Woman of Iron

Again Israel is in the news as the media join the terrorists that surround that tiny sliver of democracy at the East end of the Mediterranean in pouring petrol on the fires. Like it or not Israel has war brought to its borders and not just by evil middle eastern types but by the massed liars of the western press. One has to thank those who populate the internet for giving a more balanced picture of events.  But balance is not what Israel ever seems to get. 

It gets War instead. And it is hardly a surprise that it has War Leaders arise.

In 1973 it had shootin' War and the Leader was a woman of iron. It wasn't a long war, and it won, but the cost was high and the weight fell on Grand-maternal shoulders. As my Lady of the Tavern was telling today. She was sitting out on the patio in the sunshine reading about Golda Meir.  (The Southern Gal sitting out, not Mrs Meir ). I joined her, taking her a Mint Julep. 

The Israeli Iron Lady

She Looks Fine Enough to Me.

“Not being beautiful was the true blessing. Not being beautiful forced me to develop my inner resources. The pretty girl has a handicap to overcome.” ― Golda Meir

It is said that a strong matriarchal figure can be the glue that holds the family together. 

Golda Meir represents the strong Jewish grandmother holding her nation together through her wisdom and strength. 

Love her or hate her, she was living under an extreme time that often required extreme measures.

In comparison to other cultures (i.e. their pagan counterparts), Jewish women often enjoyed great liberty and esteem. Many women in the Old Testament distinguished themselves as prophetesses and leaders in Jewish society. Women such as Deborah, Esther, Hannah, Huldah, Jochebed, Miriam, Noadiah, Rachel, Rebekah, Rahab, Ruth and Sarah played important and decisive roles in Israel's history.  

These women were not weak.  

Anyone who grew up as a child hearing these stories can see the strong impact that these women made in their time. 

As evidence of the equality of men and women in the Jewish faith, the Ten Commandments require children to honour both their father and mother.  The degradation of women was, and is, often a perversion of the scriptures, which was never a part of the Creator’s intent for women.   Women were often used outside of the role of wife and mother to carry out a greater purpose throughout biblical history.  

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. (Exodus 20:12, NAS)

It is said that a strong matriarchal figure can be the glue that holds the family together.   Golda Meir represents the strong Jewish grandmother holding her nation together through her wisdom and strength. Love her or hate her, she was living under an extreme time that often required extreme measures.

 Meir was atypical for her time.  For one simple reason: she was a woman. 

Israel was her child….to nurture, to grow, to protect and even risk her life for. Much like a mother does her young.

 Every once in a while, you run across particular women in history who stand out for the good of humanity.  Women who take risks and do the right thing no matter what it costs.  Women who abandoned a life of comfort for the good of their people.  Women who are ordained by God for something bigger than themselves.  These women are willing to pay the costs.  

Golda Meir paid the cost, at times both personally and professionally.  

“It isn't really important to decide when you are very young just exactly what you want to become when you grow up. It is much more important to decide on the way you want to live. If you are going to be honest with yourself and honest with your friends, if you are going to get involved in causes which are good for others, not only for yourselves, then it seems to me that that is sufficient, and maybe what you will be is only a matter of chance.” 

― Golda Meir  

Golda Meir, was born Golda Mabovitch on May 3, 1898, in  Kiev, Ukraine.  Due to severe anti-Semitism in the former Soviet bloc country, her family immigrated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1906.  It was here she attended the Milwaukee Normal School (now University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) and later became a leader in the Milwaukee Labor Zionist Party.  

Meir once revealed she didn’t have many fond memories of her childhood in Ukraine.  Being a Jew in Ukraine meant always being on guard against pogroms. Supporting a family during that time and place became nearly impossible.   The family was living in a ghetto in virtual poverty.  The anti-Semitism Golda witnessed early in her life would remain with her and greatly influence the course of her life.  Golda’s father, like so many of his countrymen, longed for a better life for his family and journeyed to the United States to earn money.  

Not long after immigrating to the United States, Meir showed interest in public service.  Golda was known for her strong will and stubbornness.  She grew to love the idea of the Jewish people having their own homeland and become a staunch Zionist.      

When Golda married Morris Myerson in 1917, settling in Palestine was her precondition for the marriage.   In 1921, she and Myerson and immigrated to Palestine and joined the Merẖavya kibbutz.  In the kibbutz her duties included planting trees, picking almonds and running the kitchen. She was a capable woman who managed all her responsibilities well. She became the kibbutz’s representative to the Histadrut (General Federation of Labour), the secretary of that organization’s Women’s Labour Council and many other. 

On May 14, 1948, Goldie Myerson was a signatory of Israel’s independence declaration and that year she was appointed minister to Moscow. She was elected to the Knesset (Israeli parliament) in 1949 and served in that body until 1974. 

As minister of labour (1949–56), she carried out major programs of housing and road construction and vigorously supported the policy of unrestricted Jewish immigration to Israel. Appointed foreign minister in 1956, she Hebraized her name to Golda Meir. She promoted the Israeli policy of assistance to the new African states aimed at enhancing diplomatic support among uncommitted nations. 

Two Iron Ladies

Shortly after retiring from the Foreign Ministry in January 1966, she became secretary-general of the Mapai Party and supported Prime Minister Levi Eshkol in intraparty conflicts. After Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War (June 1967) against Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, she helped merge Mapai with two dissident parties into the Israel Labour Party.  

A formidable personality, she was called the ‘Iron Lady’ of Israeli politics; she was also called ‘the best man in the government’ by former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion.

“We Jews have a secret weapon in our war with the Arabs; we have nowhere else to go…. we have to fight.”

-Golda Meir

 February 26, 1969, Meir, became prime minister.  Meir pressed for a peace settlement in the Middle East by diplomatic means.

“A story once went the rounds of Israel to the effect that Ben-Gurion described me as 'the only man' in his cabinet. What amused me about is that he (or whoever invented the story) thought that this was the greatest compliment that could be paid to a woman. I very much doubt that any man would have been flattered if I had said about him that he was the only woman in the government!” 

― Golda Meir

Her efforts at forging a peace with the Arab states were halted by the outbreak of the fourth Arab-Israeli war, called the Yom Kippur War in October 1973

Israel’s lack of readiness for the war shocked the nation.  

Meir formed a new coalition government, albeit with great difficulty, in March 1974 and resigned her post as prime minister on April 10. 

Just to fill in a little for the younger folk in the bars.....  the war began when the Arab coalition launched a joint surprise attack on Israeli positions in the Israeli-occupied territories on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism, which also occurred that year during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Egyptian and Syrian forces crossed ceasefire lines to enter the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights respectively. Both the United States and the Soviet Union initiated massive resupply efforts to their respective allies during the war, and this led to a near-confrontation between the two nuclear superpowers.

The war began with a massive and successful Egyptian crossing of the Suez Canal. Egyptian forces crossed the cease-fire lines, then advanced virtually unopposed into the Sinai Peninsula. 

After three days, Israel had mobilized most of its forces and halted the Egyptian offensive, resulting in a military stalemate. The Syrians coordinated their attack on the Golan Heights to coincide with the Egyptian offensive and initially made threatening gains into Israeli-held territory. Within three days, however, Israeli forces had pushed the Syrians back to the pre-war ceasefire lines. 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) then launched a four-day counter-offensive deep into Syria. Within a week, Israeli artillery began to shell the outskirts of Damascus, and Egyptian President Sadat began to worry about the integrity of his major ally. He believed that capturing two strategic passes located deeper in the Sinai would make his position stronger during post-war negotiations; he therefore ordered the Egyptians to go back on the offensive, but their attack was quickly repulsed. 

The Israelis then counter-attacked at the seam between the two Egyptian armies, crossed the Suez Canal into Egypt, and began slowly advancing southward and westward towards the city of Suez in over a week of heavy fighting that resulted in heavy casualties on both sides.

On October 22, a United Nations–brokered ceasefire unraveled, with each side blaming the other for the breach. By October 24, the Israelis had improved their positions considerably and completed their encirclement of Egypt's Third Army and the city of Suez. This development led to tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, and a second ceasefire was imposed cooperatively on October 25 to end the war.

Here endeth the history lesson. 

Like Mrs Thatcher (who very likely gained iron in her britches watching from the sidelines, and who also successfully faced  surprise attack, although as far from home as one can imagine, and also had a stunning victory) Golda Meir was politically punished.

The Meir government was heavily criticized for failing to predict the imminent war and for being ill-prepared. Even though Israel won with American assistance and against overwhelming odds, Meir had lost the trust of the people.  The casualties for the Israelis were high.  Her party won the December 1973 elections, but she decided not to continue as the Prime Minister.

She remained in power as head of a caretaker government until a new one was formed in June. Although in retirement thereafter, she remained an important political figure. 

Upon her death it was revealed that she had been privately battling lymphatic cancer for 15 years. 

On December 8, 1978, she died at the age of 80.  

Golda had many accomplishments during her political life including being one of the 24 signatories who signed the Israeli Declaration of Independence which established a separate State of Israel.  She is also remembered as a person of strong character, known for her honest and straightforward ways.  Her extraordinary life was not without pain or controversy.  Many said her children and her own family were often neglected due to her political commitments.  

Despite Meir’s strong presence, she was no fan of the women’s movement.  She felt women held power on their own merit and wanted to be known for what she could accomplish first and foremost for her people.  

Meir was passionate about everything she became involved in.  She had an iron will to defend her people at all costs.  Some would call her policies extreme. Her nickname was the ‘Iron Lady’ of Israeli politics.  She has remained a controversial figure for some and was considered a savior of Israel for others.  

“I can honestly say that I was never affected by the question of the success of an undertaking. If I felt it was the right thing to do, I was for it regardless of the possible outcome.” 

― Golda Meir

Golda remained an important political presence and to this day retains a place in the heart of the people of Israel as the kindly grandmother who rose to greatness in her country’s hour of need. Golda Meir died in Jerusalem on December 8th 1978.  

What history says about her for good or bad…remains to be seen.  

And it will say much, and much will be mixed. There will be much more said about many more Israeli leaders, too, as their story continues.

A more abused people it would be hard to find, unless one looks to their enemies. 

The Muslim nations are very good at abusing themselves in their blood hatreds. 

Time will tell if the Israelis will prosper where they sit, or whether they will be driven into/onto the blue, warm waters of the Med.

Oz has huge expanses of desert, ripe for enterprising Israelis to turn into fruitful gardens, as those courageous and hard working people have done to that tiny, rocky land. They would make far better neighbours.

I sat and pondered with TSG this picture of Golda. Not a handsome old lady, but a warrior's heart.

Drink to Heroic people.

Pray for all the souls.

Pax

Prince Harry got Married

It was bound to be spoken of. The media has been soaked in it.  Prince Harry married his American lady yesterday while I was otherwise engaged on other matters in Church too. I will not say much, as many others have had their twopenneth worth inside and outside the hedge. Much of it was nasty, ungracious, unprintable and unrepeatable.

Good luck and happiness to them. Despite disparaging remarks about both - him being a bastard and she being a  foreign half-cast - I care not and neither does my Supplier. The Royal Family can get bad press from simply smiling at people some say should not be smiled at. Being conceived on the wrong side of the sheets is rather par for the course amongst the nobility everywhere, even where there is no nobility to speak off, just elected aristocrats. And being foreign is pretty normal in British Royalty. The lady - Meaghan ?- may bring some colourful events even more colour.

One lad said what I can echo. Chris Longden:

Harry Volunteered for 2 tours of Afghanistan. 

He set up Invictus games helping wounded service personal. 

He has Numerous unpaid charity volunteer appointments all over the world. 

The Royal Family brings in 400 million a year in private revenue that under the “ sovereign act 2011” the government keeps £360 million of.

The Royal Family brings in £1.8 billion per year in tourism. 

The Country is better off by £2.1 billion a year. 

Remind me how the wedding is waste of tax payers money ?

The wedding is paid for by the Royal heritage and private funding not the tax payer and that includes her dress! 

The tax payer will pay for the public security not private security. The same way the tax payer pays for public security at football matches etc.

Dont be a zombie and believe everything you see and read on the Internet, do a little research before sharing propaganda. Like it or not, the Royal family is a British tradition and icon. 

Let’s not forget that most the tw*ts complain about spending tax payers money are the ones who sit and sign for that money every Wednesday or daft liberals who haven't got a clue about reality.

 Not my words, nor Chris's own it seems, but well said!!

I pulled him a fine pint.

Now let us drink to the health and happiness of two people that we do not know personally, who have never lifted a finger against us.

God Bless.

Pax

PS.... Pity about that mad black 'bishop' fellow spouting his New Age nonsense infront of the Head of the Church of England. Went down like a lead balloon.

The Invisible Wounds

I have not seen the US Bar so crowded as it was last night.  There were Spirits of the dead there amongst the living, drinking customers. We had a great bear of a man, a SEAL, a Special Ops man sitting at a table with a tiny (5'5") Major General, talking through the latter's long career and his Defining Moment in the heat of battle. It was one that I recognised, having experienced almost exactly the same m'self a long time ago. It had propelled his later life 'calling'. His focus today is on the dreadful and little known statistic of suicide amongst military Veterans.

“There are 22 suicides of veterans every day,” 

Gen.Mukoyama said. 

“We lose more veterans to suicide in one year than all the deaths from combat since 9/11.”

It is not just an American problem. It seems to be one of our period in history, affecting many in Western nations which send men off to war. 

Australian veteran suicide, too, is troubleing. It is a stain on the 'laid-back Australian character. Tough men, trained and hardened should be able to weather the demands battle puts upon them. But it seems many cannot. 

The hardening is largely of the body: the toughening of the emotions, too. But the spirit is neglected. Men have souls and our training disregards men's souls. They return from war to hospitals where their fleshy wounds, sometimes of a dreadful nature, can be dealt with; but their souls are wounded too. And there is no-one to nurse that.

The main point in the bar was about the invisible wounds soldiers get. 

"Moral Injury stems from the participation in acts of combat that conflict with a soldier's deeply held principles. This unseen impairment leads to a sense of guilt, shame, and grief which can manifest itself as self-harm or suicide if not addressed. 

Vets rarely suicide because their body hurts. Many are incredibly stoic about that. 

They suicide when in despair.

Despair is deep in the pit of the psyche. It is at rock bottom. 

Huey Lewis expressed it well. Probably better than any other popular singer.

Suicide rate among (Australian) defence veterans far higher than for those currently serving

National Mental Health Commission says reason for phenomenon requires further investigation.

 https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/mar/30/suicide-rate-among-defence-veterans-far-higher-that-for-those-currently-serving

The rate of suicide among current serving Australian defence force membersis much lower than the general population, but higher for those who have left the force, particularly if under 30 years of age. 

It says the ADF must improve the preparation it gives personnel for life beyond the ADF, and then provide support services from the moment of discharge for the duration of post-service life.

The final report of the Commission’s review of the suicide and self-harm prevention services available to serving and ex-serving ADF members and their families was released on Thursday.

It relied on interviews with more than 3,200 serving and ex-serving ADF members, family members, and experts. It found current and former ADF personnel could access a range of suicide services, and a survey conducted for the review found 80% of current ADF members described their experience of those services as fair, good, very good or excellent.

But it heard a range of poor experiences of services, and feelings of cynicism, distrust, frustration, abandonment and loss, with many ADF members unaware that services existed, and barriers preventing some from accessing services.

When adjusting for age, when compared with all Australian men, it says the suicide rate is 53% lower for men serving in the ADF full time – a statistically significant difference. But the suicide rate is 13% higher for men who have left the force.

So just what did James Mukoyama have to say to Jocko Wilink that captured all the attention?  It was a very long evening and those of you who want to hear how a chap builds his way in the Warrior career path, gets disappointed, frustrated, learns a huge amount about himself and men, then please do listen all the way from start to finish. I did. I had to delegate Ale pouring to a handy consciencious objector.

Let me introduce the tiny Warrior.  His active career was short. His Reserve career was long, but oh, so busy. Major General James H. Mukoyama, Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois, on August 3, 1944.  He retired from the Army in May 1995, after over thirty years of total active and reserve component service, and two combat tours. 

He was commissioned as a Regular Army Infantry Second Lieutenant in 1965 upon graduation from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature.  He received his Master’s degree in the Teaching of Social Studies also from the University of Illinois in 1966.

During his five years on active duty, General Mukoyama served as a platoon leader in the demilitarized zone in the Republic of Korea and as an infantry company commander in the 9th Division in Vietnam.  He was the youngest General Officer in the entire United States Army in 1987 and subsequently the youngest Major General three years later. 

In 1989, he became the first Asian-American in the history of the United States to command an Army division.  Among General Mukoyama’s decorations and badges are the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, 3 Bronze Stars, Purple Heart, Parachutist Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, and Combat Infantryman’s Badge.

There was so much about the deep and detailed conversation that I recognised, from all the 'dream sheet' requests ignored, to the frustrations of working with the many Officers who were 'Duds' instead of 'Studs', to meeting and having first-class mentors, and of course to seeing 'Action' on the battlefield. He speaks too, of the inter-service rivalries; the political issues that are precursors of today's international issues: the 'race-relationship' issues affecting American (and other western nations): the struggle to gain understanding of just who one is.

But I shall point you to the 'Defining Moment, as it is relevant. 

You will have to go to around 1 hour and 9 minutes into the video. Follow for a good ten minutes to understand. Hold off your judgement.

Since his retirement from active federal service in 1995, General Mukoyama has volunteered and participated in numerous organizations, both governmental and non-profit charitable, benefiting our military, veterans, and the community.

In addition to his full-time civilian position as Executive Vice-President and Chief Compliance Officer of a national stock brokerage firm, General Mukoyama spent seven years as the Vice-Chairman of the National Memorial to Patriotism dedicated in Washington, DC in 2001.  He is a life member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Military Order of the Purple Heart, and Disabled Veterans of America.

In January 2013, General Mukoyama answered a calling to devote his life to the ministry of Military Outreach USA, a faith-based 501(c)(3) organization serving our military --- Active, Guard, Reserve, Veterans --- and their families, to cope with the visible and invisible wounds associated with military service to our great nation.  

In order to serve as the President and Executive Director, Mukoyama’s 38-year career in the financial services industry, where he had been a member of the New York Stock Exchange and the Chicago Board Options Exchange, ended.


He lives in Glenview, Illinois, with K.J., his wife of over forty-six years.  They attend Willow Creek Community Church where he has led a men’s small group for over a decade, co-directs a monthly men’s breakfast, and founded a military ministry program.

He has written extensively on the Moral Injury.  A summary of the Program would say: To define the little known invisible wound of war called Moral Injury; its history and insidious relation to Veteran suicide; that hope and healing is available; and how the community must get involved.

You can access information on Military Outreach USA:

www.militaryoutreachusa.org

It is a faith-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which is a national service organization dedicated to providing resources and support to caring Partners who envision a nation where no one in the Military Community lacks the mental, spiritual, physical or material support needed to live a full and productive life. 

As a faith-based organization strategically based in Northbrook, Illinois, Military Outreach USA develops resources, tools and programs to be used to serve the Military Community. These programs and resources are then shared at no cost with our partners.

They say that you cannot keep a good man down, and certainly this soldier is not going to simply fade away.

Now, I must be off to pour more Ale. It can cure ails.

And just as The General, as a young Knight, found the few moments in the heat of battle to say a prayer over the three men killed at his feet, so please, you pray too.

Men go to war, generally not having a personal dog in the fight. We are well aware in the west that much of the fighting we do is to defend our nations or those of our friends. Occasionally we embark on punative wars. But the men involved on both sides are MEN. All the same. We all bleed, We all fart. We all would prefer to be at home. But our soldiers' job is to kill the enemy, or else be killed by the enemy. 

Modern armies - particularly the US forces, and to only a smaller extent those of Oz and GB and Canada and NZ - have training regimes that emphasise 'hating' the enemy. Troops 'demonise' the enemy. This is not a good thing to do and training regimes MUST change. 

I was a warrior, paid to kill the enemy, not to hate him. So was young Lt Mukoyama. His sudden insight took him by surprise.  I was fortunate to have a Sergeant who knew what was needed. Men must be trained not to be suprised by this obvious insight.  They must expect it. 

Since the General's day, the moral codes have loosened.  Disastrously.  But deep down it is in our genes. We are Human being made by God. Young men go into the military, many without a firm moral foundation. The military ethos must start from square one with many of them and include defences of the spirit as well as how to clean a weapon. 

They must be taught basic respect for human life, even when they are obliged to take it. They must love their enemies.

Pray for our young men. And those young women who step up.

Best to pray before battle. For oneself and one's enemy.

Pax.

The Wild Weather

Being atop a mountain is a fine position for a Tavern. When the rains come the water flows  away downhill and all we need to concern ourselves with are the windows, doors and roofs staying intact. This was made urgent the other night when the wind hit 140kmph. And the rain was going sideways in sheets.  

150mm of rain in just a few hours, beating out the average 43 for the whole month of May. The place remained intact though and as reported before we were left only with fewer customers, supplemented by rescue workers, electricity linesmen, and woodcutters.

Muddy aftermath

But those lower down the mountain - and that is my small mountain, not the big one, Mount Wellington - did not fare well.  The area that my small cave lodgings sits in took a hit from the waters flooding down the hillside. I and my stuff were safe enough though.  Others were not so fortunate.

A Neighbour's roof went with the wind.

The city fared far worse, what with the rivers coming off the big mountain. It was real wellington weather. Wellington boots.

It is not as though it was a Queensland Cyclone or anything. Nor a dam burst. But for Hobart it was bad and the bill will be horrendous. A state of emergency was declared and hopefully there will be assistance for all those driven from soggy homes and shops, which now have mud floors. 

Not a lot I can say, but I can show some snaps.

The university down the road from me took a big hit and students lost much work inside ruined computers.  Underground offices may not be a great idea.

There. 

I think you get the picture.

We are not in the " mine's bigger than your's " game on this small island. There have been worse and far worse elswhere and we can be thankful that such wild weather events are rare here. 

Drink to the better fortune of the folk who were so badly affected.  May they be back on their feet soon. We can expect the Insurers to drag their heels here as in every other spot in the world.

Pax

BC: Blair Before Chaos

Addendum at the end.
Come the revolution, leaders will appear. The situation in western countries regarding the infiltration of cultural marxism, feminism, islamism and every other ism one might see is taxing the patience of many fine people who would prefer to be left alone to pursue their own national development with their long standing Christian-based values.  There is a cold war going on for the soul of the West. And the 'front line' extends right across the Anglophile nations. A hot war is very likely to break out somewhere as has been mooted in the Tavern before *. (see footnote)

My attention was directed to a chap quietly sipping his pint today. "Blair is at a table in the Oz Room", someone said. 

No, not Tony Blair, the ex PM of Great Britain, but Blair Cottrell, our own, Oz-home-grown firebrand. I wandered across to say hello and to see what he had to say as folk gathered around.

He is a young man rapidly approaching political maturity and yet to attain wisdom. I hope it will amass soon.  He describes himself as a 'working class' man, and I do not doubt it. He works. He is a man. He is blunt. He has 'Presence'.

That being said he presents well and has tremendous courage in taking on 'official forces'. 

He is described, by all sides in the matter, as a 'Patriot'. To one side, the traditional Ozzy man and woman, this is a badge of Honour: to his 'class' enemies, the PC crowd, the media, the politicians, it is a demeaning epithet.

He is a well built and handsome young fellow. 600 years ago he would be at the head of an army on the field.

His 'army' of followers, which grows by the day, at present includes some roughish sorts of chap. And some outspoken and fiesty ladies too. A man is known by the company he keeps and some care is needed in leading and herding the less disciplined troops. Hopefully he will be able to control whatever anger is unleashed by his firey words. 

He is a 'Victorian: that is, he lives in Victoria in the south-eastern corner of Oz, where the major city is Melbourne. It is a beautiful place which has consistently won the title of 'The Most Livable City in the World', year after year. But it's complexion is changing. Peacefully going about one's lawful occasions is interrupted weekly by quite nasty behaviours from a small and recent section of the population. 

Once is was just the criminal underworld that caused havoc, confined generally amongst themselves, but now it is violent, hatred-filled attacks on ordinary folk, mainly by Somali Africans and by Muslim lunatics. 

But enough of that. For the benefit of the Oz-news-starved peoples in far off lands I shall let them hear and see about Blair for themselves.

Here in the corner, Dan Lyman interviewed Blair, the now prominent nationalist-populist figurehead, who currently heads the Lads Society. He has often been compared to the UK’s Tommy Robinson due to his activism against Islamization, and was the first person convicted under de facto ‘religious’ blasphemy laws in Australia after leading protests against a massive new mosque and Islamic sub-community in Bendigo.

Bendigo, I should point out a small city several mega-leagues from Melbourne.  Not a suburb. It is  an old gold mining town, rich in history and wealth, with many a fine building. It suprises me not that corrupt local politicians would have their snouts in troughs. The outer regions of Victoria have seen similar nasty tactics aimed at Pro-Life people.

Laid back he may be at the table, but out 'on the field' he can raise a crowd. Often to fury.  He does need to take lessons from less notorious historical figures.

His initial run-ins with the police and with his nemisis, Facebook, he explains here.

In his own words he told us about his confrontation with the socialist-communist State Government in Victoria. 

In Australia on the 28th of November ( a few years back) after comments made by the Victorian Premier, referring to Australian people opposing Islamic immigration as ...

'illiterate, mask-wearing bigots', 

....we conducted a social experiment in Melbourne in the hope of exposing the Premier and the mass-media to a glimpse of reality. 

I announced through our Facebook page 3 days in advance that we would make a public objection to the state Premier and the sort of biased government corruption he represented. 

I made sure all the wrong people knew where we were going to be. 

Realistically, it was my intention to bring the 'progressive communists' out onto the streets, who cover their faces, stalk and assault people they deem to be 'fascist'. 

The left just fall into this bizzo of projecting their own hate-filled epithets and accusations onto others. They cannot seem to help themselves.

These people have in truth been responsible for all the disharmony at our public demonstrations hitherto, yet the mass-media rewards them with silence and politicians seem to casually omit them from any remark or statement they choose to make regarding our activities, indicating a strange collusion between the 'neo-communist' street groups the current state authority and organs of great influence. 

Quite often we are actually blamed for the lawlessness of these street-communists and many more times than once the mass-media has actually failed to make any distinction between us and them when it broadcasts imagery of their rowdy unscrupulousness, effectively painting our supporters or members as the instigators of violence. 

The incredibly simplistic perception of the world: that everyone is indeed either fascist or anti-fascist; racist or anti-racist has attracted a fraction of the younger, dissatisfied and frustrated minds. In the simplicity of this view of the world lies its charm. 

The propaganda used to stir up and mobilize the adherents to this view is effective, mostly due to it being paid for and produced by state university student-unions, mainstream media journalists and public servants; town-based council members, politicians and other union officials etc. 

These journalists / public servants self-describe as 'socialists'. Driven by an unrelenting hatred of the 'fascist-racist' they dedicate a portion of their lives to actively suppressing any form of Nationalism with campaigns of fear, social and financial asphyxiation and violence where necessary. 

Despite all this, the state Premier chose to condemn us for what the street-communists are actually doing, and so in response we lured these so-called 'anti-fascists' out onto the streets to make an example of them - and wouldn't you know it they arrived in a fury, clearly exposing themselves as the 'mask-wearing, illiterate bigots'. 

We are yet to hear any apology from the state Premier, no retraction of his latest remarks, no condemnation of this street thuggery. The media reported on this event rather poorly, some journalists tried to remain objective but once again nothing was said against the 'progressive communists' and no questions regarding their origin or their actual purpose were raised.

Patience wears thin when it is constantly rubbed in faces. Noses get out of joint too.

As I said, the situation cannot continue as it has to date. It may yet get worse, but at some point the ordinary people may well swell Blair's ranks. 

Then he will need the experience which he is slowly gaining, and more. Because Hell will be come to Breakfast.

I kept the Ale going to his table.

Have a drink with him.

Pax

*http://parzivalshorse.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/the-great-civil-wars-of-2017.html

Addendum: Since this conversation today, some 8 hours ago, some 1300+ people have visited the Tavern to hear what Blair has to say. I have been rushed off my feet and was up and down to the cellars hooking up barrels of Ale.

Blair has the 'Mood of the People': a dangerous insight to hold. He is much like Jaquie Lambie, ex-corporal and part aboriginal who tried to influence in the Senate: and the fish shop lady Pauline Hanson who was comprehensively traduced. They are all 'working class' in Blair's term. They hear the people around them. They are uniformly rejected by those in Power.

More power to their elbows.

Drumming Up Trade

The unquiet night earlier in the week (the stormy weather) was countered by a huge influx of customers yesterday. 1324 of them, which had me rushed off my feet. Someone has been drumming up trade. I do not think it was one of my critics, a lady who stands outside the hedge heckling. She reckons the Tavern customers won't reach double figures anytime soon. But the drums say otherwise.  I don't know whey she bothers.

The world loves a beat, and while I do not even play drums or any instrument for that matter, my chain mail-socks can tap one out when others play.  It has been mentioned to me as I pull pints that the Drummer in the Tavern name hardly gets a look in. So tonight we put that to rights.

Down in the streets the word was put out by a young fellow, Alistair, who can get a beat out of almost anything. I think he may have had something to do with all the tickets for the big bash this evening. 

We have a big line-up, from all over, but more of that in a moment.

Not that the biz is just for young fellows. In Japan a little girl whacks the skins like a professional much to the astonishment of shoppers. And me. I must get her onto the patio next summer.

It did not used to be the case back in my day that girls played drums. They usually stood around looking decorative. These days they are beating their own drum. This youngster reckons her Dad helped a lot.

But wait. Let's look at the line up for tonight. There are very decorative big girls playing with the boys. Or should that be competing. Here are the flowers of the Ukraine, lined up to battle it out.

Of course Battle was one of the earliest uses of drums. They signalled. They kept the timing. They lifted the spirits. But it took quite a bit of training and discipline which still has to be applied. Cadets here do their thing under the watchful eye and ear of their Sergeant before joining the field. Splendid lads too.

And the result? The Swiss Top Secret Drum Corps show us, dressed for combat.

The 'Drum Battle', has a history going right back to,,, oh 1966.  The famous one between the 'Greats': Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, as I was reminded by my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. 

Now, if all works out we shall have the latest 'Great', Phil Collins, to round off our evening.

And I shall leave you dummaniacs with it.

I shall pull and pour pints while you enjoy.

(B)eat your heart out Sarah. You were almost right. My AdSense figures are in two digits. $20 ! 

Pax