Dear Peter

I reckon Rudd is genuine, but smart as well.  In his article 'Faith in
Politics' in the October 2006 issue of 'The Monthly' he described in
detail and with great conviction and skill his admiration for German
theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  Bonhoeffer wrote compellingly about
'cheap grace', how Christians often imbibe the salvational grace of
Christianity without taking seriously the injunction to look after the
marginalised, vulnerable and oppressed.  Bonhoeffer is especially
interesting, because as you may be aware he was hanged by the Nazis for
his involvement in a plot to assassinate Hitler.  We are faced with a
compassionate man who was prepared to kill for his beliefs.

Likewise, Rudd has required all his parliamentarians to visit a homeless
shelter in the next two weeks.  He has also signed Kyoto.  Yet he was
prepared to 'me too' the legislation that took away Indigenous
Australians' rights to control land, in order to not be 'wedged' by the
Liberal Party.  He was also prepared to apparently turn his back on
refugees, for the same reason.  Likewise, Peter Garrett was prepared to
submit his undoubted concern for the Tamar Valley pulp mill in Tassie to
an independent umpire, the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act  1999.  It's as if, just as Bonhoeffer was prepared to
kill for his beliefs, Rudd (and Garrett) was prepared to do ANYTHING to
get rid of the former Prime Minister.  And it worked.  Having won, Rudd
now seems to be going full tilt at restoring the compassion and
respectability of the Australian Government, with a bit of help from his
friends like Peter Garrett.

Waddayareckon?

Tom Spencer