Socialist Alliance
Hear hear, Dave Riley (GLW #620), a broad-based Socialist Alliance is essential, and it is this very quality that gives it its strength and attraction for so many.
If the Socialist Alliance did not speak out for refugees, for the people of Iraq our troops are helping to suppress, for women's total rights to control their own bodies and against the worldwide aggressive imperialism of US capitalism run rampant (aided by its stanch supporting henchmen), it would be simply a parochial, narrow, limited group — what the right refers to as a "ratbag fringe element". Only because of its ethical, laudable stance on whole-world issues has it secured the support of so many (and more to come).
Maire McKern
Surrey Hills, NSW
Pope I
It is neither right to see Pope John Paul II as a great saint that media generally portrays him nor as the "reactionary in shepherd's clothing" (GLW #621).
Yes the Catholic Church, of JP II, is against all forms of sexuality outside marriage. It opposes both contraception and communism. It equates abortion with murder. Yet both the church and JP II have many redeeming features.
The Catholic Church has apologised for past errors including attacks against pagans, Jews, Muslims and other Christians. JP II has continued Paul VI's ecumenical dialogues with religious and political leaders from across the globe, racing-car drivers and footballers. (Though not libertarian minded priests and theologians.)
The church opposes both capital punishment and the excesses of capitalism that leads to the starvation of millions. It established the debt relief Jubilee 2000 campaign. JP II condemned the US embargo against Cuba. He condemned the US-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. The church did their utmost in the vain attempt to prevent both Gulf wars. It condemns all violence against women, children and gays (yet discourages women from leaving abusive husbands). Finally, the Catholic Church supports the rights of all peoples, including the Palestinians, to self-determination.
It is more than 21 years since I saw myself as a Catholic. I strongly reject its narrow confines on sexual morality. Yet despite this it is clear that JP II was a man totally dedicated to his faith and to his personal vision of building a better world.
Luke Weyland
Strathfield, NSW
Pope II
I would like to urge readers of GLW to join me in praying for the departed soul of His Holiness, Pope John Paul II.
I do so, notwithstanding His Holiness's position that women should either be nuns or stay at home and have babies, that untold thousands have died because of his opposition to the use of condoms as a way to stop HIV transmission, that he said that homosexuality was objectively perverse, that masturbation was "objectively" wrong, and that he helped to cover up the links between the Vatican, Banco Abrosiano and mafia criminal gangs.
There was, too, his "almost total rejection of democracy" and his "blessing to Latin American dictatorships", as it was put by the French left-wing Catholic organisation Partenia, founded by the former bishop of Evreux (de-frocked by the pope in 1995 for being too left-wing).
Of course, it would be impolite to mention the pope's own role in how the right-wing College of Cardinals became alarmed at the election of his immediate predecessor, the first John Paul, who died after 33 days on the papal throne in circumstances never revealed to everyone's satisfaction: Even the respected Corriere della Serra hinted at foul play. John Paul II opposed an autopsy to determine cause of death.
Nor do I wish to denigrate the office of Supreme Pontiff by referring to His Holiness John XII (938-964), who became pope at 18, plundered the treasury to support his gambling addiction, and was eventually killed when he was beaten to death by the husband of a woman whom the pope seduced.
Not to mention Rodrigo Borgia who was born in 1431. He became Pope Alexander VI by the divine intervention of the Holy Spirit and Borgia's bribing enough members of the College of Cardinals to swing the papal election in his favour.
Pope Alexander's reign was prolific in more ways than one — he fathered more than 10 children and at the age of 62 he kept a 16 year-old woman, Giulia Farnese, in a condition of virtual slavery to sexually abuse.
Let us pray.
Dale Mills
Sydney
Cornelia Rau
The Four Corners program on ABC about Cornelia Rau was a chilling look at Australia's detention system.
It is difficult to believe that we put refugees, even children, in such places as Baxter. Most of the asylum seekers, around 90%, are eventually proved to fit our narrow "refugee" criteria. Others are also shown to be good people who are in need of a safe permanent home, having fled for "non-allowed" reasons such as war.
Isn't it amazing that we of the Lucky Country provide these traumatised people with "off-shore", "out-of-mind", "no expense spared" camps in Nauru and Christmas Island and "out-of-your-mind" desert camps on the mainland.
Will it take the story of one wrongly imprisoned Australian to make us look again at what we are doing year after year to innocent men, women and children?
Elaine Smith
West Haven, NSW
Baxter
South Australia has a new paper called the Independent Weekly. Independent of Murdoch, but still a corporate operation. The Independent Weekly appears to be trying to outflank the Murdoch press to the right, which would have to rank as one of the world's weirdest marketing decisions.
In its April 3-9 edition the paper quotes and paraphrases me distancing environmental and anti-nuclear campaigners from those that went to Baxter to protest the detention of refugees. I'm even quoted saying that the feral Baxter protesters like a bit of biffo! I said no such thing. The reporter in question (whose name does not appear in the article's by-line) used to be an adviser to a SA Liberal premier. 'Nuff said.
Jim Green
Adelaide
From Green Left Weekly, April 13, 2005.
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