Billy Bragg I
Like Daniel Sullivan ("Bollocks", Write On, GLW #468), I appreciate the music of Billy Bragg but unlike Daniel I find some of Billy's recent political stands quite obnoxious.
Unfortunately, I missed his recent round of concerts but I did catch him being interviewed on ABC Radio National's Arts Today program. Bragg said there that he thought that the events of September 11 had changed politics. He is concerned with how civilised people can control terrorists.
He said that those who criticise the US foreign policy and say that it produced the conditions for the terrorist attacks are like those who accuse a female rape victim of inviting assault by dressing inappropriately.
Billy Bragg's political evolution is sad to witness.
Barry Healy
Springwood NSW
Billy Bragg II
With all due respect to Linda Waldron (GLW #468), and considering that I was not at Billy Bragg's reported press conference in Australia, I have to urge GLW to give a more balanced appraisal of this great songwriter's contributions.
Let's be fair! Who else has delivered so many incisively eloquent, stirring and singable verses to us all? The man wrote "Levi Stubbs' Tears" and "Between the Wars". Give him a break!
I'd really like to see a longer article on Billy Bragg in a future GLW.
By the way, here in the USA, GLW is fast becoming essential reading for many of us in the middle of whatever it is that we are in the bloody midst of.
Thanks for keeping GLW out there.
Bill Nevins
Albuquerque USA
The bare facts
In Ahmad Nimer's letter in GLW #466 he said that I did not understand the situation in the Middle East and was not "interested in accuracy". In his opinion the "facts are patently clear: Israel is a state founded on racism and the dispossession of the indigenous Palestinian population." In my opinion to the situation the facts that are so "patently clear" are:
1. The Palestinians would now be living in their own state if they had not rejected UN's proposal in 1947 (to create two states) and did not march on Israel in 1948 (War of Independence) together with Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.
2. In September 2000, Israeli Prime Minister Barak was willing to dismantle most of the settlements if a permanent agreement was reached. This was rejected.
3. Barak also offered the Palestinians 95% of the West Bank as well as control over parts of East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. This was rejected.
4. Israelis want to live in peace and to continue the negotiations. But how is this possible when they are met with violence and terror at every turn, and when Israel is not even recognised as a legitimate state by the Palestinians. Yet they demand recognition from Israel of their right to the land. Seems strange?
And on another point. You say that the Palestinians "condemned the attacks" (in America) because "they know what it is like to face terrorist attacks every day of the year". Then please justify this quote from official Palestinian organs: "The suicide bombers of today are the noble successors of their noble predecessors: the Lebanese suicide bombers, who taught the US marines a tough lesson in [Lebanon].These suicide bombers are the salt of the earth, the engines of history. They are the most honourable [people] among us." (Al Hagat Al Judida- Official Palestinian Authority Daily, September 11, 2001.)
I can produce many more facts which favour my point of view as I am sure you can too. We will probably never agree. All that I am trying to say is that there are two sides to every story and many angles from which one can look at it. By presenting a one-sided, biased account as you have been doing only encourages racism and anti-Semitism.
Yula Geredov
Sydney [Abridged]
Leadership
John Howard boasts his leadership qualities and cites his record on East Timor when he made the difficult decision to send in the troops. Leaked Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO) documents do not support his claim. Instead, they show that: "Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, repeatedly sought to head off peacekeepers for Timor" and that Peter Varghese of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet was similarly active. In spite of pressure from the US and Portugal to send peacekeepers and warnings of violence, "Australia, preferring to trust Indonesia's assurances of a peaceful ballot, argued against them". ("The Timor Cables", Bulletin magazine, October 12, 1999, p 26).
By September 5, 1999, hundreds of East Timorese were being hacked to death, and more than 200,000 fled their homes. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's summary for the day blandly stated: "Dramatic deterioration in security."
Responding to these terrible events on September 13, Howard said that he had no regrets over East Timor and that "if I had my time over again I would not have handled things any differently". Howard is clearly revealed in these records as a master of deception and as a man without conscience.
Gareth Smith
Byron Bay NSW