|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 <<
back to archive indexDate: 27th September 2005 John Howard is the cause of the TerrorJohn Howard is now asking State Parliaments to pass more anti-terrorist legislation under the guise of his request to make their current legislation 'uniform'. Phillip Ruddock, that sold-out civil libertarian, implies that the only way to provide for the safety of Australians is to give the police more power to lock up people without charges or judicial oversight.Why is this happening? It is happening because we are at war. The debate about keeping Australian troops in Iraq is actually a debate about our place in a war. Let's not forget it. We invaded Iraq and we are the aggressors. Although huge numbers of Australian people did not support the declaration of war on Iraq, most people have accepted our place in the war on Iraq as a fait accompli, and so we have 'soldiered on' (pun intended). The picture of Iraq today, shows us that we marched in, killed a lot of people, and effectively destroyed the country. It should not surprise anyone if the area is becoming a new centre for anti-American or anti-Western feeling. Every false step we make now just increases the intensity of this resentment and hatred. Even the former Chief of the Australian Armed Forces, General Peter Cosgrove, has said that there would be minimal danger from terrorism if Australia withdrew from Iraq. We would not need ever-increasing amounts of legislation. We would not be destroying our civil rights. We would not be spending a fortune on train, building, and airport security. As it stands, there is no deadline or exit plan for Australian troops, and the latest reports from the US indicate that the war in Iraq is not going well. This weekend, it is said that the South of the country, near Basra is becoming unstable. Meanwhile, all this talk of increased police powers, has many people very nervous. Muslim groups are particularly worried, and who can blame them? During the last World War, it was people with German names who were rounded up and locked up without charges or judicial oversight - in "internment" camps. The vast majority were of no threat to anyone, but there was a war on... No one was concerned about civil liberties. As far as most people were concerned, civil liberties (especially those of easily targeted minority groups) were a luxury that we could not afford in wartime. We need to do our part in putting a stop to the war now. We can do more to put pressure on John Howard and his government - we do not have to wait until the next election. Labor should be encouraged to do more and should not let the fact that they are not in charge stand in the way of being an effective opposition. Remember that if you don't get what you need from the Liberal or Labor party, then it is only sensible to put your vote into the hands of someone that will listen to you. There are alternatives - first the Democrats and now the Greens - and as some have said, "Regime change begins at home". Yrs, Arthur Chesterfield-Evans (ACE) |
 |