Australian values

TO force teaching of “Australian Values” – according to the so-called Education Minister Brendan Nelson and his mate John Howard – what a hoot.

Just what are these values?

They suggest “mateship”. The use of this blokey term is a cynical attempt by Howard to ingratiate himself into the diggers and workers. It is an abuse of process and history. Anyway I doubt it ever applied more to Aussies than any other race, so why presume we should teach it to others?

Respect for law perhaps? Certainly not international law, which Australia breaches at whim, e.g. over East Timor’s oil and gas deposits, over the invasion of Iraq. It supported the Indonesian occupation of East Timor until the last moment, and continues to support Indonesian occupation of harmless West Papua.

Respect for human life? Not when you can happily invade Iraq and kill tens of thousands of civilians, for what purpose?

Respect for the environment? Howard has only just acknowledged global warming, and has yet to accept humans are contributing to this.

Australia has cleared more land and lost more species than any major country.

Indonesia’s so-called legal system is clearly obnoxious when those systematic murderers of hundreds of thousands of Timorese and Papuans, and Indonesians gain total impunity, while personal possession of small quantities of mild drugs attracts 20 years’ jail – if not life – unless of course one buys one’s way out.

When will Howard and Nelson challenge this instead of mealy-mouthed mutterings that this is just their system.

Clearly religion is NOT something that should be taught, as Christianity has as bad a track record on human rights as Islam.

About the only thing that should be taught is the golden rule: “Respect others (or do to others) as you would have them respect (do to) you.”

That’s the only sensible religion on earth, or above it.

Rob Wesley-Smith
Darwin

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Mon, 05 September 2005
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Author: Rob Wesley-Smith
Copyright: 2005 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://ntnews.news.com.au/
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