"We have it in our power to begin the world over again." -- Thomas Paine, Common Sense. His words in the introduction to his pamphlet " Common Sense" remain as true today as they were in 1776:
"The cause of America is, in a great measure, the cause of all mankind. Many circumstances have, and will arise, which are not local, but universal, and through which the principles of all lovers of mankind are affected, and in the event of which, their affections are interested. The laying a country desolate with fire and sword, declaring war against the natural rights of all mankind, and extirpating the defenders thereof from the face of the earth, is the concern of every man to whom nature hath given the power of feeling; of which class, regardless of party censure is."
Put in plain English Thomas Paine suggested that if our rulers become bad bastards and ignore us, it is our duty to tell them to bugger off.
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Common Sense was first published anonymously by Thomas Paine in January of 1776 and is regarded by many as the most important piece of writing of the American Revolution. Although dissent among the colonists was growing over the British government's newly levied taxes and customs duties and the bloody battle at Concord, there was still talk of reconciliation among the colonists. However, Paine's convincing arguments against the monarchy and British domination spread like wildfire throughout the colonies and turned the public tide toward independence. General George Washington wrote to a friend in Massachusetts: "I find that Common Sense is working a powerful change there in the minds of many men. Few pamphlets have had so dramatic an effect on political events." source
Fast forward nearly 200 years.
Before the start of World War II, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt laid out his vision for what the world should look like in his famous "Four Freedoms" speech, which he delivered in January 1941.
“In the future days that we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded on four essential human freedoms," Roosevelt proclaimed. Those freedoms were: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
In other words, everything that our current governments are taking from us.
We are too frightened to speak out, for fear of being arrested. We are unable to express ourselves unless we have a permit to protest we are not free to worship as we choose ( unless we are from certain " protected" groups ) and our jobs are being taken from us if we do not do as we are told. Pay the mortgage and put food on the table? No problem. Just do as you are told.
The biggie, of course is freedom from fear.
September 2020
Our lives are consumed with and by fear. Fear of covid. Fear of the vaccine. Fear of being visited by police and arrested for being outspoken. Fear of losing employment. Fear of being ostracised and isolated if we do not toe the party line.
As Thomas Paine said, nearly 250 years ago, we have it in our power to start over again. We may have the power, but do we have the courage? Or are we too kow towed in fear to get off our knees and tell the bastards to bugger off?
It is all very well to respect someone else's opinion, but do we now have the right to have our respected?
Getting back to Franklin D Roosevelt, he said that the four essential freedoms were vital to our existence. Nearly a year later, on December 7th, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the American Dream of staying neutral was over.
You can hide, but, in the end, as was proven at Pearl Harbor, you cannot run.
Yes, I know the saying is the other way around, but America was shown that it was impossible to stay " out of it " ... you inevitably have to stand up and fight. Sitting on the fence is not an option. Not, if you want to do as Roosevelt suggested and protect the Four Freedoms.
When people like Keating tell us to stop poking the bear of China, I have to wonder if he needs to have a think about history? It is a fact that putting your head in the sand and hoping a threat goes away DOES NOT WORK.
All that happens is that our enemy becomes stronger and we become weaker.
When I re read some of the amazing articles written here over the years about bravery and courage, strength in adversity and the indomitable spirit that led us to this place in history, I cannot help but say " surely we cannot drop the ball in the final minutes of the game? "
America and Australia have so much in common. Much more than Britain and Australia. We are both Nations with States and Federal Governments, at loggerheads with each other over political standpoints.
The UNITED States of America is almost an anachronism. The COMMONWEALTH of Australia is a long forgotten memory.
When our beloved Queen passes and joins Prince Philip, the Constitutional Monarchy that is Australia will die with HER MAJESTY.
God help us who is in power in Canberra when the new constitution is written.
We could have a nation ruled by moslems, gays and transgender greenie activists and the likes of Sandy Stone, you and me will be consigned to quarantine camps and told that our common sense is not for the common good.
The Satanic Church of Noosa could be the National Religion and the bad bastards will tell us to bugger off and the four freedoms will be the freedoms to hate, the freedom to silence, the freedom to kill and the freedom to frighten.
Unless we see Peter Dutton as Prime Minister and a ground swell of " ENOUGH! " we will be nothing more than frightened slaves who cower down and walk off into the camps beyond the barbed wire fence and wonder how the hell we got there. And we need to get rid of that beetroot who does not belong in an Australian hamburger... Barnaby Joyce.
We do have it in our power to start again. But, by God, we need to do it NOW.
Tomorrow could be too late.
With this sort of protest, I have the feeling we could just survive this.
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