Good taxpayer funded Infrastructure investment looks like this.

There’s something fishy about the Northern Australia Infrastructure Development Fund. For a start it makes up the kind of acronym, (NAIDF) that’s very difficult to pronounce. C’mon, you try, “NAI-DF”. We at pcbycp who love acronyms would have preferred the very simple ‘FAIND’ (Fund Another Indian Development Fraud), but bureaucrats don’t like making it personal. They’re above board, and free from the taint of corruption. That’s how they operate in the interests of the public, as objective and unbiased. And that’s a good thing. It makes us feel due process is being served.

Two of the board members of the NIDF have shareholder interests in mining, that could be a conflict of interest. Downer, who funds lots of private public partnerships and other odd bits of infrastructure are pretty good shares to have. We have a sneaking suspicion that Downer EDI could be one of those big companies that get big contracts and don’t pay much tax. They’ll be building the taxpayer funded railway and they allegedly grow the economy by funding projects like this.

Twiggy. Beneficiary of taxpayer concessions generously gives some of it back to his favourite causes as taxpayer funded philanthropy.For which he gets a tax break. (again)

Bad investment is when  public money is diverted to education, technology, research and health. That’s what the Treasurer says. he’s a bit like Mr Adani. He wants ‘big picture’ investment. Mr Adani employs accountants in the Cayman Islands or sone other bit of ol Empire like London to grow his own personal economy. This ensures viable work for those who benefit from his largesse, the letter lickers, the chauffeur, and the house butler. Though he doesn’t ever go there, he has nice houses in these and other exclusive locations. And why? It’s a bit like the Chinese couple who bought the house in Hawthorn for 9 mil, and then demolished and want 17 mil after leaving the site, (which once held a beautiful, outstanding example of late Edwardian architecture), because they could. It’s not greed, it’s the trickle down effect. To anoint us with a 17 million empty block so that Edwardian splendour can be replaced with a very nice Sino-Georgian architectural statement, that takes up the entire block. Point made.

Fallen woman, and angry. They like that in Queensland.

The Queensland treasurer is going to fast track the money to Adani, and see this rail built by hook or by crook. Good on him, there’ll be jobs for the odd railways track layer and some jobs in a Chinese rail-yard for the trucks. Because there’s no point in employing Australians to make the rolling stock and the rail is way to expensive also. Better we get them to do it, another instance of the trickle down effect. It’s what makes the project a boon for Queensland. Queenslanders like to be right and they’ll go to amazing lengths to prove that this is good infrastructure, and not some soft-cock la-de-da piece of nature like the Great Barrier Reef and Eco tourism for lefty poofta tree hugging international wankers.

Chapelle. Another fallen woman. Queenslanders Love it!

But there are more important things about being a Queenslander than digging stuff up, hating poofters and clearing the land of troublemakers. That’s providing a safe haven for Shapelle. She’s back and Queenslanders know once again, that the outside world is a dangerous place, down south is way too far down, and god-fearing and hating foreigners, (excepting that nice bloke Mr Adani) is on the go. And with Shapelle free there’s heaps better things to do than look at rainforests, coral and natural things of wonder and beauty. She’s a cultural icon. We identify with her. Like Pauline, she’s a fallen woman. And that’s reassuring, it makes us feel more normal. In Queensland that’s due process. And there’s no conflict of interest in that either.

Abe screams with pain. Another Trump handshake victim.

We are flummoxed as to what to do with Donald on public occasions. Though the Saudi’s were happy to cement their special relationship with the US military for a hundred billion trillion, they were seen to be hot on the phone to the other alpha male Vladimir for some sage advice. Unfortunately Vlad, was not answering their calls. “He’s tricky that way”, a CIA spokesman was overheard to say. “One moment he’s giving us everything we need on Hillary, the next he’s AWOL The fact that they won in Stalingrad is nothing short of effin amazing’.

Macron sidesteps the handshake.

Recently leaked files from ASIO senate hearings on un-Australian behaviour indicate the Department for Foreign affairs, The AFP and the standing committee on poise and decorum are at sea on the subject. But some clues may give an insight. The leaked report indicates the latest determinations on this vexed subject. The Merkel non-shake, (now referred to a ‘Merkel Gate’) caused a sensation. But as the report confidentially reveals it were nothing compared to the turmoil faced by Malcolm Turnbull. On the issues of the handshake policy options the authors were critical.

The paper represents these principles in dot point.

Option 1 go the handshake, or reject the handshake’, just keep smiling.

Option 2 go the sideway deceptor (Trudeau).

option 3 go the Saudi King, and in frustration seek redemption from Allah.

Option 4 go the Shinzo Abe, a handshake that hurts.

Option 5 go the Macron, break the buggers hand.

Option 6 Go the Montenegro, push the bastard aside.

Shirtfront. A viable option.

From the AIS, (Australian Sports Institute no less) comes the decision to adopt a sideways, rugby AFL fusion, part tackle part ruck, and confuse the Donald in mid poise. As head of security detailed in his recent talk to a shocked audience at the recent “basket full of implausibles” conference at the recent “Not Another Writers Festival”.

Rugby tackle. AFL, ARL fusion as defense against Trump handshake.

‘We made Donald, When we corporatised and privatised society into winners and losers. Didn’t hear you complaining then. This is what you get. He’s the office psycho at large. And the worst thing is that you folk at the Wheeler Centre just don’t get it. You haven’t evolved strategies to tackle him other than head-on. You never tackle a Donald head-on. You’ve gotta tire him and then move in for the kill. Look at this video of Ali, he taints his opponent and then runs around. Donald will not be able to keep up, and then as he staggers move in for the kill. This is what Vladimir would do, and perhaps what whoever it is who runs China. They get it. You egg heads are too busy being shocked to understand sport tactics. And because you had you head buried in books you mistook his behaviour and humanity for your own distorted bubble of like minded beret wearers.

But we have a solution, to book-end him. This requires principles both learnt in footy and rugby. When the Donald is on stage, go both sides, wedge him, shirtfront him and then, bring him down.

The tragedy, (addressing the stunned crowd) no one would do it. You’re all soft cocks! There’s only one man who can bridge the gap. A man who knows no fear and can provide a bridge between the talkers and the walkers, the bankers and the other wankers. For that man, his hour has come’……

Enter Mark Latham.

Hologram of the  PM, talking Constitutional reform. ( image taken at the Twiggy Forrest Foundation breakfast)

At last some real progress on Aboriginal reconciliation. In a startling turnaround at the Federal level there seems to be some real progress on constitutional reform. The Prime Minister was on hand to announce that constitutional change was inevitable; “For too long Aboriginal Australians have felt the ignominy of being not recognised in the Australian Constitution. This regrettable oversight reflects upon those who drafted the Constitution in the 1890’s. It’s time to right past wrongs and include these people as REAL People. We must work towards a treaty that clearly recognises Aboriginal Australians as the first peoples of this country. We did so much in 1967, but we must do more. Give them the recognition they (the Aboriginal People) truly deserve’.

On hand to add weight to the Prime Minsters’ lofty praise the former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, lauded the groundbreaking work he undertook singly and entirely on his own with the apology. He reminded the near empty corridor at the prestigious Wheeler Centre that it was he alone who took the mace by the hand and demonstrated true leadership on recognising past wrongs.

Former PM Kevin Rudd, exaggerating the size of his testimonials.

“When I made the apology, I put foremost our duty of care for all Australians, and demonstrated by my good word that Aboriginal Australians deserve a fulsome apology that went to the very core of my sense of fairness. When I upped the Intervention, I assured them that as P.M I was STILL very sorry indeed. Bloody sorry, you even accepted my apology in the first place. And the astounding statistics for incarceration, mortality and general disenfranchisement I take full credit for. I’m still sorry, and this is the most important part, I’m terribly sincere’.

Pausing for a reverie of quite deserved self congratulation, Mr Rudd, sipping on a Perrier and preparing to take a selfie on his smart phone was rudely pushed aside by another former Prime Minister. Who, wrenching the rostrum from the bemused former greatest P.M (EVER), railed at the one journalist;

Former PM for Aboriginal Australians recognises chief of other tribe recognised in the Constitution.

“I was the PM for all Aboriginal Australians, and I can tell you that after living with them for a whole week, I know how to give em recognition. You do it like this…..

The Token will look like this. After lobbying from Barnaby Joyce; ‘agriculture, sheep, cows and other unlisted Australians, should also share the glory of Constitutional recognition’.

Before Mr Rudd had time to gather himself he was held in the vice like grip of a full-Nelson. Mr Rudd turning blue, the Perrier spilling from his quavering lips was unable to retaliate as the ‘PM for Aborigines’, proclaimed, ‘By hugging, and a bit of boxing, you can show em how it’s done! And they’ll learn a bit of self respect. And I have a better plan than all those other P.M’s. A new medal is to be minted upon constitutional recognition, which will be distributed to all Aboriginal Australians, even those who don’t look all that Aboriginal, (winking to the lone reporter who reveals himself as Andrew Bolt). Yes Andrew, we’re gonna give em all this fine commemorative medal. They can even wear it on ANZAC Day marches. It’s a symbol of trust and solidarity, and from advice for the American First Nations looks very nice indeed. It’s called “The Token”. A token of our esteem for them behaving like civilised people.

And you can take it from the highest authority, (points upwards) it’ll demonstrate that with citizenship and constitutional recognition comes the over-riding principle that comes to all unelected, and non corporate members of our society. The knowledge, they’ll once and for all KNOW THEIR PLACE!!

And we can all get along, (How’s Rupert getting on Andrew?) with governing the country’.

FAIR HOUSE to Al and Janet
By Lionel G Fogarty

But Al and Janet house is right looking
But the read + write
They have a house on stolen Koori land.
But it’s their house
The dreamtime won’t hurt this house,
Al’s an Aussie now, a once was Americano,
While Janet the editor.
They own many white materials
Both are nice, even speak English
They know of dark people’s
Have an alcoholic or two.
So this is Al’s man fields house
Yo this is Janet women fields house
We come to give blessing for their house
The power of friend’s + family’s will share over new windows.
Good nesting the new will stay bright,
Rainbow will seek on doors of their house.
Hope no robbery happen on the way of these new surrounding.
May your sunshine ray your morning light of your house?
Al and Janet dance and sing now for joys of safe are in your hands.
Just remember to pay the rent to the Kooris.
But Al and Janet let me say, rain hail cold even heat will hold on,
Your new foot step flood paths.
Don’t forget the land was stolen from Kooris, but the house is not,
For it as the living sense.
With love respect nature gave us all a house yet this house is yours.
Al’s and Janet place don’t have to chance dreams it’s in front now.
All best AL and Janet may the glasses be broken and roofs are growing.

Lionel G Fogarty

Ngurrju mayi?

Not long after we arrived in Australia in the late 1950’s the potato crop failed. Spuds sold at two shillings sixpence a pound. To put that into context you could buy a crayfish for eight shillings until some smartalec decided to change the name to Australian rock lobster and export them to North America.

(this is not a photo of the original shield)

My father dug up the back yard and planted a crop of potatoes. Unbeknownst to us, 500Km west of us, Nangala’s father was planting a crop of potatoes in the two small paddocks that he owned. In the process he unearthed a carved shield similar to what Warlpiri call a mirta but decorated with short angular parallel carved grooves. Nangala had no doubt it was an Aboriginal artefact. Her mother would have none of it. It must have come from New Guinea and someone had carelessly dropped it where it was found, she proclaimed.

https://www.google.com.au/searchq=australian+aboriginal+shields&rlz=1C1GGGE_enAU395AU395&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOgonK9obUAhWJVrwKHcXbD5MQ_AUICigB&biw=1280&bih=918#imgrc=Csk4sgSj3vvpIM:

So deeply ingrained in the white-Australian psyche was the belief that the prior inhabitants of the Lucky Country were feckless, simple, primitive, uncivilized savages, that it was just impossible to entertain the possibility that the local natives had created such a beautiful object. It must have come from New Guinea and someone had carelessly dropped it where it was found.

(this is not a photo of the original tree)

The next year potatoes were threepence a pound.

A couple of decades later, Nangala visited her childhood home in the Western District and took some photos of a large gum tree (eucalypt) on a side road not far from the New Guinea artefact paddock. The tree had a scar on its trunk. A meter and a half long oval shaped piece had been deeply cut out of the tree. The tree isn’t far from the Glenelg river, undoubtedly a small canoe had been carved out of the tree.

The next year the tree was gone.

https://www.google.com.au/searchq=aboriginal+canoe+tree&rlz=1C1GGGE_enAU395AU395&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjGzZ7w-YbUAhUCxbwKHVEbDhgQ_AUIBigB&biw=1280&bih=918#imgrc=3w7trRqO9-beyM:

In Bruce Pascoe’s book ‘Dark Emu’, I read that some Western District farmers had removed all traces of stone houses from their properties. These stone houses pre-dated the white colonial invasion. This vandalism was prompted by a perceived threat from pending Heritage Legislation.

The canoe tree’s fate may have been sealed by the same fear, or perhaps the tree was chopped up for firewood, and the scar not recognised for what it was.

Too blind to see it. Too blind to see what you are doing…..(Kym Sims)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXMwMNUGcz4

“Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence” is a quote attributed to Napoleon. Sans aucun doute he would have said it in French.

He might as well have used “ignorance” in lieu of “incompetence”.

It may well be ignorance which drives the fear and loathing, but all too often are the descendants of the First Australians at the receiving end of malice. Pure unadulterated malice.

Kutcha Edwards – Is This What We Deserve ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LClzKSWEDLM

Writers Kim Mahood— Position Doubtful —and Bruce Pascoe —Dark Emu — recently held a session in Queenscliff at which Bruce spoke on seeds harvesting for flour. A Western District farming couple turned up bearing a large mortar and pestle they’d dug up on their property 30 years ago. Not for a moment did they suggest the mortar and pestle originated in New Guinea.

Neither do the countless grinding stones which can be found lying about in the Tanami (the region Yuendumu lies in) emanate from New Guinea.

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=aboriginal+grinding+stone&rlz=1C1GGGE_enAU395AU395&tbm=isch&imgil=gtRUzHB_JGGDBM%253A%253BVLnj8WXdVs2FWM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.pinterest.com%25252Fpin%25252F392868767472836523%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=gtRUzHB_JGGDBM%253A%252CVLnj8WXdVs2FWM%252C_&usg=__iDRFUZ55ZBmjCE1iTuUWshyNAGg%3D&ved=0ahUKEwjj6_aGhYfUAhXEi5QKHSJ4DEQQyjcINw&ei=WLQkWePfJ8SX0gSi8LGgBA&biw=1280&bih=918#imgrc=gtRUzHB_JGGDBM:

I was alerted to a book (published last year) by John Newton- The Oldest Foods on Earth.  I haven’t read it as yet but all information indicates this is yet another recent book which unlike many older books about Aboriginal Australia is well written, nuanced and positive.

At a snail’s pace the deliberately obliterated and distorted pre-contact and recent  (and current!) Australian Aboriginal History is being resurrected.

Attitudes and perceptions are improving as a result. At a snail’s pace.

It is writers (and readers) who are leading the charge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjpDssaf2uI Things can only get better… D-Ream

And now a bit of pissing in the wind aimed at those people most unlikely to read these Dispatches let alone understand them:

Remember the tortoise and the hare you miserable xenophobic assimilationists.

You misanthropic dog whistlers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8Kyyvdc-ns Who do you think you are running around leaving scars…. Christina Perri

You ethnocentric self righteous know-alls don’t know what you are missing. Or perhaps your sense of identity is so fragile that to admit the existence of another unquestionably Australian identity is a threat to your self-perception. We Australians speak English yet don’t identify as English. Some of you would perhaps feel better if all Aboriginal languages disappeared, so we would all be in the same fragile identity boat (canoe).

Take a look in the mirror sometimes and ponder what you see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5i1vVgkdu4  Gunner Scott “What Gives You My Rights?”

The race is far from over. Hurry up tortoise, or the hare might  (heaven forbid) yet win.

 Ngaka nangku nyanyi,

Jungarrayi

PS- we have a few copies of Kim Mahood’s book Position Doubtful for sale in our shop for $AUS 30

For $AUS40 we’ll post them by ordinary mail anywhere. All proceeds to be reinvested in books of relevance to us out here at the front.

All we need is a postal address, all you need are our banking details (provided on request)

PPS- A forum to mourn the 10^th Anniversary of the Intervention will be held on the 29^th June at RMIT Melbourne. Jakamarra Nelson has been invited to speak, and Harry has appointed me as his cultural advisor! We hope to drive home the message that the Intervention is far from over.

Dear reader, It was almost fifty years ago today, that the Beatles released their acclaimed ‘Sergeant Peppers’. Arguably not as good as ‘Revolver’, not as quirky as ‘Rubber Soul’, and not as disconnected as ‘White Album’. it was nonetheless the very first concept album, (if you discount the Rolf Harris Christmas Songbook Album) pre-dating the Small Faces’ “ Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake” by some several months and the Who’s ‘Tommy’ opus by almost a year.

And it was listenable. So listenable, it became a soundtrack for a generation. And though the Beatles have been played to death and everything even remotely associated with “Pepper’, memorabilia, (and all the most annoying obscure facts about what the fab four had for breakfast), it is significant because it represents the zenith of their creative powers, (according to our experts) and was firmly “BY”.

That means Before Yoko.

‘Ogdens Nut Gone Flake’, Small Faces. Even more interactive album cover. And it was round. Origin of the term; “In the round”.

Yoko’s influence had not yet impacted upon the band, and like their namesake “the Rutles”, the Beatles were still actively being creative. Why is this so? It had something to do with Brian Epstein, and something else to do with the pre download era, in which people actually had to buy a record in the first place. And they couldnt see the band live even if they tried, because by this stage the Beatles had given up touring.

Revolver. Set the Pace, and Klaus Voorman did the cover art. Enter the psychedelic age.

The album sold a billion trillion copies, and was still in the top fifty annual sales well into the mid 70’s. And it courted controversy, The brooding “Day in the Life’ was banned because it suggested that Blackburn Lancashire was a hole, and that travelling on busses led to dementia. Sensationally the band made references to LSD, ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’, which was also banned, though its author John Lennon insisted it was really an anagram for ‘Lesser Serious Dag’. Which was a fitting sobriquet to their previous album ‘Revolver’. Typically the only song not banned by the BBC was a Paul Macartney number, which was sacharrine, syrupy and sauteed in sentimentalism.

The album was imitated by a generation of musicians, who were either inspired by the cover art, or like many learnt the art of augmented grooves-manship, to allow the needle to skip the Paul Macartney tracks and make the album really worthwhile.

The influence remains to this day. Malcolm Turnbull cites ‘Within you without you’ as the most enduring tribute to Tony Abbott, and Bill Shorten stands by his conviction that “  Getting better” inspired him to reduce his pubic speaking engagements,

Paul Macartney and Michael Jackson. They deserved each other.

Since ‘Pepper’ few have emulated the success of the Beatles, and this is because records are harder to come by, hideously expensive, and no one can be bothered printing the gate sleeve, the stickers and the quirky cut-outs that accompanied the album concept. Though The Small Faces “Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake” did all that and more with the first ever circular album cover, which also sold well, but not quite as well. All the rights to Beatles songs were bought by Michael Jackson, and ever since the black vinyl records in collections have progressively gone white, (not to the confused with the ‘White Album’) then black again. Something to do with the pigment of the vinyl the experts say.

Donald points out to King whatisname; ” In America we only castrate drinkers who are black and on a Sunday’.

Good news that Donald Trump has made an historic visit to Saudi Arabia. Apart from the 110 billion in arms sales the Saudi’s know quite a bit about human rights. They’re a sophisticated society and Donald is quite right to spare the Saudi’s the ignominy of being isolated as a potential source of hardline terrorists. Admittedly the people who made 9/11 happened, were from Saudi Arabia. Osama Bin Laden was from Saudi Arabia. And that hardline brand of, fixated, sexually repressed, misogynist psycho-fundamentalist nut jobs invariably come from Saudi Arabia. There is one important distinction that separates them from other moderate, civilised muslim countries. It’s a pure distinction.

Vladimir demonstrates ‘small people communication device’.

The citizens from other countries banned from the U.S are not Nice. Whereas, King, (what’s his name?), is terribly nice. He knows how to look after a U.S President who’s in a bit of strife. They understand power. And they also understand the value of luxury cars, property portfolios and several submissive, (any number will do) wives. These fellows are well educated, like to dress up, and know the difference between a Dom Perignon 52 and a Bollinger 38. Though the Saudi’s don’t drink, (we hear the punishment these days is castration) they know the value of such things, in gold, oil, and human lives. Other more moderate muslim nations just don’t get that sort of thing. That’s the cachet Donald needs when he talks Turkey. Incidentally Turkey is also a supposedly a secular state that’s just beyond the pale. A good thing Mr Erdogan is taking it back to its Ottoman glory. That’s what Donald wants to do, take the USA back to its former glory. He’s fond of saying it, “Make America Grate again,” and right across the world, good folk are looking back, in order to move forward.

Anna Bligh. Awarded No 1# Prostitute award by Vladimir Putin.

Donald talked of building trust and understanding, and then followed his trip to Saudi Arabia with a visit to Israel. The Israelis’ also have an outstanding record on human rights, and they are incidentally hated by all their neighbours. Donald will find succour there, because he’s not generally liked by a lot of old fashioned democracies, including Russia. Vladimir knows about power, and the less invested in the ordinary people the better.

Walking tall with a President. Any one will do.

That’s what the Australian banks think also. They managed to encourage Anna Bligh to head up their banking lobby. Anna knows quite a bit about power, and how to sort things out for mates. That’s what the Queensland Government is trying to do for Mr Adani. In Queensland they understand Mateship and looking after people with power and influence. And to be quite frank, they’re way nicer than ordinary people. On this count Malcolm and Bill are in furious agreement. Same goes for paying a billion trillion dollars for obsolete defence materiel. It’s looking after mates. That’s why Donald is in Saudi Arabia, and why Malcolm, Tony or anyone, will go all out to sit with the President. It might be any President, a President, even of a banking lobby group. Cos when you sit next to a President the power rubs off. That’s important, makes you look big. Even John Howard looked Big next to Dubya. And it says something else. ‘Small people, LOOK OUT! I’m coming to get you’! And that’s reassuring. Shows that keeping the status quo is what makes the world go round. And makes America Grate… again.

HMAS Immoveable and Incapable being delivered to Australia. (moments before they broke down)

HMAS Incapable is the newest addition to the Australian navy’s fleet of Amphibious Assault vessels. Looking like a smaller version of a very expensive aircraft carrier it is docked at Garden Island undergoing an extensive refit. Its sister ship HMAS immoveable is also at Garden Island. According to the Defence Minister; “these very new ships offer Australia first class capability in providing logistics support in the event of war’. Asked what war seemed likely the Minister replied, ‘any small scale war in which we’re invited by our respected allies to give vital support. Provided it’s not a really big enemy such as China, Russia or even North Korea. They are way beyond our grasp and even if we were to get involved there’s not much difference our fleet would make in the greater scheme of things’.

Dockyard workers conscripted to; ” splash around a bit and make the thing go”.

We were reassured that the ships would be incredibly good at intercepting the odd refugee vessel and could provide instant on board screening and despatch to “anywhere else’. Each ship at fourteen trillion billion dollars; “is good value to the Australian taxpayer’.

‘We’re very pleased to see the Australian defence budget overall increase exponentially over the next few years’. Asked what impact the ships would have on power relationships in the Pacific sphere, the minister quipped. “ are you talking bout the  power we haven’t already sold at below cost to the japanese an any one else interested in getting reliable energy for nothing? These ships, maintain our core policy of ignoring the  taxpayer  in line with government policy, moving forward’.

RAN considering the very likey possibility of raising HMAS Australia as a cheaper mid term defence option.

“ The fact that the ships don’t work, or even go anywhere, cos the engines, and the twirly things that go round and push it through the water don’t function is just an indicator of how seriously we take our defence. Together with the incredibly expensive F35’s, that don’t fly in anything other than perfect weather, were sending a clear message to would be aggressors. Pick a nice day with cloudless skies and mill-pond calm seas, and you’ll get a bloody nose. Anything else and we’ll threaten to do horrible things to your industry’. Asked, what type of horrible thing? He replied; “like send Joe Hockey as an industry advisor, only took him two years and he closed manufacturing down. Don’t you tremble at the thought of what he could do on a broader global scale’?

Sailor inspects forward bidet on HMAS Merde.

‘These weapons represent the pinnacle of Australian forward strategic defence. And if that doesn’t work, we‘ll ask Donald to visit you, and you’ll have to buy an awful lot of really expensive military material that you don’t ever need. It’ll bankrupt you for generations. That’s the cost of being SAFE’.

The Minister then enthused about the first two submarines to be constructed as a joint venture with the French, Hmas Merde, and HMAS Toilette. ‘We can pretty much guarantee the same outcome. Submarines, that don’t work and will be hopelessly outdated, and cost trillions to manufacture. And beyond all that we’ve paid only a billion trillion for a highly developed French Border protection system’.

We wryly asked: ‘What is it called’?

The Minister beamed, “Maginot”.

“Every colonised people – in other words, every people in whose soul an inferiority complex has been created by the death and burial of its local cultural originality – finds itself face to face with the language of the civilising nation . . . ” Franz Fanon

Lionel Fogarty’s poetry is his response to this language genocide.  “He writes in a manner which is the response of an Aboriginal songman against the genocide inflicted on his language and the tyranny imposed on him by a foreign language”  Mudrooroo.

Bungoo Bungoo by Lionel G Fogarty

Models are not derived from books
Now this is untrue, got nowhere to go.
Give me money, so incidents may
come to life
I will masquerade as a poetic
deep and abiding in black oppression
Give me money, so I can travel over this
Give us money so we can see and hear.
Our Aboriginal human race
want bungoo . . .
Utilised how can I write
staying one place, at home
knowing i write for Australians
native and white.
Give me money for my works minds
Priced on lives
and dressed in peace
You will rip my justice apart
Con your promises
Brings us nothing.
When crippling writer write
you look to jump over them, hey
Poet haters told to shut us up
Poet, me lovers told to shut up
Me so low in money.
Ne we are forced into dumps
where money are nations.
Nations are turned to face
money.
But our struggle will bring life.
Help me rich
or give money
you money faced opposition.
I just want more to give more . . .
He is deprived of money
Will you give some paper junta
to help a poor father
with seven children
at home
writing about you and his people
Thanks for nulla, nulla . . .
Meaning in this is money.
Junga.

Lionel G. Fogarty from New and Selected Poems Munaldjali, Mutuerjaraera, Hyland House 1995

Today’s dispatch is  ‘Walpa’.  Originally dispatched on 22 April  2016

Ngurrju-mayi-nkili?

Walpa is the Warlpiri word for wind.

When we lived in Calgary, we became familiar with what they call ‘chinooks’. A chinook is a mass of warm air that descends at great speed down the slopes of the Rocky Mountains resulting in a rapid increase in temperature.

Reading Joseph Conrad’s ‘The Nigger of the Narcissus’ I learned about the ‘roaring forties’. Hobart-wardingki (a Warlpiri suffix which means ‘denizens’) know all about the roaring forties, as do New Zealanders.

One of the most engrossing Spanish language books I’ve read, is Carlos Zafón’s gothic tale ‘La sombra del viento’ (‘The shadow of the wind’). It features a book-lover’s ultimate ‘hook’- ‘El cementerio de los libros olvidados’ (‘The cemetery of forgotten books’)

When wardapi (goannas) hear the sound of the karapurda they wake up from their hibernation slumber. Wirlititi (Emu-chicks) break out of their eggs and wildflowers begin to blossom.

Karapurda is a warm westerly wind which signals the end of the cold season.

During hot weather wirnpirliyi commonly form. In Australian English they are known as willy-willies. These are vertical columns of air that kick up a lot of dust and create a strong whirlwind and are also known as ‘dust-devils’.

Windhoek is the Capital City of Namibia. In Dutch ‘windhoek’ means wind or windy corner.

It is said that “A picture is worth a thousand words”. The same can be said about song lyrics, many of which are rich veins of meaning. Meanings either intended by the composer, or divined by the listener, or both.

Maggie’s farm- Bob Dylan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJxm58htzqc

…he hands you a nickel then he hands you a dime,
He asks you with a grin, if you’re having a good time…
Then he fines you every time you slam the door….

Subterranean Homesick Blues- Bob Dylan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGxjIBEZvx0

…Look out kid, it’s something you did,
God knows when but you doing it again…
…Walk on tiptoes… keep a clean nose…
You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows…

Some years ago two academics did a study on incarceration focusing on Yuendumu and Lajamanu. They concluded that fully 25% of Warlpiri people in gaol (or jail if you prefer) were there for victimless traffic offences such as unregistered vehicles and non-payment of fines (for slamming doors). Two days a month, court is held in Yuendumu. Fifty or so Yurntumu-wardingki  spend an average of a full day waiting their turn to appear. Never mind if they have a job to do.  If they’ve ducked away when their name is called, they are charged with “failing to appear” and an arrest warrant is issued.  They’re in trouble for being in trouble.  I recall one occasion when a group of men who had just finished a driving course went to apply for driving licenses at Yuendumu police station. They all got arrested and ferried to Alice Springs gaol. They had no ‘get out of jail’ cards, neither did they get to collect $200 when they went past ‘Go’ They had warrants out for them for something they did (God knows when).They soon learnt to know which way the wind blows. 

The authorities avoid words like gaol or prison. They euphemistically refer to ‘Justice’ and ‘Corrections’. ‘Corrections’ is a loaded word like ‘reform’. It implies that something is wrong and needs correcting…. Again- Maggie’s farm:

Well, I try my best to be just like I am,
But everybody wants you to be just like them

 Catch the wind- Donovan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8hjEYTpwE8

The cold strong winds of change are blowing over the Warlpiri Nation.

Some Warlpiri are trying to catch the wind. Many have given up. They know which way the wind blows.

Blowing in the Wind- Bob Dylan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWwgrjjIMXA

How many years must some people exist,
before they’re allowed to be free?
How many times can a man turn his head
And pretend that he just doesn’t see
The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.
The answer is blowing in the wind.

Ngaka-na-nyara nyanyi,

Jungarrayi