Patriot Realm

At the end of WW2, America had about 6,000 merchant ships. Today it has about 100.

Merchant ships are the lifeblood of international trade and commerce and even more so to island nations like England, Australia and New Zealand. They are also vital to the well-being of otherwise self-sufficient nations like the USA and Canada.

In 1941, England was the victim of an all-out drive by Germany to deprive Britain of its lifeblood of imports without which it could not feed its people. In a speech in 1940 Winston Churchill magnified the extent of this danger when he said that at any given moment 2,000 British merchant ships are in transit on the high seas. The losses of ships sunk by German submarines was huge and Churchill appealed to America for help. In 1941 alone Britain lost 1,300 ships sunk by German U-Boats.

In military history, there are countless tales of bravery, valour, and unwavering dedication from soldiers who fought on the front lines. But what about those fearless felines who have prowled the battlefield, armed with their whiskers and lethal claws? Yes, you read that right – cats in combat. These purr-sistent warriors have played some truly remarkable roles throughout history, and it's high time we give them the recognition they deserve.

Back in ancient Egypt, cats were revered as sacred creatures. Their role in combat was a bit unconventional, as they served as morale boosters for Egyptian soldiers or in Japan where they were mighty foes. Imagine this: a battalion of brave warriors ready to conquer the world, flanked by felines who were more interested in chasing after scarab beetles than the enemy. 

When I think about horses in times of war, it is hard not to immediately think about the most famous horse of all: the Trojan Horse.

I must admit that I have always found it strange that the Trojans couldn't have been the sharpest knife in the drawer. They fell for a trick that even the most naive of us would have yelled most loudly " Don't do it! " But, you see, we never see the hidden " rats "  that scuttle in when the gates are opened.  

Still, perhaps times have not changed so much: we still appear to let the enemy in, don't we? 

But, of course, the real war horses from history were not made of wood. They were heroes and served alongside their mates as earnestly as their human masters. 

So today, I want to pay homage to the brave horses and the dogs who served us so well in times of war and perished in piteous circumstances. They were among the mightiest of the mighty and dear and trusted mates.

Banjo Paterson is the giant of Australian literature and folk law. His exploits in this field are so extensively well documented that I would not presume to add to them. However, in modern Australia, perhaps it is time to start celebrating people like him again.

What is less well known than his poetry is his contribution to the war effort in WW1 and to a much lesser extent The Boer War. His contribution to the successes of the Light Horse brigades was outstanding.

Banjo Paterson was a newspaper correspondent intermingled with a legal practice. When the second Boer War broke out on 11^th October, 1899 Banjo was a member of the NSW Lancers and sought to sail with the first contingent for South Africa. He was rejected for active service because he had only one good arm. He was well connected with the Fairfax family and asked to be sent to South Africa at his own expense for one month to serve as a war correspondent. One month was the limit of his financial resources.

The problem many of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders we speak to have continuously raised with us is that under Native Title the land is locked up and can’t benefit from it. That’s about half of Australia locked up under Native Title and held with the government. Is it any wonder the United Nations is so interested in Native Title?

The white and black aboriginal industry consists of lawyers, consultants, activists, academics, politicians and bureaucrats. They all claim to be ‘closing the gap’ between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders’ standard of living and other non aboriginal Australians. The fundamental flaw in this system is that those running the industry are parasitically living off the money that is given to the Aboriginal communities. It is a self-perpetuating problem.

Every year the billions of taxpayers’ dollars poured into solving the problem is being syphoned off by the same individuals who “claim” to be helping. Very little of the money makes it through to those in need.