Truth to Confront Terror
For the Governments involved in the Iraqi conflict - to be
truly effective they need to be much more open with themselves and their
neighbours about the internal weaknesses of their own societies, their own
parliamentary systems, their own judicial systems, their own systems of crime
prevention and detection. As it is, by construing a
sustained international policing effort as a "war on
terrorism", they too easily make citizens who are conscientious
about their own nation's injustices into villains. Being truthful is
not just a matter of getting in behind the mauling pack of war-mongering
ideology ... .
As we have seen, Bush, Blair and Howard are incapable of NOT using this
"war" for their own local political purposes .... in the
attempt to "construct" parliamentary democracy in Iraq these
three elected leaders have been far too presumptuous about their own
qualifications to contribute to the "winning of the peace" in Iraq.
Consider these leaders against the backdrop of their own respective
systems of parliamentary democracy "back home". If, as they
suggest, we should be looking for an Iraqi parliament that adequately
represents the variety of lawful political views validly present in
that nation, then they are possibly among the worst fitted
to "win the peace". Their joint espousal of "democratic
values" for Iraq, compoares abysmally with their respective failures to
reform their own national parliaments. These three parliaments do not pass
the test for just representation of all citizens. They are ongoing laboratories
of electoral gerrymandering.
Whatever the actual talents these three and their
nations have, they do not have political systems that breed
experience and expertise in a multi-party system of representation that
justly allows all citizens to be represented. That is what Iraq needs.
That is also what Australia, UK and USA needs but doesn't have Some go so far
as to say that the US, UK and Australian systems are "two-party
dictatorships".
Do these three "men of steel" propose reform
to enhance electoral justice in their own nations? No, they do not.
And sadly we know that If they did they would possibly undermine
their own standing within their own political systems. It is precisely
that kind of standing, that kind of "constructed" leadership,
based on political hubris, that must be dismantled if a genuine just
alternative is to be found.
The international fight against terrorism requires nations
to develop political discussion on all levels and the discussion must
be much more open about the internal weaknesses of their
own parliamentary systems, their own civil societies. But discussion can
only go so far. We also need reform. True reform. In the case of
Australia, if the Federal Parliamentary Opposition (ALP) was to
grasp this nettle it would help change the direction
of political life in this country and in this region.
Indeed, if the Opposition advocated a reform of parliament to
allow just representation (over against the current system of
mis-representation) it would significantly lessen the tensions between
Australia and the region - ASEAN and the South West Pacific. That is
because a truthful acknowledgment of our weaknesses undermines any attempt to
present ourselves as if we have established some kind
of political superiority over our neighbours. The truth about our inner
weaknesses does not need advertising consultants to promote
our supposed superiority. To find political truth is to discover ourselves
in our office of service and such service can only mean obedience
to the Lord of Heaven and Earth, Jesus Christ..
Similar things could be said of UK and USA in their international
and regional roles. Security can only be improved when nations are
encouraged to be truthful and to confront their psychological
insecurities about their national imperfections. In the power of the
gospel of Jesus Christ we Christians busy as citizens discover that we do not
have to hide behind nationalistic myths. We are called instead to seek justice
and to walk humbly with God.
BCW 28-Nov-03
Bruce Wearne, former academic, who now lives at
Point Lonsdale, Victoria
Friday, November 28, 2003
November 2003 © Christian
Radical Reflections, is written by Bruce C Wearne (PhD), 29 Lawrence
Rd., Point Lonsdale Vic 3225 AUSTRALIA, 61-3-5258-3913. Each edition
may be photocopied or retransmitted in its entirety but not otherwise
reprinted or transmitted without permission. This personal project
aims to encourage positive Christian citizenship, the development of
policies and political attitudes that better express our love for God and our
neighbour. Your comments are welcome. Email can be sent to bcwearne@ozemail.com.au . http://members.ozemail.com.au/~bcwearne/index.html