Rain
Too good not to pass on. By Richard O’Brien (from his Facebook page):
“So the nation that invaded and colonised Aden, Anguilla, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Basutoland, Bechuanaland, Bermuda, British East Africa, British Cameroons, British Guiana, British Honduras, British Somaliland, Brunei, Canada, Cayman Islands, Ceylon, Cook Islands, Cyprus, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Gambia, Gibraltar, Gold Coast, Grenada, Hong Kong, China, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaya, Maldive Islands, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Newfoundland, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Borneo, Nyasaland, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Rhodesia, Sarawak, St Helena, St Lucia, St Vincent, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, South West Africa, Sudan, Tanganyika, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Trucial Oman, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda and Zanzibar has voted to leave the EU, potentially sparking a global financial crisis, because they thought their sovereignty was under threat.”
Tags: Australia, Canada, Cypris.Maldives, Fijj, India, Malta, New Zealand, Pakistan
Oosterman Treats Blog 
June 25, 2016 at 7:49 am |
I don’t think a lot of Brits under forty have any idea of this at all. It is not taught in schools there – or here for that matter.
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June 25, 2016 at 8:21 am |
I just love this poetry of yours;
“Every second Tuesday morning
on pensioner payday
the oldies fill the supermarket
aisles as they stock up for
the next fortnight. They stop
and stare at shelves of
biscuit packets, cereal boxes,
packs of mince and sausages.
Mobile pensioners ease their
trolleys around the less mobile
as trolley jams cause hiccups.”
As for Brexit;
Well, ever since Europe formed the union, migration by Europeans to Australia stopped and since then many from the Middle East, Viet Nam and China have taken to forming the queue to enter Australia. Here too, is a divide between the rich and poor. We have a kind of class system based more on money and not so much on Lords or special inherited privileges.
Some say, the answer to all this inequality is education. Here in Australia too a divided system of private and public education, with all the paraphernalia attached to it, including prestige and standing. Jobs for the boys and well nurtured elitism. Our system of education, as it does in England, teaches and breeds inequality.
Australia has now reached a level they can’t even cope with a couple of boats that arrive with refugees. Both main parties are outdoing themselves in nurturing the population in xenophobic hatred for foreigners. Of course, Europe and its millions of refugees is now used to warn what would happen if Australia became more tolerant. The ranting of jobs being taken by refugees, hordes climbing over dunes and zinc fences, taking our women and having strange dietary habits, dole bludging, social security fraud are all heaped on the hapless refugee.
All nonsense of course. We had the White Australia Policy till 1974. This is again being given a shot in the arm.
Intolerance and isolating is not the answer.
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June 25, 2016 at 8:48 am |
Actually Gerard it didn’t stop. British Boys Movement. My partner also migrated in 1979. Assisted passage was phased out in the eighties. Just saying. For information.
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June 25, 2016 at 9:28 am |
Of course European migration continued, especially for those that could show they were liquid (and white) enough and intended to start a business. Even today, most of the ‘illegals’ are the poms that are outstaying their visas.
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June 25, 2016 at 9:41 am
No Gerard. They migrated to jobs. Not starting businesses.
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June 25, 2016 at 10:04 am
We migrated in the fifties, it was an exodus from Europe as a result of genuine endless economic mayhem and wars.
We did not have the luxury of travelling to other countries and cause riots at soccer matches.
Today, a similar exodus, but the world is not as welcoming now.
Look at its stance by Australia. Imprisoning refugees rotting on far away islands, till breaking point, year after year.
Even self harm by children and two cases of recent self immolation hasn’t made a difference to our frigid government allowing people to settle on the mainland.
And that is Australia, the least populated continent in the world.
It doesn’t look good. We need to get rid of our Liberal Government.
That’s why the Libexit.
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June 25, 2016 at 8:53 am |
Scare campaigns are becoming an art form. 😦
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June 25, 2016 at 9:34 am |
Yes, Leggy.
But we shall see how the issues in England will get resolved. They have left the EU and want to take choice back. But, with putting up the moat and drawbridge again, will that help the English community?
I prefer the input of ‘difference’ and inclusiveness, tolerance, sharing and show empathy to others.
I am for open curtains, dancing in the streets, the balalaika and garlic.
I don’t like loneliness.
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June 25, 2016 at 9:16 am |
It is bewildering to me that as issue with such huge ramifications as Brexit could be voted in by 36% of the population (52% x 70% turn-out).
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June 25, 2016 at 9:38 am |
Yes, but the result was that the UK decided to go for exiting the EU. The question will be, what now?
I suspect, the queues at fish and chip shops will continue. Leeds has the best Fish & Chips in the whole of the UK.
And so has Kiama.
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June 25, 2016 at 9:46 am
I grew up with an image of the British ‘Commonwealth’ spread right across the globe and Australia being one of its children. (All the Commonwealth countries were coloured pink in the school atlas.) There has been many changes since then , the British influence has shrunk, and we seem to have survived most shocks thrown at us. You asking the correct question though … what now?
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June 25, 2016 at 10:11 am
The one at Tingley Cross roads was better. Have you been to either?
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June 25, 2016 at 10:46 pm
Yes, a great Empire. So were the Dutch, the Portuguese, The Spanish. They piggy-backed on colonisation and exploitation.
What now? I think many on the Brexit side are asking the same question. One cannot go back.
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June 25, 2016 at 10:55 pm
I can’t remember the names of the Fish & Chips in Leeds. I do remember a wild night at ‘The Bricklayer’s Arms. I had to drive my friend home. All were so drunk. Some on their knees proposing to women they had just met, all complaining they had wives home who could not understand them.
Come to the crunch, the men would have been all flippery floppery.
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June 25, 2016 at 9:50 am |
I voted to remain and am heartbroken by the result.
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June 25, 2016 at 10:08 am |
Here’s a hug.
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June 25, 2016 at 7:50 pm |
A big article in Pocket today by a very young and angry person who is convinced it was a good thing. My opinion is that there were a lot of noses chopped off with no road to return. I am fearful that the young in this country will see it as a positive thing for Trump.
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June 25, 2016 at 10:50 pm |
Oh, as Trump goes. I do hope he will fade away over the next couple of months. A horror show so far. The young in the UK are mainly for staying in the EU.
It is a complete mix now. In Holland they have a similar problem of the extreme right whipping up unrest and discontent.
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June 25, 2016 at 11:32 pm |
What a mess. I’m sure I have said this here before! Talking about referenda, didn’t Australia vote to keep the monarchy with Malcolm Turnbull leading the dump faction? OK so it wasn’t as straight forward as a yes or no question but look what happens when it does boil down to yes or no.
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June 26, 2016 at 12:41 am |
Yes, Patti. That referendum was a disaster too. Both are actually proof of the Anglo culture resisting change. The Brexit move a nostalgic looking back to the ‘good old days of glory and Empire. Not that they ever were all that good, but that is the pull of the past, always seen in a golden halo.
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September 17, 2016 at 1:01 am |
The pull of the past
Can only last
With those who fear the future.
That pull is backward
Though feeling like going forward
To those who know no better
Than to want to repeat
Their history
In the hope of not admitting failure.
Failure to decide to let guide
Anyone who knows better
Than they themselves how to manage change
And forge a new path
Not harbouring the past
But creating something new
Of which those few
Would have no part
Allowing a majority to prosper.
Some things might be kept
But the past we must forget
Despite its allure
And go on ahead-
That’s what History teaches us.
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