Saturday 23rd of November 2024
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an invasion of big toys for big boys...

toys for boys

If you're on the harbour in exactly a fortnight and see a mass of military ships swarming through the heads: don't fear, it isn't an invasion.

It's to mark the centenary of the entry of the Royal Australian Navy's Fleet into Sydney Harbour on the 4th of October 1913.So on Friday the 4th of October expect to see the best of our own Navy as well as three Russian vessels, a destroyer from the UK, Chinese ships, tall ships, fly overs and a lot more.
Mike Carlton is a naval nut and joined Adam in the studio to talk more about the event, called the International Fleet Review which runs from the 4th to the 11th of October, and to give some fascinating glimpses into our Naval history.

Did you know for example that in 1909 Australia bought the battle cruiser the HMAS Australia which, according to Carlton, was the only thing that saved Australia from invasion during WW1.
"We were directly menaced by the Kaiser's Germany who had a huge imperial spread of colonies across the pacific," Carlton told Adam on 702 Breakfast.
"And they had a very powerful naval squadron in the Pacific which had plans to bombard Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne to sink our trade carrying Australia's' wealth to the mother country... gold, wheat and wool and all that sort of stuff.
"The only thing that stopped that happening was the arrival of the Navy.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/09/20/3853048.htm

I believe Her Excellency the Governor General, Quentin Bryce is the patron of the Navy and will be there... I also know about the U-boats and the Bismarck.. and a lot about navies fighting navies, including the chase of some German navy boats in Argentinean rivers... I also know about D-Day and how to steer a big ship... I know too many bloody things... including pirating... Then I gave up the toys for big boys... I am not disrespectful of those who gave their lives to save people from the crap of war... I am disrespectful of those who ordered the wars, since Abel and Cain... Actually it was our cousins, the monkeys' fault... It always is the monkeys' fault. The monkey in all of us...

 

tony degrades the navy...

 

A member of the Indonesian parliamentary foreign affairs commission has described the Federal Government's asylum seeker policy as "offensive" and "illegal".

The Coalition's policy includes turning boats back to Indonesia, buying old boats from Indonesian fishermen and paying Indonesians to spy on people-smuggling operations.

Indonesian MP Tantowi Yahya told Lateline the commission has "major concerns" the policy will interfere with his country's sovereignty.

"It becomes our concern because, firstly, it might potentially jeopardise our already good relationships in the past," he said.

"And second, the policy which is going to be implemented by Mr Abbott clearly ... annoys our sovereignty as independent country."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-19/indonesian-mp-says-turn-back-the-boats-policy-is-offensive-and-/4966934

 

"Turning the boats around" will degrade the Navy's purpose. At best the Navy would be pirating in International waters, at worse the Navy might become responsible for deaths on the high seas... The "when it's safe to do so" from Tony does not cut the cheese... The Liberal (CONservative) policy of "turning the boats around" is an illegal breach of international conventions. The Navy should not be forced to act on this lunatic policy, especially as it is not Australian law yet since it has not been voted by parliament...

 

unnecessary prince celeb to keep the royal illusion afloat...

 

“Hats off three cheers!” Legal academic and monarchist David Flint was gleeful when he heard Prince Harry was coming to Sydney for the international fleet review. 

No doubt the TV channels looking to fill up a long weekend's programming schedule are grateful for the spectacle too. News websites might use the excuse to post a few “Harry in uniform” photo galleries, too (will they include the ones of him dressed up as a Nazi, I wonder?).

Having young princes around is essential to the monarchists’ PR plan to keep the House of Windsor a going concern in Australia. Throw a military gala together with a person of suitable breeding in front of the cameras, let off some fireworks, and bang, a wave of support for monarchy! Bob’s your Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, no Australian head of state for another few years!

When you think about it, that's absurd. Celebrity visits are no basis for a system of government, and deep down, you suspect, the monarchists know it. Are we meant to be excited about a visit, not even from our head of state, but the “fourth in line to the throne,” where the third is a three month-old? I hate to break it to Flint, but I think most people are probably keener on the laser show.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/04/prince-harry-fleet-review

 

Long live the republic... Throw the royals out !

 

bollocks, mike carlton...

 

At this point, some readers and a few of my fellow hacks will be shaking their heads knowingly and tut-tutting that poor old Carlton has lost the plot. He's a navy tragic, y'know. Writes naval history. Bewitched by shiny brass, coloured flags and gold braid. Been captured by the admirals over wardroom drinks, blah blah.

Bollocks. Unlike too many journalists, I've just done the homework. I talk to reliable navy and defence sources, and they talk to me. This is not some Tom Clancy thriller.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/plain-sailing-but-heads-will-roll-20140221-3379y.html#ixzz2u600kTf3
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Gus: yes, Mike is correct: we, conspiracy theorists, think that poor old Carlton has lost the plot... For several reasons. 
First, the Navy personnel he is "talking to" is not going to contradict the Minister for obvious reasons... Should they do so, their heads would roll off the plank within minutes. 
Second, the Navy is performing THREE ILLEGAL ACTS simultaneously despite being "above board"...
A) The Navy is TOWING  back boats, after having assured the Aussie public and the Indonesian government that they would not do so. (to go around this conundrum, the government has bought "lifeboats" which they are towing back after the boat of the asylum seekers has been "removed" — thus the government can claim they are not towing asylum seekers' boats)
B) Turning back asylum seeker boats in Australian waters is illegal under UN regulations
C) Entering Indonesian waters. Using the excuse of complex "island" positioning to explain this entering into Indonesian waters is most non-believable blah blah. Charts are charts and if the Navy at this stage in 2014 does not know where boundaries are after 100 years of existence, then the navy is nearly full of idiots, y'know.... It's not. Incursions by the Navy were deliberate and stealthy...