Dear Editor,

I write in response to the opinion article written by Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson and published in your newspaper on Tuesday.

Kevin Rudd has always been beyond an embarrassment to Australia, from his policies and agendas to picking out his earwax and eating it in parliament. It’s true, check it out on youtube.

Other than the earwax munching, he is no different to any politician really, is he? They are all rotten pieces of work; as someone once said - something like, “They are the most disgraceful bunch of opportunists the world has ever seen.” 

Oh how true that rings.

Samoa is quite lucky, not because its politicians are any different to any others, but that the Samoa Observer is not a puppet to government or big business and always tries its hardest to keep them honest and steadfastly won’t be bullied by Stui or any of his cronies’ “stupid” insults or antics.

There is a wonderful documentary we saw recently called “All Governments Lie.” It should have had the words corrupt or crooked and journalists in the title (not Samoan journalists).  Have a look at it, it’s a real eye opener on just how bad politics and journalists of most nations have become. 

It is a film set in the USA, but it fits all.

Australia is just an upstart thinking it can bully other independent nations, although Tuvalu is in the same boat as Australia, that the Windsor woman in England approves their head of state. Australia is still in that position after two hundred plus years and won’t cut the umbilical cord to dear old mummy Britain. Quite strange and immature, but it has the hide to bully fully independent nations like Samoa, Fiji, Tonga etc.

Fortunately not all Australians think and act like our politicians, and are well aware of their antics, and despise what the pollies say and do, especially the large number of disgruntled citizens who have left Australia. (The numbers are growing and are available on the internet).

Many a US citizen I have met thinks little of their governments as well. We are all stuck with the wrong people running the world I guess. They are just not decent people.

Many years ago, my wife and I became so disgusted with our government’s (Australian) treatment of all sorts of issues including immigrants, that we denounced Australia and since then have considered ourselves as people of the world you might say, and we get amongst it as much as we can. 

It’s just unfortunate that we have to base ourselves here in Australia for the time being. Europe is a wonderful place, as are the vast majority of its people that we have met. 

The whole world is that way really (politicians excluded).

It’s refreshing and a great release to think in terms that we are international, not part of some small minded, cycloptic, insular and parochial single mindedness, but part of a global village with all of our brothers and sisters no matter what colour, whether religious, atheist or otherwise or where they live or come from. It broadens one’s mind and we are not stuck in stupid nationalism.

I wouldn’t go so far as Samuel Johnson who once proclaimed that “patriotism [nationalism] is the refuge of the scoundrel,” as we have to admit that we did wave our little Samoan flag at Twickenham when Samoa played Australia in the sevens a few years ago. 

Besides the bigger picture, perhaps that just shows a small example of how you release yourself to be able to support people from any place, whenever and where ever you like. 

Unfortunately the rugby result was not good for Samoa, but the Australians did have some very Samoan look alikes playing for them, that they had obviously poached to gain a win. Far too skilful to have been Australian “nationals” (just a little humour at the end to lighten up a fairly serious but true subject).

All the best to you Lagapoiva, it seems we may have something in common. I deplore the injustices of this world and the scoundrels and greedy spongers who inflict them!

So, long may Tuvalu stay above the surface and fend off the bullying poachers – Australian “Earwaxer” Rudds of this world.

Larry Murphy