As we write this Editorial, the world is watching developments in the election campaigns in both the USA and Great Britain with great interest. In the USA, one of the main issues appears to be that between 'good' and 'evil' cultural traditions. In Great Britain, the issue seems to be between credibility and lack of credibility (or between truthfulness and lack of truthfulness in the context of military action in the Middle East) of political leaders. In the recent federal election in Australia, on the other hand, it appears that the main issue was focused on interest rates -Australia's contribution to the war in Iraq was hardly mentioned. Surrounding these issues are the constant discussions in media, including television and newspapers, about the need to increase national security, guard against various cultural groups within our societies who may be inimical to the welfare of the majority, and the encouragement by some groups to validate certain cultures through legislation at the expense of others deemed to be less desirable. In an increasingly globalised world in which cultural difference is celebrated by some, there are forces in many countries calling for greater cultural homogeneity, or at least for minorities or less powerful groups to be coerced into complying with the cultural norms of the contemporary majority.
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