Congratulations
As an opponent of fascism and racism for over 56 years, I would like to express my appreciation for the important role that your paper has played in the current campaign against the racist politics of the One Nation party.
Erosion of living standards, and social welfare, the injustice of enterprise bargaining, the growth of unemployment and a widespread feeling of insecurity induce the conservative section of the media to give excessive publicity to the exponents of diversionary racist politics.
The ideologists from the right-wing spectrum of politics who feel morally obligated to protect the corporate sector realise that if public indignation is focused on indigenous Australians, Asian migrants and Australians of Asian descent, attention will be diverted from examining the contradictions of the capitalist economic system.
It is essential to proscribe racism in all its sordid forms from Australian public life. A useful step in this direction is to place One Nation party candidates last on all how-to-vote cards at the next federal election.
Sydney
Nazi war criminals
The question of whether Mr Kalejs is guilty or not of Second World War Nazi war crimes will some day be resolved. But who were the officials and their superiors who allowed suspected Nazi war criminals to enter Australia? If they are still alive shouldn't they be investigated and perhaps prosecuted for aiding and abetting suspected war criminals?
According to Prof. Konrad Kweit of Macquarie University's Centre for Comparative Genocide Studies (the Weekend Australian, 23-24/8/97), up to 4000 suspected war criminals could have entered Australia after the Second World War. And Prof. Greenwood QC, former head of the now defunct Special Investigation Unit set up to investigate Nazi war criminals in Australia, claims there could be a dozen alive in Australia. All of this in the name of the Menzies government's anti-communist crusade.
There is an urgent need to set up a separate inquiry to investigate this cover up. Until this matter is cleared up we are hardly in a position to pass judgment on others.
Northcote Vic
Free speech
In response to Doug Lorimer's reply to my previous letter on "free speech" I feel I must raise a number of issues. First, if as Doug claims "freedom of political expression (free speech) does at present exist in Australia" ("Fostering illusions", GLW #287) how does he explain the jailing of Albert Langer or the criminal charges against the Rabelais editors? What about the laws relating to censorship, racial vilification, defamation and official secrets?
Doug distorted what I said in my letter ("Socialists and free speech", GLW #286); I did not argue "that socialists should not defend the democratic right to free speech in a capitalist society". I said that this right could not be defended as it "did not exist" in a capitalist society and that "any call to defend (free speech) fosters illusions about the true nature of capitalist society".
Doug also distorted my criticism of Sean Healy by suggesting that I was arguing against a struggle for democratic rights. I was doing no such thing, as I do understand that we should fight for democracy. Fighting for democracy, instead of believing it already exists, exposes the corruption, criminality and hypocrisy of capitalism and helps prepare the working class for revolution.
"Fostering illusions" was a very good way to headline Doug's letter as it did little else, both in relation to the issue of free speech and to my arguments.
Fairy Meadow NSW
Canberra colossus
Concerning the states versus the federal debate, I would suggest that we don't need Canberra.
Before World War I the states kept their taxes and could distribute them according to their special needs and circumstances. Then the war in Europe seemed to make it "sensible" that a federal power got in charge of the taxes to run the army.
It has done so ever since to the detriment of the states, the development of the country areas, roads and railways, education and health and the general well-being of every Australian, black as well as white.
Though centralisation seems to promote efficiency, the reality is the opposite. As in the big industries, bigger is not better and a return to grass roots, close cooperation and communications seem vital for optimum results and cost saving.
The duplication of every department, in every state has turned Canberra into a colossus with lead feet, unwieldy, impractical and uneconomical. The latest High Court ruling might be an incentive for some drastic rethinking.
South Perth
Terrorism 1
One is nonplussed to hear Doug Lorimer say that the Irish Republican Army commits terrorist acts. Doug is agreeing totally with 30 years of British army and world media propaganda.
The IRA (Oglaigh ni Eireann) is not a group of socialists who have a few weapons. The IRA is an organised army in every sense of the word. They have been waging war to get the British army and its allies out of Ireland.
If Lorimer does not know this, then British Imperialism, and all other imperialisms, can congratulate themselves on another set of Big Lies, told so often that even very intelligent, and very literate people accept those lies without any problem whatsoever.
Wentworth Falls NSW
Terrorism 2
In the middle of an issue of GLW (August 27) which, as usual, features inspiring acts around the world at every level, in opposition to often inhuman oppression, Doug Lorimer tells us that "socialists oppose terrorist actions".
While the notion of armed struggle in Australia or other industrial societies is currently unrealistic, Lorimer's blanket statement would deny legitimacy to liberation movements and guerrilla actions in countries ranging from Nazi Germany to East Timor. All these were called terrorism" by the oppressors.
ASIOs and Special Branches are currently snooping on progressive Australians in the name of anti-terrorism in the absence of a credible "Communist Threat". Doug Lorimer's diatribe against terrorists will not shield him from accusations of being one.
Whether we like it or not, recourse to arms is often the only meaningful way forward, as pointed out in the American Declaration of Independence. Whether this is called terrorism depends on where you stand.
Nor should such actions be posed against mass movements; armed struggle against repressive regimes can only rarely continue except in a sea of popular support. And, let's face it, there is no credible evidence of the mass actions referred to by Lorimer on their own ever having toppled a virile ruling class.
While, as socialists, we need to be selective in who and what we support, we should not get caught up in the hypocritical rhetoric of our violent class enemy.
Blackburn Vic
Sick society
I commend you for printing the article by Brandon Astor Jones which stated that "crime is a function of a sick society" (GLW #286).
I would like to offer an extension of this statement, that "substance abuse is a by-product, if not a function, of a sick society". Quite often substance abuse and crime go hand in hand. Substances, whether legal or not, are a temporary escape from the reality of a cruel, greedy and corrupt system that truly does reduce people to commodities.
The problems of crime and substance abuse cannot be solved with "get tough" policies and "quick fix" solutions. We need to give "hope" back to people, and this is not going to happen while our government continues to implement oppressive policies.
While money rules people will always lose. When we put care first, people will win — care for each other, for the environment and for living creatures.
Poverty doesn't just relate to a financial situation. Poverty of the spirit is even more devastating. Racists are people suffering from a devastating "poverty of the spirit". Committing acts of violence against them, like trying to shut down One Nation party meetings, will only reinforce their spiritual poverty and give them more excuses to carry on.
Peaceful demonstrations and spreading the real truth about who is responsible for economic troubles is a way of working towards real solutions. Racism is not an answer. It is just another "function of a sick society".