The potential costs of advocating anything other than the official Australian Government position on Ukraine / Russia matters suggest I have to leave. Not that I carry any weight anyway. Nice knowing you all.
RSS- Remnant Soviet Union and the search for past glory
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Why are you so scared? Has Australia become CCP where you can just get disappeared for saying Xi wore his pants one leg at a time.
Oh, yeah! I recall that Australia and its neighbor New Zealand demonstrated how authoritarianism can be brought in so quickly in a western “democracy” during the covidian regime.
It is ironic that there is more freedom of speech in former communist countries than in let’s say UK, Australia or Canada where you can easily get in trouble for not towing the government line. And it is not just about Ukraine, but other issues like Covid vaccination for example.
Walrus
It appears the freedom to speak as one’s conscience dictates was an all too brief deviation from the norm. Authoritarianism and censorship are coming back with a vengeance in the West. The bitter irony of course is that the rise of China and Russia is one of the excuses our governments give for destroying what is left of the freedoms which differentiate our societies from theirs.
You are a particularly bright ironic point of light and I hope you can find some way to stick around here whatever you decide you must do. My very best wishes.
Walrus – Keep in touch. Even though we disagree on much, I’d not want to lose your insight on the few things we do somewhat agree on.
They saw that Walrus ends in rus, and that Wal is law spelled backwards.
Don’t feel bad. I am banned very frequently. Because my handle ends with ong they assume I’m wrong or maybe from China.
Walrus
Use my approach. I piss off both sides. They can fight over me :- )
Holding a contrary position is what freedom of speech is. Actively working to aid an enemy is different, although authoritarians don’t do nuance well. Your comments are always reasonable and well stated. Like a few other commenters here, I read them more than once, and again on the next day.
Walrus, you have joined the “Fifth Columnist Brigade,” Welcome to the club!!!!
My final post will be when I post we all knew how this will end around Februray!!!
Watch out for Stasi Koala’s, trust me the bite…lol
Walrus,
I have benefited from and enjoyed your point of view here at Turcopolier. Sorry to see you go.
Walrus; I never agree w/anyone at all times on the Col’s. Log. Be of good cheer; that includes you! But you have always been civil, smart, and thoughtful. God bless and good luck. You’ll be back (on another “handle”???).
Bil Roche
Walrus,
Please stick around. Your comments are very good for my morale and to reassure me that I am not crazy. Even if this were not the case I would still want you to stick around on the grounds that your thinking is well reasoned and well considered.
Sad.
A light is going out.
You are the second after Patrick Armstrong.
Canada, Australia, what have you done to the freedom of expression?
Courage, this war that threatens us will end.
Who are more afraid of their government, you Aussies or the Canucks? Your father was an incredible man who sailed an open boat from Luzon to Australia in 1942. The Japs would have killed him if they had caught him. C’mon man! “THIS is a knahfe!”
I thought the US encouraged freedom of speech until, after years of sustained efforts resulting in heaps of positive karma, I was thrown out of Reddit.
Costs imposed by whom? The AustraliaGov? Perhaps there is a way to send comments under deepest cover to a trusted person who will repost them under a totally different name?
Yes this war in Ukraine is a good example of corporate change management.The people on the ground have little say.Just don’t try to get in the way.
Here is an Australian themed poem to cheer you up
Bum bag sag
I saw an old man pushing
A trolley down the street
He was shuffling
No shoes on his feet
I asked where’s he at
Could I get him some push
Like under the hat
That grows on a bush
Said he had the bum bag sag
Was all cashed up
Gonna put it on a nag
At the melbourne cup
Had a mate
Who played the dark arts
With tricks on his plate
A man of many parts
Could summon a wakt
From a juju bowl
Smoke a fresh khat
Slide down the rabbit hole
Pull out the ouija board
Get some answers
From the dark lord
Take his chances
Cut a long story short
At odds twenty to one
The ticket he bought
Was the horse that won
I saw an old man pushing
A trolley down the street
He was shuffling
New shoes on his feet
Walrus,
It’s time for you to run for office.
Sad to hear this news, Walrus. I’ve always appreciated your contributions here over the years. Best wishes from Cape Cod Bay!
Walrus..I Like a Good Debate..And Your Input on this Forum..I Will honestly Miss Your Tusks..Be Weall..Stay Safe..
JT
Dear Walrus,
thank you for informing and educating me; I hope you can return again to inform and educate us all as soon as possible.
Happy trails, until we meet again.