Declining Living Standards

Declining living standards due to over-population

and making it trendy! 

Due to a rapidly increasing population that is assumed to be inevitable, we are suffering a decline in our living standards.  The intriguing thing is that some of this declining standard of living has been re-interpreted as trendy!  

1. Taking up less space

Heard of  'Tiny Homes?'   They look cute, and are pushed as The New Thing!  It is asserted that one can live perfectly comfortably in a 'tiny home.'  There are TV programmes that have idealistic young couples searching for their special 'tiny home.'  They are pushed as if they were a desirable thing, rather than the squeezing of a family into a far-too-small space. 

They are very like caravans, (or 'trailers' as the American would say,)  though not all are made to be moved around.  There are differences, they look prettier, often with steep roofs,  and they are often worse-designed space-wise.   

There was a TV programme I watched that was touting the virtues of 'tiny living.' It showed the interior of one of these houses.  There was a projecting corner that I could see was made for hitting your head on,  and there was a bed upstairs without sufficient safety railing.  Get up to go the toilet, still half asleep, and an accident would be all too possible.

Left - It looks beautiful and very cute.




The image on the right is little more than a bed on wheels.






I think there must be a deep instinct inside us that sees a cavity and imagines it as a home. 

The image (right)  is of the interior of a 'tiny home.' It looks attractive, but for long-term living?  I think a normal sized home is better.  And imagine the hazards for little children living there!

So 'tiny homes.' All they are is a loss of the living space that we have grown up with, and expect as a matter of routine.

And yet they are supposed to be all the rage?


 Cubicles instead of hotel rooms.

I saw a TV news reports that speaks of a trend in hotels to offer merely bed spaces instead of a hotel room.  There was a common area, where people could sit, and several bed spaces with doors, where one retired to sleep. The rationalisation was that one really only used a hotel room to sleep and could perfectly easily share other facilities with other guests.

Squeezing our houses into smaller areas.

We are firmly told that the house on a quarter-acre plot, with a picket fence and a big back yard is totally out of date. Now city houses are set so close, that one could leap from one roof to the next.  Those houses that manage a backyard at all, have a tiny one.

As a consequence, the way of life of families in the cities have changed. Now conscientious parents take their kids to the park every day so they can have some exercise and outside play.

There are new ways of being a child.  While my generation had space to roam in, today's children learn to line up to take their turn on the Flying Fox. 




There are positives. Children learn to get along with others at an early age.

But I pity them. We had so much more freedom than children do now.  Making our own little campfire and boiling up apples from the apple tree. Having a cubby house under the spreading boughs of an old pine tree. Dogs and cats and horses.

Even in a town, there were areas of free land where the kids would meet each day. Not structured playgrounds, but open areas where no-one cared if you built a bonfire or maybe 'jumps' for pushbikes.  Sliding down the slope on home-made billy carts or playing 'dams' at the edge of the creek.

Getting dirty, being free.  Kids these days are not very free.




We are told that people prefer city living and they prefer living in apartments.  I think it is more that they choose the best they can with the money they have, and that often means a small apartment.


Eating lesser quality food.

Veganism

Old-fashioned vegetarianism is apparently no longer enough. It's been around too long. Now the trendies are declaring themselves 'Vegans'  - not even permitted milk or eggs. It is stated to be 'healthy,' though I doubt it. Humans have evolved as omnivores, and we know that meat is a more efficient provider of energy than plant foods. Look at an animal meat eater, such as a leopard or a lion. It will hunt, eat, and then lie around for hours, even days.  

Herbivores, on the other hand, are forced to graze all day to take in enough energy to sustain themselves. And look at primitives in areas where there is insufficient game to have a good feed of meat now and then. They turn to cannibalism, often of enemies, occasionally of excess wives. Except in desperate circumstances, that is in the past, when people were limited to what they could source locally. These days, vegans have a wide source of foods, and most manage to have enough protein to sustain health.

It is very trendy to be Vegan, and more and more people are taking up that choice, and feeling morally superior because they do.  

How much is it pushed and how much is it chosen? Hard to say, but certainly it is easier to feed an enormous population if they don't want a decent feed of meat most days of the week. 

Eating Insects.

Every now and then, someone will declare that 'with the increasing population,'  we will have to start eating insects, as it is 'no longer sustainable' to be meat-eaters.  There was even an episode of  the cooking reality show, 'Masterchef,'  that featured crickets as part of the menu, and many of the contestants demonstrated eating the things, and nearly all (maybe all?) featured them in their 'dish,' even though it was not stated as a compulsory part of the brief.

I would have loved to see the pep talk they had, off camera, to say just why they had to serve - (oh dear) - crickets! 

Eating all of the animal and all of the vegetable ‘because we can no longer afford to waste.’

On TV,  25^th March, 2018, there was a programme about a chef who liked to cook up odd things to show how he abhors food waste.  Chicken rectum anyone?  Offal, not just liver, kidney and brains, but uterus?  Really?  The bitter parts of vegetables because one should not only eat the edible part. Cabbage leaves, not just the cabbage.  (The reality is that in selecting just those small parts of the animal, he probably wasted far more than the average cook at home in the kitchen.) 

And the commentator obediently said that whatever he sampled was delicious, and was probably making a horrible face off camera!  

There is a lot of talk about 'food waste.'  They invariably blame all of us, but nearly all householders waste very little edible food. 

We do eat only the parts of the food item that are generally regarded as edible.  Banana skins get thrown out, and so do apple cores and orange peel.  Bones, gristle, and often the excess fat of a cut of meat gets thrown out. The only way they can come up with the figures they accuse us of 'wasting' is if they count this as waste, rather than normal food preparation.   



Supermarkets and restaurants, of course, waste far more. 

No waste is good, (actual waste, I mean)  but fretting about it as if we were in the midst of the 1930s Depression?  That only comes about because people are fearful that there will be inadequate food to go around.  

Growing pretend meat in test tubes. 

With the burgeoning population (they always say this, as if there was no choice,)  we may no longer be able to have the area of grazing lands where sheep and cattle graze.  

At the moment, growing 'flesh' in the laboratory is horrendously expensive. It is quite impractical to produce commercial quantities.  The presenter of the TV programme I happened to see,  said that, nevertheless, it would become more efficient and it was 'inevitable' if we wanted to eat meat in the future.  Because why?  Because of our 'burgeoning population,' of course.  

There are plenty of articles about lab-grown 'meat.' Below are just two links to articles. 

https://www.wired.com/story/lab-grown-meat/

https://www.wired.com/story/lab-grown-meat/

So we see declining standards of living because of a burgeoning population.

Mass immigration

But here's an idea. How about we control our population, and then we won't have to tolerate an erosion of our living standards? 

The birth rates in Western countries is already only at, or even below, replacement.  In third world countries, it is very high, and the living standard low.  And so enormous numbers of people emigrate, looking for a better life.  And this is why our population is soaring.

But taking in immigrants does not ease the pressure of population in their home countries. There are always more babies in those countries, especially as in most of the worst areas, contraception is either unavailable or against the religion. 

So now, too much pressure is put onto Western nations, who have to try to cope with the never-ending floods of immigrants, some of whom find it difficult to integrate, and more who choose not to try. 

Instead of accepting millions of new immigrants until we end up as poor and overcrowded as the worst nations are now, we should aim for a stable population for ourselves by a strict limit on immigration, and provide as much education and family planning clinics as possible in their countries of origin. Not many mothers really want a dozen children.  In many countries, they have no choice.

There is nothing wrong in looking after ourselves. I do not want to lose our land to more and more development, I like to see grazing stock, and I want my children and grandchildren to have the option of country living if they choose it.  

Don't be fooled by the pretense that things are merely fashionable when they are disguises for declining standards of living

Treachery from Within

The quote below is attributed to Marcus Tullius Cicero.  From Google, Cicero was 'a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. Cicero is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.'

'A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gates freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor, he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.'

I have seen this quoted several times recently, and that is because Western countries are now faced with 'the enemy within.'   Those admitted, often accepted as refugees, have taken their place in our home countries.  Many became useful citizens, but many others have never accepted that the values of their old homes should be forgotten,  even when those values were what made their old homes an unsafe place to be.  So now we see crimes we seldom saw before, and we see other people's agenda being pushed even from within our own government.


We MUST NOT have anyone whose values conflict with those of Australia representing us in parliament, Federal or State, or even in for local councils.

So who should be permitted to represent us in government?  

1. They must be an Australian citizen.  There can be no dual citizens permitted.  They must be Australian and Australian only.  Australian citizenship should not be easily granted. 

2. We cannot have in parliament any individual who believes in an ideology whose 'holy' books advocate what to us are crimes - from the beating of wives to the killing of 'infidels.' That would mean that no believing Muslim could represent Australia.

3. Every single person who represents us in local, state or federal government should be, not only an Australian citizen, but Australian born. This will not eradicate the possibility of treachery from within, but it will reduce it.  Some will act against Australian interests because of ideology, and some, sadly, will take bribes. 


Australian Citizenship.

1. Instead of four years permanent residency, there should be a requirement of fifteen years of residence and productivity.  That means not on welfare. 

2. There should have been no trouble from the applicant more than one or two parking tickets. There is theoretically a 'good character' requirement in place at the moment, but it is absurdly lenient.

3. Citizenship should not be granted to anyone merely because they are born in Australia. 

4.Citizenship should not be granted merely because one marries an Australian citizen. It is a privilege, not a right.



Who should be permitted to vote?

1. They must be an Australian citizen.

2. They must not be in prison.

3. If a person has committed an offence with a penalty of more than one year's imprisonment, they should permanently lose their right to vote. 

4. They should be aged eighteen or over.

5. Anyone who has been out of the country for more than five years should not be permitted to vote. They would be insufficiently familiar with the issues, and some expatriates would be feeling a geater loyalty to the country they live in rather than the country they have left behind.  


A lot of people will be thinking that all of this is absurd, maybe xenophobic, maybe 'racist,' certainly 'Islamophobic.'  It is not.  It is defence of our own country and our own way of life.

Treachery is happening.  It is treachery from within.



Local Councils:

At the moment, there are different and more lenient rules to run for election to local councils. They were devised when local councils understood their responsibility was to do with local development, garbage collection, the upkeep of roads, and so on.  But in recent years, they have become more political, and sometimes, treacherous.  

1. Australia Day/ Anzac Day.  Several local councils, mostly Sydney ones,  are attacking Australia Day as 'divisive.'  Some have stopped having naturalisation ceremonies on that day.  (Naturalisation means granting Australian citizenship.)  To attack Australia Day is to attack Australian values.  Anzac Day, likewise. 

2. Political Activism:  Councils collect rates to pay for their responsibilities. It is wrong to use these rates to pay for political campaigns.  An example is Sydney Council  spending $110,000 on the yes side of the campaign for same-sex marriage. That was late 2017.   
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-01/city-of-sydney-flies-vote-yes-flags/8862472

That was an abuse of their power, but it was not really treacherous. This one could certainly be regarded as treacherous, that a council has sent ratepayers' money to Gaza.  Gaza is ruled by Hamas, which is a terrorist organisation.   Some councils advocate a boycott of Israel. 
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/canterbury-bankstown-council-sends-ratepayer-money-to-international-conflict/news-story/649e0e69c5d78dce9cab78f2c171855f

3. Development not in the interests of the rate-payers.  
There are many countries who are happy to invest in Australia, and there are some members of councils eager to reap rewards by accommodating them. Some, no doubt, are influenced by bribes, (maybe called 'donations,')  but a Chinese-Australian, for instance, might be happy to swing a vote toward China's interests rather than Australia's interests.  Others might be influenced by idealism, maybe that he feels that the idea of a country that acts only in its own interests is no longer in line with his 'progressive' values. 


State Government:

The same arguments apply to State Governments, especially in regard to problematic development by overseas firms.  It is a shame to see so much of our Australian farmland handed over to overseas interests, whether it is China or India.



Federal Government: 

It is federal government where the capacity for treachery is greatest.  In the past, treachery from within was more rare, simply because people were so much less mobile. Times have changed, and we must protect ourselves.  Otherwise, we could see our own country stolen away from us by traitors from within.

Threat 1 - Commercial Interests

A Chinese-Australian billionaire has been named as someone who bribed a UN official, and is also active in 'donating' to political parties and to universities with the motive of swaying decisions in favour of China. 
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/22/chinese-australian-billionaire-involved-in-un-bribery-case-mp-claims

Penny Wong

There are ministers who are adamant that to try and protect ourselves against foreign ownership of Australian land is somehow 'xenophobic.' 

For example, Labor minister Penny Wong wants to make it easier for foreign investors to buy our farms.  We have fought to protect our country from foreign invaders, and now we are going to simply sell it?  How utterly short-sighted!  

Penny Wong is Malaysian-born.  She is the Senate Shadow Minister for Trade and Investment.  

 https://www.pennywong.com.au/transcripts/abc-radio-national-breakfast-3/

Threat 2 - Political Leverage

 China has been accused of trying to influence Australian politics, and has definitely been doing its best to influence what is taught in universities. Their preferred map, for instance, does not show Taiwan as a separate country.  An Australian senator, Sam Dastyari, (no longer a senator)  was accused of allowing China to influence him. Bribes are alleged. Dastyari was not Australian-born, but whether that was an influence in his flawed loyalties is impossible to say. 

Saudi Arabia donates a great deal of money to Australian universities, though how much influence they manage is debatable.  It is safe to say that little would be taught that criticised the country, and not a thing that criticised its religion. 

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/dastyari-and-chinese-government-influence-australia
http://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/australian-economy/tensions-rise-as-chinese-governments-influence-infiltrates-aussie-universities/news-story/e7768b0bb1f5953a7608884527387372

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/archived/religionreport/saudi-money-australian-universities-and-islam--/3255562

Threat 3 - The 'New World Order.'

 The 'New World Order'  is basically the eradication of borders, the promotion of mass immigration, and the moving toward a single world government. European countries that have relinquished control of some of their powers to the EU is an example. The EU started as a mere 'Common Market.' It has gone a long way further than that now. 

The United Nation has also garnered powers that nation-states have given up. Each time Australia signs a UN agreement, we have less power to decide Australian matters in Australia's interests and no-one else's.  

 Some say there is no such push, others say it is a worldwide conspiracy by the most powerful men in the world.  

http://constitution.org/col/cuddy_nwo.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs-882eP0ag              
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R2XbDbzwPg


Whichever is true, there is no denying that some very influential people appear to want us to drop borders and accept an unlimited number of immigrants - 'globalism.'  Look, for instance, at the amazing hostility to Donald Trump's desire to stop people and contraband flowing in from Mexico.    
Not many ordinary workers like the idea of globalism. Donald Trump's rejection of it was probably one of the main reasons that he was elected US President.  

  

Image taken from the Brexit campaign

Some European countries are fighting back against the imposition by the EU of the acceptance of enormous numbers of immigrants - Poland, for instance.  Other countries are increasingly veering toward what those in power and the media refer to contemptuously as 'far-right' or 'populist' parties.  Italy is one. Maybe in Europe, the pendulum has begun to swing against the suicidal open borders policy.  A recently published books speaks about it -  'The Strange Death of Europe' by Douglas Murray.   

Europe has been betrayed by those in power, and by those working against it from within. 

Threat 4 - Islamisation

In more and more countries, blasphemy laws are being enacted. In practice, what is meant is that criticism of Islam is termed 'hate speech,' and those who commit this 'crime' can be punished.

Sweden: 

There have been so many new immigrants surging into Sweden, immigrants from the sort of third world country that view women as chattels to be used as desired, that it is now known as 'the rape capital of Europe.'  Women are advised not to go out at night.

Police must not 'racially profile' suspects, and statistics are deliberately noncommittal about country of origin of criminals.

It recently came to light that school children were being taught Islam.

People who speak out about the high level of immigration and the dangers of Islam are liable for arrest for 'hate speech.'  Islam has strong laws against 'blasphemy.' It amazes me that a civilised nation pays attention to blasphemy laws, but it seems they do - only against Islam, of course. One can say what you like about Christians.

The Swedes are losing Sweden.There are forecasts that ethnic Swedes will become a minority in their own country within a couple of decades.

https://www.jihadwatch.org/2018/03/sweden-police-to-focus-on-combating-hate-speech
http://www.cvikas.com/2018/05/22/civil-war-erupts-in-sweden-as-86868/


France

In France, they have been in a state of emergency for years. Terrorist attacks are frequent, the latest (at the time of writing) in Marseilles. (May 21st, 2018)

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/two-women-killed-in-suspected-terrorist-attack-in-marseilles-1.3240030



Germany

Germany now has to defend itself against Islamic terrorist attacks including 'rape jihad' such as the infamous attacks in Cologne, New Year's Eve, 2016. There are  'No Go Zones' and the culture has changed. It is very sad.  See the interview below.

https://www.facebook.com/AutumnbreezeMovies/videos/10156121425611223/UzpfSTE1MDgwMjEyODk0NjcwODY6MjA4Mzc1ODc1NTIyNjY2Nw/

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/cologne-attacks-trigger-raw-debate-on-immigration-in-germany-a-1071175.html

https://www.facebook.com/BritainBitesBack/videos/355775868271331/UzpfSTEwMDAwMjg4NjgyODk3MjoxNDcxNjE0MjgyOTQ0Nzg1/


Britain:

London bus with 'Allah is great' on the side.

London police are trying to cope with surging knife crime, a lot of it by recent immigrants. They have a Muslim Lord Mayor and a Muslim Home Secretary.  They have a sign 'Allah is great' on London buses. There are the scandalous 'grooming gangs' or 'rape gangs,' especially targeting underage girls.  The culprits were Muslim, the girls not Muslim.  As the girls were 'infidels,' the abuse is not even wrong according to Islamic law. 

And yet the police appear to be more active in persecuting those who criticise Islam than they are in  the perpetrators or even in those Muslim imams who preach terrorism.

May 25th, 2018, Tommy Robinson was arrested and imprisoned for reporting on a trial of those involved in 'grooming gangs.'

Since the arrest was shown live, and since he did not appear to have been doing anything at all that was 'disturbing the peace,' there is outrage, with many talking of a police state, and others saying he was a racist and got what he deserved.

Left a bacon sandwich,
ended up dead. 

If this man is imprisoned with Muslims, he may very likely not survive.  He was brutally bashed on a previous occasion while in prison. 

There was another who criticised Islam by leaving a bacon sandwich outside a mosque.  He was arrested and sentenced to a year in prison.  For a couple of bacon sandwiches and a sign or two saying 'No Mosques.' He was killed by other inmates. That was also in Britain.  2016.






http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4075328/Man-jailed-leaving-bacon-sandwiched-outside-mosque-dead-prison-half-way-12-month-sentence.html
https://www.facebook.com/OzraeliAvi/videos/931030387021435/UzpfSTMxODcxMTI1ODUyMTA1Mzo2NTY2ODk2MDgwNTY1NDg/
https://www.facebook.com/BritainBitesBack/photos/a.292147614634157.1073741829.292022501313335/404836693365248/?type=3&theater
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-22617339
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11057647/Rotherham-sex-abuse-scandal-1400-children-exploited-by-Asian-gangs-while-authorities-turned-a-blind-eye.html


The Tommy Robinson arrest prompted this article by Bruce Bawer,  written May 26, 2018 

In the 'European Appeasement Olympics,' Britain wins. 

"All right, the competition is over. Britain wins.  For years I thought that Britain's long tradition of open debate and individual liberty would enable it to stand up more firmly to the encroachments of Islam than other Western European countries.

"But I was wrong. It is Britain that is falling fastest to Islam. It is Britain, our mother country, home of the Magna Carta, that is most firmly betraying its own history and values.' 

The above are short extracts.  It is worth reading the full article -

 https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12375/in-the-european-appeasement-olympics-who-wins

The Western World generally:

Some Muslims have bigger ambitions than raping white girls and maybe killing a few infidels.  As the Koran advocates, they feel that the whole world should worship Allah and submit to Islamic law.  Canada, for example. The video below is a Toronto imam explaining why and how Islam will take over in Canada.  With Prime Minister Trudeau apparently bent on placating all things Muslim, they are off to an excellent start. 

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/trudeau-isis-fighters-returning-canada-can-powerful-voice-preventing-radicalization/
http://news.acdemocracy.org/toronto-imam-explains-how-canada-will-gradually-be-transformed-into-an-islamic-state/

https://www.facebook.com/worldnewsfox/videos/vb.605151956348622/707410959456054/?type=2&theater
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4fGa6GBx5g&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tjpcp4gESsU
https://www.facebook.com/OriginalPOAtv/videos/609783209387609/UzpfSTEwMDAxMzA0NTIzNjY0ODo0NDI1ODgwNzI4NTI2OTc/

The ambition is to impose Islam and Sharia (Islamic Law)  on their adopted countries.  No doubt many of the flood of new immigrants into Europe and other Western countries are merely trying to make themselves a new life with productive work.  There are others who are actively trying to choose the country with the most generous social security system.  But there are also those whose ambition it is to have the ummah  cover the whole world and are working toward that goal. The numbers of Muslim immigrants and the fact that they have much bigger families means that the countries will be changed anyway, with or without intent.  (ummah - the Islamic community)  

Most Muslims, luckily, do not support what are generally called extremists, but are more accurately called 'purists' in that they try to follow the instructions of the 'holy' books and the warlike example of Muhammad. 

Below is the link to a video showing radical Muslims being challenged by moderates.

https://www.facebook.com/Channel4News/videos/10153464748691939/UzpfSTY2MjI5MzE5Mzg6Vks6MTAxNTM0NjQ3NDg2OTE5Mzk/

The more that Muslims oppose the extremists, the better for all of us. If only Islam could be reformed to keep only the peaceful aspects, those aspects in keeping with Western law and Western civilization, no-one would have an issue with it, or at least, no more than with any other religion. But since Islam forbids questioning, and asserts its Koran as the final word, that is difficult. And the Sharia punishment for leaving Islam, 'apostasy,'  is death. 

In Australia, there are  many examples of betrayals by those we have taken in, some major, as in jihadist killings by immigrants, often those who have been granted citizenship, others apparently more minor - such as special women only slots at public swimming pools. 

This is Islamisation.  We are witnessing it.  Many of us don't like it one little bit. 


Can countries be lost to Islamisation?  

Of course they can.  Historically, it has happened time and again. Islam was not spread by peaceful means. Muhammad tried that in Mecca, but it didn't work very well, and after he moved from Mecca to Medina,  the ideology of Islam turned to conquest by any means necessary. 

Look at Lebanon.  This was a state that used to be Christian/secular and is now firmly Islamic.  Brigitte Gabriel said: ‘We had open borders and welcomed everyone.  Today, I fight every day to warn my new country, America, to not make the same mistakes.’ 

http://conspiracyfiles.uk/other_files/we-had-open-borders-lebanese-womans-chilling-warning-to-america/

Erdogan

Islamic countries are becoming more strictly Islamic day by day.  The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,  recently made a call to all Muslims, everywhere, to join in the fight against Jews.  (Jews being 'dogs,' of course, and deserving only of death according to the Koran and Islamic teaching.) 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/erdogan-lashes-racist-israel-calls-for-muslims-to-flood-temple-mount/

Indonesia, Egypt, Malaysia, all are becoming more sternly Islamic. Women are feeling more pressure to veil, and in Indonesia, it was declared 'blasphemy' when a Christian candidate said that the Koran did not say that a Muslim had to vote only for a Muslim.  (The Koran doesn't mention voting at all, of course.)  But nevertheless, Ahok is now in prison with a sentence of two years for blasphemy.  And what that means is that Muslims will understand it to be sinful to vote for any other than a Muslim.  It is undoubtedly a factor in the rapid rise of Muslims in powerful positions in politics. In this case, democracy is working against us. 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/09/jakarta-governor-ahok-found-guilty-of-blasphemy-jailed-for-two-years

There are problems when we allow our parliamentary democracy to be undermined by those who are traitors to Australian interests. 

It is time for us to discriminate.  Discrimination is not a bad thing.  We need to discriminate against criminals and we need to discriminate against traitors. 'Multiculturalism' is only successful when the cultures are not too far apart -  Danish, Swedish, Italian, Greek -  these have all integrated successfully.  Later immigrants have not.  

We need to be far more fussy whom we allow into Australia, and far, far more fussy about whom we allow the privilege of citizenship.  As for government, we have to exclude all of those with conflicting loyalties.  We can be fussy if we choose.  It is not 'racist,'  or 'xenophobic' or any of the other adjectives used to stop argument and promote someone else's agenda.  There is no reason why we cannot keep Australia as a  civilised Western nation if we choose.  We only have to choose.

Live Export of animals for slaughter

We have to phase out the export of live animals for slaughter.

When we take on an animal, whether for companionship, for use in sport, or farming for sale as food, we owe a responsibility to that animal, to take care of its wellbeing as best we can. Our dogs and cats, we will usually keep for life, and when it is time, a responsible owner will give them an easy death.  Pet birds in an aviary are kept fed and watered, and so are our goldfish.

We tend to think of  farm animals as different, but all the same, a decent farmer will look after his stock as best as he can, even if they are raised for slaughter. No farmer hurts his stock if he can avoid it. The farmer also has his responsibility to each animal in his care.

Selling a farm animal for slaughter is accepted. It is normal. Usual. But it should not be the end of responsibility for that animal. We would never sell a pet dog for use in illegal dog fights, or our pet cat for target practice. We might sell 300 fat lambs to market, but Australian abattoirs will treat its animals with some consideration, and each animal will be stunned before killing. It is very difficult to kill an animal entirely without hurting it,  but that hurt can be minimised, and must be minimised.

When animals are sent overseas, it is often subjected to Halal slaughter. But this sort of killing is brutal - cutting the throat of an animal while conscious and letting it bleed out. Even if you are Muslim, instructions laid down 1400 years ago should not be a part of today's more enlightened views. Pray over the animal once it is meat on your plate if you like, that will make it Halal enough and even the Koran says that it is not all that important. 

In 2011, there was a row about the appalling treatment of cattle, during the shipping, and particularly,  the treatment they receive in the slaughter house once at its destination.  In a reflex action, the government of the time abruptly shut down the trade. Farmers were thrown into bankruptcy, and the animals left in limbo - I don't know what happened to the cattle which had been waiting for their transport, though I would hope it would have been not as cruel as the transport and then slaughter in some extremely poor abattoirs.

After a time, the ban was dropped. There are supposed to be much better safeguards for the animals now. 

But recently, we saw even more distressing images, this time of dead and dying sheep on a transport ship - overcrowded, not looked after, and in the searing heat of a summer in the Middle East.  It appalled all of us. 

All the same, an abrupt end to live export of either sheep or cattle is not possible without a nasty jolt to our export income, and just as important,  throwing the farmers out of business.  Instead,  there are more safeguards being put in place, more inspectors, rulings about over-crowding, and more severe penalties for non compliance.  

See full report - https://www.sbs.com.au/news/government-makes-live-sheep-export-changes-but-won-t-ban-the-trade

This might help, but it is not enough.  We have a responsibility for our animals, and this trade must be phased out. The phasing out should be over a period of at least five years, and there should be careful attention to the livelihoods of farmers, even if that means government funded abattoirs and freezing plants. I have nothing against the export of frozen or otherwise preserved meat, even to the most barbaric of countries.

Meantime, we must have the decency to see that profit is less important than humanity. We have to stop all live export of animals for slaughter. 

I have not reproduced the appalling pictures of dead and dying sheep we saw recently.  The picture opposite is how we like our sheep - looked after, cared for, whether or not their ultimate destiny is on our dinner plate.