Who would have thought

Just found this on a readers comment on GetUp- Verrry interesting. Howard to blame for Canada's Indigenous rights backflip: report

Name Change

I've changed my name by Deed Poll from Geoff Richardson to Of The Above None and announced that I will be a candidate at the next Federal election for the seat of Gilmore.
I will appear on the ballot paper as NONE, Of The Above .

More at www.noneoftheabove.com.au

Crime(s) Against Human(ity)

The blog entry immediately below this one titled “What Will We Tell Them?” is admittedly a blatant appeal to the emotions of our readers but I thought it might also be appropriate to tackle the issue of David Hicks’ incarceration from a more logical perspective, especially in light of the PM’s revelation this week.

So here goes. Please tell me via the comments section if you spot any flaws in my logic.

Prime Minister John Howard has told a meeting of his joint party room that for some time he has had the power to have David released and returned to Australia but that he has chosen not to do so because, under Australian law, David has committed no crime and therefore would return home a free man.

If the PM has the power to have David released to what the Americans would surely regard as the worst possible outcome, then presumably he also has now and has had for some time, enough influence to get David’s captors to agree to any or all of the following lesser concessions.
- allow greater access to David by his father, legal team, human rights groups etc
- have him charged expeditiously with crimes that were actually crimes at the time he is alleged to have committed them.
- ensure that David’s treatment was at all time in accordance with the Geneva Convention and accepted norms.

The fact that the PM has chosen to not effect these changes in David’s conditions and treatment means that, in effect, he must assume defacto responsibility for all the sufferings David, an Australian citizen, has endured.
Any coalition member, including the Member for Gilmore, who fails to speak out, both publicly and in the party room, against the PM’s cruel and degrading treatment of a fellow Australian, must also assume some degree of personal responsibility.

I believe that when all the facts surrounding David’s capture, interrogation and incarceration are finally revealed, all those who remained silent but had the power to do something, anything, will stand condemned.

What Will We Tell Them?

Don’t move.

We have all been witnesses to a crime, a crime against a man and a crime against humanity. We have all seen it, little by little, night by night on the evening news. A man has been abandoned by his Government, forsaken by his countrymen, tortured by his accusers and played with for political advantage by those whose duty it was to protect him.

What will we tell our grandchildren when they ask, “ What did you do to help David Hicks?”

Perhaps he will still be in Guantanamo Bay when one of them turns the legal or political key to release him, some decades from now.

How will we explain our inaction?

Was the Government too powerful, the time too short, the mortgage to pressing or the task too daunting?

What will we tell them?

Flying the Flag on the Inside

The recent euphoria and hype that surrounded Australia Day, Jan 26, struck me as somewhat contrived and shallow. Lots of young people in particular took to the streets waving giant and small Aussie flags and sporting temporary flag tattoos. I noticed there was much yahooing in the streets of Berry when I went to buy the milk at the supermarket. The small Aussie flags were on sale there for only 99 cents but I resisted the urge (not very strong) to buy one and join the merriment. You see, I strongly suspect that at least part of the motivation inspiring the teenagers on the back of the ute across the road was their youthful predilection to party at the drop of a hat.

And it's not that I'm not patriotic. As I admitted in a previous email edition of The Tank, I cried too when 'Our Cathy' won the 400m at the Sydney Olympics. It's just that I feel public displays of patriotic fervour should be reserved for special occasions; events in which an Australian, or Australian team, is competing against another nation(s).

It has always amused me that the National Anthem is played before the rugby league grand final. Both teams are representing clubs, not nations. It would be far more appropriate and no doubt well received by the fans, if the team songs were played. As a St George supporter who saw Norm, Johnny, Reg and the boys win many of their record eleven successive premierships, my heart stirred more violently when the guy in the crowd with a trumpet played “When the Saints Go Marching In” than when we all stood when directed to mumble the words of “God Save the Queen”.

Australia, despite the whinges we have about this and that, is arguably still the luckiest country in the world and quite likely the South Coast of NSW, in particular Kangaroo Valley*, the best bit to live in. But our good fortune does not mean we Australians are in any way intrinsically superior to others. There is a very real risk that the continuation of the trend towards a more contrived, manufactured and commercial celebration of the nation will reduce our concept of what it means to be an Australian to that of a washable tattoo. Our focus, turned inward, will then be relieved of an accurate worldview.

The rise of nationalism can go unnoticed by most until too late. Before you know it it’s possible that we’ll think we know best, not just for ourselves but also for other countries and their citizens. We may then be easily led into setting about the task of fashioning the world in our own image via a series of ‘Wars of Liberation’.

Just as the original meanings of Christmas and Easter have been overtaken by hype and commercialism we are in danger of losing the real meaning of Australia Day. It should be a day for a few official functions, the inevitable speeches from the GG and PM and some quiet reflection by the rest of us on our good fortune.

Christians privately give thanks to their Lord every day. I like to think I fly the Aussie flag every day; on the inside.

Geoff

* Sorry, my bias. I’m sure where you live is nice too.

Australia Day takes a giant step forward by going back one

I wrote in a previous email edition of The Tank that Australia Day is a wonderful concept but unfortunately someone chose the wrong day; being as it falls on the anniversary of the white invasion of this country.

Whenever I say this to anyone the immediate response is, “OK, what day should it be?”

No day has ever seemed obvious to me so my standard reply has always been, “Any other day; there are 364 other perfectly good days to choose from”.

However, friends and I recently workshopped the idea and came up with the ALL NEW Australia Day. It was obvious really.

Australia Day may now be celebrated on January 25, it being the anniversary of the last day that Aboriginal Australians were truly free.

If you happen to be reading this on Jan 25, “Happy Australia Day”