I was touched by the tribute that Les Paul got following his death at 92. Reuters today has a nice article about this kindly, clever, talented, innovative man.

It’s interesting when people die how they are remembered. Les Paul spent his life as a musician and, with his wife, Mary Ford, had a string of hits amongst which was ‘How High The Moon’ and ‘Mocking Bird Hill.’ He is a member of many Halls of Fame.

He also was heavily involved in developing guitars and came up with the solid guitar which he felt created a more true sound than the hollow wooden guitar. He worked with the Gibson company in guitar development and many guitarists around the world are in his debt.

Of course he is not a household name. His life was not filled with serious controversy.

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Friends, I was going to do a post on a news report I saw of the gang rape of a four year old girl by Government troops in the Congo. In that primitive country, Kabila urges his troops to rape. It is a tool of Government policy against the rebels. So they rape girls, boys and women whenever they can.

I found myself so horrified by the prospect and the horrific details that it involves I just couldn’t do it.

It’s amazing how humans, when given the authority to do disgusting, brutal things, carry them out so enthusiastically. The Germans did it to gays, gypsies, intellectually disabled folk, Jews, etc, in WW2. The Israelis have been doing it to the Palestinians for 60 years. The Serbs did it to the Muslims minority in Yugoslavia. In Cambodia and China, millions were killed on the orders of Pol Pot and Mao.

Even countries which claim they are civilized engage in many forms of torture as well as serial invasions and occupations and are guilty of countless war crimes involving civilians.

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So, instead I’ve decided to do a post on something nice. It does happen in this severely troubled world though sometimes we tend to forget it. There are pockets of decent, caring people everywhere.

Such folk generate scenes like the one shown below. May they one day run the world and bring peace!

All children (and their pets) deserve love, respect,

security and happiness.

Friends, this slight, beautiful, gentle woman has just had another 18 months added to her house arrest which has consumed 14 of the last 20 years of her life.

She, Aung San Suu Kyi, committed the crime of leading a successful democracy movement in Burma, something that the Military Generals felt interfered with their despotic control of the small nation. So they have put her in limbo for 14 years while they got on with controlling every aspect of life in Burma.

Her most recent crime? An American swam across a lake and entered her home which the authorities said abrogated the terms of her house arrest. What was she to do: overpower the man and throw him back into the lake?

Of course, there is supposed to be an election next year and the brutal Military Junta didn’t want someone as popular as Suu Kyi to stir the pot and awaken the Burmese citizens to the horrors of their military dictatorship. So when the American undertook his swim, it gave them a perfect opportunity to further neuter a popular leader of democratic change.

All over the world people are subjected to oppression and denial of freedom.

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These Palestinians don’t feel much goodwill towards Israel.

I wonder why?

Friends, according to ICH this morning a goodwill delegation of 25 American GOP lawmakers has visited Israel. They engaged in much backslapping and promised Israel their undying support.

This follows on from a similar goodwill visit by the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Julia  Gillard, and thirty other Australian VIPs a few weeks ago. And in a few days 30 lawmakers from Obama’s Democratic Party are to visit Israel on a goodwill visit.

Now I have to admit to being confused by all this goodwill. Perhaps there’s something about Israel that I don’t know, something valuable, something worthy. I thought long and hard about it and came up with the following list of things that might be in the minds of these gushing well-wishers.

They might have wanted to congratulate Israel:

- for killing so many people in Gaza recently with so few casualties of their own – 1400 plus to 9 (most of the 1400 were civilians and kids).

- for leveling most of Gaza’s infrastructure without using earth moving equipment.

- for building so many illegal settlements so quickly hence breaking many construction records.

- for excellence in concrete wall building, something that might rival the Great Wall of China.

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Friends, this image shows a famous art work. It is the Mona Lisa and it usually hangs in the Louvre. It contrasts strongly with the hideous image I used in my last post.

Both images show the creative potential of the human species. At one extreme we have a thing of beauty, something that has been admired for centuries by hundred of thousands (if not millions). The enigmatic smile, the quiet serenity have been captured perfectly on canvas using oils and brushes.  The impact of the painting (which I’ve seen many times) is extraordinary. The artist, Leonardo da Vinci, is world famous both for this and other wonderful works in the Vatican.

At the other extreme, we have an image of the burned bodies of some of the hundreds of thousands killed in an atomic explosion in Japan, one of two. To achieve this feat required a great deal of creativity.

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Hiroshima.  August 6th 1945.  Another human milestone!

Which city will be next?  Tehran? Pyongyang? Islamabad?

Which country will do the honours?

Two guesses!

Friends, the thought occurred to me today that the world would be a different place, perhaps a better place,  if humans became blind (perhaps because some pandemic virus attacked the optic nerves).

Think about it a bit. If we couldn’t see we couldn’t:

- shoot or bomb other people. That would bring about peace.

- fall in love with ourselves.

- be turned on by cleavage or tight trousers.

- drive cars, which would lessen global warming.

- watch Hollywood violence.

- be affected by conspicuous consumption or advertising.

- be influenced by men wearing dresses, funny hats and waving smoking things.

But we would:

- become more sympathetic to others.

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Will this be your final moment?

Friends, early this morning the Federal Police, the Victorian Police, the NSW Police, ASIO, etc, were involved in raids on a large number of homes in Victoria. Their target was some Lebanese and Somali folk who were Australian citizens. At this early stage, four people have been arrested though more are being questioned.

These citizens were apparently involved in a plan to raid an Australian Army Base and to kill as many soldiers as possible before they committed suicide. The reason? To avenge Muslims killed by Australian troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Of course, some terrorists are already in jail for for planning other attacks. It is just a matter of time before a terrorist attack is successful and many Australians are killed. When that happens there will be a lot of hand wringing and there may even be some soul searching but it will be too late.

The folly of Australia blindly following American warmongering has again been highlighted. Australian politicians seem to think that supporting America will make us safe when the truth is that it puts us in increasing danger. Our politicians, like those in America, think that killing people  solves problems, that it brings peace. An honest look at Iraq today shows what really happens when war occurs.

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Home, sweet hom…gone!

Friends, imagine if you can how it might feel if, one morning, there was a knock on your door. When you opened it uniformed police stood there and they came in and told you that you were being evicted. Then, despite your protests, they dragged you and your crying family outside where you were forcibly restrained.

Then a gang of men appeared and piece by piece, they removed every loved item from your home and roughly stacked it in the street. Then, once it was empty, either your home was demolished before your eyes or, worse still, settlers appeared and began moving their belongings into your house, one that you owned and had title to, one that might have been in your family for generations.

Then a truck arrived and your belongings were loaded onto it.  No care was taken. Then you and your hysterical family were taken a few kilometres away and deposited by the side of a road. Imagine standing there, your home gone, your life shattered, your children weeping and nowhere to go.

Friends, what I saw this morning on the CNN news was the eviction routine that involved owners out,  settlers in, and the dumping of the family and furniture alongside a road. It was horrible to watch, frightening even.

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During our life, beautiful moments are rare,

Some we can’t remember; that’s not fair!

Once  we were held closely by loving arms,

Feeling safe and protected has such charm.

Would we could recall that precious time,

When periods of bliss were yours and mine.