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.
When you think of a cuckoo, do you think of a clock? You know, the ones from Germany, where a cuckoo pops out and greets you with a cheerful welcome? Time is ticking and it is nearly midnight folks.
Let me tell you a little about this strange little bird. It is rather sneaky.
It lays its eggs in the nests of other birds leaving those unwitting innocents to rear the imposter as one of their own. The cuckoo thrives and eventually throws the other baby birds out to die.
Many of the older generation know the saying whereby someone is a cuckold, referring to a man who unwittingly rears a child, thinking that the little one is his own.
Well, I think we have been cuckolded and, if things don’t change, we will continue to be thrown out of our homes and left to perish.
Read more: The Cuckoo's Nest... the Cuckoo Clock.... and it is about to strike midnight....
If Monkeypox is the new COVID and the WHO release their lockdowns and compulsory vaccinations, where will we be as a society? All on board or, as Bush Barbie would say, Nah,Yeah, Nah. It is just another round of sabotage from the left.
About another round of isolation, lockdown and postal voting. More blackmail and strong arm attempts to break us. From our governments across the world.
Last time many trusted them.
Today ? Not a show in hell. Hell, I no longer trust anyone apart from the few who no doubt feel the same way as I do.
Unless you are a brain dead multi vaxxed card carrying member of the " next vax I will get a free tofu burger" you are not likely to fall for the vax hoax a second time. We are over it. As a clean skin, I tend to venture into that land of reality. I treat many things with great circumspection.
Read more: Social Lepers and Leprosy... We Cannot Go Back to Those Days
When I was young, one of my favourite books was " Wind in the Willows. " Even today, as I approach 70 years of age, I can still relate to this book and, if anything, it means more to me now than when I first read it about 60 years ago. Why do I feel that we are cruising down the river with a weasel at the helm and the " riverbank" is no longer home? The Weasels have taken over and Toad Hall is conquered because we were all too busy being nice and playing on the river of life.
Are we asleep at the wheel?
Recently, I have found myself increasingly drawn back to the wonderful work of Kenneth Grahame. Written to enchant, excite and amuse, it makes me sad that children today no longer see such work in their school libraries, much less sit back in bed and snuggle down to share the joy of a tale woven out of love and the soothing pleasure of beautiful words. But, even in this lovely tale of friendship, home and the importance of family, there was a sinister threat that lurked.
The Weasels.
Read more: Weasels at the Wheel.... Has Toad Hall Been Taken Over?
The Battle of Long Tan took place on August 18, 1966, in the Phuoc Tuy Province of South Vietnam. It was part of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War as part of its commitment to the United States' efforts to counter the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. The region's dense jungles, muddy terrain, and unpredictable weather added to the complexity of the conflict. The Australian soldiers were part of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, and were led by Major Harry Smith.
On that fateful day, a small Australian company of 108 men - 105 Australians and 3 New Zealanders - found themselves vastly outnumbered by a determined North Vietnamese force estimated to be over 2000 strong. The Australians were based at a rubber plantation in Long Tan, surrounded by thick vegetation that hindered visibility and movement. The North Vietnamese launched an intense assault, employing small arms, mortars, and artillery fire.
The Panama Canal officially opened on 15 August 1914. This date marked the completion of the canal's construction and the first successful transit of a vessel, the SS Ancon, which had been acquired by the Panama Railroad Company to haul freight, through the entire length of the canal, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
However, it took a railroad to build the canal.
The length of the Panama Canal from shoreline to shoreline is about 40 miles (65 km) and from deep water in the Atlantic (more specifically, the Caribbean Sea) to deep water in the Pacific about 50 miles (82 km). It shaved 8,000 miles or about 20,000 km off the Cape Horn route through much safer waters, and it was an immediate hit with the world's shippers at the dawn of the First World War.
The Panama Railroad played a crucial role in facilitating the construction of the Panama Canal. It provided essential transportation infrastructure that supported the movement of people, equipment, and supplies needed for the monumental task of building the canal.
Between the “Scrap Iron Flotilla” and “the Rats of Tobruk,” turning insults into a point of pride was perhaps a running theme for the allies.
Like many other ancillary formations of our armed services in WW1 and WW2, the Scrap Iron Flotilla has not received the same acclaim as the Rats of Tobruk. That does not undermine in any way the exploits of the Rats but it is a pity that these vital supporting formations seem to be easily forgotten as prominent objects of our remembrance celebrations.
The Scrap Iron Flotilla was an Australian destroyer group that operated in the Mediterranean during WW2.
Its story is synonymous with the Rats of Tobruk. It was the means of supply to the beleaguered town under siege between 10th April, 1941 and 7th December, 1941.
Its name was conferred on it by Dr.Goebbels, the German propaganda minister intending to demean and undermine morale of the five Australian ships that made up the flotilla. As happened with the conferring of the name “Rats of Tobruk” on the garrison troops by Lord Haw Haw, instead of depressing morale it spurred them to greater acts of defiance. Neither understood the make-up of the Australian character.
Read more: The Scrap Iron Flotilla - The Story of the Tobruk Ferry Service
There was a time when our currency from every country reflected the pride in our national history. The same with stamps. It was pictorial record of who we were. It was something we saw every time we opened our wallet or sent a letter. Now? No letters and no cash if the government has their way.
How many of us look at our currency? These days, not so much. Digital currency is all the rage. But there was a time when a great woman was on the Australian $5 note. There are remarkable individuals whose tireless efforts leave a mark on society. Caroline Chisholm was one such visionary who dedicated her life to championing the underdog.
She is off the currency now, and has been replaced by an image of parliament in Canberra. So let us look at who has done more for helping the Aussie Battler: Caroline Chisholm or Parliament?
As I said, these days, how long has it been since you had a $5 note in your wallet? But next time, you look in your wallet, look at the images on your money. And wonder why they were honoured.
Apparently, today, Canberra is more worthy of honour than Caroline Chisholm.
So who was she?
Read more: There was a time when our currency reflected our pride in our national history.
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