Paranoia; Piracy and Punishment

I have discussed in my writings to international entities and my blog http://thinktrue2008.blodspot.com, the subject of people endevouring to reach Australia without visas. They are generally characterised as Refugees/ Asylum seekers or Migrants, from tyranny and or economic disasters.

Until we actually meet them we don't know if they; are Doctors;Dentists;Engineers at all levels;electronic experts of all kinds, the list is long. What I do know is that they seek our help and as Pope Francis recently said, in words to the effect - We should welcome all people risking life and limb to reach the shores of the free and should be treated as Immigrants. Good words I believe.

Oh how I wish I was a writer like good old Winston Churchill, who was the master of the written word. Then I would be able to write this blog concisely and to the point and to get my message through to all concerned.  Here goes and I start off with my definitions of the words Paranoia; Piracy and Punishment and fit in the aspirations and actions of those people responsible for what they call Border Security.

Paranoia.  - A chronic mental derangement, characterised by systemised delusions, conditioned by numerous factors including the power of suggestion or perception.

Piracy.      - Any Plunder; Robbery or interference on the high seas, by an armed ship or vessel and its personnel, which takes takes the property or personnel of another ship or vessel.

Punishment - To inflict a penalty on; to castigate and cause suffering on a person or persons, known and unknown for a perceived offence of any kind.

PARANOIA is difficult one to define isn't it, as mental problems always are. In the Australian government case I refer to its Prime Ministers inability to get away from the word 'Illegal' and the words 'Stop the boats' at any cost it would seem and by golly the money spent on Navy vessels and military and civil personnel must be enormous. I wish I could cost it out at $ per hour per refugee.

Over and over again they say 'No one coming by sea  will be allowed to enter Australia', where I assume they mean without a visa. They do not care who they are or what they are and what they could do for this country. How they expect anyone is a war zone or tyranny could get to a Consulate, queue up and apply for a visa etc,defies me. Oh yes, before I write my blogs, I always talk about them before I write. I was in my bookshop, where I have purchased numerous books,usually non fiction like The Kite Flier. Well the dear lady who runs the shop, on hearing my ideas, suddenly said ' No one should come here, except through the correct channels. Whow, then 'You may leave now Mr Mason' and when I  at 78 was a bit slow to move she said it again. Oh dear I thought, paranoia may the wrong word, but pretty close. I have found another shop in another town, more receptive to listening to lateral thinking.   

PIRACY is a little easier to write about, as everyone likes a good Pirate story. Here we will start  with the perpertrators. Numero uno the Prime Minister we have talked about and his take on the boat people, very right wing like his mentor the previous liberal one kicked out a few years agoe by an ex journalist, one could almost see the old fello sitting on the PM's and whispering in his ear, maybe that's why he is begining to weigh  his words---is he listening?.

The Immigration minister is one of a kind, now let me see. Ah yes Robspierre comes to mind and with an attack dog on a invisible lease, in fact a doberman kind of fello-- hard and fearless. Regretably the minister took him into parliament buildings, always a bad move, they may get to like it and like a doberman can become difficult to handle and may bite. We all  know what happened to Robspierre poor chap.

To piracy,there are two versions to my mind. Off we go to Brimston Hill,as I recall on St Kitts in the West Indies. Yes I have been there one, sunday, with some conservation enthusiasts on a working 'B' restoring the look out. Aarh me laddies in those far off days they had a watchman always looking for Spainish or Portugese  ships passing. The flare would go up and the British navy would set sail to plunder the plunderer.
They also looked out for approaching British navy and merchant ships arriveing for 'refits' and 'revitaling.'
Now then, Captain Kidd was initially sent out plunder foreign vessels in this and other seas. The good Captain got to like it and went into business on his own plus his crew. The Brits Hung him high, as a Pirate.

As an aside I remember meeting a young man, sorry we were both young, who told me he was trying to set up a recording studio, as the American and British recording companies blocked him out. He had found an old banana warehouse he thought suitable, looked ok to me, we had a drink, off he went to set up and I to Barbados. His company became Virgin records--- He did well .

To serious stuff and for those who read my blog Vladimir Putin and Modern Russia,I talked about Greenpeace and their silly antics trying to board an Exploratory Oil rig in the Artic. At first I believe they were charged with Piracy, very near the definition. How fortunately they were to have it changed to a lesser count.

Remember the Bounty  - Captain Bligh and the mutainy lead by Mr Christian. They put the Captain and others on a shore or life boat and said go. Well the good Captain knew all about the Ocean currents from the work of  Lord Anson and his voyage around the World on HMS Centurion returning 1744. He had plundered  ships of Spain and in particular the Manila Galleon. All for their logs and strategic members of the crew. Probably chucked the rest n the sea. Anyway showed Blyth, Cook etc the way round the pacific. Piracy, well Government instructed, all pretty Ho Ho--- up and at them lads. 

The here a now and I am still thinking about my Alta literature hero Winston Church as First Lord of Admiralty and a memory of standing on Observatory Hill Greenwich,with my London historian expert brother in law and we observed an helicopter landing across the river Thames -- Probably the Admiral's coming in for lunch!. That great man would dictate the next bit with great clarity.

Just imagine the scene in Australia,its Prime Mister, soon to have an ex Army General and Head of Military as Australia,s constitutional head or Govenor General, representing the British Crown,fearlessly pursuing misguided goals. Its Immigration Minister with his Army General in tow, vowing to obey the master at all costs (literally) to turn the boats back, well, at least the Minster is -------  

Out in the open sea between Australia and Indonesia is a passenger ship (not a Sea Princess). On board are fare paying passengers with a Captain and crew, proceding in the  general direction of Australia or if not south may be west  and not interferring with anyone.  In the area it is being watched, not from a Brimston Hill, but from a rather enspensive surveylance aircraft. The vessel is percieved to be an intruder with illegal intent. A signal goes out to a Warship and or a  lesser vessel to intercept.

The warship stands by, sending one or two fast boats- armed personnel- to stop,search and remove the passengers and crew to the warship.They deal with the vessel in manner I do not know, probably sinking. Of late with the orders of the Australian government, the passengers and crew are transferred to a orange lifeboat with sufficient fuel to reach Indonesian waters. Should they be a good distance from any Indonesian island , then it has been shown, they are towed there. On occasion the tow ship going into sovereign territory and as the navy know exactly where they are at any one time, they must have had clearance to do so by Australia.

 Is this Piracy on Australia's part, in my opinion it is. Piracy is Piracy by any other name is Piracy. You my dear readers must come to your own conclusions.

PUNISHMENT. This section is the most disturbing and has kept me awaking many nights, trying to work out how to say it right.  We are placing Asylum seekers, who have already gone through hell, in a situation of Demi-Rendition. I wish I had a better description. Both PNG and Nauru are not conducive places to process human beings. Razor wire; part building part tent acommodation; terrible climate wet and insect infested with armed guards and light surveilence constantly. To boot, the locals are not pleased they are  on their islands. The poor wretches are expected to asccept waiting for months and maybe years for Australia to say hello. Yes it is Demi-Rendition by 'Situation'.  A better description would be most welcome. Churchill wou;ld have been able to help me I am certain. A terrible Punishment by Paranoid people, who one day will have to answer to their maker or before to higher authority--- My opinion of course.

I will end this story with some words I wrote when I ran a little Spiritual Centre some years agoe. Once a month people of all ages, of all religions or of no religion at all, would gather at a community hall for freindship; healing and solice from their outside world. We would sing songs like 'Love Conquers Everthing',Prayers theirs and mine; healing and meditations.

I would start off the meeting, with about a minute of silence, so that we could come together as one. For the end I wrote few words for  us all to send out as a message of  Hope; Love; and Understanding.
HOPE- For all those people whose circumstances are so much worse than ours. In the same way, as other people messaged us,when we were down.
LOVE- To all who have never known love and are desparately searching for-maybe-just one word from us, we who are so fortunate to know and experience its life giving power.
UNDERSTANDING- To endeavour to understand, the ways, apprehensions, faiths,cultures and ideas of others.
We can do this, hopefully, not just today, but at all times.

Until next time, best wishes to you all.

Malcolm E Mason.











    
















 


 .