The state of politics in Australia
Editorial from The Beacon June 2007

WITH THE FIRST LINK THE CHAIN IS FORGED

Spreading fear in the name of righteousness very aptly describes the deliberate, pernicious and deadly plan of the Howard Government to destroy our democratic rights and control and weaken our ability to defend ourselves against the introduction of legislative fascism.

This government has divided the nation, created a hostile atmosphere of suspicion and hatred of difference, and is still attempting to destroy our ability to fight back by introducing laws to control our right to unionise, and indeed, to prevent legitimate criticism by the written word through its sedition laws. Moreover, it even attempts to prevent the churches from exposing this government's agenda by using ridicule or threats of funding withdrawal to urgently needed church social programs and it has done this as part of a deliberate plan to establish complete domination over the people of this once free and democratic nation.

Spreading 'fear in the name of righteousness' began with attacks on the union movement - 'unions holding the community to ransom', unions having too much power', etc. Then the Muslim community - 'supporting international terrorism', 'having no respect for our "values"', 'being different', etc. To now beginning to proscribe organisations overseas as 'terrorist' so that supporters of those organisations (which are genuine national liberation struggles for freedom and justice) can be arrested as 'terrorists' for their support of those struggles.

The struggles in Sri Lanka have now become part of our government's latest crackdown with the arrest of two Australian citizens of Sri Lankan origins for allegedly providing money for the Tamil Tigers. What does this mean and what impact will this have on our whole community?

Must we all now be wary about who or what we are allowed to support? Should we fear expressing a view publicly about the war in Iraq or in the Middle East in case we are accused of supporting terrorism? Must we now accept that criticism of the Iraq war or any other disgraceful adventure of our government must not be publicly expressed either verbally or in writing or by sending funds to countrymen and women overseas who are fighting for their lives and their loved ones in order to free them from tyranny and exploitation?

Will this now lead to unions not being able to practise international solidarity with their fellow unionists overseas by sending donations and expressions of support in their struggles? Where will this path lead?

It has been said that with the first link, the chain is forged; the first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably. The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we are all damaged. Have we not learned from the lessons of the past in Nazi Germany? We must speak out now, before it is too late.