Knights and Dames back in the realm
Well, Tony Abbott has got the Progresives traumatised with his reintroduction of Knights and Dames of the Order of Australia (AK/AD). Dame Quentin Bryce and, as of tomorrow, Sir Peter Cosgrove are the first two recipients.
I’m all for recognition of those who give much more than others and seriously impact on the life of Australia and Australians. Dame Quentin will have some difficulty with her progressive mates over accepting the award and any amount of others, like myself, will pause to wonder why she has accepted a title from a system she has railed against. Still, I doubt if she felt she had a choice and, anyway, don’t tell me she isn’t chuffed.
I doubt if many Australians would disagree with my old boss, Sir Peter Cosgrove, being so recognized.
Labour frontbencher Chris Bowen predicted Mr Abbott would next announce “that vinyl records are coming back or that his car plan is to reintroduce Cortinas and Toranas”. Greens leader Christine Milne said Mr Abbott was trying to create a “bunyip aristocracy” in Australia.
I’d take a Cortina if that happened. Had a rich girlfriend with a GT and as I recall I drove it from Melbourne to Perth and back in my 21st year(1967) and enjoyed every mile. The company was good as well.
Back to Knghthoods…..I actually don’t see it as an Imperial award because, simply put, it isn’t. Knights and Dames existed under the Order of Australia originally but were removed by Hawke because the ALP have this strange idea that everyone is equal. But as George Orwell pointed out in Animal Farm some are more equal than others.
It also explains wy the ALP don’t like the Army. We have officers.
Well done Tony Abbott and well done Dame Quentin and Sir Peter.
Facebook
Twitter
Hardly traumatized, Kev – more accurately rolling around the floor laughing.
Abbott has flipped the switch to vaudeville, as Keating once said. It’s a distraction – he’s going to need a few of those over the next six months.
You’re right about Cosgrove – smart and courageous – smart enough to call Vietnam for what it was without denigrating those who fought there – http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/07/30/1027926887509.html
One of the great failings of the Coalition since 1972 is that none of them had the same courage as Cosgrove, with the notable exception of Malcolm Fraser, although he demonstrated it by his treatment of refugees – http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/fraser-the-unsung-hero-of-humane-refugee-policy/story-e6frg7ax-1225815259755 rather than by public statements.
Contrast that with the bipartisan bullshit inflicted on us now.
Fortunately, those responsible for the decisions that led to the tragedy of Vietnam have either died or left public life.
Good riddance.
As per usual before I make a post on your blog, I go and have a look at numbers blog. What he says here shows his over extended ego on his blog. Toowoomba is such a fine place that they have paedo teachers, some of whom numbers would actually know, they are importing other security forces because the police can’t handle the crime, such as 3 invaders on an elderly couple. Maybe at his next mass he might call on his diocese to forgive all paedophile priests as well as the teachers.
It also explains why the ALP don’t like the Army. We have officers.
So does the British Army, and in World War 1, Australian diggers wouldn’t salute them, as they saluted only those they respected.
In my book, not much has changed. I have no respect for the British monarchy, given that the British establishment starved my ancestors from their native land in 1862.
ah, the battle cry of the truly pathetic – “they were bad to my ancestors”
152 years ago, and you are such a worthless piece of shit that you just can’t move on, do you hate the current Japanese Prime Minister? German President? after all, their predecessors ordered far worse and in living memory. as a matter of interest, what is the cut off date for misplaced and moronic hatred? – 1000 years, 2000? 3000? you go back far enough and everyone has done over everyone else. you just can’t help displaying your stupidity can you numbers, it has to be a childhood issue – you’ll invite the ridicule because any attention is better than none for you.
The Japanese and German governments haven’t resuscitated an anachronistic imperial honours system to provide a political distraction.
And don’t assume others share your intolerance and bigotry. I don’t hate the British establishment. Like most sane Australians, I am completely indifferent. They are irrelevant…….
And don’t assume others share your intolerance and bigotry. I don’t hate the British establishment. Like most sane Australians, I am completely indifferent. They are irrelevant…….
” I have no respect for the British monarchy, given that the British establishment starved my ancestors from their native land in 1862.” and so we see numbers bullshitting yet again.
BTW numbers, the Honours are Australian Honours reinstated, not imperial ones – it isn’t your fault that you are stupid, it is your fault that you are too lazy and slow to google the many things that you are too ignorant to understand.
Harry, you have a real problem with comprehension. Since when does I have no respect for the British monarchy, mean I hate the British?
Either that, or you’re projecting – probably both.
BTW numbers, the Honours are Australian Honours reinstated, not imperial ones
Hilarious. They were imperial to start with. There once was a British Empire, remember.
The original (reinstated) honours are an anachronistic throwback to the time when the map was etched in red, and everywhere else was populated by people Kipling called the lesser breeds outside the law. My Irish ancestors were considered lesser breeds.
Well there you go Harry, completely ignores your first statement, swerves around your second, ballet dancers haven’t got as many moves as numbers, he’s like swatting a fly with a straw. As for Kipling’s comment, I believe he was talking about those lesser breeds that placed themselves outside the law. Watch him swerve around that one.
Why do you always need to lie numbers? you raised that the nasty Brits starved your ancestors from their native land and in your book nothing has changed, now you don’t hate them? you are simply a bullshit filled bigot and I get that you are stupid, but you assume that we are too and after you’ve been caught lying so many times before.
Re the honours system, why oh why numbers must you insist on proving beyond doubt that you are an ignoramus? the Australian honours system dates back to 1975, not, as you state the British Empire, you slackjawed drivelling moron, and now the Australian honours system has been reinstated and it has nothing to do with any empire and it never did.
BTW, numbers, do you ever tire of being proved wrong or is it like being caught fabricating your facts, just water off a ducks back?
Why do you always need to lie, Numbers? you raised that the nasty Brits starved your ancestors from their native land and in your book nothing has changed, now you don’t hate them?
It looks as if I’m going to have to spell this out at a level your average ten year old would understand.
First of all, you accuse me of lying. Let’s establish a simple definition of the term.
One internet dictionary defines a lie as – a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive, an intentional untruth, a falsehood
That definition contains words that might confuse a typical ten year old, so I’ll simplify it further –
A lie is something that someone says that is wrong, and say it to fool you. They do it on purpose.
I’m assuming that you have called two statements that I made “lies”. The first one (again assuming) is this – The British establishment starved my ancestors from their native land in 1862.
There are many desperately sad episodes in Irish history, but one of the most distressing is an Gorta Mor, the Irish potato famine. My source is Wikipedia, which is generally accurate, but if you prefer something totally reliable, you could refer to Professor T.J.Archdeacon’s treatise – An Gorta Mor – The Great Irish Famine – University of Wisconsin. It’s used as a history text for American students.
From Wikipedia – In Ireland, the Great Famine was a period of mass starvation, disease and emigration between 1845 and 1852. It is sometimes refereed to, mostly outside Ireland, as the Irish Potato Famine because one third of the population was solely reliant on this cheap crop for a number of historical reasons. During the famine approximately 1 million people died and a million more emigrated from Ireland, causing the island’s population to fall by between 20% and 25%. The proximate cause of famine was a potato disease commonly known as potato blight.
Although the potato crop failed, the country was still producing and exporting more than enough grain crops to feed the population. Records show during the period Ireland was exporting approximately thirty to fifty shiploads per day of food produce. As a consequence of these exports and a number of other factors, such as land acquisition, absentee landlords, and the effect of the 1690 penal laws, the Great Famine is viewed today by a number of historical academics as a form of either direct or indirect genocide.
So we’re talking about genocide. Again, to help you understand, genocide is defined as – the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular nation or ethnic group.
The group referred to were the Irish. The perpetrators were the British merchants and absentee landlords. Basically, though Ireland was producing enough food to survive it was exported and sold by the merchants. Over time, at least 1 million Irish died of starvation.
This poem, by June Francesca Elgee puts it well –
Weary men, what reap ye? Golden corn for the stranger.
What sow ye? Human corpses that wait for the avenger.
Fainting forms, hunger-stricken, what see you in the offing?
Stately ships to bear our food away, amid the stranger’s scoffing.
There’s a proud array of soldiers – what do they round your door?
They guard our master’s granaries from the thin hands of the poor.
Pale mothers, wherefore weeping? Would to God that we were dead –
Our children swoon before us and we cannot give them bread.
My ancestors (from Tullamore, County Offaly) were caught up in this, and were helped to emigrate by the Catholic church. At least 1 million other Irish did the same. You could compare it to a modern day disaster such as Syria, although the cause was British greed, not sectarian conflict.
So the record shows that the British establishment (merchants and absentee landlords) did starve my ancestors from their native land – an historical fact, not a “lie”.
Now let’s look at your contention that I “hate” the British.
In the first place, unless you are psychic, you wouldn’t know whom I hate. I learned long ago that hate is a waste of time, because it usually leads to violence.
To draw attention to the failures of the British administration of Ireland during famine is not an expression of hate. It is a recount of history, posted to explain why I have no respect for the Imperial honors system, and why, as an Australian of Irish descent, I would prefer it left to the inglorious past where it belongs. It has no place in my contemporary Australia.
Let’s look at the Honours system.
What I wrote was resuscitated an anachronistic imperial honours system.
I made no mention of the Australian honours system which was introduced by the Whitlam government. Your reference to that is a red herring.
The imperial honours system ran parallel with the new system until 1989, when the last awards were gazetted. It wasn’t until 1989 that the imperial awards officially lapsed, when Keating announced on October 5th that year, that Australia would make no further recommendations for British honours.
Abbott has reintroduced the titles of Knights and Dames. These titles were a unique feature of the former imperial system, so elements of that system have indeed been reintroduced. I used the term “resuscitated” deliberately. It is certainly anachronistic, as these titles have not been part of Australian life for a long time, and fit awkwardly, if at all, into our egalitarian community.
The bottom line is, that you disagree with me. You are absolutely entitled to do so. What you are not entitled to do is to call me a liar because you don’t like what I say.
That is, to say the least, childish behavior.
I believe he was talking about those lesser breeds that placed themselves outside the law.
They didn’t “place themselves” – this was Kipling’s view, and that of the British establishment at the time. It’s in this anachronistic culture in which the Empire and the imperial honours system thrived. Australians don’t want a bar of it.
From verse by Rudyard Kipling.
Also –
for all his dirty hide, he was white, white, white inside
Below is an apt description of Kipling –
poet of Empire and the darling of the ruling establishment in London at the beginning of this century. Kipling’s writings reveal at its worst the mentality of those in England and Ireland who supported imperialism
(Irish Times Archive – 1st Jan 1999).
Numbers, it’s sweet that you felt such a need to type a long and evasive answer to my question, so I’ll ask it again – why do you always feel the need to lie? we keep catching you at it, but you keep doing it, so why? is it just the need for attention (even negative attention) that drives you?
Interestingly, as you answered a bunch of questions I didn’t ask, you helped prove that you lied previously when you said that you don’t hate the British, are you honestly telling us that whilst you believe that the British Establishment (of 150 years ago) committed genocide against your ancestors, and as you previously stated that you feel that nothing has changed since then, you want us to believe that you don’t hate them – people who would commit genocide? just because you are stupid, don’t assume everyone else is – the bigotry BTW is in assuming the current Brits would do the same (“in your book nothing has changed”).
Nice evasion re the honours, they are reinstated Australian honours, they have nothing to do with any imperial system so stop lying about it, just admit you lied, just this once.
and I have every right to call you a liar, having repeatedly caught you lying. if you don’t like it, try telling the truth.
we keep catching you at it,
Show me anything I have posted that is a “lie”.
the bigotry BTW is in assuming the current Brits would do the same (“in your book nothing has changed”).
That’s what you said not what I said – my reference to “not much has changed” refers to the respect the average digger had for British officers in WW1, and the fact that many Australians have no inherent respect for British institutions. It has nothing to do with the Irish. You plucked that out of your backside.
You continue to have comprehension problems.
Only an ignoramus of the first order would assume that a lack of respect is the same as hate on the basis of race.
You assume I harbour the same bigotry that is embedded in everything you post. Get it into your thick head – I don’t think like you do.
You are a past master at verballing – but wouldn’t recognise the truth if it bit you on the backside.
And while you’re at it – tell me what is Australian about Knights and Dames.
I’m not doing more laps around the retard park with you numbers, anyone, including yourself, who cares can examine this blogs archives for a treasure trove of examples of you being caught lying, by meself and plenty of others. and you know it.
BTW, you want a current example of you lying, see your previous post. how the fuck would you have any idea of the current Australian diggers views on current Brit officers? simple answer, as usual you made it up (for example, in my day I worked with some superb British Officers). you are a bigot and yet again, a proven liar, but what really hurts you is you know that nobody even cares what you post anymore, you are simply a joke.
Re accusing me of bigotry, nice try, but I’m not the one who admitted carrying a 150 year old grudge against the Brits.
Apt description of Kipling? and from an Irish newspaper!
You are buried in bullshit and a tainted Irish history of the past numbers.
I’m not doing more laps around the retard park with you numbers, anyone, including yourself, who cares can examine this blogs (sic) archives for a treasure trove of examples of you being caught lying, by meself (sic) and plenty of others. and you know it.
Translation – I can’t find any lies, so I’ll bluff and bluster, and hope that does the trick.
how the fuck would you have any idea of the current Australian diggers views on current Brit officers?
I wouldn’t. But I wasn’t writing about “current” Brit officers.
See – in World War 1, Australian diggers wouldn’t salute them, as they saluted only those they respected.
You really need to take a long hard look at your reading comprehension skills.
Oh numbers, bluff and bluster isn’t pointing out that anyone can find your lies, its simple fact. and then you lie again, so I’ll directly quote the most gutless lying blowhard I’ve ever encountered to prove even to you that you lie – re British Officers “in World War 1, Australian diggers wouldn’t salute them, as they saluted only those they respected. In my book, not much has changed. ”
and then “I wasn’t writing about “current” Brit officers.”
IN. MY. BOOK. NOT. MUCH. HAS. CHANGED. makes it current tense you lying piece of shit (and BTW, wildly bigoted).
Never ever have the gall to suggest that you are not a bald faced liar, I understand that you are compelled to seek attention (probably childhood issues, but frankly I don’t care why), lie as much as you like, just don’t pretend that you don’t.
The Daily Mail is not Irish.
Nor is John Barnes – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2146334/The-Jungle-Book-Britain-nation-passive-racists-says-John-Barnes-blames-classic-authors-bigotry.html
Hello 17… .
On 9 Apr 14 you wrote on this blog: Show me anything I have posted that is a “lie”. Here is an extract from a post you made on your site dated 12 Dec 12: “……… Probably because in the ad I used a sales pitch that I was too old to get in and out of the vehicle. This is complete bunkum…….”
I think you are being too precious about knights and dames. In addition to the UK, here are some other countries which have had, or still have knights: Austria, Italy, Malta, Croatia, France, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands and Belgium. A knighthood is a very old honour and known by most – tying it to the UK award as you have done does not acknowledge its widespread and historic use.
I believe most people would prefer to receive a knighthood, a damehood or other long established award rather than one of the home grown ones, not least because of the approved abbreviations. For example, among others we award the AM, AC, CV, MG and SC. Would people be as proud to append any of them to their name instead of say AFC, CBE, MM, MC or DSO? I doubt it, as some of the abbreviations of our awards invite satire.
Likewise, why did Quentin Bryce prefer recognition as Dame Quentin Bryce rather than Quentin Bryce AC? Might it be she knows AC invites comparison with DC, while AC DC is a phrase from the 60s describing bisexuality? I don’t think we achieved anything by abandoning the Brit system and replacing it with one modeled on the Canadian system.
On a related topic, your comments about foreign awards indicate we should abandon our foreign military ranks (eg corporal and major) and come up with Australian ones. Is that so? And if you don’t support that change, why not?
You quoted The Irish Times Archive 1st Jan 1999 numbers, you dickhead.
Well said HRT.
IN. MY. BOOK. NOT. MUCH. HAS. CHANGED. makes it current tense you lying piece of shit (and BTW, wildly bigoted).
You simply don’t understand written English.
If I had written – These days current serving Australians don’t salute British officers – you would have a point.
THAT.IS.NOT.WHAT.I.POSTED.
Learn to read.
That is EXACTLY what you posted you lying piece of shit.
So does the British Army, and in World War 1, Australian diggers wouldn’t salute them, as they saluted only those they respected.In my book, not much has changed
I’ve copied it above, a straight CTRL-C, CTRL-V (cut and paste). QED – though anyone who wants to check just has to scroll up the thread to see the proof, I doubt anyone will bother – they already know you lie routinely.
A joke numbers, all you are is a joke.
On 9 Apr 14 you wrote on this blog: Show me anything I have posted that is a “lie”. Here is an extract from a post you made on your site dated 12 Dec 12: “……… Probably because in the ad I used a sales pitch that I was too old to get in and out of the vehicle. This is complete bunkum…….”
That extract is completely true – not a lie. I didn’t have trouble getting out of my MX5.
More evidence that the only meaning you take from what you read, is the meaning you want to take.
Paul Simon puts it well – A man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest.
The most amusing aspect of this is that you obviously pored through my blog looking for a “lie”…… hilarious. You’re like a clockwork mouse – I wind you up and away you go…..
“The most amusing aspect of this is that you obviously pored through my blog looking for a “lie”…… hilarious. You’re like a clockwork mouse – I wind you up and away you go…..”
The funny thing numbers is that you believe the above claim helps your claim not to have lied, but all it is is an admission that you lied, you just claim (now) to have done it maliciously. though I don’t believe that claim. I believe you do it routinely and have now told so many lies you just can’t keep them straight.
The funny thing numbers is that you believe the above claim helps your claim not to have lied, but all it is is an admission that you lied, you just claim (now) to have done it maliciously. though I don’t believe that claim.
You are tying yourself in knots.
Have a go at parsing the above. It doesn’t make sense.
Great entertainment…………
Not a bad attempt to squirm out of it rather than address points raised numbers, but it is in fact pretty clearly written, but you can’t admit that, as yet again it highlights the fact that you routinely lie and in the case above you are trying to cover up your lie about the car with another lie.
The take away from all of this is that not a word you say or type can be trusted without independent verification, I suspect that everyone who knows you knows this. it must make for an ‘interesting’ life knowing that nobody who knows of you trusts a word you say.
Hello 17…. ,
I’m sure you will tell me if I have this wrong: The car you were advertising was not difficult to get in and out of – although you said it was. However, the car you were not selling, and which was not mentioned in your ad, was difficult to get in and out of. This, so you say, is proof you do not tell fibs.
I’m sorry to erase your vision of me poring over your blog site. Perhaps a year ago I read that entry and it stayed in my mind, as it indicated you were not as straight up and down as you maintain. Two entries in the Search box on your website enabled me to find your post.
Any chance of answers to the other points I raised?
Now he’s in trouble for lying about not lying about lying…..I’m getting confused. Let’s just say Bobby has a great deal of difficulty telling the truth…..much simpler.
The car you were advertising was not difficult to get in and out of – although you said it was.
Every time you post, you demonstrate that you don’t understand written text. I did not say that the MX5 was hard to access, although for anyone frail or overweight, it was. Being neither of those, I was not having problems.
I used a marketing ploy (so enamored by those on the Right – note Newman’s statement – Public Servants have nothing to fear from an LNP government – or Abbott’s – Pensions will not be changed under my government) which was successful.
You are totally unable to distinguish a “lie” from a marketing ploy (and a successful one at that) or an opinion.
Like many on the Right, you lack any vestige of tolerance, so do not entertain opinions differing from your own. You call them “lies”.
You are extremely thick and lack any imagination to speak of.
But you are a lot of fun…..
Hello 17 …
Many thanks for the free character assessment. I will treasure it always.
Now then, any chance of answers to the other points I raised? And, while I would be interested in your views on the various organisations of the Catholic Church which feature knights, I would be particularly interested in your thoughts on the Australian one, known as Knights of the Southern Cross (KSC).
Do you think they should they change their name?