The remaindered life

WE wonder rather
what our life is like!
Is anyone taking the slightest bit of notice!
or have we passed into the area that no one could care less





It is a problem that clergy, and other caring professionals face every day
who even cares about  what we say or do?

Personally it worries me a little that I am so easily discarded
I presume to think that I have quite a lot of important input to offer into the human condition.
Things like ......death is important.......kids must not be sacrificed......don't allow political  correctness to tells us that... this or that....is not important

I now have a  granddaughter....and to my mind she is the MOST important thing in the world
I think most, if not ALL, grandparents get this

More important  than my children (much as I love them),
more important than World Politics,
and more significant than theology, philosophy and any of the serious academic pursuits
If we don't get it right for our kids and grandkids
then we have most likely lost the plot!

I don't fully understand  this...but I know it to be true.

She (and her ilk) must be the focus of the world


The fact that many of us have the same reflexion is pretty great.
Our grandchildren are more important than anything


This might just save the world that is hell-bent on self-destruction

Discursive terrorism!

I have some sympathy with the lovely British comedian Jason Manford who got caned by Facebook (shame on them) for declaring that these 'idealists'  are in actual fact cowards.
To be fair he said a bit more than that but I don't think his observations were misplaced

To open fire on unarmed civilians, is not bravery and idealism.

It is total and utter cowardice

It is bullying and thuggery.

I imagine the prophet Mohamed, peace be upon him, would be deeply ashamed of the evil that is perpetrated in his name. 

I have been interested about my own reflections, and those who live hand-in-glove with me about what this means.

As I drove into Adelaide yesterday (quietly on Sunday at about 8 a.m.)  I thought about how we might feel about such awfulness. Then cast my mind back 24 hours....the Christmas Pageant.

My granddaughter (10 months old ) was present....and loved it. 

200-300K people present just celebrating their community life....what if a bomb? or a gunman..?  it doesn't bear thinking about.   But my conversations led me to believe I was not the only one who thought this thought!

So I don't emir from J Manford's sentiment

Equally well, as my eldest daughter and I were practising speaking French, we spoke about the Tour Eiffel.   How it had been evacuated; and how easily three or four well-placed bombers could have taken it out.....shudder!

Surely these mad boys ( for such they are...BOYS....will blog about this shortly) don't want to live in a world in which families cannot have lunch together, or friends laugh with each other....

Having been a boy, I know that boys are not that bright!   They get enthused. But we are a bit thick!

Easy targets for unscrupulous propagandists who convert their stupidity to misguided 'enthusiasm'...which is a most dangerous thing!

O Israel! O israel!

I hope (but doubt) that the rulers of the state of Israel prayed Psalm 4 this morning

Sons of men, how long will you turn my glory to my shame :
how long will you love what is worthless and seek after lies?

Psalm 4:2 (Prayer book Version)

As once again we see one of the most highly trained armies in the world claiming that it acted in 'self-defence' when it killed people during its aggressive attack on a boat which appeared to be in international waters. And which presumably they, therefore, had no right to board.

That luminary Andrew Bolt (not surprisingly) is able to rationalise this (see here) suggesting that all this is a plot to discredit Israel. This is exactly, he suggests, what Hamas wanted to happen. Seemingly suggesting that Israel had fallen into a carefully laid trap.

Tthere is interesting commentary (no doubt 'left wing' in Bolt's terms) from Crikey here.

BUT it just doesn't add up.

Once again we see that Israel reacts in a totally disproportionate way. The loss of 1 person nis bad enough...but 9.

It is the soldiers who you see toting the automatic weapons and dressed in full battledress. It is they who are the agressors and who have all the training to do what they like.

Israel can and only does act like this because the U.S., its benefactor and strongest ally, will never hold them to account. So, with Netanyahu at the helm, they are able to go unchecked.

As one commentator observed on TV the other night..."I am a supporter of Israel but sometimes they make it bloody hard to keep on supporting them".

I would concur

Military Spending

I have been trying to think of something to say about the recent announcement of massive increase in spending for the military. It is difficult to be dispassionate about this, few people are prepared to argue against big military budgets.

But I was reflecting  that it took a while for people to begin to question whether the "stimulus strategy" was the appropriate way to deal with the current economic dilemma. ie. is giving people more money to spend and encouragement to spend it an appropriate strategy to solve a problem that is allegedly brought about   by people overspending!

Is spending more money on military might the best  strategy to end the warring madness of the world?

The dogma that "The price of peace is eternal vigilance" is so unquestioned that it stands more as a testament to our paranoia than our political astuteness.

We think that unless we have a big gun to frighten (probably) the Chinese that they will be down upon us. 

But I would wish to note that I don't see the Chinese queuing up to rape New Zealand, which has adopted a much less strident military policy than our own.

My great sadness is the inordinate amount of money that military equipment, (everything now measured in millions and billions) is glossed over so easily. Yet when we talk about education, health, refugees, third world aid and so on every single drop has to be squeezed out.

(POST 995)