"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing"
Edmund Burke
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2 June 1995. Thought for the Week: "In
the original Greek democracies men were chosen for public
office, not by competing for votes and power, and were held
responsible, on pain of death, for results; and only free
and responsible citizens might vote on matters of policy".
Dr. Geoffrey Dobbs |
MELT DOWN OF INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM?by Eric D. Butler The last meeting of the G7 nations, in Washington on April 26th, received relatively little publicity in the media, probably because the leaders of the world's biggest trading nations could offer no suggestions of what might be done to head off mounting problems. Probably the most significant statement at the conference was made by the Canadian Finance Minister Paul Martin, who said, "There was a clear understanding that each country must look after itself." Is it too much to ask Prime Minister Paul Keating and Opposition leader John Howard to heed this admission that the present international financial system is collapsing, and that national survival depends upon rejection of the whole philosophy of internationalism? Regretfully, there is no evidence to suggest that the men claiming to be the best qualified to lead the nation through the turbulent years ahead, are prepared to challenge the death wish of the internationalists. Labor Backbench Member Graeme Campbell is the only prominent Federal politician who appears to grasp what is necessary for national survival. That is why the widespread distribution of his book, Australia Betrayed, is essential at the present time. Those Australian politicians who keep on insisting that Australians must virtually worship something euphemistically known as "the market", are saying that Australians are at the mercy of international financial manipulators. Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett is boasting that Victoria has been given a higher credit rating by Moody's of Wall Street. He is telling Victorians that the masters of International Finance approve of the restrictive policies he has imposed upon the Victorian people. Kennett, of course, hails this as a great success story. Politicians with a similar mind set also boasted at the time of the Great Depression that the harsh programme they imposed at the dictates of visiting international financial representative, Niemeyer, had restored "stability", with a restoration of "credit-worthiness". This meant that they were permitted to engage in further borrowing. While it is true that Australia's foreign debt was increasing under non-Labor governments there has been a catastrophic increase over the years since Paul Keating became a major figure in Federal Government. Howard offers no alternative for dealing with the situation - except to argue that he can implement much more effectively the same programme being followed by Keating. The moment of truth is emerging for Australians, and they should carefully heed and act upon Canadian Paul Martin's statement, "…each country must look after itself". The first essential is to bring the control of financial policy under the control of the elected representatives of the Australian people. |
BRIEF COMMENTA prominent Jewish Community leader, Dr. Michael Sinclair, has (Jewish Chronicle, March 17th) warned that intermarriage is threatening the survival of international Jewish communities. Zionist leader Isi Leibler has said the same thing. While Zionist leaders are in the forefront of the campaign to create multicultural societies and are strongly critical of any form of discrimination, they take action to protect the identity of Jewish groups. They are entitled to do this. But they are not entitled to urge that other people commit racial and cultural suicide. What right does Isi Leibler have to describe as "racists" those Australians who are opposed to mass non-European immigration, which threatens their future and that of their children and grandchildren. |
CAMPBELL ATTACKED FOR ADDRESSING LEAGUE SEMINARby David Thompson Mr. Campbell's response, and that of the League, was carried in an extensive and generally fair report in The Chronicle on Monday, May 29th. Campbell is quoted as saying: "I don't know who Mr. Rubenstein is; I actually thought he was a Polish piano player, but he's apparently a commisar in the thought police. I suggest he addresses what I say, not to whom I am saying it." The League Seminar also attracted metropolitan
television channels, and resulted in reports on evening television
news. The following are extracts from the extensive report
published by The Chronicle (29/5/95) on pages one and
two: "In his speech to 100 people at the Range Motel on Saturday,
Mr. Campbell attacked multiculturalism, immigration, Asianisation
and political correctness, arguing for traditional Australian
nationalism. The League was as dangerous and influential as
the Fabian Society, Mr. Campbell said. 'I've made it very
clear that I don't agree with much of what the League of Rights
says, but they're a legitimate voice and they voice the concerns
I hear all the time in rural Australia. I can tell Mr. Rubenstein
et al that there are far more extreme voices and groups out
there.'" RESOUNDING SUCCESSThe Queensland Seminar was a resounding success, with a significant cross section of new people, and supporters from considerable distances. From the content of his address, there is mounting evidence that Mr. Campbell would, in fact, agree with the League on many issues. |
EUTHANASIA: THE HUMANIST ASSAULTThe passage of the euthanasia legislation through the Northern Territory Parliament is nothing less than a piercing thrust toward the Christian jugular. For the human being to assume the power of judgment over human life or death, whether of the unborn or of the infirm, is certainly a blatant denial of the sanctity of human life, which the Christian believes is in the image of God.Further, it is the denial of the supernatural in that it spurns the Christian message of hope, and either completely dismisses the miraculous, or at best relegates it to a bygone age. Proponents of euthanasia have difficulty in defending themselves from the charge that life is a Darwinian accident in the first place, and is no more than matter in motion. As such, the human being is no more than a piece of meat, or a noisy machine that can be thrown out or switched off if it becomes annoying. Experience in other countries, like Holland, has produced thousands of cases of the misuse of euthanasia. Even here in Australia, a Melbourne woman diagnosed with untreatable breast cancer, and given two days to live, points out that as a terminal sufferer, she may have ended her life if this legislation was then available. Her unexpected remission appears to have given her a new lease on life, and provides a living treatment to the message of hope. Quite apart from placing doctors in a dreadful position, the Northern Territory legislation begins a process with no visible end. It offers a 'merciful' death to the terminally ill for whom there is no possible (known) treatment. Can this be extended to, say, the terminally insane, who show no (visible) response to treatment? As with judging the terminally ill, who dares to judge the terminally insane? In the new age of humanism, could Christianity be regarded as a "psychological disease"? The former Soviet mental asylums full of the 'politically incorrect' undergoing 're-education' are well documented. Could euthanasia eventually be the humanist answer for those who "suffer" from terminal Christianity? BACKDOOR BEACH HEADThe fact the euthanasia legislation was pushed through the Northern Territory Parliament is in itself notable, carrying the stench of political intrigue. Could it be that a small parliament in one of Australia's most multicultural regions is not blessed with debate of sufficient rigor to deflect the humanist assault?Church and Right-to-Life protest groups in the southern States have little electoral "clout" in the Territory and the humanist agenda might more easily establish a 'beach-head' in Australian law at the weakest point of political, theological and social resistance. In many respects the Northern Territory's euthanasia legislation will demand a similar response from the rest of Australia as Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen's elimination of death duties, and Queensland Premier Wayne Goss's new legislation which halves stamp duty on share market transactions. If the States are forced to follow the Territory's lead on euthanasia, the humanist virus has been successfully introduced to a heritage that was once overtly Christian. |
IGNORE THE RED ENSIGN HERRINGSfrom The Australian, May 22nd"Harold C.W. Scruby (Letters, 9/5) says I distort history, employ nonsensical arguments and that that my arrogance regarding the Aborigine's attitude to the Australian flag is inexcusable' (Letters, 17/4). Dear me! In all my 75 years as a quiet, unassuming Australian I've never been so flattered. I must have stung Mr. Scruby fairly on his sensitive rump. "I'm not at all diverted by Mr. Scruby's red and blue ensign herrings. Our flag dates back to 1901. It's as simple as that. I didn't think much at all about the meaning of what was actually on one. It was just part of our continuing history - one of my symbolic links with unknown uncles who fought in World War I, and my children's and grandchildren's links with me. "I don't say these things idly. My eldest son was the first of our family to find, only a year or so ago, Uncle Fred's grave in the little French cemetery at Borre. My youngest son wrote away to get a medal still uncollected after 77 years. Our Australian past means something to them. "In World War II, P.O.W's. hid an Australian flag on the Burma-Thailand railway and flew it after the original V.J. Day in 1945. Ex-P.O.W's. in Saigon made one from mosquito netting. The photographs are there for all to see in the Australian War Memorial Archives. "Another Australian flag, brought out of hiding to fly over a liberated Changi and later autographed by Edwina Mountbatten and other wartime heroes, has been a national icon. Australians raised $25,250 to buy it at auction and it is now displayed at R.S.L. Headquarters in Canberra. The price was only $250 more than the prize put up for a new Australian flag design a couple of years ago, although Mr. Scruby claimed in his previous article that 'not a brass razoo' had been spent on design. So $25,000 doesn't amount to a 'brass razoo' these days? "As to my 'inexcusable arrogance' regarding the attitude of Aborigines to the flag, there were a few on the Burma-Thailand railway. We didn't use them for political ends. They were our mates. They never saw the flag as a 'symbol of genocide and oppression.' "Mr. Scruby puts unsaid words into my mouth when he asks, 'Is this the kind of democracy for which he purports to have fought'? I was 19 and didn't purport to fight for anything much other than a few vague notions. Like most of us I was off on the Great Adventure. It wasn't until my latter and more thoughtful years that I realised that I'd done the right thing for perhaps not quite the right reason. I hope and pray that the impulsive Mr. Scruby will soon come to realise, before he tries to divide this country further, that he might be doing the wrong thing for the wrong reason." (Keith Flanagan, Darlington, W.A.) |
LEAVE OLD HATREDS IN THE PASTfrom Herald-Sun (Melbourne), May 26th"So our peaceful multi-ethnic society is threatened again by the visit of a head of state, this time from Croatia, and you report anticipated demonstrations with possible violence. 'When will ethnic enclaves in this country respect the relative peace they find here and look to the future, and not wallow in their past cultural prejudices? 'This is Australia. I am Australian. You are being treated as Australians. Please do in Australia as Australians do. Behave like human beings and end the maniacal happenings over there. "As a footnote for the press, I believe responsible newspapers might press this argument on all ethnic groups rather than foment anxiety in our society." (Laurie Newman, Silvan, Victoria) |
AN IMPOSSIBLE BONANZAfrom Herald-Sun (Melbourne), May 24th"You report in 'Bring On an Early Poll' (Herald-Sun, May 15) that both major parties are itching for a stoush. "With debt so entrenched in the economy and both sides committed to a continuation of the economic voodoo that perpetuates debt as the cornerstone of the whole caboodle, a change of government will not bring about the bonanza that is physically possible. 'The Government, by selling assets and crediting the proceeds to budgetary cash flow, has given us a one-off surplus, but how does next year's government get its Budget into the black with no assets to sell? "Even if this duplicity was legitimate we still have an accumulated deficit approaching $200 billion. If we could go on forever selling assets and gaining a bit better than this year's projected surplus - make it a billion for round figures - it would take 200 years to pay it off. "However, the wildcard is interest rates. Manipulating rates, either up or down, can play havoc with any forecast. Yet it is not the Budget that is significant, it is the outcome. 'There is little room for confidence that whichever party supplies the prime minister next time will do anything worthwhile about the debt system. Come the election I'll be looking for the candidate or party that is not beholden to the debt purveyors." (Ron Fischer, Talbot, Victoria) |