The Weimar Republic was born out of the ashes of World War I, following Germany's defeat and the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in November 1918. The new democratic government, named after the city of Weimar where its constitution was drafted, sought to replace the imperial system with a parliamentary democracy.
However, the Republic faced enormous challenges from the outset. The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, placed heavy reparations on Germany and imposed severe territorial losses, fueling national resentment and economic hardship. These conditions created a fertile ground for political extremism, with both the far left and far right vying for control.
It struck me that we are, as countries, are suffering under the horrors of our version of a Versailles Treaty: one where we are prevented from developing our nations due the the restrictions forced upon us by signing up to the Climate Change nonsense....
Read more: The Weimar Republic - To Ash, To Dust....
Until people learn that the same propaganda they see in media, schools, and entertainment today - lying to them and subverting society - they won't know who their true enemies are.
And, the most important thing to remember is that it has been in effect for at least the last 80 years.
In 1944 the Australian politician Arthur Calwell was unhappy that some newspapers were not following wartime censorship restrictions.
Back then as the Minister for Information, he said
All this vaunted freedom of the press on the part of newspaper magnates will not permit views to be published which they do not desire to be published. There is no such thing as freedom of the press, except for those who own and control the newspapers of Australia.
Read more: There is no such thing as freedom of the press, except for those who own and control it
I have had a pretty colourful life one way or another. And it got me thinking. How would the Gazans and others feel if they lived up in the pointy end of Australia? Would they come? So here is my " Welcome to Country " ceremony for all those from other countries who are thinking of making Australia home.
But think twice before you head north for a true blue Aussie ceremony. You might bite off more than you bargained for. Or, someone or something might.
Life out of Australian cities is not for people who cannot deal with the odd oversized lizard or two. It's almost more like " Welcome to the Jungle. "
Read more: Welcome to Country.... to our multicultural refugees, a very big Queensland welcome!
“Some of us may forget that, of all the Allies, it was the Australians who first broke the spell of invincibility of the Japanese Army.”
- Quote from Field Marshall Sir William Slim, Commander of WW2 Commonwealth forces in Burma (and later Governor General of Australia).
And that first fracture in the Japanese Land Forces strength came at Milne Bay in September 1942. Alongside Guadalcanal weeks later, Milne Bay marked the first land defeats of the Japanese, shifting the Pacific war’s momentum.
Read more: On the 27th August 1942 the Japanese were on the doorstep of Australia.......
The Emu War is one of Australia's most curious and bizarre historical events. It took place in late 1932, when a large number of emus, flightless birds native to Australia, caused significant damage to crops in Western Australia.
In response, the Australian government sent a small military force, led by Major G.P.W. Meredith of the Royal Australian Artillery, armed with two Lewis guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition, to the region in November 1932. The plan was to cull the emus and reduce their numbers to protect the crops.
Curious? I am not surprised. Hell, if if the Australian Army couldn't despatch a few pesky birds then something was very wrong indeed. So let me enlighten you and tell you all about the time that the Australian Army went to war against its coat of arms.... and lost.
Of all the magnificent units and regiments of the Australian Army I doubt if any have a better claim to have been the one that saved Australia than the 39th Infantry Battalion, the first to advance down the Kokoda Track to confront the Japanese.
There are a number of units who could claim this title. The 25th Brigade in the defence of Milne Bay and the Coral Sea Battle. The former was supported by the RAAF. The Coral Sea Battle was a largely American enterprise. The 39th held the Japs at bay alone and unsupported until the 7th Division arrived fresh from the Middle East. For that they get my vote without detracting in any way the efforts and performance of all of our other units, and the Americans, who took on the Japs.
Read more: Those Ragged Bloody Heroes - “We are not a mob. We are the 39th.”
During World War II, Australia was a key player in the Allied war effort, providing troops, resources, and logistical support across the Pacific and beyond. However, not all sectors within Australia were fully cooperative in the war effort. The Australian Maritime Union (AMU), which represented dock workers and seamen, became notorious for its contentious relationship with the government and military authorities, particularly due to its refusal to load ships for the war effort at certain critical moments.
The AMU, formally known as the Waterside Workers’ Federation of Australia (WWF), was established in the early 20th century to represent the interests of waterfront workers, who often faced dangerous working conditions and low pay. The union was known for its strong commitment to workers' rights, and it frequently engaged in strikes and industrial actions to secure better conditions for its members.
But was it altogether about workers rights or was it more about political ideology? By the time World War II began, the AMU had become a powerful force in Australian labor politics. It was also influenced by left-wing ideologies, including socialism and communism, which played a significant role in shaping its policies and actions during the war.
Read more: Sitting on the Dock for the Pay.... Unions were no friends to the Troops In WW II
The first occupants of the Olympics village in Paris quickly taught the caterers that athletes did not favour their “climate-friendly” diet of things like avocados on toast plus almond-milk coffee. The athletes demanded more meat and eggs.
Paris Olympics CEO, Etienne Thobois, told reporters they suddenly needed more animal protein, causing them to order “700 kilos of eggs and a ton of meat, to meet the demands of the athletes.”
The Olympic caterers should have read a bit of French history – Vikings brought cattle to Normandy in the 10th century and valued them for both meat and milk.
Words are merely words, no matter how cleverly delivered or masterfully edited and pitched. Obama was supposedly a great orator until his teleprompter went bugger up. Then he became a bumbling idiot who couldn’t compose one umm without another quickly followed by another added for impact and emphasis.
Look at Joe Biden, Kamala Harris. They just can't stand up without their props.
Yet Trump can stand after being shot and the left hate him for it. Yes, they actually hate him for being a survivor.
That day, he became one of us. And, as a proud daughter of a manxman, when he came up and yelled " Fight! " all I could think of was my father and the Manx saying,
" no matter which way I fall, I will stand. "
All across the world, western leaders and aspiring leaders think that all they have to do is hire a speechwriter, turn up at an event and open their mouths. Well, it doesn’t work. Never has and it never will.
We want leaders who are lions and vikings and will rise up and fight.
" Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. " Ronald Reagan
It was Winston Churchill who made the tough decision to surrender the few to save the many back in World War II ......on many occasions.
I had read a book - some years ago - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - and was amazed that I had not known about the occupation of the Channel islands until I read the book. While the book is a very soft look at a harsh period of time, it did its job: it spurred me on to learn more.
Winston Churchill had made the tough decision to sacrifice the Channel Islands at the outbreak of World War II. To save the many, he sacrificed the few.
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