. Mr. McLachlan stated that hundreds of farmers in South Australia will never be able to repay their debts; unless the above amount of debt is written off, there will be no recovery at all.

We, ourselves, have one question: viz, do you in your wildest dreams think that the banks will scrap, write off, 35% of their rural total debt? Neither do we! Mr. Simon Crean, the Federal Primary Industries Minister, wants the agricultural sector of Australia's economy to "value add", which is rejected by Mr. McLachlan, who asserts that the initiative lay with the manufacturing sector.

BRIEF COMMENTS

The recent small increase in home building will be seen as a false dawn by those who believe that it is a forerunner of the end to the depression. Treasurer John Kerin must at least be regarded as honest when he says that he does not envisage any improvement in unemployment over the next two years. From a realistic economic point of view, the question must be asked: Is the Australian economy producing sufficient consumer goods and services with a big part of the population unemployed? If not, then why isn't industry permitted to increase production by making use of those currently unemployed? The answer by the experts is, of course, that such increased economic activity would re-stimulate inflation. These "experts" are admitting that they either do not know how necessary increased production can take place without inflation. Or they are deliberately sacrificing the Australian people to further some hidden agenda.

A report in The Sunday Age of September 1st states that the Soviet Union has in the past had a good credit rating because of the Soviet's massive gold and foreign currency reserves. But when Russian Federation President Boris Yeltsin announced that he was going to take over those reserves; this sent shock waves through the "international financial markets", resulting in Yeltsin immediately reversing the announcement. Boris Yeltsin may have experienced his first taste of the capacity of the International Money power to dictate to political leaders who may look like straying from orthodox paths.

An article in The Weekend Australian of August 31st-September 1st, eulogises Dr. H.V. Evatt for playing the major role in defeating the Menzies Government's 1951 referendum seeking power to ban the Communist Party. The truth is that by 1951 there was widespread dissatisfaction with the failure of the Menzies-Fadden Government to fulfill its 1949 election promises. Many members of the Liberal Party were disturbed by what the referendum proposed. The League of Rights played a prominent role in opposing the referendum, stressing that to grant Canberra the powers sought would take Australia towards the totalitarian State. The totalitarian threat of Communism could not be defeated by weakening the protection of the individual by the Federal Constitution.

Farmers from around the State of Western Australia are supporting draft legislation that will offer them a two-year moratorium on forced property sales by the banks. This legislation was introduced into the W.A. Upper House only recently: it sets up a three-man tribunal with powers to grant a farmer in dire financial straits a period of two years respite from bank action. We read a report that some grower groups, and some politicians, do not give the concept great support, or no support at all. The "militant" Rural Action Movement fully supports the concept. The W.A. Farmers' Federation has a preference for their own debt reassessment scheme, now under negotiation with the banks. As we go to press we don't know what the final outcome of the above will be.

The Australian Wheat Board seems to be very optimistic, in our view. It acknowledges that the upheavals in what's left of the Soviet Union will not help increase demand for our wool, there could be a stronger demand for our wheat. The world wheat trade is waiting to see whether a rise in credit allocations to the Soviets will eventuate. An A.W.B. spokesman said that the Soviet situation has been assessed, but nevertheless it could only guess at the price of wheat early 1992, when most of the crop should be sold. It all sounds rather vague to us.

THE CHRISTIAN ALTERNATIVE MOVEMENT

The C.A.M. poses the question: ("Can Australia Match the Russian Revolt Against Central Tyranny?") "We give thanks to God for the release of the Russian people from the tyranny and oppression of socialist dictatorship. "The struggle has been between the people and those whose thirst for power forces them to destroy individual freedom. When those whose thirst for power are successful, they erect a central tyranny, which destroys the powers of more important governments, those closer to the people. In Australia's case, State Governments, Local Government, and finally self-government by free individuals.

"The K.G.B. style of government now tottering to ruin in Russia has been matched in Australia by the growth of the Canberra soviet. Under the Canberra soviet the two major parties have agreed that central government must exercise the greatest power, thus robbing the people of the means to control government from the grassroots up. They have created a monopoly with monopoly taxation and monopoly interest rates. Now one of these parties true to its monopolistic programme proposes a tax on every item produced and every service rendered! The complete consummation of a soviet type tyranny.

"Under the K.G.B. style Canberra soviet government, great inroads into personal freedom have been made. The hated tax file number has ensured that every citizen comes under the scrutiny of Big Brother. The application of a means test to every aspect of social dividends insures further inroads into personal privacy, and a massive expansion of soviet style bureaucratic power. Finally, these two monopoly parties agree on the need to push Australian into the New World Order, a concept impossible of democratic control by the ordinary citizen.

"The Russian people have found out the fallacy of central government the hard way. For over 70 years not one citizen enjoyed any form of real freedom, and over 100 million lives were sacrificed. Can Australian citizens save themselves by taking constructive action now? "We have to realise that in 1901 we made a major constitutional error in deciding to form a separately elected central government. There is no doubt we needed central representation, but what should have been done was to ensure the complete and unassailable political and financial sovereignty of the States. From those parliaments a committee should have been appointed to handle national affairs, which in reality are few, though important. Such matters as diplomacy, foreign policy, and national defence. That committee should be replaced by new appointees every year, or two years at the most, to ensure that it never became entrenched in power, thus becoming corrupted, as has the present central government. "Now is the time for Australia to start on this path of restructuring power back to the people, to usher in a new era of Christian government."
The address of The Christian Alternative Movement is: 15 Simmons Court, GREENSBOROUGH, Victoria, 3088.

CIR