Chas Savage, talking on Radio National's Perspective, makes a convincing case for why Australians have been dudded by our political leaders on attitudes to human rights.
Howard has adopted the Bush approach - that is, we are part of an empire creating its own reality - we are supposed to move on from issues of principle because they do not apply to this new reality. As Chas put it - this is "wrong, wrong, wrong".
A lot of journalists and political commentators (who should have put this Govt's human rights record under closer scrutiny) appear to fall into this mindset and get irritated when people like Chas remind them that this reality is seriously flawed and that principled government is central to a decent society. I frequently hear the line that this is what the Australian electorate voted for and we should all move on. Thankfully a good many decent Australians refuse to bow down to a majority opinion that tolerates human rights abuses, and their voices will only get louder.
I am reminded of a quote from Mahatma Gandhi:
"It is a superstition and ungodly thing to believe that an act of a majority binds a minority. Many examples can be given in which acts of majorities will be found to have been wrong and those of minorities to have been right. All reforms owe their origin to the initiation of minorities in opposition to majorities...So long as the superstition that men should obey unjust laws exists, so long will their slavery exist."
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