Engagement or isolation?

This has been a long discussion with good points on both sides but how consistent have the arguments been. Should we engage with people with whom we disagree in order to influence their ideas or should we isolate them in order not to be tainted and to indicate our disapproval.

For many years we had no ties with South Africa because of their racial discrimination. Did this make a scrap of difference? Would it have made any difference if we had engaged?

Nixon decided that isolating China was counterproductive so opened up a dialogue. Has this helped with the human rights violations? I am not sure but it has certainly helped China industrially.

Personally I think engagement is more often a good thing than otherwise but I have no proof, just a perception. Of course there are exceptions where there is clearly nothing to be gained for either party and something to be lost but in general isolation is not really helpful in my opinion.

So then, if a Christian is invited to address a group of people with whom he has a fundamental difference of opinion what should he do? Should he engage and attempt to influence them in order to enlighten them or should he isolate them. Should that not be his decision as long as his attitude is clearly stated?

In recent days both the prime minister and Peter Costello have been criticised – for what – for meeting with a person who spoke at a group of people who were self confessed anti-semites. So what was the PM,s and the treasurer’s sin? Association… well the PM associates with the Chinese government who engage in terrible human rights abuses. Is he being criticised for that? Why not? I have heard Danny Naliah speak on several occasions and far from neive he is intelligent and astute, but neither is he an anti-semite but he is generous and tolerant. If anyone can engage minds and hearts to open them to a more tolerant attitude then Danny is that man. I think we should applaud him rather than criticise him and I urge the Prime Minster and the Treasurer not to back away from this one but to call the critics to task for their hyprocrasy.

New restraunt rating system

Several weeks ago we had the privilege of eating at the Blanchtown Pub, a small hostelery about two hours north of Adelaide. We were on our way to Renmark where Liesa had two days weekend work.

Now Blanchtown is a small country town located on a very busy road so we thought that it was a resonable bet for a nice bub meal. How wrong we were. As a result of our experience there we have decided to inaugurate a new method of classifyng eating establishments. In short it is the tattoo. If you meat all of the criteria by which the Blanchtown pub is known and justly famous then you receive 10 tattoo.

Here are the criteria,

Cuisine, entertainment, atmosphere, service and environment.

Cusine -  The more sparse the fare the more the tattoos. Schnizel, chips (frozen especially) lumpy mash, grissly roast and tough steak all rate extra points. I have to say in all fairness that I was able to actualy consume some of the powdery chips and several small portions of the gristle that passed as steak. The rancid butter made up for the edibility of the “steak”.

Entertainment – Chook raffles always go down well, especially with vocal patrons who utter inarticulate interjections as their name is called. Also bingo with decrepit wooden balls is a big winner.

Atmosphere – bare tables with remains of several days dining, moist carpet (from the spillt beer) and  buggs falling into the meal from the bug zapper are a definite winner. The patrons can almost constitute a category by themselves. Strong family resemblances help, and multiple relationships per family member both contribute. If the entire pub clientel (except for the tourists) appear to have the same family features then you are in to the semis without dropping a set.

Service – If the waitress is picking her nose at the table you are on to a winner immediately. In our case the tattoos were earnt  when we had to wait an hour and a half for our meals. Surly disposition and insulting behaviour all add to the experience.

Finally environment. For this you need a musty smell, rancid fatty smell from the kitchen which are all good. Dirty walls and ceiling, local TV and/or Keeno on the 17″ TV add to the score. Any appearance of a plasma or LCD TV detract but add points if the aspect ratio is incorrect and if they are all tuned to some looser sports program like WWF with the sound above the threshold of pain, especially if it is mingled with the local country music station.

Blanchtown pub needless to say gets full marks in every category and receives the complete compliment of ten tattoos.

Conclusion – avoid at all costs. Starvation seems to me a perfectly reasonable alternative.