THE PLIGHT OF THE WORLD

All the evidence indicates that mankind is moving at an accelerating rate on a collision course with mounting disasters. It is proper that the New Year, following the celebration of the birth of Christ, should be a time for expressing hope for a better world during the year ahead. But hope must be tempered by realism, a willingness to face truth, however unpleasant it may be.

It is dangerously unreal to express hope that perseverance with policies which have produced the present critical plight of the world will eventually produce genuine peace and progress for mankind. It is certain that the break up of traditional society, now strikingly evident, must continue if these policies are not reversed.

Policies do not "just happen". The suggestion that the plight of the world is primarily the result of mere chance, or bad luck, is a village idiot approach to history. It is just as effective in paralysing individual will, as is the Marxist teaching that history is the product of "dialectic-matetialism", of inexorable laws, which dictate how, a purely material world develops. The truth is that policies do not occur in vacuums; they are the result of action taken by individua1s who accept a certain point of view. If individuals are, from an early age, exposed to one set of ideas only, then it is as certain as the night follows the day that the majority of these individuals will base their activities upon those ideas.

As we have pointed out over many years, the fundamental ideas, or philosophy, underlying the operating of the present finance-economic systems of the non-Communist nations, are taking them inevitably towards a Marxist-type world. Increasing centralisation of power is termed "inevitable", even by people who continue to describe themselves as anti-Socialist. Any proposals for a change of finance-economic policies to halt and to reverse centralisation, is met generally, not with logical discussion, but with a highly organised smear campaign in which many innocent dupes are used to act as open agents, sheltering those promoting the campaign.

Any suggestion that the plight of the world is primarily the result of conspiracy - conscious activity to centralise all power by groups operating internationally - is met with the charge that those who believe in conspiracy are "unbalanced", or are adopting an "over-simplistic" approach to the problems of the world. The conspirators seek to protect themselves by encouraging people to disbelieve in their existence. Works examining different aspects of conspiratorial activities are generally ignored by the media. Serious allegations by responsible individuals are not reported. For example, how many read what the Very Rev. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., Superior-General of the Jesuit Order, had to say at the Vatican Council debate on September 27th, 1965?

Speaking against a world background of knowledge, Father Arrupe said: "More and more, the world is being dominated and controlled by the organised forces of Godlessness.... The Godless army is following a perfectly mapped out strategy. It holds almost complete sway in international organisations, financial circles, and the press, cinema, radio and television.
Dr. Bella Dodd, a former member of the National Committee of the American Communist Party, is on record as saying: "I think the Communist conspiracy is merely a branch of a much bigger conspiracy".

Superficial observers were staggered by the most sensational development of l971 President Nixon's move to treat with Red China. But the more matured observers had noted that for years it was certain powerful financial groups in the U.S.A. who had been pushing and preparing the way for one of the West's biggest retreats in the face of Communist global strategy. One of the principal architects of the retreat was Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, the man who virtually usurped early in l971 the powers of the American Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defence.

Washington Observer of August 15th, 1971, exclusively reported on a secret meeting in London between Dr. Kissinger and "Victor Louis", the notorious international agent for Moscow, immediately following Dr. Kissinger's first visit to Peking, before Kissinger had reported to President Nixon. The strategy behind the shift of American policy is to increasingly gear the economies of the non-Communist world to those of the Communist nations. The growing internal problems of the non-Communist nations are being used to promote the concept of solving these problems through increased exports to the Communist Empire. We can therefore predict that 1972 will witness increasing pressures to persuade the peoples of the non-Communist world that they must accept what is being described as the "Communist-Capitalist Convergence Theory".

Unless there are some basic modifications of present finance-economic policies, we predict that 1972 will witness a deepening of the finance-economic crisis in every non-Communist nation, with the imposition of more centralised controls. Inflation will continue, and there will be mounting industrial friction.
If the Australian Federal Government attempts to offset growing unemployment with Keynesian-type policies of credit expansion, the inflation rate will be intensified. The rural crisis must deepen, with disastrous results for Australia as a nation.

Typical of the growing concern about Local Government and Semi-Government was the recent warning by Chairman Croxford of the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works, who says that under present Federal financial policies, substantial annual increases in rates are inevitable. The centralisers' "solution" to the mounting problems of Local Government is "Regional Government". This is straight out of the Fabian Socialist textbooks.

The elimination of large numbers of primary producers, small towns and Local Governments is now described as "selective decentralisation". George Orwell's 1984, the world of double" speak and doublethink, is almost here. Every step towards further centralisation must produce further friction and more destructive social problems. We can expect the subversives of all types to exploit the friction and the problems. All over the world we can expect to see the flames of racial friction fanned into a greater heat than ever. The term racist is becoming the most used in the language of the porno political operators.

Increasing international pressure will be applied this year to the whole of Southern Africa. The Middle East situation continues to be kept at the boil, one comparatively unpublicised contribution by the Soviet Union being the growing number of Jews it is permitting to leave the Soviet for Israel. Soviet influence continues to be deepened throughout the whole of the Middle East, with Egypt increasingly a Soviet military base.
It is now clear that Peking and Moscow were the real winners in the India-Pakistan clash.

The Soviet influence in India has been increased enormously. Tikki Kaul, former Indian Ambassador to Moscow, and now Mrs. Gandhi's personal Foreign Secretary, is the Soviet's man in India. He has worked persistently to grant Indian naval bases to the Soviet. On the other hand Bhutto of West Pakistan is Peking's man, a declared Marxist. It should be recalled that Bhutto was one of those who called for the seating of Red China in the U.N. and the expulsion of Taiwan. He is now presiding over a country that will probably disintegrate.
Washington backed Pakistan in the India-Pakistan clash, almost certainly because of President Nixon's coming visit to Peking.
The Heath Government now starts on the real business of forcing the U.K. into the Common Market, in the face of strong British electoral opposition, and growing friction inside the Common Market nations.

All this does not make cheerful reading. But we are not engaged in a popularity contest. We are concerned with telling the situation as it is. 1972 is going to be turbulent. It is going to call for dedicated effort by those determined to help hold the line. Australia can only hold its part of the line of freedom by working to make itself as strong and independent as possible. This means a shift in finance-economic policies, which are undermining the economy and social stability. It means a return to those fundamental principles upon which Australia was created. 1972 could be the year, which historians will relate saw the turn of the tide against the forces of totalitarianism. That tide can be turned if enough Australians join the growing ranks of the League of Rights and participate in its programme of national revival.

ANNUAL MEETING OF LEAGUE OF RIGHTS

At the Annual General meeting of The Australian League of Rights, held in Melbourne on Friday, December 17th, 1971, Mr. Eric D. Butler was unanimously re-elected National Director. Inspiring reports were presented by all League Directors. Mr. Butler reported that l971 had seen the biggest expansion yet in the history of the League and that he was confident that 1972 would see an even greater rate of expansion.

Mr. Edward Rock has been reappointed as Assistant National Secretary, Mr. M. Sinclair Victorian State Director, Mr. Frank Bawden South Australian State Director, Mr. Tom Baker Western Australian State Director, with Ray White as State Organising Secretary, Mr. Jeremy Lee Queensland and Northern N.S.W. Director, and Mr. Roy Gustard Chairman of Sydney Regional Council.

For both old and new readers we point out that there are four major divisions of the League, all offering special services:
The Institute of Economic Democracy: Associate Membership is $10 annually. Service includes quarterly publication, Enterprise, four booklets a year and regular information bulletins. The National Secretary is Mr. Jeremy Lee, Kingstown, Via Uralla, N.S.W. 2350.
The Christian Institute for Individual Freedom: Financed by voluntary contributions. Issues monthly prayer letter, booklets at regular intervals, and occasional information bulletins. For information write to Mr. H, Davies, 28 Park Road, Mitcham, Victoria, 3132.
The Lilac League: Director Mrs. Jean Luscombe, editor of fortnightly, Ladies Line, $3 annually. Box 17, Alderley, Queensland, 4051. Mrs. Luscombe is also Queensland Assistant State Director of the League.
The Australian Heritage Society: Launched at the League's l971 National Seminar. League supporters in Adelaide have been given the responsibility of servicing this division. The first Heritage publication, Ecology and Us, by Sir Stanton Hicks, is available. Price 32c post free, from Box 1297L., G.P.O., Adelaide. Other publications are in the course of preparation.

THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY

"What we have seen over the past few months is the fulfillment of a deliberate August Budget strategy - the creation of a pool of unemployment to curb high rate of inflation claimed to be caused by excessive demand for goods and services. The only weakness in this strategy is that demand inflation did not exist then and does not exist now". - Peter Cairns, Herald Economist, in The Herald, Melbourne, January 18th.

While current unemployment is serious - particularly for those without employment - there is no doubt that it is being deliberately exaggerated for political purposes. However, the Federal Government will have to face the truth that it has been badly misled by its Treasury "experts". These are the same "experts" who prepared a report for the Federal Country Party on the proposals for reversing inflation put forward by The Australian League of Rights. These proposals are described as a "chimera".
(A Programme for Reversing Inflation, by Eric D. Butler. Price 32c post-free.)