Views in Verse on enforcing the law of the land

The Australian Prime Minister this week addressed  the United Nations. Impressive!  No-one can deny his statesmanship in attacking the Islamic State threat...but why oh why do we have to keep being sucked into handling these terrorist threats as religious matters?


They are not ...these people are criminals. Plain and Simple!

They take their positions by including their religious zealotry in their names as though this really has any significance ...it doesn't. And yet, as Mr Abbott has done again here, we make the mistake of routinely mentioning Islam and Moslem as many times as we can in response to somehow show that we aren't targeting everyday people. But in doing so achieve exactly what the terrorists lure us into doing ...addressing them on their terms and further blurring lines by bringing religion into our position at all. We only need to create and enforce laws in dealing with crime.

These people have taken up occupation in a foreign land and declared a sovereign state thereby breaking international laws. The local terrorist act we had here in Melbourne this week where two policemen were stabbed (before shooting their assailant in response) is simply a criminal act - why risk further religious zealotry by explaining away responses to a 'terrorist act'.

We have international, local and now terrorist legislations to deal with these matters in a straight forward manner.  Why risk unjustified retaliations by attempting to show how well we understand the varying implications of Islam and the Koran - we really don't know. But furthermore, we don't need to!

As for the media and their irresponsible 'stirring' of possible sensitive boundaries  in relation to such events - we should be legislating against this as well. Stirring up religious unrest in relation to 'breaches of law' is more irresponsible than what some of the rogue leaders can be accused of in their mosques. The latter may reach hundreds in one pass; the former can reach millions! And to what end the media...? Beats me.




And justice for all...?

A wild but stumbling rush
a thirst for brother's blood
a victim falls hard before a baying crowd
A lusty blow is struck
just one with any luck
roars of faith ring out for hours
good and loud

The wild group arrived
a sword strapped by the side
the verdict a prescribed but grisly fate
A rigid but cruel
right of tribal rule
it seems justice can be swift
no need to wait

A bunker lit up bright
well into winter's night
Top brass around a massive table
Seems the generals have their say:
"Sir,there is no other way...!"
"but to hit this region hard
to keep it stable!"

The cameras whirl and play
at church that very day
it didn't really matter it wasn't Sunday

"God bless this call we've made

there'll be so many saved"...
(except for thousands there trapped
along the way)

It seems the rules are clear
handed down o'er many years
for a phalanx to extol it's common call
It's well known far and wide
that with god at your side
his will is clearly done
through one and all


But is it really fair?
whose premise we compare...?
seems they'll all see fit to make a rightful plea
Appears there's justice there for all
for help with righteous cause
as long as one goes down
on bended knee


from my desktop Grahame J Flynn

Views in verse on political pragmatism

One year this week and 'the meter is running' on Tony Abbott. So how is he faring?

As always in political commentary there is much ado about election 'promises' made

Fourteen promises broken already according to one AFR scribe this week. But let's get 'back to basics' here ...in the spirit of Abbott's oft' mentioned mentor John Howard:

Maybe so but ..."were they 'core promises' or not?"

And ultimately "does it matter" given that strategic objectives are achieved




I must say despite some of the bizarre matters that surfaced in the budget (which were mostly not part of the election diatribe) Tony Abbott has been 'every bit' the 'leader' one would have hoped to see ...although it may not appear that way at times. Why is that?

We were coming off the Kevin Rudd/Gillard period where the leader always craved the spotlight - good leaders do not do this - they empower the operatives who then must be seen to perform and they support them by allowing them to manage their own portfolio. Accountability then comes further down the track. The modus operandi we see reflected in this now is a stable front bench (unlike the previous two Labour governments). As a result we are seeing 'the best' of his key ministers.

With Joe Hockey even though he has fumbled from one situation to another (until gaining some traction this week) Abbott has allowed him to solve his own problems without 'running into the burning house'. There is no doubt that Hockey's smiling face this week was testimony to this 'effective leadership'

We have seen Julie Bishop and Scott Morrison shine under this leadership first in the recent handling of the Russian involvement in the loss of the Malaysian Airline and (Morrison) who accepted Abbott's 'poison chalice' of 'boat people out of control' and has managed to tick one of the pre-election promises there.

Whenever he has stepped onto the big stage Abbott has always managed to carry out his role to the level most Aussie voters would have expected. There were unjustified concerns about this pre-election.

So what of the original promises made...is anyone really counting (apart from this diligent journo)? Perhaps we (and Abbott) himself should instead return to his five pillars that he came into office on - 'core promises'? Surely these would be the best criteria upon which to judge:

1. Fixing the economy (voter comfort perspective) 2. Balancing the budget 3. Scrap the carbon tax 4. Improve small business's lot 5. Improve the greater economy (with diversity in industry)

In the end we need to 'win wars' not 'battles'  in life.

If Abbott were to reposition himself with those pillars now going forward to the next election, he should be able to account for what in the long run may appear as unrelated 'pre-election' promises given he makes the required level of progress towards each pillar.

All this is achievable, but there is a joker card amongst all of this. If he continues to bring, what I earlier referred to as 'bizarre matters', to the table eg: paid parental leave, knighthoods returning, loosening financial advice guidelines ...things that the voting community hasn't demanded, he won't succeed. He usually seems to speak up himself on policy issues but this all needs to be relevant and interlocking with the greater programmes.

People are more than capable of assessing progress towards big goals over time and should reward effort on this basis of that. But if mixed with trivialities and 'I can't see the forest for the trees' items, then Abbott may find himself as a one term 'leader'. I somehow think he is a little smarter than that!

As a leader, Abbott is indeed impressive ...as he usually was in opposition. His team will now need to step up to the many challenges that we face in the world economy today and show that they have solutions ...without empty promises.

All this assumes that the voter is willing to entrust our leaders to deliver the big picture items as their pledge - we got there ...does it matter how? Or, do we as voters wish to (and have every right to) hold them to every word they utter along the way (leader and team).

Perhaps the politicians themselves need to be more outward in their use of 'political pragmatism' and somehow convey this to the media ...thereby "leave us alone ...we're doing our job!"

Promises

Turn away from the window

Come back over here...
try to see hope and not fears
Tomorrow's a stranger
that we should embrace
Why revisit yesterday's tears?

Today's promises
Aren't tangible things
In the way that most things are real
But they carry a cost
if forgotten or lost...
the very heart of what you feel

Who knows why
A matter of trust
Can be broken so easily?
What to do...
When things don't turn out
The way that you
thought they would be?

Yesterday's promises
Aren't tangible things
In the way that most things are real
But they carry a cost
when forgotten or lost...
the very heart of what you feel


Sent from my iPhone - Grahame J Flynn

Boat people ...where have they all gone?

Views in Verse - on life's little mysteries.

Tony Abbott isn't saying much about how he has managed to turn back the boats and his Minister tells us mid week that we "won't be hearing any more". But yet I must say that I love a good mystery.






What is Tony's secret that he had to first totally offend Indonesia's first family to kick off his strategy? Was it his ex army general moving around the offloading ports with perhaps para-military tactics in the turning tide of persuasion?

Is it maybe the old boats we were buying from the peasants of these ports ...bit of a long shot one. Or indeed maybe the newly commissioned ones he is buying; which are launched at approaching boat people from naval ships much like a 'torpedo being fired'? Perhaps they are hitting their marks???

Or did Tony realize that the biggest issue that led to our glut of arrivals under Julia was indeed that the smugglers were clever enough to give part of their takings to the capricious onshore Indonesian officials? Perhaps Tony (noted counter puncher that he is) has flung some well earned taxpayer dollars at these same ham-fisted trolls.

But whatever be  the strategy that has really quashed the arrivals ...we are never to know or so it seems. And that always intrigues me. Because ...as I said ...I love a good mystery.




The Passing  of Ol' Salt

It was a very long night
at the Drunken Prawn
After the best catch
for many-a-year
They arrived late at the dock that day
to find what only 'fisho's' fear...

Red eyes were agog
in amazement...
to see the olde girl slipping from view
Ol' Salt was 'past her use by date'
But their only real 'earner' too

In the 'fisho's' eyes
She was the 'pride-o-the fleet'
since before my Pop was alive;
the barnacles all got up
and danced that day...
the day that Ol' Salt died"

Oh the barnacles all got up
and danced that day...
the day that Ol' Salt died
And the song they sang
to a cloudless sky could be
Heard for many a mile:

"Ol' Salt she's done her bit...
the catch is in plain sight"
"There's nothing like
some mighty hard work
for building an appetite"
"Heave her to the left"
heave her to the right...."
"We'll bring her back
Full of fish today
so we all eat well tonite!"

It was said:
"She served seven sad masters
...a nastier bunch couldn't be!"
The lads had not a good word
for any-o-them
Except for their skipper - McGee

The barnacles were singing
'Captain's Call'
McGee sang it loud every day
But whatever could inspire
Mere crustaceans
to so warble away?

As she tossed and rolled
The crew were shocked
For what they couldn't ignore
was the barnacle choir
in a fevered pitch
singing Skip's own song once more!

When that was done
They paled as one
with something horrid forming
For the captain it seemed
was last thing seen, below, drunk...
and snoring...?

They found no sign of the Captain that day
They all left that same Fall
But not before each of them telling
different stories one and all
And me...
I stood on the dockside too
But I was way too young to recall

And so
the legend lives on
In story and song
Of whatever happened that day
Was it the whiskey talking,
a crew in mourning...
Or seagulls attempting Bizet?



Sent from my iPad - Grahame J Flynn