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Tuesday, 3rd February 1998
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[The Canberra
Column] [Economic
Rationalism]
The Paul Keating, Danpork scandal unravels....
All the background information here
Hanson takes on Stott Despoja
Last night Pauline Hanson debated Australian Democrat Senator Stott Despoja on Channel Nine's A Current Affair over whether the police should have the right to take children under sixteen home after midnight. The young Senator, in her 20s, tried, unsuccessfully, to lecture Pauline Hanson about teenagers and their welfare on the streets late at night.
This follows the release of a One Nation state policy saying that the police should have this power.
An interesting irony when you realise that one of Pauline's children is not much younger than the Senator. Despoja, well schooled in the art of debate, won the verbal contest hands down but her obvious disregard for a lady who has seen the real side of life, not some sheltered career-politician upbringing would not have been missed by the mainstream Australian population.
As Pauline Hanson said "We are talking about children. What are children doing up after midnight? What good can they be up to, what about their welfare?"
The argument appeared lost to the politically correct Senator who kept on referring to the "rights of the child"... As a father with teenagers I know whose side I am on and it is not the young upstart of a Senator.
Loud website disappears in its own disgrace.
There was a quiet and welcome but, unfortunately, temporary passing
yesterday.
The Loud website disappeared completely
from the internet in the late afternoon after the revolting, doctored,
pornographic image of Pauline Hanson was removed in the afternoon. The Loud
site reappeared this morning with the thumbnail of Pauline Hanson, nude,
giving birth to a black baby
still there
but with the comment "This image has been removed" appearing when
the thumbnail is clicked on. In fact the image has not been taken off
the Internet - it is still there if you know where to look.
It is an appalling situation where, despite the disgusting association of a Commonwealth Government Department being associated with pornography, days after the revelation in the media an icon of this still appears on the page.
We would ask you to once again make your views known to send Senator Richard Alston an email. Alston could make one phone call to rectify this state of affairs but obviously has not.
One thing is for sure, by his inaction Alston has forever linked his name
to pornography on the internet.
Benefactors of MAI funding their political
stooges in Australia - the ALP and the Liberal Party
Proof that the major political parties are financial stooges to the
multinationals pushing MAI:
| Donor | Liberal Party | ALP |
| Village Roadshow (owned by News Limited) | $202,850 | $23,500 |
| ANZ (owned by foreign banks) | $125,000 | $20,000 |
| Amcor (owned by foreigners) | $130,000 | $40,000 |
| Santos (largely owned by foreigners) | $150,000 | $0 |
| Pratt Holdings | $105,000 | $0 |
| Grollo | $100,000 | $0 |
| Boral (largely owned by foreigners) | $75,000 | $49,000 |
| Inghams (owned by foreigners) | $75,000 | $25,000 |
| Hoyts (owned by foreigners) | $51,000 | $12,000 |
| Lion Nathan (owned by foreigners) | $50,000 | $0 |
| Brierley Investments Ltd (owned by foreigners) | $50,000 | $0 |
| Southcorp | $41,258 | $0 |
| FAI Insurance | $30,000 | $0 |
| QBE | $19,000 | $0 |
| McDonalds (owned by foreigners) | $15,000 | $5,000 |
Source Australian Electoral Commission 1996-97
Is it any wonder, therefore, that the Coalition and the ALP keep quiet on the issue of the MAI... look no further than their major benefactors.
Students exploit visas
Source: "The Australian" Students exploit
visas
By MICHAEL McKINNON
2nd Feb 98
ILLEGAL immigrants are sneaking in Australia's back door by applying for readily granted student visas – then taking jobs rather than lessons.
The "students" apply for the $250, five-year visas, saying they will pay full university or school fees.
But then they find full-time work or downgrade their courses to the bare minimum, The Daily Telegraph has learned.
One 19-year-old Chinese man was caught when he applied to study in Australia – at an exclusive girls-only high school.
Immigration Minister Phillip Ruddock has confirmed a serious abuse of the student visa system. More than 2800 students out of almost 70,000 are overstaying their visas. But Mr Ruddock foreshadowed a greater role for educational institutions in vetting students – and ensuring they turn up to class.
He said this was the key recommendation of a review into the student visa system, which is expected to report soon.
In one case, a group of six men, aged between 20 to 24, all enrolled in business studies courses in Sydney.
But Immigration Department investigators found them working as tour guides on the Gold Coast when they should have been in class.
In another case, a group of 26 students, aged between 25 and 35, enrolled at the same time in doctorate courses at a Brisbane university.
But none of them attended the courses, and all sought and received a refund of their fees. They then transferred to much cheaper business colleges in Sydney or Brisbane, even though they would not have been granted student visas for these courses because of poor English proficiency.
The Immigration Department could not withdraw the visas because the students were studying.
But the review of the student visa system is examining whether some foreign students should be blocked from changing courses.
The vast majority of student visa abusers come from the Middle East, North Asia and South-East Asia, according the department.
Mr Ruddock said while foreign students contributed $500 million a year to Australia, the system was also used to jump the immigration queue.
"Overstayers cost the taxpayer millions of dollars each year in fraudulent claims on the welfare system and through the cost of locating and removing them from Australia," a spokesman for Mr Ruddock said.
"Unlawfully in Australia, they have no work rights and those that are working are taking jobs away from unemployed Australians."
Three Government departments – Immigration, Social Security and the Tax Office – are now exchanging data to help track down visa overstayers. A data-matching pilot project is also in place with the Health Insurance Commission.
Last financial year, the Government tracked down more than 10,000 overstayers, including students. About 21 per cent admitted to working in Australia.
Foreign students are allowed to study in Australia as long as they agree to leave after the course is finished, and pay full fees.
They are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week part-time and work full-time in the holidays.
But Mr Ruddock's spokesman said some students would downgrade degree courses to diplomas to try to sneak in more paid work.
In the year to June 1997, 68,611 student visas were granted – a 9 per cent increase on 1995/96.
Most came from Korea (9588 students), Indonesia (8030), Japan (6319), Malaysia (5327), Singapore (4575), Hong Kong (4276) and Taiwan (2586).
In the case of the six students found working on the Gold Coast, their visas were cancelled because they were not in class and because of a reasonable suspicion they were working longer than 20 hours a week.
But not all suspected abusers of the system are sent home.
Following a tip-off, officers investigated a student working at a Sydney restaurant. They visited the English-language college where he was enrolled and found he had not been attending classes.
The department issued the required warning for him to show why his visa should not be cancelled.
He provided medical certificates showing he was sick when not attending classes, and this was enough to prevent his visa being cancelled.
A 17-year-old woman who applied to study at a Sydney high school was supposed to board with a family. But after a few months, she moved in with her new boyfriend and was failing to attend school.
After the school reported her absence, she was given 28 days notice that her visa would be cancelled.
But she enrolled in another school and her visa was not cancelled. Since December 1995, students from 41 "gazetted" countries have been granted visas for their entire stay, up to five years. Countries are gazetted when there is a low expectation that visa conditions will be abused. Non-gazetted country students face far greater scrutiny.
Making the
news" -
| Party | Jan 30-Feb1 | Jan 16-18 | Dec 12-14 | Dec 5-7 | Nov 21-23 | Nov 7-9 | Oct 24-26 | Oct 17-19 | Oct 10-12 | Sep 26-28 | Sep 19-21 | Sep 5-7 | Aug 22-24 | Aug 8-10 | Jul 25-27 | Jul 11-13 | June 27-29 | June 13-15 | May 30-June 1 | May 16-18 | Election - March 1997 |
| Coalition | 44% | 42% | 41% | 40% | 37% | 39% | 39% | 39% | 43% | 42% | 43% | 41% | 42% | 43% | 42% | 42 | 43% | 44% | 43% | 41% | 47% |
| ALP | 40% | 43% | 41% | 44% | 45% | 43% | 45% | 45% | 39% | 37% | 37% | 40% | 39% | 37% | 36% | 40% | 37% | 36% | 37% | 37% | 38.7% |
| One Nation | 4% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 5% | 6% | 7% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 9% | N/A |
| Democrats | 4% | 4% | 5% | 5% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 5% | 5 | 5% | 6% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 6% | 3% | 5% | 4% | 6.8% |
| Greens | 1% | 1% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 1% | 2% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 2% | 1.7% |
| Others | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 7% | 8% | 10% | 8% | 7% | 7% | 8% | 7% | 6% | 8% | 8% | 7% | 7% | 5.8% |
The Rising Sun by our Canberra Correspondent Peter Mackay
The bright Canberra sun shone on a scene of intense activity at Old Parliament
House. Some of Australia's foremost political and social figures rolled up
to the front door, to be greeted by a swarm of journalists, cameras, security
guards, police, public servants and assorted hangers-on.
And one Trevor Pike, an intense young man waving an Australian flag with
the Union Jack ripped off and replaced by the Aboriginal flag. He waved it
from a long, rough cut pole, which he dangled over each arriving delegate
so that the cameras caught it in the background. Came very close to bopping
John Howard on his bald spot.
"I represent Ned Kelly", Trevor declared, and he looked the part. I would
have written down what he had to say about Aboriginal sovereignty, but my
pen ran out at that moment, and I hurried off to find a spare. When next
I checked, he had vanished, and judging by the dark looks the police had
been giving him, I guessed that they had suggested that Ned Kelly's fate
had been mild compared to what they intended to do with his flagpole.
Or maybe he had wandered off to sit around the campfire smouldering outside
the Aboriginal Tent Embassy across the road. I'm sure he found a few kindred
spirits there.
Inside, the delegates were furiously networking in the last few minutes before
proceedings began. They cheerfully chatted, shook hands, posed for the cameras
and moved on to the next smiling face. I was beginning to think that this
was all an expensive party for politicians of three generations.
It was all hard slog upstairs in the Press Gallery, and smiles were becoming
more and more strained as more and more journos were packed in. I was rubbing
shoulders with Kerry O'Brien on one side, and a brace of photographers on
the other. Every minute or so somebody would squeeze past in search of a
better angle.
History in the making, I reassured myself, as I shifted from one foot to
another and back again. The delegates below settled into their padded leather
seats and listened as the great debate began.
Ian Sinclair kicked off by mentioning that we were meeting on Aboriginal
land. ARM was in no doubt about this, as their souvenir stall outside had
been chased off by the natives to a less prominent position. The seven Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander delegates nodded approvingly. The Ngunnawal tribe
had been meeting here for centuries, Ian went on.
My feet were starting to ache already and the knees of some of the more senior
journos were locking up. Ten minutes had passed, and there were ten more
days to go.
John Howard got the nod next, then Kim Beazely, Malcolm Turnbull for the
republicans and Lloyd Waddy for the monarchists. John Howard talked about
an "undisputed constitutional convention", and it looked like the delegates
were happy to read their long-prepared speeches and leave the disputing side
of it to fine words and polished phrases.
Things livened up after morning tea, when 45 minutes of what was intended
to be an endorsement of the rules of procedure turned into three hours of
nit-picking dispute. It very soon became clear that the vast majority of
delegates were happy to go along with the agreed rules, but a rowdy element
on the cross-benches up the back were playing up. Phil Cleary, Ted Mack and
Moira Raynor led the push for some politically correct amendments.
"Gender balance!" snorted Bruce Ruxton, "What's that?"
Motions were proposed, points of order raised, speeches for and against were
made. Attendants scurried back and forth with microphones, somehow contriving
to be as far distant from the next speaker as possible. I could see the debate
bogging down in details, but this was the real thing. None of your packaged
pre-cooked rhetoric here -- this was fresh, unrehearsed, raw and bleeding.
Ruxton wasn't going to get the post of head clown if Cleary could help it.
"The Malcolm Turnbull US Imperialist side of politics!", he scoffed, getting
a guffaw or two.
Turnbull smiled grimly and steered his team away from conflict. He had no
intention of being sidetracked, and his strategy of sticking to the agenda
soon became apparent. No fruity diversions of preamble wordings, early votes
or bills of rights could tempt him. He had only ten days to get a result,
and he was determined not to waste a second.
Eventually the speeches resumed. As speaker after speaker delivered their
measured fifteen minutes, defining their turf and starting to dig in, it
became apparent that there were five rough groupings amongst the delegates.
State politicians squared off with their federal counterparts at the front
of the house. The Australian Republican Movement faced Australians for a
Constitutional Monarchy in the middle, and the cross benches were taken up
by the larrikin element who mostly seemed to favour radical change.
Few, it seemed, were in favour of a popularly elected Governor-General. John
Howard was dead against it, Beazely might be swayed if it meant a few more
votes in his latest marginal seat. ACM spat on the concept, and the ARM poured
gentle scorn. The State politicians were almost uniformly against it. The
smaller states, at least, were worried by the prospect of the Sydney-Melbourne
Axis delivering Sydney-Melbourne heads of state.
The only people in favour of a popular election were those who had campaigned
strongly on the issue, and they noisily made their views apparent. Ted Mack
spoke with passion -- not only did he want the people to decide, but he wanted
someone who could give the whole stinking nest of corrupt politicians a swift
kick in the cods with the moral authority of the people. Mischa Schubert
of Republic4U - The Youth Ticket, thought that the young people of Australia
could work together to overthrow the old men in suits. Moira Raynor wasn't
sure what exactly she wanted, but it wouldn't involve any backroom deals,
you could count on that!
ATSIC head Gatjil Djerrkura wanted reserved seats in Parliament, a new preamble
and a different national day. Dr David Mitchell wanted more Christianity
in the Constitution and a bigger role for God.
About this time I felt that there were so many avenues being explored that
the convention resembled the nervous man who got on his horse and galloped
off in all directions. A bunch of arrows pointing to all points of the compass.
Then again, the monarchists were adamant that they had been voted on a ticket
of "No Republic", and they weren't intending to go anywhere. They weren't
going down any republican road, but neither were they pushing a barrow for
a bigger and better monarchy. No arrows expressed their intentions.
Slice off the bottom set of arrows, and the convention's direction resembles
the famous Australian Rising Sun badge. The monarchists huddle in the middle,
and rays of greater or lesser size radiate out and upwards. Popular election
on one side, the McGarvie minimalist change on the other, and parliamentary
appointment in the middle.
The task of the convention is to narrow down the directions to just one.
Consensus has to be found in ten days. Popular election is one extreme that
will get maybe 20 votes out of 152, despite all the polls suggesting that
it is the desire of the people. It's also the most vulnerable to a scare
campaign at a referendum.
Parliamentary selection or election has a good following. Malcolm Turnbull
tossed a crumb to the people by suggesting that they could nominate candidates
for Parliament to vote on. A possible choice, but there are a lot of details
to be ironed out.
The minimal model also has a good level of support. The so-called "McGarvie
Model", using a council of three wise men to select the Governor-General,
is one that trips off the lips of many delegates, not least those of Richard
McGarvie himself.
I wonder if Two-Minute Tim Fischer will rise to support his "Fischer Fix",
which merely replaces the Queen with the Chief Justice of the High Court,
who appoints the Governor-General on the Prime Minister's advice.
This absolute minimalist republic could well be the path of consensus. Far
from having "an opportunity every hundred years to change the constitution",
Malcolm Turnbull is now talking of holding similar conventions every seven
years. Start with a small change and gradually build up to something big.
I think that this could work. One thing you may be sure of -- Malcolm Turnbull
wants to wake up on the first of January 2001 to a new republic, and if he
doesn't get the radical republicans on side, he has to work on the conservatives
to gain a consensus.
The next few days should give an indication of the end result. As the formality
of the first day wears off, the set-piece speeches run out and the delegates
start actually addressing one another's views, we will begin to see whose
positions are untenable, whose are stoutly defended, and whose are swaying
in the breeze. Interjections will be hurled across the chamber, and some
of the fruity old retired politicians will have a final fling. It should
be fun.
And history in the making, I suppose.
Subject:
Comments on Australian
News of the Day
To whom it may concern
I find your attack on the Pauline Hanson 'Loud' image
to be hypocritical and disgraceful.
Your mob are always complaining that you should have
free speech, yet you are keen to deny others that same right.
Regards
Son, you are sick.
You were not there to witness how distraught Ms Hanson was over this issue. You were
probably getting stoned or on a drinking binge all in the name of "finding
yourself".
If you believe that pornography and ridicule is an expression of
"freedom of speech" then you are a disgrace to your peers whoever they might be.
So be it.
Editor
Subject: Re LOUD website
At 12.24 EST today, I sent the following E-mail to
Senator Alston
I will NOT refer to you as The Honourable Senator Alston
because, in my view, after seeing a picture of Pauline Hanson on the LOUD
homepage on the internet and reading that you condone not only the picture
but it's worldwide publication, to me, you are no longer an honourable
man.
Would you have been outraged if the postcard depicted
a woman from your family? I think so.
To condone pictures such as that on the LOUD website
makes a mockery of all that true Australians believe in and fought for. As
A voter, AND YOUR BOSS!!!, I demand that federal funding for this group of
subversive and OBVIOUSLY government controlled misfits be withdrawn
immediately.
It would do your and your politically correct cronies
well to consider a somewhat pertinent proverb VOTERS REMEMBER AT THE BALLOT
BOX.
I consider that the picture that is the subject of
my E-mail to Alston to be an affront to the dignity of not only Pauline Hanson
but to Australian women in general. All Australians should hang their heads
in shame that such a picture is allowed to be transmitted and that an elected
politician of this nation condones such a picture.
Will Pauline stand up in parliament and ask the questions
that another reader has posed? I think she should. This vile act requires
as much publicity as can be generated by any means whatever.
jason
Subject:
Comments on Australian News
of the Day
A question of News Censorship.
Last Monday 26th Jan 1988, five police officers entered
Eveleigh Street, Redfern to arrest two Aborigines. They were attacked by
approximately 200 Aborigines requiring a call out for assistance to the Riot
Squad. Order was eventually restored and one of the original arrests was
made (casualties unknown). I have not seen or heard an account of this in
the print media or on radio or Television. Was the fact that it was Australia
Day a bit much for them?
Also I would like to pass on this article that was
printed in the Sunday Telegraph (Sydney) on Sunday 1st February on page
43:
Sorry doesn’t seem enough By JOHN
McNAMEE
Her parents were seasonal fruit pickers and most of
the year lived in a humpy under the railway bridge.
When they moved to another area they’d leave her
behind in the local orphanage under the care of the nuns.
Mum found out about her through the parish network
and made some inquiries about fostering her to suitable families.
One weekend she came to our place. She was sullen and
rude; she’d pinch things from the girls’ bedrooms and flick food
all over the tablecloth. Dad soon found the solution: he took her down to
the beach one day and piggy-backed her screaming into the surf. After that,
she was as good as gold and became another sister to us.
Every time she had to go back to the orphanage, or
if her parents were in town, back to the humpy under the railway bridge
there’d be an explosion of tears and tantrums.
Mum’d buy her a new frock, some hair ribbons and
shiny sandals all packed up in a little suitcase, but it was still a
heartbreaking wrench for us.
We wouldn’t hear from her for months then when
school holidays came around again, the nuns would ring to say Sandy was back
in the orphanage.
We’d all pile in the car and head out to the grim,
red-bricked edifice to pick her up and take her away with us on
holidays.
But each time she’d be back dressed in the orphanage
grey uniform with no sign of the lovely new clothes mum had bought her.
We found out later that her mother used to sell them
so she could buy grog for her and Sandy’s dad at the back of the Hibernian
pub.
In those days, publicans refused to allow Aborigines
to drink inside the premises.
After a few years Mum and Dad tried to adopt Sandy
but for reasons that were never explained to us, they were not allowed.
I never found out what happened to Sandy; Mum may have
taken the secret to her grave. But the memory of that cheeky grin has begun
to haunt me these days.
Perhaps I am reading too much about “Sorry
Books” and the Stolen Generation and wondering what my kind-hearted
old mum would have made of it all.
Subject: re: Support of Pauline Hanson
I'm disappointed that Global Web Builders provides
support to the racist One Nation party. This action by GWB will certainly
be reflected in my use of your company in the future.
Yours Sincerely
I support my children's future.
I make no excuses for that.
Editor.
Subject: Letter to John Howard
For your perusal. Faxed to Howard this evening.
This excellent letter has been
reproduced in
full and is now on the MAI files.
Phil Graham
Subject: Democrat Rubbish
Dear Sir,
I have just viewed the supposed debate on "A Current
Affair" between Pauline Hanson and Senator Natasha Stott-Despoja on the subject
of whether or not children under the age of 16 should be allowed to wander
the streets after midnight. The Senator reacted like any person from a
dysfunctional family by the bleating of a load of garbage that was unrelated
to the issue at hand. Now I don't blame the unmarried Senator for her "wet
behind the ears" attitude towards the rearing of children, because if she
actually had any real responsibility toward any other human being, rather
than a theoretical one, then I feel certain that she would see things
differently.
Pauline Hanson stated that her party's policy "granted
police the discretionary powers to remove children under 16 years of age
from the streets after midnight and return them to their parents". Quite
simple really, no University degrees required to work that one out.
For reasons known only to the Senator, in the space
of about 15 seconds, she had processed the word "police" in her New World
Order controlled brain so that by the time her mouth was in gear and working
it was translated into "troopers and military". I fail to see the connection.
Australian has an inadequate Police Force, a virtually useless military and
unless I am mistaken, no Troopers. Perhaps it is time for Senator Stott-Despoja
to "please explain".
There may be nothing sinister in this at all. It is
quite possible that the political masters that pull the strings of Senator
Stott-Despoja were momentarily confused and pulled her mouth string when
they should have been pulling her brain string. Nobody ever suggested that
puppets were easy to control. None the less, if you believe that your kids
should be allowed to wander the streets after midnight , then at the next
Federal Election, a vote for the Democrats should ensure that your views
will be upheld. If, on the other hand, you are of the strange belief that
kids under 16 years of age should be safe and secure in the family home after
midnight, then you may consider a vote for Pauline Hanson's One Nation.
Whichever way you vote, YOUR beliefs will all come
to fruition. If you don't achieve your desired outcomes then perhaps you
may have based your beliefs on the rantings of unpatriotic fools.
When I ran the spell check on the email that I compiled
concerning Pauline Hanson v Senator Natasha Stott-Despoja, It produced some
results that are worthy of note :
1) Stott revealed as "stoat" which is a "weasel like"
animal.
2) Despoja had as it's nearest connection :
despot.
It could be interpreted as a "weasely despot" or even
a "despotic weasel".
No.... just coincidence.
Allan W. Doak.
Subject: Re: Australian Action at last!
Dear Sir,
Credit where credit is due. My appreciation to your
organisation and Ms. Hanson for, until very, very recently providing the
only political face to the MAI in Australia.
You guys, and probably gals, provide what is an extensive
and very comprehensive web site on the MAI and other issues that has provided
me with almost all of the information I now have on the issue and you should
be congratulated for your efforts. Thank You.
I was however referring to there finally being a concerted
effort to co- ordinate an Australian campaign targeting politicians directly
via the Web on the MAI issue. Unless I am mistaken One Nation and GWB haven't
attempted to co-ordinate such a campaign. If this is not the case (ie. you
or One Nation have a specific campaign running), please let me know so I
can voice my opinion.
Finally, with all due respect, the MAI is a much more
important issue facing Australia than Cathy Freeman et. al. and Ms. Hanson
should be using her valuable media access to promote public awareness its
potential ramifications rather than 'stirring the pot'. One step forward,
five steps back for One Nation I'm afraid, except here in the bush where
populist rhetoric will always attract the disaffected. My One Nation sources
in this region (yes, I have an open mind) assure me that Tim Fisher will
get an enormous shock at the forthcoming election.
Thank you for your web page and links and due credit
to One Nation and GWB.
Regards
Murray,
Ms Hanson will be using the Lower House of Parliament to give this issue
coverage.
Editor
Subject: Re: Populist
Dear Editor,
You said of 'populism', and Pauline Hanson's
views:>....her views, which are referred to as "populist" (or representing
mainstream
Australians)....<. Actually 'populist', while it certainly means that, has
a history. Encyclopaedia Britannica defines the Populist Movement as:
‘in U.S. history, a politically oriented coalition of agrarian reformers
in the Middle West and South that advocated a wide range of economic and
political legislation in the late 19th century’.
During the 1880s in the US local political action groups
known as Farmers' Alliances sprang up among Middle Westerners and Southerners,
who were discontented because of a recession turned on by the eastern bankers.
In 1892 their leaders organised the Populist, or People's Party. Among other
things they demanded an increase in the circulating currency (to be achieved
through government coinage of silver dollars), government ownership of the
railroads, the vote for women, and other measures designed to strengthen
political democracy and give farmers economic parity with big business.
It is from this movement that the word
‘redneck’ has been rediscovered by the political Left. Rednecks
were farm labourers (sunburned necks). It is also significant that the Populists
wanted the government to issue the currency (silver dollars) instead of borrowing
it into existence from the international bankers at interest (see my article
this week on ‘economic rationalism’). They also wanted to nationalise
the railroads, from which big business was making fortunes out of graft,
corruption, and government granted monopoly. Not surprisingly, while they
were popular with the people, they were very unpopular with the big business
and banking Establishment.
Now that the political Left has its head stuck firmly
up the anus of big business and bankers, it is not surprising that it uses
the words ‘populist’ and ‘redneck’ as smear words for
Pauline Hanson and her supporters, whereas once it would have agreed with
most of their policies. So corrupt is the Left that, having failed to recruit
in turn the working class, then the academic class and students to its cause,
it now has no alternative but to ride to world government by crawling onto
the back of its own former class enemy: capitalist imperialists. Sad,
really.
Graham Strachan.
See GLOBE International for
other world news.
You say:
Brad Johnston
Terrence Hunt
Murray Wight.
Personal trivia, from
the global
office:
Another perfect day in paradise.
Return to Australian National
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