On Bloody Sunday in 1972, peaceful protesters in Derry were gunned down by soldiers acting under the authority of a government that claimed to defend democracy while silencing dissent.
Nearly fifty years later, in the streets of Australian cities, protesters were met with rubber bullets, mass arrests, and the same cold rhetoric about “maintaining order.” Different countries, different eras, but the pattern is unmistakable: when citizens stand up, governments crack down. The tools of repression may have changed....from rifles to riot shields, from internment without trial to sweeping protest laws....but the message remains chillingly familiar: disagree at your own risk.
Throughout history, states have maintained a monopoly on violence, justifying its use in the name of security, stability, and the common good. In Northern Ireland, the British government framed civil rights activists as threats to national security, branding them as insurgents rather than citizens demanding equality. The introduction of internment without trial in 1971 allowed for the indefinite detention of individuals without due process, a tool designed not to protect the public but to suppress political opposition. It was under this climate of repression that Bloody Sunday unfolded, with soldiers firing live rounds into unarmed crowds and the state swiftly covering up its role in the massacre.
Read more: From Derry to Down Under: The Unbroken Chain of State Repression
On Monday, 20th of January, 2025, Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States of America. Against astronomical odds, and despite the endless skullduggery of his many swamp-dwelling adversaries, Trump had miraculously prevailed.
Dancing his signature side-rocking-with-alternating-fist-pumps dance, he side-stepped impeachment, out-stepped lawfare, and head-tilted away from a bullet to once again become the Commander-in-Chief of an American Empire in terminal decline.
Divinely spared from assassination, Trump is resolute that he has a mandate from God to Make America Great Again — and a majority of American Patriots, Conservatives and Christians wholeheartedly believe him.
Amid the chaos of World War II, Sparrow Force - a small yet resilient group of Australian, British, and Dutch troops - were deployed to defend the strategically critical island of Timor against Japanese invasion.
They faced overwhelming odds. Isolated, outnumbered, and undersupplied, Sparrow Force mounted a remarkable guerrilla campaign that defied expectations, disrupting enemy operations while enduring unimaginable hardships.
Sparrow Force was one of three formations rapidly put together by the Australian Government in March and April of 1941 when concern was rising about the intentions of the Japanese to enter WW2 as a combatant and to form a ring of defenses against any advance on Australia. The three forces were given code names of birds: Gull, Lark and Sparrow.
Read more: Sparrow Force: Courage Against All Odds on Timor's Forgotten Battleground
In early 1942, the Japanese launched their invasion of the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia) as part of their southward expansion in the Pacific. Ambon, a strategically important island, was defended by a small garrison of Dutch troops and about 1,100 Australian soldiers from the 2/21st Battalion, known as Gull Force.
They were poorly equipped and significantly outnumbered by the Japanese forces.
On the night of 30/31 January 1942 Japanese forces landed on Ambon. The Japanese were resisted by Australian troops at a number of locations, including Mount Nona, Kudamati, Amahusu and Laha.
After the Japanese captured Ambon, they focused on Laha Airfield, a strategic point of contention. Following its surrender, Japanese forces accused the prisoners of sabotaging their operations and executed them in a series of massacres. Most of the victims were Australian soldiers and Dutch personnel, with estimates of the dead ranging from over 300 to 400 people. They were bound, blindfolded, and killed by bayonet or decapitation in groups. The killings were systematic, carried out in retaliation for earlier resistance by Allied forces. Prisoners were marched to isolated locations, such as beaches or jungle clearings, and slaughtered en masse. Some survivors from earlier groups were forced to bury the bodies of their comrades before being executed themselves.
Roger Maynard has written of the executions “History would record it as one of the worst massacres of the Second World War”.
Read more: Slaughter at Laha: The Forgotten Massacre of Australian Heroes
Environmentalism once conjured images of saving whales, planting trees, and preserving the natural world in harmony with human activity.
Movements like "Save the Whales" or campaigns to combat deforestation rallied millions around the globe.
The ethos was simple: protect ecosystems, minimise harm, and work alongside nature.
But over time, the movement has shifted.
Today, environmentalism often advocates large-scale industrial projects like wind farms, solar arrays, and offshore energy developments. While these projects aim to combat " climate change " , they can ironically conflict with the movement’s original goals of conservation and sustainability.
And all to promote globalist interests over national sovereignty.
Read more: Restoring Sovereignty with Responsible Growth Over Globalist Agendas
Activism has shaped the course of history, no doubt about it. From the abolition of slavery to civil rights, feminism, and environmentalism, activism has been the driving force behind some of humanity’s greatest leaps forward.
But what happens when the battles are, for the most part, won? Here’s a controversial idea: some activists seem to hate a solved problem.
Activism thrives on causes, and without a cause, it seems lost.
Some people need conflict to feel alive, even if the conflict is self-made or artificial.
And some don't mind fighting battle for someone else if it avoids focusing on their own lack of purpose to channel all that restless energy into.
It is over 250 years since Captain Cook's discovery of the east coast of Australia and it's worth asking ... what was Cook doing here?
He certainly wasn't looking for Australia (or New Holland as it was then known) as Europeans had known it existed since the 1500's.
Like many other Europeans before him, Cook was searching for the fabled land of Terra Australis.
When Captain James Cook set off in 1768 his mission was to go to Tahiti to observe Venus passing before the sun. Cook’s mission was one of three missions sent at the same time to observe the transit of Venus and it was hoped their data would help calculate the precise distance of the sun from earth.
But Cook was also given sealed instructions to be read only after his Tahiti stopover. When he read them Cook was told to sail south in the hope of discovering Terra Australis.
Read more: Captain Cook - I am glad you found Australia- Thanks mate
Few figures in maritime history are as polarising as Captain William Bligh. Often portrayed as a tyrant, Bligh's legacy is far more complex -marked by extraordinary navigation skills, fierce resilience, and a personality that clashed with the rigid hierarchies of his time.
From his harrowing open-boat voyage across the Pacific to his controversial tenure as Governor of New South Wales, Bligh's story is one of survival, controversy, and enduring intrigue.
Following is the story of Captain Bligh. The man who truly is a legendary figure.
Captain William Bligh is most remembered for the mutiny on the HMS Bounty in 1789. This dramatic event, where part of his crew led by Fletcher Christian seized control of the ship and set Bligh and loyalists adrift in a small open boat, has become one of the most famous mutinies in history.
Despite being cast off in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Bligh's extraordinary navigational skills allowed him to lead his crew on a 3,600-mile journey to safety in Timor, with minimal supplies and no maps. This feat is often regarded as one of the greatest survival stories in maritime history, although his strict leadership style remains a point of debate.
Read more: Captain Bligh: The Misunderstood Mariner Who Shaped Naval History
Australia's Outback has a new menace, and it's not venomous snakes or drop bears - it's a rogue kangaroo infected with the so-called "Woke strain" of COVID. Dubbed the Rooganic Plague, this overly conscientious marsupial has been hopping through bush towns, canceling hunting parties, demanding vegan alternatives to dog food, and holding impromptu sit-ins near waterholes.
Locals were calling it "Skippy meets social justice on steroids," but it has suddenly turned dangerous.
Yes, folks, a giant Kangaroo has been terrorising the residents of an isolated outback Australian Community and locals fear it is the first of a new super breed of Rogue Roos infected by a mutant strain of what is now being referred to as Rooganic Plague.
A devastating plague that could destroy Australia.... when our wildlife go woke,things are not going to end well.
Read more: Rooganic Plague: Woke Kangaroo Hops into Outback Chaos!
Now that the Woke Brigade are trying to cancel Australia Day, ANZAC Day and footie and cricket are off the calendar until everyone puts their heads on straight again, let’s look at really important stuff like bragging rights to Lamingtons.
For my many American readers, you may get a giggle out of this – after all, the East v West, North v South Rivalry has been on for centuries and is still a good “ go to place “ if you want a bit of friendly fun.
After all, we are kindred spirits - our Nations bound by inexplicable ties , that we may mock, but others better bugger off and stay out of – the British didn’t stand a chance when confronted with a United States of America - and the brave diggers at Gallipoli created a fighting Spirit that will endure forever.
But getting back to the Australia Day, ANZAC Day, Climate Change and Net Zero bullshit debacle.... we may fight as a united front in the face of adversity but when it comes to other matters of a more localised nature, it is a different story. Kiwis and Aussies fight over who owns the Lamington. Now, this folks, is important.
And, as Australia Day approaches, it is worthy of mention here on our very controversial blog. We tackle the big issues here.
Read more: Battle of the Sponge: Is the Lamington Aussie as "Mate " or a Kiwi Claim Jumper?
So many people from all walks of life have shaped our Aussie way of life, which makes us Australian, unashamedly and without apology. We were born out of true grit, sacrifice and reluctant citizenship in some cases, but our soldiers, our farmers, our women and our poets have celebrated the joy of being Australian.
We are from the land down under, and our poets’ voices still echo in the halls of our history and long may they do so. This is part of our celebration of the people who gave voice to being dinki-di, true blue Aussie. To Hell with those politicians and wimps who dishonour our ancestors.
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