GROWING anti-American attitudes have been generated in part by left-wing teachers in Australian schools, according to Treasurer Peter Costello.Mr Costello last night delivered a speech to the Australian-American Leadership Dialogue dinner, warning of the dangers of anti-Americanism taking hold in Australia. He says allowing anti-American sentiment to fester could incite terrorism. "There's no doubt in my mind that anti-Americanism can easily morph into anti-Westernism, particularly we've seen that with terrorists," Mr Costello said today. "They don't really draw distinctions between Americans or Britons or Australians, they just like to hit anybody who they consider to be a part of the West. "And that's why I think we've all got an interest in working to explain the aims and objectives of our policies."
Mr Costello said he was aware of anti-American attitudes among students while he was at university in the 1970s. Some of these students had become teachers carrying with them "ideological baggage" which he said was now filtering through to their students in schools. "I think in the schools, if your teacher's carrying that bias it tends to get passed on," he said. "And I think in the schools, the other side of the story ought to be taught. The other side of the story, he said, was when Australia was dealing with Japanese attack and when Darwin was being bombed in February of 1942.
"The American allies together with Australian troops, began to turn the tide in the Pacific, through the islands and back up to Japan," he said. "This is a side of the story that young people in Australia need to know. "In our greatest security threat ... our allies came and helped defend Australia with us." Mr Costello said the US itself should do more to counter growing anti-Americanism, for the benefit of all Western countries including Australia. "I think that's in the general interest of the whole West," he said. "Because anti-Americanism can easily morph into anti-Westernism which picks up and encapsulates Australia and threatens our interests as well."
Anti-American sentiment was generally based on a fear of US power, Mr Costello said. "And the point I was making last night was that US power is much more likely to come to the aid of Australia and its values than to threaten Australia and its values," he said. "There's no solid reason for Australia to fear the emergence of US power." "But I also made the point last night, that just as the United States has become the pre-eminent world power, it's still important that it act in concert with other people."
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16334733%255E29277,00.html
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