SAVING WESTERN CIVILISATION PART II

by James Reed
Stratford Caldecott 's Secret Fire: The Spiritual Vision of J.R.R. Tolkien (Darton, Longman and Todd, London 2003) is a remarkable book about a remarkable man. J.R.R. Tolkien, an Oxford academic and devout Catholic, is author of The Lord of the Rings, the second most widely read book in the 20ht century (the Bible is first). Many opinion polls over decades have come up with J.R.R. Tolkien as 'author of the century and with The Lord of the Rings as his masterwork.

On the surface level The Lord of the Rings is a romantic adventure story, with good versus evil and the ultimate triumph of good against evil. As Caldecott points out in Secret Fire, Tolkien 's surface plot was so simple, with the distinction between good and evil so easily made, that at the time of the publication of The Lord of the Rings, literary critics of some note, such as Edmund Wilson, had dismissed the work. Obviously they were either not aware of the spiritual depth of Tolkien 's vision or did not care for it.

Drawing upon Christian Faith, Tolkien attempted and I believe succeeded in embodying the wisdom of Christian Faith through the virtues of courage, integrity, honour, justice and love, which the noble characters such as Frodo, Aragon and Gandalf the White embody. As well, Tolkien believed that the mythology of England had been destroyed, not only by the relentless march of modernity, but 'overlayed by Celtic or French influences (p.13)

He wanted to restore a sense of mythology to the English people drawing upon the ancient Norse myths of the Elder Edda, especially about the beginning of the world in ice, and its end in fire (Ragnarok). In this sense Tolkien is like the monk Snorii Sturluson who composed the Icelandic Prose Edda in the 13th century to preserve the noble ancient myths.

In The Hobbit, written before The Lord of the Rings Tolkien introduced these small agrarian folk who lived a life of simplicity, close to nature. Although written as a children 's tale, the story of Hobbit Bilbo Baggins accompanying dwarves on a quest to rescue treasure from a dragon, metamorphoses from a child 's fable to a myth of chivalry, heroism and romance. The Hobbit introduced the Ring of Power, something which the Dark Lord had had cut from his hand at the end of the Second Age, and something he needed to recover for his full evil powers to reign triumphant.

The story of The Lord of the Rings at one level is simple. The fellowship Bilbo 's heir Hobbit Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin are accompanied by Aragon, Boromir, both men, Legolas of the Elves, Gimli of the Dwarves and the Wizard Gandalf the Grey (later 'The White ') to take the Ring of Power to Mount Doom, where it can be destroyed in its fires. This is a spiritual quest that needs to be conducted by humble people through great hardship and suffering.

This, all of the characters face: each has their own 'dark night of the soul and their own crucifixion. Caldecott quotes from Scripture, 1 Cor. 1:25 : 27-28 that 'God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are. For Christianity, the individual can aspire to be a hero as every individual is equally important in the eyes of God. That, of course, is a message of social credit as well, being based on the philosophy and epistemology of Christianity.

Consistent also with social credit is the merit of the team, of individuals working together for a higher good. This is seen very clearly in The Lord of the Rings where after the fellowship breaks up, each little team plays their part to contribute to the overall success in the defeat of the Dark Lord. Yet, as seen in The Return of the King, Frodo in the end, cannot destroy the Ring of Power, but claims it, briefly as his own, because at the end of the day Evil cannot be defeated by our own Will, however much we try.

Many of these themes of Christian theology can be seen in the movie version of The Lord of the Rings. Missing though from the conclusion of The Return of the King movie version is the devastation of the Shire which the Hobbits find upon their return after the Dark Lord has been defeated. The countryside has been polluted and destroyed and the Hobbits enslaved. Unlike the film, the evil wizard Saruman has done this by way of revenge (in the film he dies upon this tower and dramatically falls on a spiked wheel).

The returning Hobbits have been battle-hardened on the anvil of life and unlike the enslaved Hobbits, stand battle-ready for combat, the eternal Christian soldiers. Caldecott says in reflection on this, 'Tolkien hints that a similar heroism is called for in us, as we see the England [or Australia] of our own day labouring under the disguised slavery of consumerism and overrun by half-orcs who despise our traditional way of life. (p.44)

That is what we face today. We do not have the armies of soldiers, however outnumbered, to face the invading Orcs. We do not have the citadel, however vulnerable to face them. Our plight is infinitely more desperate than even the final battle at the gates of Mordor : we are ruled by the Dark Lords who have the control of the technological and financial Rings of Power. The Orc armies rule over us, run our institutions and universities, and our media, and mate with our women (and men).
Our world has become a ruined world like the Shire world. Nevertheless, with faith and Christian virtues we must fight on to fight the good fight. What counts now is fighting this fight, putting up resistance to the gut-churning evil that we discuss in these pages each week.

The spiritual message of The Lord of the Rings relevant to our time is that the first step in saving Western civilization, our traditions and our people, is saving ourselves. We must rise above the methods of our enemies and become like Aragon and friends, noble Christian knights in the battle against the engulfing Forces of Darkness.

DEMAND FOR A MONETARY SYSTEM THAT PUTS PEOPLE FIRST

The following open letter was presented to the leaders of the nations taking part in the recent G-20 Meeting in Washington, D.C.
There were a number of signatories to the letter from around the world and included American Richard C. Cook, Author, www.richardccook.com and Englishman Rev. Canon Peter Challen, of the Christian Council for Monetary Justice.

Will you present such a letter to your political representative in both State and Federal Parliaments? Make sure PM Rudd gets other copies as well. Just to ensure he knows you are aware he was presented a copy at the G-20 Washington DC meeting.

The letter stated:
The International Monetary System Should Serve the People of the World, Not Enslave Them. We have noted with deep interest and concern that leaders of the G20 are meeting in Washington, D.C., November 15th for the "Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy."

Such a summit is surely needed, but not just to fix the catastrophically failing world financial system. No matter how much tinkering around the edges the leaders might engage in or how many bailouts are provided to financial institutions, we all recognize that nothing worthwhile will have been accomplished without a paradigm shift in the relationship between finance and the daily lives of the citizens of the globe.

The world today is suffering under the crushing burden of a debt-based monetary system operated by privately owned banks. The system's main characteristic is to channel wealth upward from those who work for a living into the hands of those who lend money. Financial profits are then supposed to work themselves downward through investment and spending. We know it in the U.S. as "trickledown" economics, and it has failed.

This system by its nature is unjust and is the root cause of today's crisis. We demand that this system be changed into one that reflects real economic democracy.
In the words of President Abraham Lincoln in his December 3, 1861, address to Congress:
"Labour is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labour, and could never have existed if labour had not first existed. Labour is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration." The monetary system should reflect these truths through the following changes:

-- Monetary systems should be controlled by sovereign national governments, not the central banks which mainly serve private finance. The main economic function of the monetary system should be to assure adequate purchasing power to consume an environmentally sustainable and optimal level of production whereby the basic needs of every person in the world community are satisfactorily met.

-- Income security, including a basic income guarantee and a national dividend, should be a primary responsibility of national governments in the economic sphere. A right to adequate purchasing power should be part of every national constitution.

-- The primary function of international finance should be to assure fair transferability of value among national economic systems, utilizing, to the extent possible, fixed and transparent exchange rates. Speculative attacks on sovereign currencies should be outlawed.

-- Private creation of credit for speculative purposes should be abolished, and capital markets should be regulated to assure fairness, openness, and freedom from predatory practices.

-- Every national government should have the right to spend low cost credit directly into existence for public purposes 'including infrastructure, environmental protection, education, and health care 'without incurring new debt.

-- The physical backing for every currency in existence should be the actual production of national economies.

-- National governments should treat credit as a public utility like clean air, water, or electricity and should assure its availability to all citizens as their social heritage and as a basic human right.

-- National credit policies should favor the development of sustainable local and regional economies, of small business, and of family farming.

-- Credit should be regulated in order to encourage maximum ownership of property by individuals without artificially inflating its price.

-- The private banking system should be utilized to provide liquidity for business operations but should not be needed in a properly constituted system to finance consumption or capital formation.

-- There should be an immediate worldwide moratorium on home foreclosures and recognition of the right of each person to a secure home.

-- An International Debt Settlement Commission should be formed and charged with producing a clean financial slate by reviewing all existing public and private debt and determining through due process what can reasonably be repaid, restructured, or forgiven.

It is time to assure that the world financial system is no longer operated for the benefit of the few over the many and that it reflects the spiritual principle that the natural resources of the Earth belong to all of humanity and must be rationally distributed to every individual, such that no one is left behind on the path of human progress.

ANTI-IMMIGRATION STIRRINGS?

by James Reed
Katharine Betts ( 'Dissatisfaction with Immigrations Grows ': People and Place Vol.16, 2008) reports that opinion polls are showing that between 2004 and 2007 the percentage of people wanting Australia 's immigration intake reduced increased from 34 per cent to 46 per cent.
Non-English speaking-background people (i.e., those born there) are much more likely to want an increase in immigration (32 per cent want an increase; 49 per cent want it to remain the same as it is among NESB-born graduates for example). These are the sorts of people likely to live in inner-metropolitan areas: the inner city elites.

Rudd is pushing ahead to turn on the immigration tap. Big business is keeping up the pressure not to cut immigration, even given the credit crunchie. ( 4/11/08 p.2) Yes, even if the economy fell apart like a badly glued box, for these elites, the sacred god 'Immigration must constantly be fed.
The universities, for example, now live off of immigration: 'Migration is the Key to Our Future, ( 15/10/08 p.28). So, if in 2009 every person on Earth migrated to Australia, in 2010 with no more migrants, the world would end?

Not to worry. The law preventing people getting permanent residency in Australia will soon be overhauled. ( 4/11/08 p.5) Not to worry that the Immigration Department itself has admitted ( 16/10/08 p.4) that the bulge in vocational education and intense English-language courses for overseas students is not meeting the skills shortage. Yes, there are so many Asian hair-cutters that are needed. Australia 's immigration program is about the replacement of Anglo-Australia, period.

BROWN WANTS VOTE ON A REPUBLIC

Senator Brown 's irresponsible proposal.... from David Flint 's Opinion Column:
Greens Leader Bob Brown says he will introduce legislation for a plebiscite on 'a republic. He gave no details. We are sure the sort of republic he wants is a politicians republic. It is difficult to conceive of a more irresponsible proposal.

Senator Brown should first indicate the flaws in the constitution he has identified and then say how he would cure them. To try to get the people to throw out one of the world 's most successful constitutions is to invite a long period of constitutional instability while the Senator and his ilk wrestle with some new constitution.

Senator Brown announced this during a major economic crisis. Just as the shadow Treasurer, Julie Bishop chose to deliver the Republican Lecture in the very week when the world financial crisis was at its height ( 'Perhaps it is the chardonnay, 11 October 2008). We don 't know what Ms. Bishop had to say. No press release was issued, nor is the text on her or the ARM site. Did her Leader, Mr. Turnbull, explain to her what should be obvious - that as shadow treasurer she should not be seen to be pushing republicanism especially at such a time?

Anyway, Senator Brown told the ABC on 11 November, that it was quite appropriate to revive the republican debate during the global financial crisis.
"I think people have got to have a spectrum of things to be thinking about and looking forward to and the country doesn't stop because of the financial crisis," he said.
"This is a thing about values and how we value our nation. It's a stimulus to put the issue back onto the agenda. This is a bill to have a plebiscite with the next election in 2010 to ask people whether they want a republic - yes or no," he said.
"That would lead onto a further vote down the line if people vote yes - and I believe they will - as to what sort of a republic."

THE THOUGHTS OF CHAIRMAN RUPERT

by James Reed Ah! How I love to see the periodic 'Rupert Murdoch Speaks articles in the Murdoch press. Thus we have Rupert in The Advertiser (1/11/08, p.45) philosophising about the mountains of money Google are making so much money that they don 't know what to do with it. [Give it to the League? Solve the world hunger apparently not.]

The colour photograph of Rupert shows him with a left hand as wrinkled as a mummy 's (or my mummy 's at least) and a bit of nice brown hair like a rocky seashore on an otherwise sea of baldness. Truly amazing.
Then we have Rupert warning that Obama 'could worsen crisis if he implements protectionist policies. (The Weekend Australian 1-2/11/08 p.2)

Did he read his own papers where almost no criticism of Obama appeared?Of course I am talking tongue-in-cheek, but if Obama does nationalise News Corp and taxes Rupert to death, I won 't cry.
Finally classic Murdoch stuff ( 'Be Prepared, The Australian 3/11/08 p.1). Australia needs to be prepared 'to maintain a liberal immigration system, and to 'reconcile with Australia 's Aboriginal population. '

Under Rudd we are fast approaching open borders and under Rudd, it is difficult to see how much more reconciliation can be given unless the fortunes of people like Murdoch are socialised and given to every migrant and Aboriginal. What 's that President Obama : you want me on your ideas staff !

A SUPPURATING SORE - THE HEINER AFFAIR

Journalist Piers Ackerman returns once more to the 'Heiner Affair in 'PM shreds his own credibility, Daily Telegraph 15 November 2008:
'In an unprecedented breach of protocol, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd refused a request from the former Governor-General to investigate the ongoing Heiner corruption scandal and explore the implications of his appointment of current Governor-General, Quentin Bryce.

Revelations of Rudd 's alleged gross breach of protocol came through Freedom of Information requests as his leaking of a private telephone conversation with US President George W. Bush was unfavourably reported internationally.
Rudd blocked the request, made on June 10 by former Governor-General Major General Michael Jeffery, a copy of which was sent to the Queen. Malcolm Hazell, then the Official Secretary to the Governor-General, had informed whistleblower Kevin Lindeberg that the matter 'is being investigated '. But in her first act as Governor-General designate, Bryce sacked Hazell with no explanation.

The former Governor-General 's request was sent to David Epstein, then Chief of Staff and Principal Adviser to Rudd. Epstein resigned after conflict-of-interest allegations were raised against him. He is now a lobbyist for Qantas.

Rudd 's handling of the vice regal request has been condemned by one of the most experienced senior public servants in Canberra. In his first public statement on this matter, Sir David Smith, a former official secretary to five Governors-General between 1973 and 1990, said Rudd 's action was 'a gross dereliction of duty on the part of a responsible government '.

For reference to Piers Ackerman 's earlier article, go to On Target Archives, Vol. 43, No. 34.

OUR WASTED RESEARCH DOLLARS

by Brian Simpson
A scientist, Carola Vinuesa has said that much of Australia 's scientific funding is wasted because better work is done overseas. (The Australian 30/10/08 p.6) Australians wasted research money in areas such as the cause of obesity, which merely replicates overseas research. It would be better to spend the money on problems unique to Australia, e.g., the drought.

I agree. But don 't stop there. Most research done in the humanities and social sciences is useless not because of the replication problem, but because it is politically correct nonsense.
I say eliminate all such funding, full stop. Academics get good pay. Let them use some of this money to finance 'research attacking Anglo Australia if they must.

But if the public teat is withdrawn, the little piggies will sink back to sleep in their beds of straw and their excreta.

AFRICAN SLAVERY

by James Reed
According to the politically correct religion of the Establishment, slavery was something the terrible White race perpetrated against long-suffering Blacks. B. Hussein Obama, head of the Black House is a symbolic expression of atonement for such crimes.

But wait an article in the Leftist Guardian Weekly (31/10/08 p.3) reports that 40,000 people are being held as slaves in rural Niger. A court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has ruled that Niger 's government has failed to protect these people.

Across Africa slaves can be found in their tens of thousands and more if the sexual slavery of women is considered. The plight of women, the genital mutilations, forced marriages, etc., constitute as well, forms of slavery. Human Rights fanatics in the West don 't talk about it.

But President Obama as the world 's leading African can do something about it. Write to him today and demand action. He said he would bring 'change so let him start with 'mother Africa. '

LETTERS TO THE PRESS

The Editor, The Australian, 12th November 2008
It is lamentable that German authorities are seeking the extradition of 88 year-old John Demjanjuk to face what could only be a political show trial concerning alleged events in a war sixty-three years ago or more ('"Ivan the Terrible" set to face Germany's last war trial', 12/11/08).
No matter what Israel may have claimed at the time, Demjanjuk was totally exonerated in his appeal trial two decades ago, as his Jewish attorney, Yoram Sheftel, made clear in a book written about both trials. That this man, who suffered so unjustly in the past, is still being pursued at such an advanced age reveals in his enemies a most nauseating vindictiveness.
Extradition in this case would itself be a crime against humanity. At the present time Germany imprisons men purely because they have challenged the official view of the Holocaust, and even imprisons a lawyer for defending them, all of which is an affront to intellectual freedom.
So long as this continues, no finding of any German court or agency in the matter of Demjanjuk will thus have any credibility whatever.

Nigel Jackson, Belgrave, Vic

'Global Warming '.? Dear Editor, Ballarat Courier:
What is considered newsworthy is sometimes a mystery to the person in the street. The Ballarat Courier November 12 reports on the closure of the Simpson Desert for the summer due to extreme temperatures.
The word 'annual in relation to the closure is revealing. It says this happens every year because temperatures in that part of waterless Australia are extreme every summer. It would appear that the only reason this was considered newsworthy was to suggest that this was evidence of global warming.
The amount that global temperatures are purported to rise would have little impact in this area. A more significant item that dovetails into the climate debate also appears in the same issue of the Courier. 'Nuclear weapon left under ice it is headed.
The story concerns a nuclear weapon that was lost in the crash of a US bomber in Greenland in 1968. This was close to the time when world temperatures were at their lowest, the point from which global warming was deemed to have begun.
Despite a rigorous search at the time the bomb was never found. If it was buried under the ice at the time surely, if the ice were genuinely receding as Al Gore 's disciples keep telling us, the thinner layer of ice today would have made it easier to find. However, US authorities have abandoned the device.
Contrary to Al Gore 's theory, the ice cap is advancing, an inconvenient truth for his disciples.

Yours truly, Ron Fischer http://ronfischer.blogspot.com/