TO MARILYN
This blaming of the West for all the territorial warfare on the planet ignores the fact that all of mankind is territorial . There have been many conquerors (territorial males) throughout history from many cultures who have ridden in at the head of armies(territorial males), and taken control of other peoples land and countries. Usually enslaving the people and committing mass ethnic cleansing as they did.

The west who have tribal links going back to the Vikings and the Romans have indeed been successful takers of territory because of their superior weapons and military knowhow that’s why we enjoy just a prosperous life style today . We are also envied for our territorial wealth and that is why with all the young virile fighting males in these overpopulated countries we were always in danger of territorial attack . They know they cant take the great armoured Lion of the West in a head on battle. So they hit and run, hit and run, with these territorial attacks hoping to land enough wounds to bring the Western Lion down.

.They also understand the Western media very well and they play mind games with us which the appeasers grab on to like straws hoping that if only we can find out whats making them angry we can save ourselves. Don’t forget they are probably on the internet with people in Western countries all the time finding out the mindset of the media and public and how to manipulate that knowledge. If I was trying to bring down a superior power like the West that’s how I play the game wouldn’t you.



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“Much of mankind’s history is a story of bitter and violent warfare, civil unrest and destruction, Australia, by comparison, has a settled and peaceful record.”

Correct me if I’m wrong, this is just off the top of my head, but hasn’t Australia participated in every English war since settlement? Not to mention Vietnam.

And aren’t we now participating in major military invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq?

And aren’t we now militarily colonizing our “own backyard”, or “sphere of influence”.

Very peaceful indeed. It seems that these "history" advocates want a carefully spun version of our history taught in our schools.

Also, I agree with supporters of Marilyn Shepherd. I don’t necessarily agree with all of her conclusions (like the need to “intervene” in East Timor etc.) but at least she has the guts to passionately question the received “wisdom” blasted at us from every possible direction by the ruling elite. Unlike her critics.

Nice one Tao.

Two cheers for free speech!

I would defend with my life the right of every single one of you to say what you say.

Mostly because it protects my right to say that, in the case of those who believe their culture is superior to all others (whether it's Dr Donnelly or Osama bin you-know-who) we'd all be better off you kept those thoughts to yourself! :0)

"Correct me if I’m wrong, this is just off the top of my head, but hasn’t Australia participated in every English war since settlement?"

tao: Not the Falklands War. :P

Seriously though, yes, it's something that irks me about our history, that this nation has (and is still) always willing to be someone else's gun fodder for stupid wars (tautology, I know). It's why I find Gallipoli to be at once the worst possible national myth we could adopt, and yet also the most appropriate, strangely enough.

That having been said, as much of a ratbag as John Howard is, this country has never produced a Cromwell, Hitler, Stalin or Robespierre. We've had no Mao or Pol Pot, no Idi Amin. We lack a Lincoln or a Pinochet. I feel glad of that.

And for those of you suggesting Marilyn should go live somewhere else if she doesn’t like our “democracy”, the opening passages of the American Declaration of Independence (once the platform of the greatest democracy on earth which has now unfortunately become a mere shell) suggests she is right to question our form of government and society, and even change it if necessary:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, —That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

Marilyn, and others, have every right to challenge the system, and our beliefs about ourselves as a “nation” – from within. Attempts by people on this forum to portray her as a hysterical mad-woman who should go elsewhere if she doesn’t like it are just plain wrong.

They play into the hands of those who attempt to silence our dissent and questioning.

'...its legal, political institutions and language are Anglo-Celtic in origin and deeply influenced by our Judeo-Christian heritage.'

Yes accurate to a degree but:

Our political systems were not at all influenced by the Judeo-Christian creeds. Neither had democratic thought at all. That influence came from our much forgotton GREEK heritage and the great body of LIBERAL thought developed over the past couple of centuries.

Our language was not influenced by the Hebrews it is rooted in the LATIN of the Romans.

Our legal system, while it endorses some of the Ten Commandments is not based only on them. The vast majority of our law is derived from that great body of ENGLISH Common Law and the modern LEGESLATIVE form of law-making.The Latter is subject to many many more influences besides mere Judeo-Christian thought.

So just exactly how and exactly how deeply is our system influenced by the system and thought of the Hebrews?