ON THE WALLABY- 23rd July 2006

"I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society where all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunity. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and achieve. But, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die” – Nelson Mandela at his trial for treason and as a terrorist, South Africa 1961

THE TERM “TERRORIST”- WHAT DIFFERENTIATES THE TERRORISTS WHO THREW THE TEA INTO BOSTON HARBOUR AND LED TO THE CREATION OF THE UNITED STATES; TO THOSE WHO CREATED HAGGENAH AND WHICH LED TO THE CREATION OF MODERN DAY ISRAEL; TO NELSON MANDELA WHO’S HUMANITY AND COMPASSION WAS SO VITAL TO THE CREATION OF MODERN DAY SOUTH AFRICA AND TO THOSE WHO ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR BELIEFS TODAY?

Tonight I had the great pleasure, on the occasion of Nelson Mandela’s birthday, to act as auctioneer at a fundraising event at the beautiful Jonah’s Restaurant, over looking Whale Beach on Sydney’s northern beaches area, to raise funds for AIDS in children in South Africa.

Prior to leaving my home, I had, as I have much over the last few days, poured a torrent of abuse at my hapless television set as scenes of the carnage wreaked, and continuing to be so, on hapless Lebanon were played whilst the supposed “democratic” and “free world”, Australia included, remains mute.

Thus it was, as I drove the short distance to Jonahs and reflecting on the towering figure of Nelson Mandela, I pondered on how the term “terrorist” has been used by politicians of all bents in recent times with its obvious connotation and yet when we look back at history, which Australians in the main, and Americans certainly en masse are, oblivious to, we find that what were once terrorists, history has shown to have been people who very often became leaders and advanced humanity.

Fear is one of the most powerful of all human emotions and Bush, Blair and Howard have exploited it shamelessly in the pursuit of their own careers and I wonder if any of them , or indeed any other political luminary in the free world, Mandela apart, would have had the courage to not only write his above words on dying for a cause but actually mean it?

The answer I am afraid would be a resounding NIL and therein lies the nub of the problem as I alluded to in my last OTW.

Where are the men and women who have the courage to not only stand up and be counted but also have the courage to take the risk of failure in trying to better our world anyway?

Where is someone ( what a great chance John Howard had but blew it) to act as intermediary between Israel and Hamaz/Hezbollah and try and find common ground on which some sort of dialogue can start?

We pride ourselves that Australia has a reputation in the world for promoting a “fair go for all” and yet here was a chance to show that and what did we do?

“Onya George, we’re with you all the way” and tough titty to all those “little people” in Israel, Lebanon and Palestine whose lives have been shattered, perhaps forever, whilst the dogmatic policies of the heavies run riot!

In the Bible (and probably the Torah as well as it is based on the Old Testament) it is written as ye sow, so ye shall reap and I think America and Israel (and us as well) will look back within less than a decade and shudder at what the seeds of inaction (or action in the case of Israel) over Lebanon have reaped.

If ever there was a move in which anti-western hostility was fermented, “Lebanon 2006” was it and when our stance comes back to bight us on the bum, we will have no-one to blame but ourselves. It will have given everything Bin Laden et al has said about the West the greatest free kick ever and the sad, sad thing about it is that it need never have happened.

If America had not sold out to self interest and instead had stepped in and belted a couple of heads (on both sides) Lebanon may have at least remained more intact. Instead, Dubya and his team of zealots took the easy route and like Nero, “fiddled whilst Rome burnt”.

“As ye sow, so ye shall reap”! As they say, history will tell.

Carpe diem

Tony

Tony Fountain

Professional Speaker, auctioneer and author

Sydney NSW Australia

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