AIMN reader Anne N Byam shares some of her views with us.
First, this Government will do absolutely NOTHING to improve health initiatives, give refuge to those who desperately need it (be that beaten persons and children, or asylum seekers from war and famine torn countries) … and it will do nothing to assist marginalised and troubled youth. It has all gone down the gurgler, in the interests of passing on favours to the wealthy in this country (including to the Government ‘elite’, themselves).
We all know this, and perhaps a few thinking persons of other former (LNP) persuasions, are also beginning to see the light – we can but hope!
At least the Victorian Government has made a start by declaring an internal ‘war’ (if you like) on the illegal drug ‘ice’ which can cause such abject misery, violence and death. They have also settled the Ambulance pay dispute, are tackling the potential jobs crisis, and has saved the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target, which the previous Liberal Government was set to dump. This has saved hundreds of jobs.
That is an example of good government and governing. And all in the first couple of months. I sure do hope Daniel Andrews can keep up the pace. He is not afraid of ‘shirt-fronting’ the Prime Minister either … a lot of back and forth over the East-West link that is so contentious. But he doesn’t back away from the bully.
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This Federal Government will do nothing pro-active, when the solution could be quite simple, especially when it comes to the maladjusted and misguided youth of this country, who are a ripe potential for promises of greatness (that’s how all religions work who proselytize and want to seize converts).
The answer may well be this:
That anyone – for any reason given, should not be granted any form of visa, entry permit or travel arrangement to any WAR ZONE currently in the world.
Visas, of course are issued by consulates of various countries, in the country of residence of the would-be traveller. In an endeavour to protect freedom of choice (largely being eroded in this country now) … people are given ‘warnings’ about travel arrangements – e.g. to Afghanistan, Indonesia etc., if intel has detected the possibility of terror plots and thus, danger to travellers. However, there is nothing stopping OUR Government from acting upon the following (from the Aust. Government website; passports.gov.au):
“We are authorised by law to disclose your personal information to foreign border authorities:
■ if we suspect there is unlawful activity relating to your passport
■ for law enforcement purposes
■ in countries with which Australia participates in the Regional Movement Alert System”.
As it is alleged that Iraq, for example, is an ‘ally’ to which we send armed forces to ‘train’ their army against ISIS (success a dim prospect) … and possibly armed infantry, or boots on the ground, surely Iraq would adhere to any warnings we give about further possible insurgents entering their country from here. If that is 3 more, 30 more or 300 more – it is all the same. And Iraq should comply and not permit entry. Then again, that might not be the case … as Iraq is a Middle Eastern country, and the ME are known to change their minds according to the current days’ wishes by their hierarchy – and their religious ideologies!
(Rather similar to what we hear from our own Government on a sickeningly daily basis).
Ah, but all the above, would feed into the fear that this Government periodically likes to deliver – via the likes of the Herald-Sun and other fear mongering advocates in print … that these would-be militants might turn around and become more of a terror threat on our soil – “ if we can’t do it there, we will do it here“. The young disenchanted and troubled young man in recent weeks – Jake Bilardi – allegedly had decided to initially wreck havoc in the Melbourne City area with bombs, knifings and an assorted other pleasant ideas! But then decided to fly to where the real action is. A boy hell bent on self-destruction.
The Herald-Sun is a trashy rag that promotes this fear, sensationalism and Murdochian principles of ‘how to sell newspapers’ all in the name of profit, mostly with garbage content, and far more suited to wrapping up mouldy and unusable smelly foodstuffs.
It proudly announces (usually on its front page) when Andrew Bolt gets his poisonous pen out and raves on (anti-Muslim) and the page number a reader can find Bolt on, is proudly displayed. Yet it is purchased day in day out – and believed. Soaked up. And passed on no doubt to others ‘around the water cooler’. The MSM depends on word of mouth as much as anything – including actual reading!
Continuous nauseating detail (even to ‘breaking news’) on our TV screens, gives much time to the horrors that beset us and the world. In the case of Jake Belardi there was well over a week’s worth of updates – and many repeated pieces of information, all designed to titillate those who like to watch and wonder on these issues, but hardly any background to the young boy . except to say he was ‘shy’ and ‘somewhat withdrawn’. Good investigative journalism could have overcome that – even if the family of the ‘Jihadist from Melbourne’, had objected or put a blanket on any personal information being published.
But where do we find good investigative journalism these days? In fact, where is true journalism? There’s lots of ‘reporting’ goes on. Not much in the way of proper journalism, though.
Apologies – I have digressed.
One has to wonder what reasons Jake Bilardi might have given for his journey to Iraq in the first place. Surely that is something that is (allegedly) being asked these days by border/airport control. Or so I have been led to believe. And what type of person is employed to assess travellers to countries that are war torn? Some untrained clerk, with a list of questions to ask in front of him, or a qualified psychologist/profiler – who could ferret out very quickly, whether a person was being truthful or not? I’d have liked to see some evidence of any questioning that may have been done of this very young lad (and he looked a lot younger than he was) … travelling to Iraq in the first place.
And now it is reported that another Australian born person – in his late 20s joined the movement – to destroy the West – which is quite precisely what it is all about.
Quite frankly, there are some aspects of the ‘West’ and its greedy ideologies, that needs being put in its place – which is down the toilet and flushed away forever. However, that is another subject … suffice to say a few countries come under that banner …
I will leave it to the reader, to fill in the names of those countries – if they wish.
Meantime, we have the problem of the ever growing dis-satisfaction with the ‘way things are being run here – in Australia. There are a lot of unhappy people out there in our country, and it is dreadful to consider that this dis-satisfaction, maladjustment and marginalization can – and will – lead to more young folk being inveigled into promises of glory that can never be delivered, except in bits and pieces in a body bag.
What then, is the answer?
Frankly I don’t know – but it could start within the education system, with stricter controls over international travel, more investigation into suspect movement than is being given now (much evidence available on this – the lack of proper involvement of police and a request for properly trained marksmen in the tragic incident at the Lindt Café, Sydney), and perhaps even the distribution of pamphlets – carefully worded of course – we must always be circumspect and politically correct? Yes?
No, damn it, it should be said as it is. That there is ‘radical’ and ‘extremism‘ in EVERY religious and quasi-religious group in this world – no matter who they are, what they represent or what they claim to represent. And there also must be put in place, something that is equally appealing to the sad, depressed and disaffected youth of our community. This will NOT happen under the current Government … they could not care less.
But – they won’t be here forever, and its past time that Australia/Australians should individually and collectively look for ways to soften the approach for youth, to help them recognize their potential – even if it is minimal to begin with … and go from there.
Hell – something has to be done to put a stop to something that could well spiral out of control – over time.
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