Author: Wayne Offer

Put the questions, invite thoughts, respond truthfully.

When will America Stand Up Australians ask? 

Remember Today, it’s a Elvis, John Lennon, JFK, moment.I woke up to hear the President of the United States, the leader of the free world give the Nazi’s a free pass, justification for demanding white America .

I’m bloody Australian,my roots are from all over the world, I grew up post WW2 in Australia, I learnt from a history book of experience working in a shipyard at 15 with immigrants from all over the world living about a mile from the shipyard at Yungabar hostel, their first landing place in our country.

I learnt from the victims of Hitler directly. I saw the hope of a new life, something I took as granted and often shared that hope with them when they left the yard and took up jobs and professions they had done before invasion.

So when I see groups anywhere in the world mimicking the Nazi movement I cringe,even more when I see a world leader treating them as equal to any dissenting group, justifying their actions. 

Trump owes them and other extreme groups for his election and after today is quite clear they called in the debt, and Trump responded in his true colours.

Any we can waffle on with our opinions from a far land but it’s up to Americans to get off their arses and get rid of him or he will drive their country into another Civil War as after today he has justified rasism, bigotry, murder, street violence as a 2way street. 

They call him Mr President. That title should be withdrawn by the media and the people as respect for those who have gone before. 

But do they have the guts to do it or will the procrastination continue?

Someone has to stand up America, is that person you?

The world awaits. 

Mummy and Daddy wear Politicians Stupidity. 

So it was Mummy or Daddy didn’t tell me. I thought that excuse expired when SHANE Warne’s mummy was blamed. No we are not talking about children!Whenever you nominate for any candidacy you tick the box on Australian Citizenship, but when your caught out its, “I didn’t know”,and off to the courts keeping your leather seat and your six figure pay cheques until the decision falls.

That privilege does not apply to everyone as the same people championed the Centrelink payments recovery where the lower demographic lost their livelihood first, then had to prove their paperwork was in order. No appeal to courts for them, they were guilty until proven innocent by a public servant.

This is a clear case of the higher you are in the social standings bringing concessions that don’t apply to all Australians and it would be interesting to see if the recovery of public money will be pursued as vigorously as was the Centrelink people who did not tick their right box. 

The Law over Public Empathy in Ipswich. 

The Australian empathy for the Ipswich Robin Hood has been well broadcast across our media reminding us of the good done in his reign of mayor, however when one takes on the role of a public servant the rules change, the latitude for good outweighing the bad ceases.Although the the presumption of innocence must apply, the simple fact is charges laid need to be answered and we all need to think if it was not the ex mayor but local Joe Citizen charged with a similar offence would the same empathy exist?

No, because Joe has no profile, could have personal issues just as severe but no relationship with the media in his day to day life. 

So as we march to the polls let’s think of our future and let the courts do their job, and when the dust has settled then we can write the history accurately. 

America’s Train Crash in Progress. 

I’m not American. Probably I should thank someone other than God because I would be hypocritical. In any case we, the rest of the world are watching a America slowly slipping into a self inflicted coma of society decay. 

They said when Trump was elected it was a rebellion against the establishment. 

As time goes on we seeing the social fabric not the establishment being dismantled. 

What’s right, what’s wrong does not seem to matter, it’s the end justifying the means, the business outcome, money, White America first then comes selective vetting of the rest of the population based on social status.

People who have suppressed racial hate have now been encouraged by Trump Talk to act in the name of Nationalism to attack anything that does not meet their criteria of who is really American. 

History reminds us this was the way the Nazi regime commenced with segregation followed by purification of what it was to be German. They had a leader that controlled the media, wrote his own media (properganda), denouncing any people with views outside government as traitors or enemy of the state. 

His followers fanatical, his inner circle hand picked, ruled by a iron fist with the threat of death if they strayed their thinking. 

I cannot help drawing comparisons if you look at Hitler structure to the way Trump is slowly expanding the American social split where if your not right wing or extreme right wing your a socialist which then is regarded as a enemy of the state.

History records Rome went from the world centre to a burning hulk, not overnight but just kept burning internally until it fell. The fire was accelerated when the Trump was elected, and now the world is witnessing the inevitable train crash. 

I hope my country is not on that train. 

ABC 4 Corners leads Aussie Media on Investigative Journalism.

The response to the 4 corners program has shocked many Ipswich residents as it has the rest of Australians.That report is a clear indication of the value of the role investigative journalism plays in our day to day lives. 

Ipswich residents were oblivious to the goings on in their own backyard on this issue as we were on many other issues highlighted by the show over time, so I have to question why do mainly conservative governments consistently cut funds the public broadcaster?

I’m not going down the road of political blame but with news outlets getting skimpier on basic content, staff cuts and amalgamations, true investigative journalism has never been so important to our democracy as well as our day to day living as this example has proven. 

Time for our Politicians to Grow Some Balls in Australia.

Isn’t it time we the punters took control of this Gay Marriage fiasco and directed out politicians to do their job?We have two nutters running around playing one upmanship threatening the world with nuclear war, the gap between rich and poor widening and whatever, while this rot about plebiscite/Snail Mail continues to bore us to tears. 

Facts are the Senate will reject the plebiscite, the non compulsory mail out with the non compulsory obligation of parliament to comply with the results, all costing us millions of dollars. The logic just does not stack up. 

Who are we protecting here, who is scared to say I was either in favour or against Gay Marriage? 

One guess. Politician. This is not a party political issue. Our politicians should make a decision as they are paid to do and if we don’t like it we will vote accordingly to each and everyone’s opinion come polling day. That’s our system, and they are the rules when they choose politics as their career. 

And for those who say it was a election promise, I would remind them of promise of no cuts to the ABC was unequivocal, locked in, yet that was conveniently forgotten.

Dr. Google, a Dangerous Consultant.

How would it go if when you took your car to the mechanics with a problem then proceeded to tell him how to do the job stand by while he did it, what parts to use how long to would take and then just leave the pricing to him?You’d probably complain about the price too and ask for a concession on using your knowledge even though you have never trained, in fact lifted a spanner. 

So imagine how Doctors must feel when they get a patient who thinks they know it all thanks to Dr. Google.

Yes diplomacy skills go into overdrive for the professionals when experiencing the online super graduates rants on their self diagnosed problems and woe is them if they dare to challenge the preconceived outcome or expectation of the patient.

Dangerous ground I feel as then we have to ask is the GP or Specialist actually using his experience and training or are they just conceding and sending them on their way feeling good about their own expertise without any confrontation. 

Knowledge is power and alternately Dangerous in the wrong hands. 

Dr. Google is a dangerous consultant in my book. Most Doctors have a set process of elimination follow by ongoing tests, checks and counter checks leading up to a educated guess, yes guess as they too are only human. Then it comes down to faith in that primary diagnosis and proceeding.

That tradesman mechanic is likely to just tell you to go somewhere else to fix those brakes, or fix them yourself and good luck but the doctor is not quite that abrupt but the result would still be the same come crunch time. 

Legislate to Designate NBN a Essential Service.

Any body who has been landed with the job of selling a car with a free bumper bar must feel sorry for Bill Morrow CEO of the NBN.The Super Cheap version he has been tasked to roll out combined with the telcos all clambering to make a buck does nothing to install faith of any new or existing customer. 

Too many players, and too many agendas all trying to split the profits. 

Is it not time to just stop and remind ourselves we live in a vast country, distance is a critical factor and so is delivery of services like health, banking, business and telephony are in the national interest which may shock some gamers and movie watchers.

History reveals when the government repealed the law which declared communication supply was a essential service the quality of service and delivery crashed from a world top five network into a bun fight to supply that car with a free bumper bar.

Privatisation of the national network is now a proven failure to service quality and cost, the exact things our politicians told us would be cheaper and better, so I feel it time to stop making excuses and give the nation back its network and remember it you build it correctly the first time it will last a life time. That was the proven principal we built into the copper technology. 

Enough Said. 

Keeping your Job 

With every administration comes culture some good and some bad and that culture trickles down to every employee in the organisation regardless of what level they are at.As we march to the polls in Ipswich too are being fed trickle down facts, rumour and innuendo from various news sources, our loyal council employees are wedged between the legalities of sub judiciary, and on going investigations.

Often in situations like we have presently we forget that our public servants have to abide by the culture or loose their livelihood, and that is a daily decision to those who prize their professional integrity.

Not all will be called to the bench for evidence, fewer will whistle blow and risk public judgment, so the vast majority will just go home a keep their experiences private for the sake of their careers and live in hope of better days ahead.

They say a fish rots from the head down and my question is how much did the rest of the inner council and councillors know about that culture and why did no one stand up? 

Ageless Jukebox just keeps on giving. 

We arrived at the venue not knowing who was invited, nothing about the couples family but certain we were blessed to be invited and the friendship shared.As time passed our circle grew with people we knew and interaction grew as the alcohol kicked in but the pods of the inner circle of family remained in their respective spaces passing fleeting conversation over tables and visits to the hot box for finger food. 

As the jukebox churned out the default music the function was in danger of sliding into a frozen state until one of our rowdy lot at our table hit the menu button then volume button and then the atmosphere cleared.

Initially the crusty old farts faces squirmed and the customary whines of turn it down Erupted across the room but was not endorsed by the majority who seemed to be playing the wait and see approach.

With minor adjustments the volume was maintained as we moved into party games with teams mixing the participants as the table boundaries were broken.

That was the catalyst to change gear as intermingling and banter at and about the young hosts history. Personal exploits and habits exposed made great script as the players shared each other’s experiences with the couple socially and professionally.

As that phase was completed the amalgamation of the audiences was cemented with the return of the volume button cranking out the hits of ages, igniting the memories of the young and old on makeshift dance floors between tables and chairs.

The night was alight, people sang, danced, shouted and laughed loudly with total abandon, like we did when young.

Conditions did apply though, strict conditions, conditions that totally banned Facebook applied. 

How ironical and sad is that request when people’s privacy request needs to be made?

Anyway As expected they poured me down the steps, into the car and off to bed waking this morning decidedly slow with new hip and lung capacity ringing protest but what a night to remember. 

My best mate and me dancing like teenagers at 66 and 70 as the Jukebox pounded, the absolute unconditional devotion the engaged couple radiated. All simple and so important 

So thanks Old Jukebox for just being you.. 

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