March2013 No.494 VolumeLVII,Number3 , Mark Sheppard, Philip Hayward, Samuel Beaux, Mira Crouch Letters 2 Mike Fogarty, Jeffry Babb, Ian Bernadt, Robert Turnbull Keith Windschuttle Chronicle 5  Jim Molan Decline Terminal Face Forces Defence Our Why defence 8  Michael O’Connor Military the Against Complaints for Trawling 16   P.D. Jonson Prosperity Australian of Roots Global and Historical The history 20  Peter Ryan Up Us Holding Still Is Kelly Ned 28   Stephen Buckle Misogyny? Indian of Outbreak An society 34  Anthony Dillon Offended Be to Choosing 38   Michael Giffin Abuse Child and Enemies, Its Church, The 42   John Stone Memoir A Keating: Paul politics 44  Hal G.P. Colebatch Government Good of Search In 52   J.B. Paul I) (Part Whitlam Gough of Downfall The 54   George Pell Evangelisation New the to II Vatican From religion 66  Kenneth Harkness Ideas of Battle the in Law the of Role The law 72  Julia Patrick Environment Human-Free a of Dreaming Green environment 76  Mark McGinness 200 at Pride and Prejudice literature 78  Joe Dolce Keyboard or Pencil Pen, 82   Michael Connor River Dry Horse, Hot theatre 84  Mary-Ellen Turbet Rednecks Became We How firstperson 88  Alan Gould XII Takes Short 92   Bruce Grant Cuba to Trip The story 97  Neil McDonald Mansfield Bruce by Summer Is Almost Over books 105  Douglas Hassall Cooper Artemis Patrick Leigh Fermor by 107   Sam Roggeveen Haigh Gideon On Warne by 110   Robert Andrews Scruton Roger by Our Church 111   -Self 26: Rod Moran; Libris Ex Cull Clive James; Point Echo 7: Poetry  Assessment at Eighty Knute Skinner; 27: Tarpaulin; Dog Poem; The Honesty of Water Geoff Page; 32: Sympathy in Silver City Iain Bamforth; 33: Epilogue to “The Emperor’s New Clothes”; Martyr of Modernity Paul Lake; 36: Boyhood Paths Knute Skinner; 37: Heather Rope Judy Johnson; 41: Traces Paul Williamson; 65: Alice Springs Saxby Pridmore; 75: diggers; alpha male Steve Brock; Post mortem Tiggy Johnson; 77: Lover; The Power of Prayer Knute Skinner; 81: In Praise of My Grandmothers Victoria Field; 83: A Boy from School Saxby Pridmore; 95: Some Clicks Beyond Manar Alan Gould; 96: Our Father the Good Driver; The Man Elizabeth Owen L e t t e r s for some, Machiavelli. It would be educational for most of us (as you can tell by my inadequate lists of names) and very educational for Editor some. Keith Windschuttle It may or may not escape the [email protected] Acknowledging Intellectual Property notice of the audience that the LitEr ary Editor vast bulk of that intellectual prop- Les Murray SIR: I wholeheartedly agree with erty was brought to Australia by dEput y Editor your comments (December 2012) on the British at the time of settle- George Thomas the practice of acknowledging the ment or subsequently by Australia’s prior owners of the land on various wider connections with the West Contributing Editors public occasions. that resulted from its settlement, Books: Peter Coleman At a dinner last September and that all of that great legacy Film: Neil McDonald commemorating the University of was received by all of the people Theatre: Michael Connor Melbourne Medical School’s 150th of this country without any direct CoLumnist anniversary, Glyn Davis took it to compensation. Peter Ryan a new level, going on for several I thought this might be a good Editor, Qua dr ant onLinE minutes about this tribe and that suggestion to raise with some Roger Franklin and their contribution. It struck me of those charged with making [email protected] that perhaps these tribes had con- these acknowledgments, as they tributed the “real property” upon would still be compliant with the Ch air m an of thE which the university was founded, rules, but this would put the rules boar d of directors but where was the acknowledg- in a much clearer and more accu- Elizabeth Prior Jonson ment to those who had contributed rate perspective. its “intellectual property”? I know Subscriptions Mark Sheppard real estate is important to universi- Melbourne, Vic Phone: (03) 8317 8147 ties, but one would have thought a Fax: (03) 9320 9065 university’s intellectual foundations Post: Quadrant Magazine, were even more important. Why All the Toil? Locked Bag 1235, Would it not be appropriate North Melbourne VIC 3051 for academics, after fulfilling their Sir: Mervyn F. Bendle (“The E-mail: quadrantmagazine@ obligations, under university rules, Quest for Jesus”, January-February data.com.au to make the acknowledgment to 2013) might enjoy what John Nelson the tribe for the land, to continue Darby wrote around 150 years ago Publisher with some suitable acknowledg- in his book The Irrationalism of Quadrant (ISSN 0033-5002) is ment for the intellectual patrimony Infidelity: published ten times a year by which they received gratis and Quadrant Magazine Limited, which formed the basis for their The kind of opposition men Suite 2/5 Rosebery Place, work? For the sciences, it could make to Christianity proves its Balmain NSW 2041, Australia start with say Thales, Aristotle, truth in the main—proves in ACN 133 708 424 Ockham, Newton, Galileo and it the consciousness of a real then, depending on the spe- claim of God on the soul. Production cialty, continue with names such No doubt men have as Harvey, Lister, Koch, Darwin, attacked Paganism as Design Consultant: Reno Design Einstein, as appropriate, up to the false. They have resisted Art Director: Graham Rendoth present day. In History you might Mohammedanism, though Printer: Ligare Pty Ltd start with Herodotus, Thucydides, its sword was its principal 138–152 Bonds Road, Xenophon, Gibbon, but non-West- argument, so that there was less Riverwood NSW 2210 ern historians could be included of this. Cover: Colours of Australia too. Art might start with Phidias, But the constant and “Hamersley” literature, Homer. Politicians at laborious exercise of free government ceremonies might criticism, the close and sifting www.quadrant.org.au acknowledge Cleisthenes, De examination the Bible has Montfort, Walpole, Burke, gone through for ages, the Wilberforce, Jefferson, Adams and anxious research after errors 2 Quadrant March 2013 Letters or contradictions within, The points raised by Couttie the paper clip is almost always on proves anxiety to show that it confused me greatly. First he gave hand; we still need it to help dis- is not what it pretends to be. a reference to Matthew 28 when he entangle the mess of papers which Why all this anxiety? Those quoted words spoken by the Angel oppresses in this age of virtual mail not immediately under the “in Mark’s Gospel”! Second, he and filing. Its ubiquitous presence influence of Mohammedanism gave a reference to Luke 24 con- in our quest for order lends itself are long satisfied that it is false, cerning Jesus appearing at the edge to metaphor. Thus the following and leave it there; but these of the Sea of Galilee. Luke’s Gospel little puzzle: Why are there usu- minute researches after a flaw does not contain a description of ally many more wire coat-hangers in the scriptures continue— any such event. Perhaps Couttie about than paper clips? The answer are repeated—renewed. Men was thinking of John 21. Whatever is that the paper clip is the larval take it up on every side. he meant, Couttie’s references to form of the wire coat-hanger. Astronomy and geology are the Gospels of Matthew and John We cannot ever be in full con- called in aid. Geography is cannot reconcile the contradiction I trol of the stuff around us; it does ransacked: history, antiquity, pointed out between the Gospels of indeed have a life of its own. style, manuscripts of all Mark and Luke. Mira Crouch kinds, foolish writings of the Couttie then went on to sug- Glebe, NSW fathers, absurd writings of gest that I should read about Dr heretics, apocryphal imitations Alexis Carrel, Lourdes and Fatima. of its contents; nothing left I am afraid any such research will The End of South Vietnam unturned to find something not change my opinion about Peter to discredit it; wise writings Barclay’s “lack of real evidence”. SIR: Daryl McCann’s review arti- of philosophers to prove they Barclay did not raise these subjects. cle (“South Vietnam’s Journey into could do as well, or were the In any event, I am strongly of the Oblivion”, December 2012) is unerr- source of the good, or even view that a claimed deathbed con- ingly faithful to recently cleared of the alleged absurdities of version by a Nobel Prize-winning, Defence intelligence estimates of doctrine; every other influence Nazi sympathiser/collaborator and the period. sought out which could have eugenics advocate does not consti- I briefly visited Saigon in moralized humanity, that it tute evidence either for or against February 1975, only a few months may not be supposed to be this. the claimed resurrection of Jesus. before the Republic of Vietnam Why all this toil? Why, if it be Likewise, any claimed appearances fell. The sense of doom which hov- a doctrine like Plato’s, should by the long-dead Mary, or miracu- ered over the capital was palpable. it not have produced its effect, lous healings attributed to her, also On my arrival at Tan Son Nhat and our philosophers be as cool do not represent evidence for or airport, a national tourism official about it as about other things? against the claimed resurrection of could not mask her sadness. In the It has—their conscience knows her son. city, emaciated mothers, dressed it has—God’s claim and God’s It seems that Christian apolo- in rags, carrying babies in slings, truth in it; and they will not gists simply do not understand what begged for food and money.