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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 14, No. 6. June 7, 1951
Abbo-Erration
Abbo-Erration
Sir,—As a student also recently returned from Australia may I contradict the absurd statement of Doug Foy in his address to the Socialist Club, that the policy of the Australian Government is the extermination of the aborigine.
It is a difficult problem and their rights are not the same as those granted to our Maori friends. Many people are dissatisfied with their treatment but the fact is that aborigines, as a general rule, do not take kindly to an ordered life, are not thrifty nor industrious.
More evidence will be necessary before it can be proved that the policy is one of extermination. The aborigines receive an allowance and food. New camps are being built and attempts are being made to educate them.
It is true that the Government policy can be criticised but it cannot be called one of extermination.
Travel and Exchange
(Continued on page 7.)
Capitalism for Comrades?
Sir,—In your editorial of "Salient" May 24 you state that Communism as an ideology is dead. I feel however that ideologically it is very much alive as it is now at the forefront of the forces of reaction that have always plagued the world. Like all other human movements, once the idea behind it dies then it atrophies and while it is true that the Marxian conception of a classless society is as dead as the common common room, it has been replaced with the spirit of a ruthless imperialism that gives Communism a life based on greed and exploitation. Ironically, therefore, it nows holds the same appeal as Capitalism but instead of the entrepreneur and financial holding the power it is the leading Party member who is promised the parasitical status of the playboy rich.
A scanty observation of a Communistic society as exemplified in Russia today will show to what depths of reaction the ideology of Communism has sunk; the slave camps to purge society of the progressives; the adulation and hysterical monstrosity of Stalin worship and the smug complacency of the Party bosses who feed the masses on statistics to keep them, if not happy, at least filled with the contentment of the stable. In its degradation of humanity it has become even lower than Fascism which at least seeks the good of the nation whereas Communism now is but the exploitation of humanity for the sake of a clique of greedy men.
A.A.N.
No Journalist he?
Sir.—While agreeing with some of the comments of Mr. Hereford in his article on the common common room, I must object to the tedious manner in which these comments are made. I do not think that Mr. Hereford is entirely to be blamed for this; as far as I am aware, he has not written for "Salient" before; surely under those circumstances it is the duty of the Editor to cut out matter which is unnecessary, if only in order to bring out those points which are worthy of note . . . there were some in that article; obscured by qualities of padding which merely served to irritate the reader. With space at a premium this policy is one which could well be adopted in an article such as this.
M. N. Piper.
["Salient" is not a newspaper relying on articles alone. There are other ways of killing a white elephant than a blunt Instrument and Ms. Hereford's is one of those ways. Ed.]
If you have a thousand friends,
You have not one to spare;
But if you have an enemy,
You meet him everywhere.
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