If memory serves me well, it was only 2 years ago on CNN and Al Jazeera that we saw Syrian 'Resistance' Commanders, funded by US tax money, being videoed ripping the hearts out of Syrian conscripted soldiers, whilst still alive, and eating the beating hearts whilst chanting 'Allah is Great". I think it was that usually complete idiot, former Australian PM Tony Abbott who noted that the Syrian conflict was a fight between really bad guys...and so why get involved in that? I believe he was quite correct. I doubt anything has changed in the interim years since then. Both sides have the ability for horror and hubris including chemical weapons. the mistake by the West, especially the US has been the long term military weapons given to the 'Resistance' terrorists. All this has done is accelerate the misery of the many. Now that the Resistance is losing to Assad, obviously, the US wants to get rid of the Government...because they are bad guys. If the US hadn't initiated support for the resistance (including ISIS) then the country would now be at peace and functioning effectively as the fairly advanced modern society it was, before the US got involved. Same with Iraq, same with Libya. All 3 countries, ruled by quite hard and somewhat evil men, for sure, were non-sectarian non-religious based societies doing very well with at least 30% of the society, both men and women, advancing with plans for home ownership, education for kids, etc. I guess, in American terms, both Iraq, now the core people of ISIS, and Libya, with 1700 militia groups fighting for power, both now have...'freedom'.

I am not proud to be an Australian, as I am not proud to be a human being...I just am one, and I am content to be myself. I feel I'm lucky to have been born post WW2 in Australia, for sure...but luck and pride are different things. The problem with applying pride to nationality is obvious. To me, it is especially obvious when analysing what the USA does in the world. I think those born in the same epoch as I was, but in America, were also quite lucky, in general, compared to those who have to grow up and live in either of these two countries now. These are different nations, for sure, America is a world power ​in every way ​and Australia is a world non-power​ in every way​. I think that with America the extra promises that came with the power just haven't been realised, for Americans at large and living now, and growing up now. There WAS massive wealth of a scale unseen before, quite a few times in the last 60 or so years in America, the burgeoning of Hi tech Creativity, and the Stock market...but this wondrous wealth was wasted on wars and on individuals and never filtered through to the growing population or anywhere away from the Great Cities......​that huge amount of money was wasted by Americans, rather than invested, in America, or in Americans. ​Thus things now can't be as good as they were in the huge countryside of America, nor will they be any better for many decades to come. Wealth can be worked towards, for sure, but it can't be re-imagined or created very fast. If the money has gone, it has gone forever. It is a long term thing. The opportunities that came with the massive wealth have gone without any investment in the country. That's the problem with America and why its people are really pissed off about pretty well everything...bad management of ​common ​wealth...and why its military is so intent on re-creating its hey-day of dominance, when its capacity to do that has passed. Looking back, I loved my life and being born in that very unique era of post WW2 Australia, but that time has passed, and the reality of a multi-polar high complex world is with us for the future. In the interim, America cannot be the world's policeman because, simply, America cannot afford to be, and because no one with any sense wants them to be​...just look at what they have done from the Korean failure onwards...​. Who would wish that on anyone? They will, as time goes by, just have to be normal. Being reasonably bright and competent, though juvenile, as a society, I think Americans can, in fact, learn they are dealing with equals everywhere now...and we are all facing quite a stretch of hard times. the only notion that runs against reality is a dredging up of past glories. There's nothing new in this phenomenon. After all, look around...England still believes it is a United Kingdom, and is proud of that. Pride is always there at the fall. I am not proud to be Australian at all, I'm just lucky being born when I was, knowing that this was a damn long time ago. I can be proud of myself, I can be proud of my family, I can be proud of where I came from, absolutely, but to be proud of what Australia is, or if I was American, to be proud of what America is, or truly stands for, no, I cannot do that nor respect it at all, and I'd be a fuckwit if I did.

I doubt the sending of nuclear weapons equipped US Navy forces to the sea just off North Korea will somehow amount to anything, except to prompt North Korea to act even more defensively for the long term future, and develop the nuclear capacity far better-er.... It won't scare North Korea at all. They will just prepare more formidably. That's what any smart country, whether good or bad, does. I expect Kim Jong Un will outlive the next few American Presidents, not because he is a good guy, but because he knows what he is doing...and he knows what will happen to his own inheritance, just like what will happen to the Saudi Royal family, if he doesn't prepare well and he will, unlike the USA, be totally realistic...and not trust the cunts for a minute.

Even the 'worst government on Earth' the DPRK of North Korea (and it is the worst human government on earth, then comes Saudi), whilst it says it will attack and destroy its enemies viciously, it doesn't actually do that at all, and never has, and won't. It is simply making its defence expensively impenetrable...that's all. If your neighbour is Massive China on the one side and the Nuclear US in South Korea, 60km from your border, on the other, you'd be fucking paranoid too, and for good reason. At least China is the real neighbour, and your kinfolk, and so you have to deal with them accordingly. As for South Korea, and Japan... "Go on home, US soldiers, go on home. Have you got no fucking home of your own?" Like Like Love Haha Wow Sad Angry CommentShare Comments Iain Mac Giolla Padraig Write a comment... Iain Mac Giolla Padraig 14 mins · Balwyn North · I think China's 'Walled World Model' where you seriously and very expensively protect yourself, permanently, you do not invade, do not bomb, & do not enforce yourself upon, sovereign nations is a far healthier way to go...for everyone. You do not export revolution, you do not export war, you do not export terror, you do not export poverty, you do not export refugees. You just do your best to trade as best you can with each other. That sounds like peace to me. That sounds like far fewer refugees to me. That sounds like far fewer pointless, meaningless deaths to me. That sounds like human moral responsibility to me. After all these horrible millennia of conquest and strategic horror, we could start there. Where else do we start?

This Perfect Life... "He spent his life acquiring various illnesses for the purpose of being eligible for free Flu Vaccinations...and with the savings bought Doc Martens shoes. It must be noted that his life was a little shorter than the norm, but he did not die of the 'flu, and the mourners commented upon, and praised, his always beautiful shoes, with their bouncing soles." Anyway, I'm off to get the flu shot.

Noting that 2/3 of the Great Barrier Reef's coral is now 'somewhat dead' it was interesting as always to hear the Tourism spokesman come out and say that 'the scientists are just too emotional...(?)...and that things aren't so bad...and that tourists love to see Stage 2 bleaching because it makes the coral kind of glow...coral is much more visually beautiful when it is dying'.

After leaving Cairns 4 months back and now kind of settled in Melbourne, I am pretty sure we will stay here. I miss the connections with my darling kin Jordan and my colleagues in Cairns, for sure, that's true, and I miss the wondrous curlews, but this seems a better place for us, even in the bad weather. I won't be able to afford to buy a place here as the prices are far too high, but still, we will find some way to stay and be happy anyway here. Work is good and plentiful enough and opportunities for Mrs Fitz and DJWaWa are good here. We will visit some penguins this week and I will say hello to them from the curlews...and then we will go for a drive towards the Great Ocean Road, and buy some fresh Scallop Pies...the best pies in the Universe...and, at $10 a pop, they well should be. A small warm Esky full of scallop pies, wow...now that is a rare treasure.