Australian Politics
ANZAC DAY
ANZAC DAY is the High Holy Day for the entire Australian people. The Left try to portray it as a celebration of militarism. All the troops marching through the streets can give that impression. But they overlook that on this day we actually celebrate a military DEFEAT. Pretty poor militarism. Two typical ANZAC day scenes below. Note the big crowd turnout.
What we are really doing on ANZAC day is remembering and thanking our war dead. And as demographer Berard Salt rightly notes, No family was untouched by the two world wars. Some of my relatives were among the dead.
The deaths among the ANZACS at Gallipoli were among the more insane of the military engagements of that war so we rightly praise the grit and endurance of those who participated.
I personally see war as the greatest of human follies. To have men marching into gunfire seems barely sane. Yet it happened and still is happening in Ukraine. Chapter 1 of the Bhagavad Gita makes most sense to me of any writing on the matter.
Yet I am not a pacifist I volunteered for service in the Australian Army and reached the rank of Sergeant. I served in both the CMF and the ARA back in the 60s. I can see why some wars probably have to be fought, WWII, particularly. But WWI can be understood in the context of its times
http://jonjayray.com/short/ww1.html
I exist, however because both my grandfather and father never went to war. My grandfather was excused because he provided a highly skilled essential service. He was a bullocky. And transport is in huge demand during a war. My father volunteered but was rejected on medical grounds. He had a slight limp. I volunteered for the Vietnam war but failed to get a posting there. So here I am still kicking at age 80.
I think it is worth noting that the Gallipoli engagement was greatly marred by the cowardice of the British generals involved. The first landings were unopposed. The Turks were taken by surprise. But instead of charging to take advantage of surprise as any German general would gave done, they decided to wait in place for reinforcements to arrive. The Turks used that warning well. If only the British generals had studied Vom Kriege in their staff colleges
Below is a commentary on ANZAC day by somepone who is far better qualified to speak than I am: Heston Russell, a special forces combat veteran.
JR
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Let the ANZAC Spirit Unite Our Divided Country
You don’t have to revel or revere the ANZACs, that is your choice. But we should always remember and respect what they did for us and all of Australia.
Throughout World War I, at a time when the population of our nation wasn’t even five million strong, nearly half a million young Australians decided to volunteer and fight for the freedoms of our allies on shores far away.
To board boats and sail waters never before travelled by so many, who were so young, with almost a quarter of their number to never return.
They went to fight for what we still hold dearest today—freedom. To help those in need and in such a way that they left the fingerprints of our island nation on the great places of history.
From the famous charge of our light-horsemen to what is modern-day Jerusalem, to the great Arc du Triomphe in Paris, where they still commemorate our ANZACs every day.
Their ultimate example on display for all who were there, our ANZACs stormed the shores of Gallipoli in a battle that etched the “Cooee“ echo of our soldiers forever in the history pages of the world.
Our Australian soldiers fought with such spirit and inspiration that it caused monuments to be made to the men they were—through their actions and attitudes facing perils I pray we will never again see on this earth.
But sadly, our military might was again needed to defend our homeland in World War II.
Again it was their actions, not simply their words, that defined their identity and that of modern-day Australia. As they fought without fear for themselves, to protect each other and the lands of our allies we wanted to protect.
Selfless service is epitomised by the blood and lives lost too young. So many in number that it would literally impact the gene pool of Australia for generations to come.
Regardless of what you may think of the ANZACs—truth, myth or any other opinion—their spirit is real and carried by those who carry the standards for Australians today.
Will you do what it takes to be counted in this number?
The greatness of our great nation depends on the strength of all our people and tribes put together.
Australia was once overpowered, colonised by those stronger in weapons, united in purpose, and resourced to do so.
The greatest lesson we must carry forward from this time is to reflect upon the risks we expose ourselves to, as people and a nation, should we continue to become separate tribes in conflict here at home. To provide the potential for these fractures and fault lines in our society to be exploited by those with sinister or selfish intent.
It is our actions and attitudes each day that will be the true mark of respect for our nation and all our people.
Let us show a truer love for our sunburnt country, protect our land of the sweeping plain, and progress all of our people and tribes together—inspired by the blood and spirit of our ANZACs that courses through our veins.
This is the ANZAC day message I want to carry forward. The competence and character of our champions fought with fury and respect for all including their enemies. Their example has set the standard for us to remember, reflect, and lead with, from today and each day forward.
I ask all Australians to please RESPECT the ANZACs—and let this value be the measure for how we treat each other, and ourselves, each and every day we share together on this earth.
Lest we forget.
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Christian Bishop Wants Video of His Stabbing to Remain Online
This will put the cat among the pigeons. It will make the authoritarians of Left and Right who want to censor us explain WHY they want to ban this video. To my simple mind I cannot see any intelligent rationale for the ban. It happened so let us show it. People need to know what is going on, Not have it covered up. Bravo for the bishop
The Assyrian Christian bishop who was attacked during a live-streamed sermon has said he does not want footage of the incident removed from the internet.
The video of the multiple stabbing attack, is at the heart of an ongoing war of words and a legal battle between Australian authorities and X owner Elon Musk.
On April 22, lawyers for the eSafety Commission applied to the Federal Court for an injunction to compel the social media platform to block all videos of the incident across IPs globally—a request, X says, extends far beyond the jurisdiction of local authorities.
On April 24, during a case management hearing, X representative, Marcus Hoyne, provided an affidavit from injured Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel who said the video should not be censored.
“There’s recently been an affidavit … from the bishop, the victim of the attack, stating that he’s strongly of the view that the material should be available,” Mr. Hoyne said.
Mr. Hoyne also said the attempts by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant to implement a global ban on the spread of the video was “exorbitant.”
He further said the footage was now subject to the “Streisand effect”—the unintended consequence of attempting to hide, remove, or censor information—and instead, resulting in even more publicity.
Any move to remove the video would now be pointless because it had spread beyond the few dozen URLs initially identified by the eSafety commissioner.
The judge ordered the matter to be heard again on May 10 when X could supply more detailed arguments.
The attack occurred in the Western Sydney suburb of Wakeley with footage showing a 16-year-old walking up to the bishop during a live-streamed sermon, before the young man began repeatedly striking the church leader with a flick knife, which appeared to malfunction.
The incident occurred barely two days after a knife attack spree in the east of Sydney, at the sprawling Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre, that resulted in six deaths.
Both incidents have spurred authorities to crackdown on “misinformation” and related videos on social media.
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Jacinta Nampijinpa Price slams move to ban tourists from Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre after traditional owners' request - as she makes bombshell statement about Indigenous culture
Indigenous senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has slammed a proposal to ban visitors from Australia's biggest lake to protect its Aboriginal cultural significance.
Thousands of tourists flock to Lake Eyre in South Australia's far north every few years when flooding rains moving down from Queensland transform the normally arid lake bed into into a spectacular kaleidoscope of colours, and attracts animals from far and wide.
It's also a sacred site for the Arabana people, who have lived in the region for millennia and are the lake's native title holders.
Under a proposed management plan, all recreational access to the lake bed will be banned out of respect for Arabana culture.
Swimming, driving, boating and landing aircraft on the lake are already banned, but the new plan would prevent visitors setting foot on its bed without permission.
Senator Nampijinpa Price slammed the move claiming that Indigenous culture had become the 'new religion' and that Australia was 'locking up' tourist hotspots around the country.
The shadow minister for Indigenous Affairs is concerned that another of Australia's natural wonders may soon be put off limits, with access determined by race.
‘There’s this trend going on around our country, where we’re locking the place up from visitors being able to see our own backyard,' Senator Nampijinpa Price told 2GB's Ben Fordham on Wednesday.
'We all belong here as Australians, we all belong to this country, we all have a significant connection to this country, especially if we’re born here, regardless of racial heritage.
'We’re shooting ourselves in the foot if we continue down this path where we’re going to limit access for the potential for tourism, growth and all other things.'
The senator also referenced the tourist ban at Mount Warning (known as Wollumbin by Indigenous people) near Murwillumbah in northern NSW.
The tourist spot once welcomed more than 120,000 visitors every year, but it has been off limits since 2020 despite some Indigenous elders questioning its cultural significance.
In the Northern Territory, tourists have been banned from climbing Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, since October 2019.
Senator Nampijinpa Price believes Australian and international visitors should not be deprived access to such sites for no other reason than not possessing the right heritage.
'It opens the opportunity to for those who take advantage of the situation to create their own stories, control the narrative and control access to these places,' Senator Nampijinpa Price continued.
'I don't understand to what end really, why this has to take place.'
'It's almost become a new religion and everyone has to respect it.
'We've all got different cultural backgrounds as Australians and yes, we should respect it in our own way.
'But I was brought up that it was about sharing. It's about sharing understanding and knowledge and having something to be proud of.'
Lake Eyre is one of a number of culturally significant sites in SA to enforce strict rules around entry to visitors, including Koonalda Caves in the Nullarbor, Sacred Canyon in the Flinders Ranges, and Ngaut Ngaut Conservation Park.
The public can have their say on the proposed management plan until July 19 on the SA Department for Environment and Water website.
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Also see my other blogs. Main ones below:
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM -- daily)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://snorphty.blogspot.com/ (TONGUE-TIED)
http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs
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Evelyn Rae, a conservative Australian political commentator
Margo Robbie -- a beautiful australian
My son Joe at ANU
One of the happiest pictures ever -- Cleo Smith, aged 4
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