To: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Sent: Thursday, 13 September 2001 7:14 PM

Subject: Herostratus, the terrorist hyrdra, and other aberrations...


Somewhat off topic, but it's just a start: On Wednesday listening to your program and others on the ABC, I argued with my wife that journos commenting on Tuesday's horrific happenings might well drop some of their well-intentioned quote balance unquote and speak their own mind. Tonight I could have swalled my word when I heard your own off-hand comment about tens of thousands of children dying in Iraq because of the US-led embargo.

It is pitiable for our quote public figures unquote to fall for this argument by would-be blockade-busters when it has been believably reported that Saddam leaves his oil export millions ($US400 million when I last checked) in international accounts rather than spend them on his suffering civilians EVEN THOUGH the oil-for-food program was specificically arranged to AVOID such quote collateral unquote suffering (which of course makes for so much better quote vision unquote dished up by our media at the drop of a hat...

But my main point is this: it is not enough to chop heads off the terrorist hydra wherever they regrow - we must deny the hydra its habitat. The hydra usually breeds in the swamps of fanatical religion all over the world. Perhaps rational governments could make a start - without tampering with individuals' freedom of religion - by forbidding any PUBLIC displays of religious convictions!

On a more practical note: could any airline hoping to win my custom in future please install tamper-proof auto-pilots programmed to take the aircraft to the nearest airport for an instrument landing as soon as a crew member sees fit to hit the red button?