Police Powers………Friends or Foes

What do we expect from our police or come to that the police in any country we might visit. When you see a policeman/woman on the street does it make you feel safe or secure or do you automatically hope youre not looking suspicious in their eyes. If youre driving and here a police siren do you think automatically are they after me? have I done something wrong? what did I do. These are all things that flash in the minds of thousands of people daily. WHY. Because basically we are scared of the police, we dont trust their impartiality. It seems everyday they are given more powers to control our lives and movement. Maintaining Law and Order is what we expect from the police wherever we are , here in Australia or anywhere in the world, however that feeling of safety and security is rapidly diminishing. The powers given to our police seem to increase almost daily and our rights lesson by the hour. So the reason for my blog, the police action in Melbourne, can only be described as an appauling the attack on a female protester. Her dress, resembling a tent was ripped from her body by aparently seven persons of authority and left on the ground in her underwear. Thats an example of the police in Melbourne up-keeping LAW AND ORDER, seven people police rangers etc against one woman. How many of these attackers would accept theit action were it applied to a member of their families a wife, daughter, son or husband. The mind boggles. I attended the Occupy Wall Street protest in New York a few weeks ago which I might add was an experience of peaceful demonstration, I chatted with police who were quite happy to just maintain a presence there and even posed with visitors and protesters for photographs. Thats the human side of the police doing their job. There were altercations that were dealt with when force was nessesary but there are always some so called activists that like to cause trouble.So back to the subject, lets start at the top, the minister Mr Johnson recently sacked as ineficient because of his handling of the recent devastating fires in the southwest. He is in charge of the police force in west australia, and is as usefull as a chocolate teapot then theres the commissioner he has his own problems so cant help feeling a bit sorry for him. Now the rank and file of the police force, how many can actually go home after their shift and reflect on their day and think of the misery they have handed out by way of fines etc. What part of a mans brain does one change to remove any acts of compassion by their actions. Fines should not be a set amount, they should be in accordance with income. High income earners can thumb their noses at a traffic or parking fine but for a low income earner or pensioner it can be a matter of feeding a family. This is our so called democracy at work. Mandatory fines and easy payment of fines are a matter of expediency for government not an admission of guilt of the so called offence. The attitude is it will cost more to take a day off from work than to pay the fine by post or whatever. Most pensioners know its a waste of time trying to convince any of our bloated beaurocracy. The media does little or nothing on issues that are important to us, if a cop does a good deed hes a hero and gets all the media attention and applause but they dont tell us about the misery the police cause daily on trivial issues that affect our daily lives. So good luck to all the protesters against rotten governments worldwide you show guts against the odds, and the police well we will continue to hide away from you and fear you and ride the slippery slope of disrespect we have for you.

Wall St Protest

As the protest enters its second month it appears the interest is gathering momentum as to what it is about. The media has a clueless approach to it and has run out of questions to ask. Thats not really surprising as they are dealing now with people that have been let down by the media over the years. The protest can go on for years at the rate its going and if the funds that are being generated by donations keep coming in its not beyond the realms of possibility that they might just buy the park they are living in right now. Wouldnt that be a hoot. The 1% that evidently have all the cash to play with and distribute among themselves on an annual basis dont givet a thought of actually using their huge profits to expand the workforce to accommodate those unemployed people that are barely existing. The media cannot grasp the situation down there because there are no direct demands coming from the protesters so they are at a loss as to what its all about. The presenters of Fox 5 good day are just a joke, so is the programme come to that the guy seems influenced by his fathers position and the woman who today was concerned that the food the protesters are receiving wasnt coming at the expence of the homeless. Maybe her concerns stem from the menu the protesters have access to, perhaps its better than the one in her restaurant. Anyone with a grain of common sense knows whats wrong in the USA now there was a time when the US produced goods of high quality that it sold to the world, the more production the more work for people, that work went offshore to countries that could provide cheaper labour, everyone knows that, its not confined to the USA it happens in the UK and Australia. So what does the 1% do about it? Nothing. They dont have to, they found out that you dont need to produce goods or give money to business to expand and employ because you can make money with money, its easy to shuffle the paper and reap the profits then share it out amongst themselves. Do they care about the young people out of work with huge education loans over their heads of course they dont. The media should work for the people and ask the questions to government and keep asking if they have the guts, reporters these days are just celebrity stalkers and have no ideals, just dummies for the likes of the Murdochs. Get down there and support the protesters seek out the problems they are protesting and stop asking stupid questions and behave like youre part of the people and represent them dont try to humiliate them just for a story……….More to follow Im sure.

Wall St Protest

Just a short comment for now, having moved among the protesters and listened and spoken to some of them I concider the protest well worth while. It would be an achievment if a face from the corporations and banks would have the guts to make a show and defend their greedy actions thats caused this protest. The police can only be commended for their manners and behaviour apart from the violent action that occurred. which was not what the mainstream protesters had a hand in.

On the road again

After a very long absence Ive returned to Blogonia and it feels good to be back. Ive spent a few months over the past year or so in the USA. What a wonderful interesting place, great people, great food of every kind and a great place to explore. The politics are something of a strange concoction when its compared with Australia and possibly the UK ( I dont profess to know much about the UK anymore as I departed its shores in the early 60s, without regret I might add). The USA is an intriguing country to be in at most times, I feel like a defacto New Yorker sometimes and the city and surrounds elate me and can make me very sad. Ive walked miles around the Manhattan and spoken and made friends with so many ordinary folk. I enjoy chatting to street policemen of the NYPD they are so outgoing and friendly when their duties permit. The respect the ordinary american citizen regarding their Australian counterparts is almost embarrassing, there is such a fondness and friendly binding at that level and its great to be lucky enough to experience it at a personal level. Anyone who has any thoughts of visiting the USA should pursue them forthwith without any concerns. Always remember, Australian is not only about Kangaroos and the bush and America is not only about hot dogs and Hollywood we have so much in common you just have to tap into it. Thats all for now I have lots of stored up things to say along the line so good luck and its good to be back. ,

Cyclists…….Cycling

This has to be the best in total madness……….. I was driving down the road and a couple of cyclists were in front of me, one behind the other. The one at the rear was riding erratically, wobbling about the road which made me suspicious and cautious, I wondered at the time if she was on a mobile phone but put the thought out of my head. When I got the opportunity to pass her lo and behold what was she doing? F%#@king texting. Hows that for stupidity, on a bike and would not stop to send a text message, causing traffic to pile up and taking a risk of getting herself injured. Obviously she is aiming for the title tempory Australian of the year……….. Unbelievable.

Colin Barnett & Rob Johnson

With all the gaffes that our police minister makes, plus the crazy hoon legislation, one wonders why something isnt being done to quell the groundswell of public and media support concerning his removal. Colin Barnett Australias highest paid premier says Rob is doing a good job. The truth is blatantly obvious to lateral thinkers. In this mish mash of state government, nationals and liberals there just isnt anyone brighter or smarter to do the job. I must admit I find it quite amazing that there are people out there that actually say to Mr Johnson “youre doing a good job Rob” mind you thats according to Mr Johnson. So whoever those Rob Johnson supporters are I suggest they go and declare themselves Asylum Seekers of a different kind.

luggage for the traveller ….2

Just a little message concerning luggage for your trip. If youre like me you dont rush out and buy brand new luggage everytime you travel. If you are like me and actually go snooping around garage sales and swap meets or car boot sales may I just give you a word of warning. Just be super careful who you buy your bargain from, just recently i saw a case (appropriate word) where a man got called in buy customs to explain how his luggage had been pick out by the sniffer dogs and subsequently the machine that the luggage had been in contact with illegal drugs. Luckily for him the customs officers accepted his explanation that he had bought at a swap meet and new nothing of its history. So just be careful eh.

the west australian newspaper

This week the West Australian Newspaper printed a full page of pictures people and the money they receive for their services or whatever. Forty pictures in all, the highest around $600.000 down to our premier on $299.000 all smug or smiling recipients of a lot of money. That took care of 29 pictures of the rich fat cats. Then came 11 pictures of jobs that receive more modest amounts like teachers, police down to school cleaners on $29.000 strangely enough there were no actual pictures of smiling smug faces amonst these eleven pictures, I wonder why. Could it be that people in those financial brackets dont have anything to smile about or be smug about. Poor old pensioners and seniors didnt even get a mention at all maybe their $12.000 is not worth a mention the top guys wages gets the equivelent of fifty pensioners pension per annum its a disgrace.

Australia Day

Well Australia Day has come and gone for another year, here in West Australia tough legislation to control and minimise the drinking of alcoholic beverages outside designated controlled areas has brought some scorn and protest. The reason for the legislation was to try and make the areas where the public congregate to watch the firework display safer for the general public. The definition of “the public” evidently means people mainly families etc that can survive the ordeal of leaving their houses for a few hours on one day of the year and survive without alcoholic drinks. However, the fact that the number of people attending our river foreshores and vantage points to watch the fireworks was down on previous years, thus making life easier for our police that had less anti social behaviour to deal with has brought some protest. Our premier “Mr wanna be loved by everyone” states on television that the legislation will be looked at. WHY?. I suppose because it actually did what it was suppose to do and that was control drunks that lose control of themselves when they drink thus making other peoples lives a misery. Our police commisioner must have nightmares wondering whats coming next from this mish mash of political fools on the hill. People can celebrate being Australian for 364 days of the years consuming booze and knowing how lucky they are to be here, so for one day why not just let the legislation stay as it is. One must wonder how many of the people that stayed away were under the age of 21, thats the legal drinking age in the USA and they actually manage to survive so maybe our drinking age limit needs to be tweaked if a high percentage of the missing 100.000 fit into that age bracket. So please Mr Premier show some guts and leave the legislation alone and keep it as it is.

Western Australian Hoon laws

What a mess and a waste of time anti hoon this legislation is. The latest incident with the doctors car is a copycat from the movie “Ferris Buellers Day Off”. in the movie the parking attendents went joy riding in a ferrari or some such luxury car. Here its a mechanic in a doctors lamborghin, so lets face it you lock up the car to punish it? the car has broken the law? Give me a break this is the crap these pollies that earn a bloody fortune are dishing out to us. Wouldnt it make more sense to lock up the driver for 28 days then make him come up with $1200 plus what it cost to keep him for 28 days, I bet they’d slow down a bit then. As it is they can get in another car the next day and if the one thats impounded is a load od rubbish it stays in the hands of the police at more expense. Please lets get rid of this stupid Grylls-Barnett government before they drive us all mad and send us all broke.