A SORRY STATE Apology is in the air. The current thinking is that everyone, especially Mr. Howard, should apologise to the aborigines. I am afraid that those like myself who refuse to genuflect under any circumstances are not being politically correct, for I am afraid to say that within this all-pervasive, apologetic fog lurks a spectre - the spectre of political correctness. Woe betide anyone who stands aside, refusing to be swept along by the muddy current. I am reminded of the climate of fear in wartime Germany when anyone not enthusiastic about Hitler was whisked away by the Gestapo. In this context, the recent declaration of an aboriginal spokesperson that 'we are trying to kill them off' is relevant. That statement is unfair to the many people who have worked hard for the aboriginal cause. Of course, Hitler killed millions of Jews. He stated his intentions, and his reasons; he planned it and carried it out. The spokesperson's statement was emotional and unfounded, and where emotions hold sway, reason and truth have flown out of the window. Regarding the 'sorry' issue, what have we to feel sorry about? Certainly the arrival of the First Fleet must have been a disaster for the aborigines, but if the British hadn't come, who is to say that the administration of any other European or Asian country would have been much better? All the same, the invasion - although it was not seen as such in those days - certainly occurred. What is the significance of a bald apology? It would be different if the apology were to be backed up by a mass exodus of white Australians to their land of origin. Why apologise, if things aren't going to change? This exodus is fine and dandy for those who have dual nationality, but not so easy for the others. And surely those who depart should have some compensation for the goods, chattels and real estate they leave behind. Nine of ten aborigines, I believe, have white blood in them. Will they stay, or leave? This ridiculous scenario must be looked at in the context of the forty thousand years or more of aboriginal occupation of this continent, occupation, it is believed, in the form of successive waves of invading tribes. Compared to that time span, the invasion of Britain by other assorted tribes was fairly recent. By the same token, these tribes should both apologise and decamp, but the trouble is working out who is a Jute, a Saxon or a Norman where there has been so much interbreeding. A similar situation exists here, so apologies are about as sensible as wholesale exoduses. Apology made under the pressure of political correctness is a softening-up process. What will be the next demand? A treaty may sound fair and innocuous, but there are those who push this idea further and demand separate nationhood. Separation could be disastrous for Australia, beside being extremely costly and deeply divisive. Ordinary people, whether white or black, would not benefit, but demagogues and politicians probably would. I stress 'costly' because it is mainly through the maladministration and corruption of politicians that this once great country is in its stony broke situation, owing vast sums to overseas interests. Those agitating for separate nationhood for the aborigines would find themselves picking over a pretty lean carcass. Aboriginal people would probably appreciate consultation on important issues rather than meaningless apologies. The recent referendum showed the best way of taking issues to the people. Our constitution stresses that this is a democracy and the people are the rulers, but were black or white Australians ever consulted about Asian immigration? Or whether multinationals should kill off our industries, thus rendering every citizen vastly indebted to overseas interests? Or whether small farmers should be forced out of their farms and their produce destroyed to favour imports? Or whether we wanted growing unemployment, and the consequent hopeless ghettoes in our cities? We have let politicians wreck this country, so in a way we have let the aborigines down. We have been irresponsible and neglectful of our stewardship. This is a more important reason for saying 'sorry' than for what occurred many years before we were born. Our family came here in 1962 and still possess Australian government publications beseeching us to come because 'Australia is a British land short of people'. We came here and worked hard as did many others from Britain and Europe. Suddenly we find ourselves being blamed for invasion, stealing children and conspiring to commit genocide, not to mention being deafened by loud demands to apologise. If we have done all these dreadful things, apologies would be totally inadequate, so we had better buzz off back to where we came from. A few weeks ago I read a letter in this paper stating that we ought to apologise to Asian immigrants (yes, another apology!) for bringing them unaware into this maelstrom of racial strife that is Australia. I don't know what proportion of Asians return to their homeland, but I am sure that they like the Australian lifestyle, climate, the chance to work hard and make a few dollars, as our family did. They should be, and probably are, grateful for opportunities created by the pioneers who came here for whatever reason and built up this country. If any apology to the aborigines is to be made, they should join in it too. Successive governments have led us down a sorry path of exploitation by global interests, and our monopolistic media have aided and abetted them all the way. Beside the economic rip-off, there has been psychological warfare. 'Divide and conquer' is the multinationals' policy, and this is put into practice by the media who stress various forms of divisiveness - multiculturalism, republicanism, the 'sorry' and 'stolen generations' campaigns and the 'wonderful' free market. These slanted issues have been given the endorsement of political correctness to such an extent that people are afraid to disagree with them. A greater proportion of Aboriginal people have achieved distinction that any other ethnic group in this country, but they are a minority and no doubt feel threatened and oppressed by the prevailing culture, and anxious to preserve their heritage. Perhaps they feel as I did as a wartime child; powerless, scared and worried about the future, particularly during air-raids. The aborigines need leaders who will work with government to promote self-management, and give them hope and a good life. They don't want selfish power-seekers who will feather their own nests while cooking up a witch's brew of most of the seven deadly sins and serving it up as political correctness. Let the people speak - not just demagogues and politicians, but you and me.