Trade
Trade with Indonesia, like trade between any nations, has the undesirable effect of stimulating population growth, in both the importing and exporting countries. It is an undesirable effect because the world has a massive population problem and population increase, whether in the Northern Territory or elsewhere, should, despite the mango economic theories of our local politician and pundits, be discouraged, not encouraged.
In this context, the live cattle trade between the Northern Territory and Indonesia should be opposed by all environmentally concerned persons.
This trade has other undesirable effects, namely:
- The cattle are going into feed lots, which are locally environmentally destructive because of the high concentration of animals;
- They contribute to the greenhouse gases in the air by their production of methane;
- They are a direct source of energy for the Indonesian population and hence indirectly assist in the military suppression of democratic elements in that country, particularly in East Timor and West Papua (although East Timor is not legally part of Indonesia according to the United Nations);
- To produce the cattle required, the natural vegetation in the Northern Territory is cleared and replaced with introduced pasture, with unknown long term effects — but we can draw some lessons from the massive land degradation problems in other parts of Australia;
- It negates our ability to effectively protest human rights abuses in Indonesia because we in fact compromise our principles for pelf.
C.M. Friel
Alawa NT
Holocaust
Rutland (Australian 18/1/92), by a series of weird convolutions of logic, tries to blame Australia for the holocaust of European Jewry. Rutland forgets that it was the 1st AIF's Light Horse which spearheaded the liberation of Jerusalem from 400 years of Turkish rule — Romani, Gaza, Beersheeba.
The trap for European Jewry was set when the Nazi government signed a concordat with Pope Pius XII (Cardinal Pacelli), not to interfere with each other. The Catholics at the centre of Nazi planning and race-theorising, were free to go ahead. Himmler says he based his SS training and discipline on the manuals of St. Ignatius Loyola.
When Communists and trade unionists (including Jews and Catholics) were arrested and tortured, nothing was done. German Communists who included many veteran soldiers and officers, drew up a plan and were to "blow" the Nazis off the streets. But they were forbidden to do so by Stalin's Communist International. Tens of red. Nothing was done. The right in the West rubbed their hands with glee. The "Last Great Crusade" against Communism was gaining momentum.
Gradually the Nazis arrogance increased, but their genocidal aims were kept to an inner circle — Himmler, Hoess, Eichmann. Their think-tanks were working hard on the "final solution to the problem of European Jewry". When the Holocaust spread, most Rabbis advised non-resistance; some Jewish leaders collaborated (the Judenrat).
Where were the Australians? Coming out of the Depression, and inflicting defeats on four Fascist armies — Nazi Germany, Italian Fascists, Vichy French and the Japanese Imperial Army. When Hungarian Jewish Communists attempted to buy Jewish lives from Eichmann, they got no cooperation from Zionism or wealthy Jews in New York or anywhere else. One of them (Joel Brand) flew to Jerusalem to beg for help. The British army locked him up as a lunatic. International Jewry didn't want to find out more about the dreadful rumours of "a Holocaust", while Australians fought with all their might against Nazism and Fascism.
Denis Kevans
Wentworth Falls NSW