Are We Losing The Battle?

A question I ask myself more frequently today. Are we losing the battle against those who seek to divide and suppress? I fear the answer is yes.

I've always prided myself on being a positive person. I prefer to be optimistic rather than pessimistic. I have faith that regardless of how dire things appear, good will triumph over evil. If it doesn’t then it wasn’t meant to be. But regardless something positive will emerge from the ashes of ruin. I believe when people who hold similar values stand together, we can overcome and emerge a stronger, more united and vastly better society. But I find myself becoming increasingly more pessimistic about the society of today. I see a society ever more divided and fractured. Those who seek to divide us and suppress us are winning. I see decency and values sacrificed in the name of revenge and retribution.

The realisation this is happening deeply saddens me. The saddest part is watching the change. Particularly on social media I’ve watched people whom I have admired as being open and receptive to the ideas of others change. In the past they didn’t always agree with a particular position or point of view but they respected the rights of others to think differently. Polite exchanges ensued and at times opinions were changed. Many of those same people now condemn you and turn on you if you deviate from their script. They actively then go one step further and whip others up to turn against you. It reminds me of reformed smokers but worse. I’ve been on the receiving end of this a few times as I know others have.

I have said this before but it's worth repeating. It saddens me that we no longer appear willing to judge people on who they are as citizens and not what political party they belong to. Or what religion they follow. Or what general beliefs they hold. It saddens me that some people will never be forgiven regardless of how many times they atone for their perceived sins because of what they are; based on the same parameters; political, social leaning, religion, or even the colour of someone's skin.  It disgusts me that regardless of how appallingly other people behave are as long as they are in ‘the camp’ they're forgiven.

A good example of this is the recent re-election of a Governor in the US. Only a day before this Governor had assaulted a journalist for being persistent (in other words doing his job) in asking a question. The journalist was knocked to the ground and repeatedly punched. But of course he was just a journalist. That was OK. The Governor was re-elected and even received praise from the President. Belting people up has never been OK and certainly shouldn’t be acceptable from people in positions of power. But the campaign against journalists has worked. They are viewed as pariahs and now people feel bashing them is OK and worst still they reward the basher. Anyone who defended the journalists (be they Republican or Democrat) was attacked left right and centre for doing nothing more than standing up for decency. Staunch Republicans who spoke up were treated worse than the Democrats. The people against the media/journalist lobby in full swing. Decency is losing and those who seek to divide and suppress win.

Those on the right say it is a left wing problem. Those on the left say it a right wing problem. Both sides are guilty. Two recent examples of that in Australia;

We have all witnessed the bullying of Margaret Court for doing nothing more than exercising her right to choose based on her beliefs.  She stated her reasons for no longer wishing to promote or fly Qantas because of their Chief Executives gay marriage crusade. She made that public. That is her right. The letter she wrote was to the point. Who she was, why she made the decision and offering her willingness to discuss with those involved. But now the Gay Lobby demands her name be removed from a sports arena. They want her stripped of her legacy in recognising her as a great sportswoman who has contributed much to her sport. Whether you agree with gay marriage or not Mrs Court should be able to decide who she promotes and who she doesn’t. She should be able to do that without being ripped asunder by people with axes to grind. One person even said to me yesterday she deserves everything she gets. That’s such a vengeful attitude. People can voice their opposition without resorting to verbal violence and demanding a person’s legacy be destroyed just because you don’t agree with what they have said. After all, Mrs Court hasn’t murdered anyone. But if the arena management caves in as a result of the relentless campaign which is sure to follow then those who seek to divide and suppress will have won again. Time will tell.

People are frequently seeking to expunge from history anything they find distasteful. Such as removing Margaret Court's name from an arena. In the US they have gone as far as taking down statues. It is lunacy and in my opinion dangerous.

On the other side we witnessed the recent assault on Yassmin Abdel-Magled’s over her comments on ANZAC day. Whilst I don’t agree with her references to Manus and Nauru I do have some sympathy toward the plight of people in Syria and Palestine. Too often the world turns a blind eye to the suffering of people there, particularly the children and the elderly. However, what she said was ill-advised, insensitive and very poorly timed. ANZAC day was not the day to say it. If she'd said on another day I suspect it would have largely gone unnoticed. Bad judgement on her part. In her defence she did remove the offending tweet and she apologised for it. But that wasn’t enough. As in the case of Margaret Court people out for revenge demanded more. In the end she was sacked from her job at the ABC but many still haven’t let up. Nothing short of total destruction will sate their appetite for revenge. Anyone who had the temerity to say hang on, she realised she was wrong and has apologised received the same treatment. They were cut out like a diseased calf in a muster. Isolated and condemned. Hence the dividers in full swing win again.

There was a time when an apology was gracefully accepted. This was often followed by a message, “Thank you, we accept your apology. Learn from the error and don't repeat it”. Those days are long gone. Now nothing short of complete destruction appears to appease. So why even bother saying sorry. It doesn't seem to make any difference if you are in the 'target group'.

I don't think I am sounding overly alarmist in saying this. Each time those who seek to divide wins we see the demands grow ever harsher. People are trolled and threaten. On social media, particularly Twitter one of the standard practices when someone objects to something you say is to reply copying others in their camp. The copy to's then RT copying in more people and the next thing you know it is  an all out attack.

We read far to often of people being physically assaulted or living in fear of being physically assaulted for nothin more than expressing an opinion. People have been sacked and had careers ruined. Petitions kick-off like wildfire and worst yet some people end up as headlines in the news for days on end. Ridiculed and humiliated for what they say. We don't treat murders and rapist as bad as that. The media has a lot to answer for in promoting this behaviour. They feed the frenzy shame on them.

I can’t predict where this will end. But history gives us an indication and it isn’t good. When I see decent people joining the assault squads that really does saddened me. I don’t mind admitting it frightens me to think of what the future might look like.

Marcus Aurelius said, “The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.” I believe that is true. So every time we join in vicious assaults on people just because we don’t agree them. Every time we fall into the trap of playing the divide game and acting exactly like those ‘who performed the injury’ we let them win. I pointed this out recently and was met with a typical response. They started it. In suggesting that perhaps two wrongs aren't the solution the response was, ‘they’ want war we’ll give them war. I didn't see the point of saying you are behaving just like those you condemn. This, is a game of no winners and as a society, we collectively sadly are the losers. I just hope people wake up to that fact before it is too late.

Dear Prime Minister Turnbull - Yes Me Again

We have a problem. You know that. Note, I didn’t say you have a problem because I believe we all need to take some ownership for it. That said, as the leader of my party (and the government) it’s down to you to dig us out of the quagmire.

I will start this in saying I think you get a rough deal from many conservatives. That’s not to say you don’t deserve a lot of the criticism you receive. However, many within our conservative ranks harbour grudges (that seems to be the way of the world). A large percentage is incapable of accepting people over time change their views on certain issues. Or should I say they won’t accept you personally can change your position without an ulterior motive! At the risk of raising the indignation of people who may read this, its rubbish to think people’s opinions never change. Even people you don’t like. We frequently change our positions on key issues as we become better informed or our circumstances change.

I can’t and won’t claim credit for the bulk of this comment. It came from one of the smarter contributors to comments in the Australian but it highlights the issue beautifully. He posted it in response to the article on Alan Jones demented rant this week.

I will leave the ‘delcon’ reference in, in the interests of accuracy although personally don’t like labels.

It reads; “One has to wonder what would satisfy the delcon brigadiers. Abbott signs the RET, Turnbull retains the policy, but Abbott is a true Liberal and Turnbull ‘labor-lite’. Abbott increases taxes, Turnbull cuts taxes, but Abbott is a true Liberal and Turnbull ‘labor-lite’. Abbott introduces a ridiculous paid parental scheme, squibs it, Turnbull leaves it where it belongs, but Abbott is a true Liberal and Turnbull ‘Labor-lite’. Turnbull has a go at reforming 18C, Abbott squibs it. But Abbott is a true Liberal and Turnbull ‘Labor-lite”. Abbott establishes the TURC, Turnbull implements the key recommendations with the ABCC. But Abbott is a true Liberal and Turnbull ‘Labor-lite’. There are none so blind”

There is more we can add to the list. As an example; Tony Abbott increased the refugee intake in response to the Syrian crisis. You maintained the target, ensured the strictest of vetting and ensured it was majority of Christians who we took in.

Tony Abbott threatened to reform the senate and then squibbed it. You drove through a change of rules (a start if not the optimum result yet). You called a double dissolution and won the election albeit by the slimmest of margins.

Once again in these cases Tony Abbott is a true Liberal but you are viewed as ‘Labor-lite’ and in the case of refugees you are labelled a Muslim appeaser. Labor wouldn’t do any of the things you have done. So labelling you ‘Labor-lite’ is absurd.

So yes, I do believe you get a rough deal from certain conservatives over your image. I also think you get a rough deal given the policies the government has managed to get through the senate in recent months. Particularly budget repair initiatives albeit once again not everything, a lot has been achieved. More than was getting through previously.

I will go off topic for a minute. Like most Grans my Granny was a firm believer in idle hands need work. I’m also a believer in idle hands mischief make and can be very destructive. I speak from personal experience here. This leads me back to our problem and the so called feud with Tony Abbott.

It appears to me, Mr Abbott who fuels a lot of discontent (despite his prostrations to the contrary) needs a meaningful job. He has idle hands so he mischief makes. It must be difficult to make the switch from being on the front-line for so many years to now play on the benches. He has been in the position of Cabinet Minister, Opposition Leader and then Prime Minister. As a backbencher he has significantly less to occupy his time. He’s an action man. We know that. So he creates his own action none of it very positive.

You and government can’t afford to keep dealing with the distractions when there are more important things to focus on. You can no longer afford to have the good things that are achieved be drowned out by media feeding off snipping and infighting. This is what leads to perception issues. Sadly, far too many people don’t read beyond a headline.

I’m one who believed keeping Tony Abbott out of the cabinet was a good idea. I’ve had a rethink based on current events and I think now is the time to give him a job. It will take leadership courage to do it, but it will achieve positive outcomes. Let's face it what do you have to lose? It raises you above pettiness. If you give him a job based on a portfolio that he’s extremely fond of giving advice on, it means he needs to ‘put his money where he’s mouth is’. 

Tony Abbott delivered on two key election promises with the help of some very good ministers. Stopping the boats and removing the carbon and mining taxes. After that he stumbled. So now is the time to test just how good he really is. Give him something meaty that he now appears to be the expert on and that will deliver a significant result to the electorate. Support him and if he delivers let him take the credit. We all win in that case; him, you, the government and the electorate. If he fails bury him once and for all.

Don’t give him something soft like Indigenous Affairs. That won’t test him. Scrapping or restructuring the Human Rights commission and reengineering 18C would be meaty. As would cutting the RET. Both of these are on his five point plan. They are measurable as well. If successful we should see a lift in the polls.

This comment was made in an article titled the Golden Age of Phony. ‘It used to be said that actions speak louder than words. But today, the opposite is true; words matter more than actions. People are judged by intentions not results.”

We see this in our political arena daily. Media drives it. Social media feeds off it.  It’s time to reverse the trend and get back to profiling results. We need to stop the chatter. Remove the soap boxes and get results onto the front page and infighting and snipping off. Let Tony Abbott show he can actually contribute to the results that he believes are game changers. But contribute in a meaningful way with actions not words. The question is, will you do it?  

A Time To Reflect

It doesn’t matter whether we are Christians or not. Or whether we are believers or not. We all need to take time to reflect. This time of year is one of those times. 

We live in a wonderfully complex, beautiful, but deeply damaged world. A world that's too often uncaring, unforgiving, cruel, and devoid of second chances. Daily, we are regaled with doom and gloom. The media and others seem to prefer that to promoting the positive things that happen every single day. 

We have world leaders who appear to be more intent on destruction than unity. It's easy to be overwhelmed and to lose faith and to lose hope. Even those of us who live comfortably in stable, prosperous countries are not immune from this. Let's face it far too many of our western leaders are consumed with blowing up someone else's home. Eagerly cheered on by people who live thousands of miles away corralled in the safety of their comfy homes. I suspect they wouldn't be so gung-ho if someone was blowing up their world. 

Now more than ever we need leaders who will instil belief back into the community. Leaders who will do something positive about helping to deliver a better world than the one far too face today; both real and perceived. It is up to us to force them to do it. Assuming that's what those of us who live in the free world want. I don't mind admitting when I read what's posted on social media I have my doubts. 

Perhaps the world is a manifestation of what so many project. I agree with Mr King when he says; 

"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Let's not lose hope that one day we will all enjoy a better world than many live in today. God bless. 

The Spice Cupboard

There is something delightfully evocative about opening the door to my spice cupboard. Moroccan bazaars, Indian spice merchants, Malay Hawker stalls and the street sellers of Thailand are some of the images that captivate my mind. The intoxicating perfume of places far yonder invade my nostrils and fill me with warmth and comfort. 

Sumac, nutmeg, cinnamon, star anise, cumin and cardamom. Basil and sage, orange essence and rose water invoke memories of past travels. And, hopefully travels of the future. 

Who would have thought you could get all of that by merely opening a cupboard door? 

So on with my Roasted Pumpkin & Caviar d' Aubergine, which is the reason I opened it. A delight of herb baked butternut pumpkin with puréed aubergine. Persian feta, cream and sweet toasted pepita seeds. I enjoyed this recently at Briars Inn, in Bowral. I'm attempting to replicate the dish. I hope mine is as good.

Calories don't count on Monday. True. 

Chocolate Ice Cream Sings

Something different today. I received this from my brother. It was prefaced by this simple statement. For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.

One day I had lunch with some friends. Jim , a short, balding golfer type about 80 years old, came along with them---all in all, a pleasant bunch. When the menus were presented, we ordered salads, sandwiches, and soups, except for Jim who said, "Ice Cream, please. Two scoops, chocolate.

I wasn't sure my ears heard right, and the others were aghast. "Along with heated apple pie," Jim added, completely unabashed.We tried to act quite nonchalant, as if people did this all the time. But when our orders were brought out, I didn't enjoy mine.I couldn't take my eyes off Jim as his pie a-la-mode went down. The other guys couldn't believe it. They ate their lunches silently and grinned.

The next time I went out to eat, I called and invited Jim. I lunched on white meat tuna. He ordered a parfait. I smiled. He asked if he amused me. I answered, "Yes, you do, but also you confuse me.

How come you order rich desserts, while I feel I must be sensible? He laughed and said "I'm tasting all that is Possible.

I try to eat the food I need, and do the things I should. But life's so short, my friend, I hate missing out on something good. This year I realized how old I was. (He grinned) I haven't been this old before. So, before I die, I've got to try those things that for years I had ignored. I haven't smelled all the flowers yet. There are too many trout streams I haven't fished. There's more fudge sundaes to wolf down and kites to be flown overhead.

There are too many golf courses I haven't played. I've not laughed at all the jokes. I've missed a lot of sporting events and potato chips and cokes. I want to wade again in water and feel ocean spray on my face. I want to sit in a country church once more and thank God for His grace.

I want peanut butter every day spread on my morning toast. I want un-timed long distance calls to the folks I love the most.I haven't cried at all the movies yet, or walked in the morning rain. I need to feel wind on my face. I want to be in love again.So, if I choose to have dessert, instead of having dinner, then should I die before night fall, I'd say I died a winner, because I missed out on nothing. I filled my heart's desire. I had that final chocolate mousse before my life expired.."

With that, I called the waitress over. "I've changed my mind, " I said. "I want what he is having, only add some more whipped cream!" 

This is my gift to you - We need an annual Friends Day! If you get this twice, then you have more than one friend. Live well, love much & laugh often - Be happy.

SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS including me if I'm lucky enough to be counted among them.

Be mindful that happiness isn't based on possessions, power, or prestige, but on relationships with people we like and respect. Remember that while money talks, CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM SINGS!

So my dear friends, don't forget the Chocolate Ice Cream and let's make everyday Friends Day. Life is too short to have regrets.