ED: This review by Brian Hurlock hit my inbox while I was away.

From time to time, I come across a book which really ‘grabs’ me, and I then feel a compulsion to draw it to the attention of those I instinctively feel might appreciate it in a similar way to mine!

The latest Quadrant Publishing book, “Romancing the Primitive” – “The myth of the ecological Aborigine” – is turning out to be one such book. (I am only halfway through reading it!).

I wish I had it to read, about a month ago. Although I’ve had little trouble in my personal campaign to counter some of Comrade Albosleazy’s referenDUMB (sic) subterfuge and fraud, as encountered in my many hundreds of ‘debates’ on FB threads with yes-vote campaigners and trolls and genuine believers in their cause, I would certainly have appreciated having the book to borrow some wonderfully clear and appropriate quotes from it, to add more intellectual and factual weight to my personal opinions.

But hark! the need for the information does not end with the results of tomorrow’s poll (Sat 14th Oct). In many ways this period in our developing history is only perhaps “the end of the beginning” of a campaign which WILL be continued by assorted socialists/communists, separatists, racist narcissists, and other malcontents! And so I borrow the excerpt from one of the most famous speeches of the “Greatest Englishman”!

If we start with the false narrative which often surrounds Rousseau’s “Noble Savage” construct, William J. Lines takes us back to the very beginnings of collective villages, to small towns, to cities, to nation states, wherein there was always an element which blamed THEIR civilisation for denying them the opportunity to live in a type of Utopian world where Mankind didn’t need to toil and struggle to survive – where Nature provided and Man could live in perfect peace, contentment and leisure. To the extent where the malcontents actually believed, somewhere over the horizon such a place and a People still existed, for it and they had not yet been despoiled by “civilisation”.

Then, the author takes us forward, through the era of the Enlightenment, to the advent of socialism/communism; then, after its failures, to the Postmodern era (as I previously acknowledged, I’m only half way through the book, but I know the author will take us through to the beginnings
of Comrade Albosleazy’s racist, divisive, referenDUMB (sic) – to be decided tomorrow, Sat 14th Oct).

Increasingly now, the author is using the historical background, and realities of life, to expose how today’s myths about the ecological “caretaking” of the land was/is part of Aborigine “culture” (“culture” being another subject about which William J. Lines writes in depth).

And in writing about Aborigine “culture(s)”, before 1788, and for some time after, the author correctly highlights how today’s dreamers and fantasists conveniently strip away all the “nasties” of the “culture(s)” of the primitives, such as: sorcery based on animist superstitions; misogyny; wife-bashing, murder, and maiming; Infanticide; cannibalism (more widely practised, than many realise!); payback murders and maiming; constant raiding parties to kidnap young girls; paedophilia; unthinkable acts of cruelty to ‘initiate’ pubescent girls by cutting their vagina and hymen with a sharp object, pack-raping them, smearing the victim’s vaginal blood to mix with their own re-opened sub-incisions on the back side of their penis, and then doing ritualistic fertility dances. Stuff like that!

I know the author proceeds to ‘ take on’ the fraud Pascoe, and his “Dark Emu” work of absurd science fiction! And I am sure he is about to expose other myths being peddled by those who believe in the Australian version of the “Noble Savage”!

But there is a richness and an intellectual rigour about William J. Lines’ writing style. It’s been quite some time since I’ve had to go to my Collins Shorter to confirm the definition of so many words! I am sure Mr. Lines must have been fed on pages from a Thesaurus on a daily basis, from the time he was a baby! I found it a bit off-putting, at first, but I am now enjoying the richness and mental stimulation of it all.

So, for anyone interested in reading another fine thinker’s version of the philosophical progress of Mankind, but with examples of counter-culture and malcontents, plus a story of our Australian Anthropological history – right up to the beginnings of the process of tomorrow’s referenDUMB (sic) – I can recommend this book to you! I am currently enthralled!

Hooroo 4 now, Brian Hurlock

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has received a substantial influx of input, with close to 6,000 submissions from current and former Defence members, their families, and experts. This surge in contributions underscores the urgent need to address the critical issue of suicide within the defence community.

Over the period from 1997 to 2020, there were at least 1,600 reported deaths by suicide in the defence community. This figure is shockingly 20 times higher than the number of military personnel killed in active duty during the same timeframe. This alarming statistic propelled the establishment of the Royal Commission in 2021 to thoroughly investigate systemic failures within the system. The Commission is expected to present its final report, replete with recommendations, to the federal government in the coming year.

As the submission deadline closed on a recent Friday, a staggering total of 5,889 submissions had been received, with a commitment to process and analyse any additional submissions that may arrive via postal mail. In early 2023, the Commission is set to conduct both private and public hearings in Sydney as it delves further into this critical matter.

Ultimately, the Commission’s work will be transitioned to a specialized body, with a report outlining this transition expected to be released soon. Chair Nick Kaldas expressed his gratitude to the thousands of individuals who courageously shared their personal experiences, acknowledging the pivotal role these accounts play in comprehending the multifaceted issue at hand.

“Your stories are integral to our understanding of this complex problem and will aid us in formulating a comprehensive final report,” Kaldas commented. “Our goal is to honour your narratives by providing government recommendations that result in tangible, meaningful, and lasting change.”

This recent surge of submissions follows Chair Kaldas’s previous statement, made a month prior, in which he highlighted the Commission’s struggle to obtain vital information from Defence and other governmental bodies. He noted that evidence uncovered during the Commission’s investigation suggested that there had been more talk than concrete action in addressing the issue.

Kaldas emphasized the need for long-lasting and substantial reforms aimed at improving the mental health and overall well-being of defence personnel. While acknowledging that predicting suicide is a complex challenge, he underlined that the approach to tackling this problem should begin with the perspective that it is preventable.

He further emphasized that individuals contemplating suicide often have prior contact with an agency or organization, making it crucial for these entities to be alert to the risks and to offer appropriate support and compassion to those who may have experienced trauma and vulnerability.

In conclusion, the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide is making significant strides in addressing this pressing issue, with a firm commitment to lasting change and improved mental health outcomes for defence personnel.

Video shows rockets fired from Gaza towards Ashkelon in Israel being intercepted by Iron Dome, Israel’s anti-missile system. It is designed to protect the country from short-range rocket attacks.

A message from the Naval Association of Australia

On 26 October at the Jacks Memorial, Southbank in Brisbane, the Naval Association will commemorate the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the Australians sailors who fought in it.

The battle began on 20 October 1944 and raged for three days.

The story will be told by Commander Ken Spicer a serving member of HMAS Moreton, whose uncle Seaman Noel Rattray was killed on the bridge of HMAS Australia (II) when it was hit by the first kamikaze suicide plane in the Pacific War. Noel was a Bridge Messenger for the Captain Emile Dechaineux DSC RAN who was mortally wounded.

‘This one pilot, who was already hit by anti-aircraft fire deliberately aimed straight for the bridge and took out most of the command team in one hit, including my uncle who was only 21 years old,’ said Commander Spicer.

The late Able Seaman Frederick ‘Flex’ Dance of Indooroopilly was on deck when a kamikaze hit Australia.

His son Vyvyan said, ‘Dad never talked about his war experiences. We now understand why he hated storms and when there was thunder and lightning, he would crouch behind a chair. The pounding and scenes on the deck must have been unspeakable.’

The ceremony will also honour the late Ken Fuller, of Cleveland who was the Writer (Navy secretary) to the Captain. He heroically carried the mortally wounded Dechaineux to seek medical attention under intense fire. Ken lived until he was 99 years of age, but 29 other officers and ratings were killed and 64 badly wounded.

The Royal Australian Navy’s contribution to Vice Admiral Kinkaid’s force, under the command of Commodore Collins, consisted of the heavy cruisers HMAS Australia and HMAS Shropshire, the destroyers HMAS Arunta and HMAS Warramunga, and nine other ships.

The result was an Allied victory. Admiral Mitsumasa Yoni, Japan’s Navy Minister said, ‘I felt that it was the end.’

But it came at a terrible cost. More than Allied 3000 sailors died in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Tailored services and support is now available to veterans and families across Southeast Queensland, with the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Matt Keogh, officially opening a Veteran’s and Families’ Hub in Caboolture today.

The new hub means veterans and families living on the Sunshine Coast, across the City of Moreton Bay and those residing in Brisbane North have access to employment, housing, transition, advocacy, mental health and wellbeing support, along with counselling and opportunities to enhance their social connections.

The new hub is operated by Lives Lived Well and is open to all current and former serving Australian Defence Force members, including reservists, and their families.

Lives Lived Well has partnered with a number of ex-service organisations and key agencies to ensure they are providing wrap around support for veterans and their families.

Veterans and families who live in Southeast Queensland are encouraged to drop by for a cuppa and a chat. The hub is located at 12 King St, Caboolture, QLD, 4510.

Support is also available over the phone or online, simply call 1300 727 957 or send the team an email at [email protected]

The launch of the Caboolture Veterans’ and Families’ Hub is part of the Government’s $46.7 million commitment to deliver eight new Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs across the country.

For more information about the Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs, visit www.dva.gov.au/vfhubs