Patriot Realm

For centuries, dogs have been regarded as indispensable allies in the ongoing battle against pests, particularly rats. Their keen senses, agility, and unwavering loyalty has made them invaluable assets in various fields, from agriculture to urban sanitation. 

Rat plagues have haunted our societies since who knows when. Most children have heard the tale of The Pied Piper of Hamelin. 

We talk of " rats deserting sinking ships " and rats being used as euphemisms for liars and traitors. So today, I want to talk about rats. And the dogs who were bred to catch them. Our modern day Jack Russell's and Fox Terriers are a whole new breed.  Specially designed to hunt down and destroy human rats. 

In a world overrun with double-speaking politicians and gravy-train-riding bureaucrats, a revolutionary new breed of dog has emerged ...the Sniffrauder. Specially bred for its unparalleled ability to detect hypocrisy at fifty paces, the Sniffrauder can track down the scent of a backroom deal even through layers of taxpayer-funded luxury.

This tenacious hound comes equipped with an acute sense of deception, a bark that sounds suspiciously like a polygraph machine, and a bite that ensures accountability. Known for cornering its prey until they resign in disgrace, the Sniffrauder is every crooked person ’s worst nightmare and every honest citizen’s best friend. Future breeding programs hope to enhance its ability to detect "accidental" offshore bank accounts and any dodgy dealings.

Truly, the Sniffrauder is man's best friend - if man isn’t on the take.

In the wake of World War II, Australia found a steadfast ally in the United States, whose timely intervention on the battlefield not only ensured our nation’s survival but also forged a lasting partnership that would shape our future.

While the horrors of war brought our two nations together, it was America’s support, military and economic, that helped Australia rebuild and strengthen its position on the world stage.

Over time, the cultural exchange that followed further strengthened this bond, creating a powerful connection that continues to influence Australia’s growth and prosperity in the modern world.

Some years ago, I read an article that angered me. The thrust of the article was a denigration of Australia’s supposed subservience to the United States starting with our involvement in WW2 and gradual acceptance of American culture following WW1. 

I dispute that. 

During the darkest days of World War II, when the world teetered on the edge of chaos, it was the incredible loyalty and alliance between nations that turned the tide of history. For Australia and Britain, the unwavering support of the United States was not just a matter of strategic necessity...it was a real wave to the spirit of unity and shared purpose that defines our relationships to this day.

Here was a big brother who was there to lend a helping hand when things were looking pretty grim. 

Now, as our big brother is set to go on and become better and braver and more successful, we are sitting here subjected to the domineering bully that is George Orwell's " Big Brother. " 

So let's just have a trip down memory lane and remember when our big brother stepped in   - let us cast our minds back to World War II. 

Before the United States formally entered the war in December 1941, it had already extended a crucial lifeline to its allies through the Lend-Lease Act. Signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in March 1941, this programme provided Britain, Australia, and other Allied nations with vital military supplies, equipment, and resources. For Australia, facing the looming threat of Japanese expansion in the Pacific, American support was indispensable.

The following passage is a direct quote from a person well-known in world history. It is as equally applicable now as it was when it was first penned. 

“The stupidity of democracy. It will always remain as one of democracy’s best jokes that it provided its deadly enemies with the means by which it was destroyed. 

 The persecuted leaders of XXXX became parliamentary deputies and so acquired the use of parliamentary immunity, allowances and free travel tickets. They were thus protected from police interference, could allow themselves to say more than the ordinary citizen, and apart from that they also had the costs of their activity paid by their enemy. One can make superb capital from the democratic stupidity. The members of the XXXX grasped that right away and took enormous pleasure in it.” 

These words are very much applicable to the current invasion and immunity handed out to Islamic refugees from all Islamic dominated countries. The United Nations was intended to be a world forum for the suppression of war and in its formative stages was promoted by democratic countries. 

At the heart of any society lies a simple truth: without community, there is no community. No government programme , policy, or institution can replace the strength that comes from people standing shoulder to shoulder, bound by shared purpose and mutual care. While governments may promise solutions, they often deliver bureaucracy, inefficiency, and a quiet erosion of personal responsibility.

True resilience doesn’t come from distant offices or official decrees - it grows from the ground up, in the hands of neighbours who choose to act, not because they’re told to, but because they understand that real security comes from each other.

The Napier earthquake of 1931 was a devastating seismic event that occurred on February 3, 1931, in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8 and remains one of the most powerful earthquakes in New Zealand's recorded history.

It got me thinking - the more we’ve advanced, the more we’ve distanced ourselves from the basics that kept communities strong - self-reliance, neighbourly cooperation, and practical skills. It’s almost as if resilience has been outsourced, leaving people vulnerable when the systems they depend on falter.

But maybe that’s where the lesson lies. Disasters like the Napier earthquake showed the power of local action - ordinary people stepping up without waiting for permission. Perhaps the way forward isn’t just better technology but rekindling that spirit of community-driven resilience.

On Bloody Sunday in 1972, peaceful protesters in Derry were gunned down by soldiers acting under the authority of a government that claimed to defend democracy while silencing dissent.

Nearly fifty years later, in the streets of Australian cities, protesters were met with rubber bullets, mass arrests, and the same cold rhetoric about “maintaining order.” Different countries, different eras, but the pattern is unmistakable: when citizens stand up, governments crack down. The tools of repression may have changed....from rifles to riot shields, from internment without trial to sweeping protest laws....but the message remains chillingly familiar: disagree at your own risk.

Throughout history, states have maintained a monopoly on violence, justifying its use in the name of security, stability, and the common good. In Northern Ireland, the British government framed civil rights activists as threats to national security, branding them as insurgents rather than citizens demanding equality. The introduction of internment without trial in 1971 allowed for the indefinite detention of individuals without due process, a tool designed not to protect the public but to suppress political opposition. It was under this climate of repression that Bloody Sunday unfolded, with soldiers firing live rounds into unarmed crowds and the state swiftly covering up its role in the massacre.