In response to the tragedies our country was suffering – and still suffering – before Christmas we notified AIMN readers that:
We here at The AIMN would like to help in some small way, therefore we have decided that all donations received on Christmas Day and Boxing Day will be forwarded on to the Australian Bushfire Appeal.
We were overwhelmed to receive $753 (which we rounded up to $800) and we thank those who donated to The AIMN.
Then came a stumbling block: Who to help? Any number of charities came under the umbrella of the Australian Bushfire Appeal and we couldn’t decide which one to donate to. In the meantime, disaster after disaster kept breaking our hearts.
Eventually we decided to donate the money to SAVEM (South Australian Veterinary Emergency Management) because of their work with injured koalas on Kangaroo Island, where half of the population of 50,000 koalas had perished.
Why did we choose them above others? It was this report that we found from July last year; Kangaroo Island koalas may save the koala species that decided it for us. The report explained that:
South Australia’s Kangaroo Island koalas have been found to be free from the disease that is threatening koala populations around Australia, particularly in Australia’s north-east where populations are declining dramatically.
Scientists led by the University of Adelaide have discovered that, unlike every other large population in Australia, Kangaroo Island koalas are free from infection by Chlamydia pecorum. This bacterial infection is the most significant disease causing death in koalas, and a key factor in koalas being under threat in north-eastern Australia.
(You might like to also read: Rescuers are warned not to take koalas off fire-ravaged Kangaroo Island because they are the only ones in the country without chlamydia).
We hope that the reasons for our decision to donate to SAVEM are supported by those wonderful readers who donated to our appeal.
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Fabulous choice, well done š
How much less money to help with we are dragged into another one of the US’s stupid wars.
Socrates, are you saying that people shouldnāt have donated?
Yes what are you saying.
Typo. IF we are dragged in.
Well, do YOU think Morrison will have the guts to say no to Trump?
Prof. Quiggin has suggested that at an earlier stage that, all up, cost of the bush fires is roughly $100 billion and still counting.
What a silly idea, I was rubbishing folk for donating..the only thing that shits me is that individuals have to pay monies in the government should have had instead of wasting what they have over time.
They were hoarding in case Trump went to war?
If they can’t afford to fight the fires properly and even reject Trumps probably strings attached offer of thirty water bombers, then
surely we wont have to money to fight more bizarre slaughters in the Middle East for the USA?
Haven’t you guys been following the events in Iraq and Iran the last day or so?
I support your choice of charity. Have a mate living on KI, fortunately, so far at least, well away from the fires but emotionally affected by the deaths, damage and loss.
Socrates, an irrelevant post on this particular thread. I would suggest every person who follows AIMN would be more than aware of the events in the ME, and would venture to point that the vast majority of them would not want to see Australia involved in any way with Trumpās idiocies, but this particular post isnāt the place to make your point.
Your post is as irrelevant to me as mine is to you, but I have the clearer point. If people in their generosity are being patsied to pay for what the government should have been prepared for, then my point remains.
That is, particularly if the government is short of money. plans equipment etc, but lies as to why not enough can be done to cope with a huge disaster.
Socrates, if you donāt like this post and the thought that people opened their wallets for a worthy cause, then do us all a favour – yourself included – and ignore it.
I see that youāve commented on Dr Binoyās article about the Middle East. That is good. It is also the best place to talk about it.
Thanking you in advance.
So you diametrically misrepresent what I have written also. Please re read my posts and I will accept you apology.
I would laugh if this was not so unreasoning.
I stand by my previous comment that generous people are being made fools of by the Morrison government and its ilk, does THAT clarify!
You are all despicable to deliberately misrepresent what I have said.
If you think Iām going to apologise to you then youāre crazy.
And Iām not going to apologise for saying youāre a miserable prick.
Socrates. There’s others who think like you. Try Ross Gittins as an example.
Yes, there’s a few philosophical principles (as well as political issues) in play. Remind me again what government surpluses are for. Thought they were there for for national emergencies. Are people suggesting that this climate disaster is not a national emergency? And therefore not eligible for massive government aid? And if that’s the case – then what does a national emergency look like? Perhaps a new war in the Middle East? More submarines?
I for one don’t think you’re a miserable prick. But I’ll say no more. For those who might want to think a little deeper – here’s a link.
MN, Iām still happy we donated. Thatās what this thread is about.
MT, threads may start with a particular issue and then evolve in various directions – or at least that’s been my experience. Or is there a new policy in force?
Re to donate or not is a hot-button political issue (which this site is/was all about?) as even a cursory reading of Gittins will attest. But if you choose to remove my posts (as you did with the Top 5 thread) then that’s your right and so be it.
As for donating or not – there’s no definitive principle in play as best as I can figure.
MT you did the correct thing. Perhaps you might forgive the readers for taking the opportunity to express their dissatisfaction with the present political circumstances that Australian voters put themselves in.
At 23:46 hours, have a cuppa cocoa, a shot of brandy and a good lie down because tomorrow we get another chance at creating change for the better.
Last night I heard part of an ABC news bulletin (?) that reported Smirkie requesting financial assistance. This raises three points;
(1) as usual Smirkie is running late with numerous non-government donation collectors already involved, one raising over $44 MILLION and counting, while celebrities from diverse fields have made very generous donations including Sir Elton John’s generous $1 MILLION from his Sydney concert;
(2) does all these public donations remove liability from the Morriscum Lazy Nasty People misgovernment for their failure of duty of care, alternatively negligence, in ignoring the warnings about this bush fire season and the ill-prepared, under-equipped RFS/CFA fire services;
(3) now that the myth of a “budget surplus” has been conveniently tossed aside by our failed professional tennis player, the re-building of destroyed communities may in fact create an economic boom in the building industry once survivors have mourned their losses and returned to something like a “normal” life routine. Isn’t that a miracle?????
@Socrates: The proposed $100 BILLION cost of the bush fires that Smirkie Morriscum discovered on return form his Hawaiian family holiday is just the lever required by international banks to increase their power over future Australian governments especially when considering the exploitation of Australian natural resources for the benefit of foreign shareholders in multinational corporations.
Good to see at least some here have retained a balanced approach.
Hard to fathom the malice from a couple of others. Some seem to understand quite easily the point I made, so I wonder at what’s wrong with others.
N E C re. overseas borrowing.
There is no need to ‘borrow’ from overseas sources – the correct process would be to stem the leakage of Australian capital and profit to overseas tax havens etc.
Our Superannuation funds have more than adequate reserves, too.
Communicating on the internet is difficult at times. Misunderstandings can arise without the benefit of hearing the tone of voice, reading the body language and facial expressions, and not being able to respond in real time.
It is wonderful that so many people around the world want to help and there is a real need for help with wildlife so I am happy with the AIMN choice of recipient.
Our government are the ones being dragged kicking and screaming to take action so I think the discussion about their recalcitrance and shifting of responsibility is relevant…..but perhaps a on a different thread? I will put my thinking cap on about an article…”
PS The devastation of Kangaroo Island is an intensely personal tragedy for Michael. We should remember that. And someone should brief Scott Morrison before he visits…or better still….keep him away.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/scott-morrisons-embarrassing-gaffe-while-visiting-devastated-bushfire-victims-203500211.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAB_a7j1AHiD4qqndrwHY7gaEmopyMz8ZdKDN6bbyF8pAqRRSGn9nAlIhTPRvNi4ySz5yT9FYCdlEgiYmmWriMmH2RfyUz_HAu-tnq7p7JGK3gP5w7EFl715lFwmwE9ZhTx-onl9XVKHpRxWJszDNgRLHKX3aElSK6boOWJZF_D32
Socrates, you are quite correct n that private aid for what are essentially government services should not be necessary.
Unfortunately we have elected governments who are beholden to interests other than those of the general public and by permitting them to withdraw Australian financial reserves from our shores have made for a shortfall in the funds available.
The spending of vast amounts of our resources on foreign produced military equipment is but one example; rigged taxation laws another.
In the meantime, it is the combined efforts of donors, volunteers and fund raisers who keep the fabric of our community together.
But that it were not so.
Michael and Carol, your effort in raising money is fully appreciated – at least by me š
I just wish that the general public were able to see where they are being dudded by the control that vested financial, commercial and religious interests.
As they say: “They have us by the short and curlies.”
You are correct of course, Kaye, which is why people need to improve their writing skills and re-read their outpourings before clicking on the “Post Comment” ‘button’.
As you say, written language can be disasterously ambiguous and we must take great care to eliminate, as much as we are able, any probablity that we might be misunderstood.
For my own part, even though I am far from perfect, I do read, edit and re-read my own efforts more often than not finding it necessary to reword whole sections of text to make sense even to myself.
It is slow, but critical in my view.
To top it off, I have just noted several errors in my previous post!
Bah!!
Thank you, Kaye. Yes, Iām hurting more than I can say. Itās too much. Then I come here and have to deal with the effing bullshit from Socrates and Matters Not. I just exploded. Iām out of here for a while.
@DrakeN: Now, now Drake N, you cannot remove financial business from the multinational banks established in the USA (United States of Apartheid) otherwise their whole economy would be shown to be a balancing act fraud. PRC (Communist China) has a big say in US economy policy due to holding a reported $3 TRILLION (??) in US paper. Something ironic in that, I think.
Kaye Lee, I am sorry KI has personally affected Michael Taylor, who I’ve found generally to be a pretty easy going bloke over the years.
I am still surprised that folk would take my comment as somehow disrespectful of donors- quite the opposite,
It depresses me also what has happened because when I was mourning someone infinitely close back in the mid nineties, I twice got brought down for short holidays with good friends, at American River, so I know it is a sweet place with a small but close knit community.
I’ve allowed my cynicism of the government and what seems to be a certain mentality to colour my views. Perhaps there is a change of heart and attitude, but it will take some convincing for this fella to finally believe that.
We will see, no doubt my hands will be reaching for my wallet again and no doubt paypal or whoever is involved will as usual make making a donation difficult, but that is a personal issue I guess..
Hope you all have a good day.
I apologise to you, Socrates. We moderators can get a bit testy at times. Luckily you got me in a good mood. š
I know not a more lovable group of people at blogsites than mods.
Roswell, you seem a fair sort of person most of the time.
Paul, Iām 99% good guy and 1% asshole.
When Iām not moderating Iām 100% good guy.
Yes. I thought so..
We are all assholes at times.
There was an urban myth that John Eales nickname was ‘nobody’ – the explanation being that he kicked a crucial goal from the sideline to win an important rugby game, and ‘nobody’s perfect’. š
Thereās a newish book out about a female spy in France during WW2 whose efforts turned the war. She was the perfect spy. The book is called āThe Woman Who Was A Nobodyā or something close to that. Fabulous title!
Pyrocumulous (fire clouds) now over Kangaroo Island and the western half of the island is being evacuated. Those poor animals left behind are going to perish.
Even Iām crying now.
Roswell, Its a shock to people. Seems the end of an era, a Dreamtime, where things seemed both sunnier and greener and cooler, and the future held much promise.
But complacency has finally caught with the denizens of the Lucky Country, reality has intruded rather nastily this time.
Those clouds are evil.
But the worst thing is that KI is the country in micro, the enveloping disaster clearing its throat for the big performance tomorrow in the East.
People now really have started to become aware that this year is not a joke, but a critical time. You can see how people are starting to think and feel when Twiggy Fortescue can muster $ 70 million as a donation for starting to deal the current and coming harms.
afterthought: NEC and the the vast figure quaoted as to damage…we take a hit for that to and maybe it srves us all right.
Disapointing to see the ABc doing royalty isntead of Djakarta ronight,
Socrates, youāre not a bad bloke after all.
During this crisis – and beyond – we are all friends.
Sorry for typos tried to rush last sentence after rereading NEC.
Thanks, Roswell. Dont mind you and the rest either.
But remember, for my part,
“all I know is I know nothing”.
Geez, another mistake. Twiggy Forrest, not Fortescue, whatever they call the mine.
@Socrates: You mean the two of us read that post?? Wow !! That must be a record readership event!!
NEC, you mean Quiggin? Yes. I like the Big Fella.
From another trajectory, this, from News com.au
https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/mining/gina-rinehart-hits-back-at-celeste-barbers-criticism-over-bushfires/news-story/c2307ec1126e4af5e04741f75df02beb
I wonder, can we judge Rinehart without knowing how much she chipped in? I was a bit suss of the alleged comment from her as to not wishing to be identified with issue of climate change, however. What did she mean?