Posted on September 26, 2013 by gerard oosterman
Bullying is what defines us as a nation.
For absolute proof of a bullying nation, surely you can’t get past on how we see and treat refugees coming by boat. Of course it would be better if no one made that journey. The fact is that refugees will undertake that trip. They have nothing to lose.
It is how we treat refugees after they have made it to Australian waters or land that we are getting close to behaving like a pre-war Germany. A blank-out on news was also imposed then.
Look at the sheer pleasure on politicians faces when they announce even harsher treatments.
The glint in Scott Morrison’s eye when he announced stopping ‘shipping news’. ” We will not announce any news on arrivals of illegal boats from Indonesia,” he announced with the mien of a Quo Vadis gladiator. Morrison must have repeated that statement over and over again while in bed the previous few weeks.
Oh the sheer joy on Morrison’s face all aglow into the camera: ” if they (notice the ‘they’ and not ‘refugees’) are fit enough to get on a boat ‘they’ are fit enough to be sent to Manus or Nauru island.”
As Morrison was warming up to the subject, he brought forth his dream of being seen as the man who stopped the boats. Triumphantly beaming at the prospect of having beaten back the armada of boats threatening Australia, our borders, our security. “There will be a 24 hour turnover” he chortled. This was his Waterloo moment.
Not once did Morrison even come close to mentioning ‘people’, let alone ‘refugees.’ The language of Morrison on boat people was brutalising us all.
How do you think all that comes over to our young, our children for whom we must be an example?
The bullying at schools is of course a natural reaction of what they, the young students, get fed almost daily on the TV or media. Why show respect for others when the lack of it by their peers is trumpeted on our TV almost nightly.
Tags: Australia, Indonesia, Manus Island, Nuaru, Quo Vadis, Scott Morrison
Oosterman Treats Blog 
September 26, 2013 at 1:47 pm |
Hell, I think I should step back from this since I’ve now had a few glasses of wine. I know that if I wrote something now, it would most likely be unprintable.
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September 26, 2013 at 9:40 pm |
I have lifted the black-out on this blog. Go on, don’t hold back. Freedom of speech, you know. Give Morrison a blast. He is baiting us.
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September 26, 2013 at 3:17 pm |
I see the country’s White Australia Policy still as strong as ever in keeping the dreaded Yellow Peril at bay . . . . pity the poor Aborigines who watched the original boat people come in . . . .
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September 26, 2013 at 9:44 pm |
Yes, There are many now who are saying we are back at that era. But…this government got voted in, just showing how successful their racist campaign has worked. Fear of being overrun by refugees taking our women and climbing over our colour-bond clad fencing and stealing our jobs and houses is what swayed many.
It’s a nightmare.
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September 26, 2013 at 8:56 pm |
Can it get any worse?
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September 26, 2013 at 9:45 pm |
I hope the opposition will shorten the Libs reign. It is the only way forward.
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September 26, 2013 at 9:48 pm |
It’s horrifying, gets to me in the pit of the stomach and the tragedy is that not only the government take this stance, there are so many people out there who support it. Those who don’t, folks like you and me and many others, need to shout all the louder in protest.
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September 27, 2013 at 7:19 am |
The first couple of weeks did show up the horrific aims of the LNP. The damage to foreign affairs could not have been worse. And that is just the first blunder. They are totally inept and one wonders what comes next.
Abbott, minister for women? Can you believe a man running that portfolio?
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September 26, 2013 at 9:57 pm |
Well, Gerard, you have nailed it perfectly. Thank god for blogs like yours – a voice of reason and kindness.
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September 27, 2013 at 7:21 am |
Thank you Rosie.
I wonder what comes next. I have to pinch myself contemplating Abbott as a Prime Minister but also having the portfolio for minister for Women!
Can you believe it?
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September 26, 2013 at 10:01 pm |
Very sobering.
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September 27, 2013 at 7:25 am |
Very sobering, but wonder if many will take to drink trying to contemplate the awfulness of how our Government is now resembling more and more a totalitarian regime.
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September 26, 2013 at 10:12 pm |
” we are getting close to behaving like a pre-war Germany”
Exactly !!!
Morrison looks and sounds like your typical SA Gauleiter.
Perhaps we, Australia, have to go through a period like this to see how bad the Liberals, a misnomer if ever there was one, are. There is no thread of humanity in them. Secrecy will increase more and more and soon we will be incarcerated for telling the truth.
I blame the media as journalist never question the Liberals on the absence of any policies. The military has been informed to be ready for conflict and we may get some when Australia is forcing the Indonesians to take back the boats we will not hear about any more.
“We will stop the boats” is as simple as we will not report the boats. End of story.
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September 26, 2013 at 11:14 pm |
He sounds and even looks like a Gauleiter. There is just a hint of H.Goring about it all. The umlaut might be missing but otherwise, just compare the photo and squint your eyes a bit.
With the sledging of Indonesia by Downer last night, you wonder how much further and worse it will still get.
On top of all that, did I hear right, we now don’t have a minister for science?
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September 27, 2013 at 12:26 am
You heard right. No climate change either. How could there be if nobody who understands science in the government can give scientific advice?
All ministers have to check with Abbott before they open their mouths.
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September 27, 2013 at 7:27 am |
Don’t forget that Abbott is sceptical about climate change which he based on that ‘one can’t see a climate’.
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September 27, 2013 at 10:39 am |
This is a side to Australia that is poorly recognised but brings great shame on the country. The picture us rather scary. Here’s an Umlaut for you, Gerard: Ö
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September 27, 2013 at 11:21 pm |
Thanks Andrew. I always coveted (secretly) owning an umlaut. I can hold my head high.
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September 27, 2013 at 10:40 pm |
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We just watched the movie “The Butler” about the civil rights movement in the U.S. Why does man treat man in such an abominable fashion? I fear it will never be solved as long as one man is able to do it to another.
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