I Accuse a short story. Wheelers Corner Holiday read.

Being male I have no idea what it means to be a solo mum and never having been on the DPB I don’t understand that situation either but I feel for people in that predicament. The Nats have a real thing about the DPB and benefits, which is odd when you consider some of their backgrounds. Of course the biggest problem for many single parents are public attitudes of condemnation. Not all religions condemn solo mums and fully understand that it takes two to create a baby and are not interested in allocating blame. This story is fiction based on fact. And happened some where near where you live.

Peter Wheeler 2011

I Accuse:

A Short Story

Peter J Wheeler

"When you wish upon a star,

Makes no difference who you are.

When you wish upon a star,

Your dreams, come...True"

The phone call was the last straw, The sand had slowly spilled from the top of the hourglass to the bottom, run its course, reached its bloody target. I was legitimately fed up.

A solo mum, a leech on society, an exhaustion of the national economy. No mean accomplishment being a solo mum. Just a habit some would say.

The allowances pruned so what money there is perpetually drifts away, slowly without prudence, a cent here a cent there. Still as the Minister of Social Welfare, better known as the Minister of diminishing allowances, says "Too many handouts are harmful and lead to too many children and an easy life. A certain French queen of a similar build and ilk once said "No bread, eat cake" so the people removed her brainless head from her well sustained shoulders. Conceivably that destiny awaits the minister, here's anticipating.

Ever had a baby out of wedlock, charming word don't you think, wedlock, guess who is locked in, wedlock what a word. The pains are matching you know, still hurts like hell. The water still bursts forth, blood still flows. When you take that insignificant innocent hunk of flesh into your arms, and love and hate it at the same time. Hate the suffering, love the harvest.

Naturally you never confess the hate and forcefully profess the love after all that's what your pressured to do.

Becoming a solo mum is the same as becoming an espoused mum. Well in most respects, it’s later that the actual fun starts. Sometimes you’re called a sex machine, like an over used bank deposit box. The born 'agains' of course see you as the rancor of their weird revengeful God, the arch enemy of the straight laced bible married nice Christian girl who in private, consumes gin and prays her husband drops dead soon. Or the born again warlord preacher who preaches no sex but blows his wastewater once a week in a motel room. The pro-life male protesters who are so vocal and judgmental when a women selects any other course of action. Holy, Righteous, Holy whatever.

Of course you can be the sort of solo mum who deceives, you know, husband away at sea, in the military and overseas. But sooner or later they find out and write notes or ring you up. Men are as bad as women too, will you marry me oh, you've got a baby, lets just have sex...A ready made family brings out the best in men, like hell. Who invented marriage anyway must have been a man. Come to think of it, it was a man.

Still my child gave me life, a cause for living, not particularly because I love children, but because of the entire bunch of dick heads who said I'd never manage. Fat lot they knew.

"I accuse," the caller had said, I bloody well accuse! Really it's a load of crap, but it got to me. It really did. "I accuse" he just kept repeating it, over and over again. I didn't recognise the voice but it was male. But I failed to recognise the voice. It truly got to me ate into my very guts. For hours I could think of nothing but that voice. I tried to analyze it, put it into an age category, by race, creed even but I floundered in my effort.

An hour or two later the phone rang again, as it happened I was standing by the front window which offers a clear view of the local telephone box. I saw this little short guy enter the box, then heard my phone ring. This time the call was more than "I accuse" for it developed into that sick stuff, you know, God would get me paraphernalia...hell and all that... As I listened I extended the cord as far as I could. By half kneeling down and looking under the blind I could see he was still on the phone.

I told him to stuff off, to stick the phone in a certain tight and dark place, and watched his reaction. He held the phone away from his ear. I banged the phone down after calling him a specific name associated with solo mums children. As I watched he left the phone booth, it confirmed my assumption, this guy was a nut case, a real nut case, and no doubt confirmed his mis-guided view that solo mums are foul mouthed.

The flat was small, well not even a flat actually, more like a bed-sit in size and shape. It was all I could afford; you don't get a great deal on the DPB. David that's my baby needed feeding so that's what I did. It would have been about an hour later when the phone rang again... I picked up the receiver it was him again. I thought quickly, I told him I'd be back in a minute or two because I had to tuck the baby in. I ran to the back door and picked up the brick, zipped out the back gate, around the corner in a flash.

There he was in the phone box; I rushed up and threw the brick! I saw it crash through the glass and connect about head height.

Got him, three cheers. Take that for solo mums' the world over. Try this for size you nut case. Shove this up your rear end!

I swiveled around and dashed inside, this time via the front, slamming the door.I walked slowly and proudly toward the phone to replace the dangling receiver.Then I heard the voice, "Are you there, I accuse, I accuse,

Oh! No wrong again.

A Weekend in the life of 625993 a short story...

When under Roger Douglas New Zealand took an enormous swing to the right, life changed. Everything was now measured by money; buildings were brought in the morning and sold that same afternoon with a gain of hundreds of thousands if not millions to the wheeler-dealers.

The government opened the doors and cheap goods flooded in resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. Even the All Blacks were caught up in this Americianisation of our nation.

The story below is based in the future but not the far distant future. In fact it could be happening tomorrow or the day after. But it is happening...enjoy...
 
A weekend in the life 625993


A Short Story.

A number attached to a name would normally indicate military service if you were male and of military age. It could also be associated with older Jewish people who had suffered under Nazi rule. But of late numbers attached to names indicate those who can not acquire employment or have been made unemployed. The nation has moved from an empathetic society to an individualistic dog eat dog cutthroat society. When society as directed by those in power is allowed to run down for the benefit of a few against the many, then action is required. If the democratic processes no longer exist then other forces are required...

She looked impatiently ahead to each Sunday; they had become her unique days. Each Sunday morning she would wait at the street corner for her father, for it was on that day that he would stagger home from his six day week interminable drudge labouring on the expressways being forged from Foxton to Wellington.
Her Father had been jobless for numerous years, at least he was up until three or four months ago when he had been shoved aside off the dole and into the expanding work encampments along with thousands of others just like him.
Now he laboured for the dole, funny how you can WORK for the unemployment benefit, this is what the people wanted according to the present government, no money for gratis and yet have the freedom! to work for the dole. A whole two hundred and twenty-three dollars in vouchers, after downward assessment [latest 'in' word for tax deductions] for a sixty hour week was his take home pay.
As usual she counted the few cars as they drove passed her short street, she calculated the number plates sometimes just to pass the time, her father had said that this was a good way to learn your numbers.

She remembered when they also had once possessed a small motor car, that was before the government brought in the policy that you couldn't get the dole and possess a motor car at the same time. She observed her father weep that day when they took the car to the dealer who had won the tender for purchasing unemployed peoples cars.
She remembered how her father had carried her aloft on his shoulders part of the way home on that showery Monday afternoon in June. He was so strong she thought at the time not realising how light she actually was. She adored her father, his open and sincere answers to her questions. He divulged to her that she only knew the words, how, what, why and when. At the time she had not fully understood but she did now that she was a little older.
She waited as she always waited for him. He would be coming soon, please come soon, she begged her maker.
Seated in the big yellow Toyota workers bus, he was wearing his regular mustard shade of jeans and glaring yellow shirt with the words UNEMPLOYED stamped across the back in scarlet letters. On the front of his shirt were the numbers 625993 which was not his telephone number [unemployed were not allowed telephones] but his unemployment number.

He sat remembering how the shirt had been issued to him just after the Minister of Labour had commanded that wages should be cut back because these poor quality shirts made in Thailand had been bulk brought for them. The Thai's were delighted of course, but another three hundred Kiwi workers lost their jobs.

The Minister of Social Welfare and Social Order had also reduced the dole payments because they got fed two meals a day by the private company set up to run the roadside camps. "Unemployed Enterprises Ltd." was a company veneer for one of the immense private Japanese owned construction companies, which had brought out the Ministry of Works two years before. It was part of the nation wide rationalisation process. [Words used for selling off state assets] He realised too; that this weekend he was scheduled to report to the unemployment doctor at the private clinic set up in part by the very same Construction Company. It was titled the Sunshine Medical Center Ltd. and was partly owned by the identical Japanese construction company and a private New Zealand Insurance Company [owned in France], which had brought out the local public hospital.

All Government financed operations and even departments had been rationalised and downsized, [new word for staff lay off]. Many had been brought out by Fletch-Jones Ltd., who now owned half of the Social Welfare Department, and loaned back the staff still remaining [about 20%] to the government at a greater cost than before, but since the sixty hour week [for the same number of vouchers] had been introduced under the new Progressive Industrial Relations Act that allowed freedom of choice! Where the employer replaced the union, this was now OK.

There was one Government Department unaffected by all this change and that was Parliament itself. The "Evaluation of Performance Act"[EPA] naturally never applied to them. [Nor did GST apply their services]. This EPA allowed employers to set a target performance level, if workers failed to achieve this level their wages were reduced accordingly by a set agreed [by employers] percentage.
He remembered too that he had his Health Insurance taken out of his dole voucher, so he would only have to pay fifty percent at the Unemployed and poor people’s medical clinic. He recalled the days of free medical care, well, it was never really free but it was very cheap.

Damn! Since he was going to the clinic he would miss seeing the All Blacks playing France in the test match, and they had just tendered for players too, so there would be new players to view. The last team was put up for auction because it had lost two games in a row to the United States! The National Rugby Union Limited team was now if he remembered correctly, owned by Fiji Sugar Ltd., and Physical Viewing Enterprises Ltd. who owned Television North. He thought how wonderful it must be to be brought by tender and be an All Black and be employed.

The big yellow bus halted at his street corner and the part time bus driver, who wore a blue shirt with a large PT, stamped front and back clicked his plastic travel voucher. This was vital because it recorded the fact he had arrived at his street and not gone to a pub or drinking den, these were off limits for the unemployed. The number of clicks he issued paid the driver and not by the hours he worked. This had been decided at a closed shop meeting of his employers last year. It lowered his wages but what could he do, you had to be Part Time before you could become Full Time. At least Part Timers collected half their wages in AUTHENTIC money.

His Daughter waited at the corner, she was wearing her best "T" shirt top, her mother had brought it second hand after the last election, it bore the inscription "National, We Care" printed across the front, she never knew what it meant, because that was the first election that the great mass of the people couldn't vote, they had stopped unemployed people from voting because they in fact paid no taxes. Still it was a neat "T" shirt because it was baggy and almost covered her green shorts that were very worn. She had some especially satisfying news to tell her dad, she knew he would be really pleased and would without doubt kiss and hug her even more than usual, for she had been accepted for school at the highest level possible for the daughter of an unemployed.

The Minister of Educational Services had last year introduced the "School Commencement Act" which was enacted to introduce a new freedom concerning the starting date for school beginners, instead of starting school at five years of age as was usual, you could now delay starting till nine. Since the introduction of user pays in schools most unemployed could not afford the fees, and since they couldn't pay the fees, their children couldn't attend school. This reduced the need for thousands of teachers, hence the costs, so the organisation that had contracted teaching in New Zealand, "Education Services Foundation Ltd." was almost at the stage of making a profit. The other important determinant was that she had scored very well on her IQ test and this could mean that if she did well at school over the next five years or so she may be allowed to get a real job without having to spend four or five years on the "Youth Work Training Programme" a new scheme which gave employers young staff without pay. Organisations like, McDonalds, KFC and the big supermarket chains made great use of this give away labour, before they used to drop them when they reached eighteen. The suggestion had initially come from the Round Table group and was taken up enthusiastically by the Minister of Labour.

She watched as her father exited the yellow bus, he was so thin now, his eyes seemed to take up half of his face. She felt the tears rise in her eyes and gently she cried, soft tears, of pain and emotion, love even for her father. She wiped her face with the back of her left hand.
He hugged her, lifting her feet off the ground, he maybe thin but he is still strong.

They walked hand in hand, his rough and hard through hard work with pick and spade, hers still soft as in youth. They looked alike she had his profound dark large mahogany eyes, when she smiled you noticed her lips curve slightly upward as did his. She had lighter hair, as did her Mother.
His wife waited, she knew that this meeting ritual was necessary because it kept him rational. She had observed over the years as his position had changed from accountant to labourer, from John to 625993, from man to robot. She was even known as F625993 [b] and their daughter F625993 [c]. She had not told John about tomorrow or the blueprint that had been conceived, she couldn't tell him for she had assented with her cell group leadership that men would not be included until the very final possible moment.

They consumed their meal of sausage meat, spuds and tinned peas. For sweets she had saved some vouchers and got some dated tin pears from the Salvation Army food bank. After they had done the dishes they sat outside and talked, by sitting outside they saved power.
Later in bed she felt just how gaunt he had become, she was dejected but she said nothing. She held him and caressed him, they made love with great care, having children was a no go for those unemployed.
When he awoke in the morning he found Lisa gone, there was a note on the bedside table. He read the note....

Part Two

It originated at seven AM; the first groups of woman arrived in Wellington and started to assemble outside of Parliament buildings better known as the beehive. Within two hours over twenty thousand had assembled. Twenty minutes later they had crashed through the doors and stormed into the chamber. Moving through the Ministers Offices they smashed everything in sight. The Security Officers stood back and watched, the 2IC of the building security was a woman and she had issued specific orders to stay clear and not to react.

At the same time all over the country Government and Police buildings were over-run by women. The Prime Minister was caught in bed at government house by a group of women, his secretary had climbed from his bed to open the door for them. Leading this group of women was his wife and two daughters.

Four female Senior Officers pulled the General in charge of the military from his bed.
Groups of ex nursing staff stormed into the Private Hospitals and took over the clinics.
The local television stations and radio stations too were taken over.
The Labour Minister was attending a church service when the young woman priest informed him that there was a cell out the back waiting to receive him.

Federated Farmers Women’s Division members backed up by Dairy Factory female staff and workers took over the dairy factories, like-wise Female Airline staff took control at the Airports.
The local knitting clubs turned out to be cells designed to keep vital services functioning.

Within twenty-four hours a Government of Seventy-five Women had been installed. The Governor General resigned, and Ms Viv Thompson the then Mayor of Wellington was sworn in. Selected Members of Parliament were allowed to remain.
By Monday at 4pm the banking system would be under control and all outward transactions would cease. The Finance Minister along with the Prime Minister, Social Welfare and Order Minister, Defence Minister were replaced by order in Council.

The new Prime Minister addressed the nation over national Television and Radio. "At seven AM this morning, the non democratic Government was replaced by a coalition of the women of New Zealand, this act was brought on because of the total incompetence of the past Government, the fact that there were only two women in Government simply proves the point. The Governor General has resigned, and the Mayor of Wellington has accepted this position for a short period until after general elections are held.
We decided on this course of action when we saw that the past government simply forgot people in its so called drive for level playing fields, what ever that meant.
For over one hundred years men have run this nation, and while there had been short periods of equality, for the most part the men whom governed where in the main totally incompetent. Over the past year women have gathered together quietly and effectively to bring about this much needed change.

Our policy is plain, People come first, and within the next few weeks we will reorganize the work structure, the health care system, the banking system and financial structure. The towering difference between us and the past government will be that we will develop together the ways and means to put our nation back on the path of real democratic progress, with your help the aged will be respected once again, the young cared for and educated, what ever skills you have we need.

Tax will be fair and the rich will be taxed according to their means. The Round Table can leave for overseas at any time it wishes, but its money can not. We have seen too many male dictators in this world, too many world wars started and led by men, the time has come for women and men of good will to band together and to introduce social justice for human beings."

John listened and watched the TV as the new Prime Minister spoke, he heard the back door open and there stood his wife, she looked worn out. He and his daughter walked toward her, they hugged and kissed each other, and tears flowed freely. 625993's weekend was over.

The note his wife had left he now understood.
"Just ducking out to change the world, back soon."
Love L.

Epilogue.
The world is in crisis, racialism, anti-feminism, rightwing economics has generated a blowout in unemployment as greed has overtaken logic. People count for less. And user pays is the direction being followed as millions of people are tossed on the trash heap. Climate change is ignored and the earth as we understand it is at great risk.
Domestic violence has grown at alarming rates in various centers and social workers caseloads are over-powering. Humans younger and younger are committing crimes of a horrific nature, police are responding in kind with violence themselves.
Through out these times one thing stands out and that is the behaviour of women. Women are the motivating forces behind radical and real change; the anti-war movement is clearly based on their energy. The Women’s movement is bringing back an era of reason within crisis. It is men who must change, be cured, and of this constant desire to win at all costs.

The labour government elected in 1990 has still not replaced the slashing of benefits carried out by Jenny Shipley. Cheap imports still flood the nation and the clothing and footwear industry is on its knees. Student debt has now reached ten billion dollars. Stating that a three to six hour a week job is employment has rigged unemployment figures. And while all this has been introduced City Councils have been raising their charges well above the rate of inflation.

If you would like to publish this story please do but please inform the author of both the date and the publication by contacting him at wheeler@inspire.net.nz

 

45 and still alive Wheelers Corner 50 8th December 2018

Wheelers Corner 50 8th December 2018
Connecting people who care:

Its time to take a break from matters political, its time to allow our local leadership to sit back and consider their ethicial standards, and over the christmas period seriously consider opening up their up-coming workshop on the ethical use of council owned property...while they do that or are considering doing that...Wheelers Corner will bring you a short story or two over the Christmaa New Year period.

45 and still alive. [Words 1341]

[A short story based on ’45 and still alive’ a song written by Paul Walker]

Look out!

Oh, hell!

Are the kids all-right,

The night we almost crashed, well I almost crashed it was raining cats and dogs, I had just stopped at a red light. The light turned green so I hit the accelerator, not real hard, eased maybe. We were about halfway across the intersection when this big red city bus appeared from nowhere. I stamped on the accelerator real hard and the Honda Integra leapt forward with a power I never thought it had, It was almost as if someone had fitted a jet booster to its rear end. I was waiting for the sound of ripping metal and steel on steel but in never came. The car hit the curb and mounted the grass verge. I braked as hard as I could and my pride and joy came to a spine breaking halt just inches from a New Zealand Post mailbox. After checking Carol and the kids, they were all OK, seatbelts on thank God. And to think that I was only wearing mine because Carol reminded me to ‘Snap up or Ship out”.

Have you ever had a close shave, if you have then you’ll be aware of the after-shock of it all, me I almost fainted, me a big tough number eight, my knees buckled under me and I slid down onto the wet grass. In that instant my life seemed to flash across my inner vision, my Mom, Dad, Aunts and uncles, Carol and the kids all appeared, my joyous memories, my anger, the lies I’ve told, my secret desires rocked my head in just a split-second. An hour-long television programme compressed into a moment of time.

Carol shook my shoulder and brought me back to reality. My backside was wet and I felt like nothing on earth. I stood, she gave me a hug, that hug was worth a thousand words it brought me back to earth. The kids joined us and in turn hugged us both and we them. There we were, rain pouring down, our faces wet and shining in the glow of a street lamp looking like a mother duck and her ducklings. Brought together as a unit simply because of the danger we had shared. Fate appeared to be on our side.

The front door light belonging to the house on which grass verge we had invaded was suddenly illuminated. A guy in his sixties strode toward us.

‘Come inside’, he called out, ‘Get out of the rain, you’ll catch your death standing out there’.

We followed him up the path between neatly trimmed shrubs, then entered a large veranda porch inside garden type room that was filled with pot plants.

I introduced myself ‘John, John Takaro and this is Carol my wife and our two boys Ricky and Mike’ I said, as I reached out a wet hand so as to shake his.

His grip was strong and welcoming but was unusually cold.

A moment or two later an elderly woman entered the porch with an arm full of large multi coloured bath towels. She passed one to each of us and said in a voice not unlike my Mothers, ‘Here you are, dry off with these’.

As we did so a younger guy joined us, late twenties or early thirties dressed in jeans and a ‘T’ shirt with the words ‘One of Two’ printed in black on red. He was carrying a large tray of china mugs, instant coffee, milk and sugar. He placed them down on the spotless white plastic picnic or outdoor table, ‘I’ll just duck back for the kettle’, he said as he turned back in the direction from which he had come.

With in minutes we were all sitting with our coffee around the table enjoying the warmth that a mug of hot coffee can bring. We were introduced to each other and we explained what had happened. The three of them listened and nodded, and their smiles quickly gave us back our confidence.

‘You were very lucky’ said Alice. Both Carole and I both agreed.

We spent about an hour, talking and drying out.

‘Oh, I didn’t lock the car’ I said.

‘Don’t worry’, said Alice, ‘Your car is OK’

After a second coffee we thanked them for taking in such a wet and dripping bunch of ducklings. They smiled. Alice reached down and came up with a ‘native fern’ in a small pot she handed it to Carole saying, ‘Here take this as a reminder of tonight, water it but not too often and keep it in the shade and it will last for years’.

Alice was correct the car was Ok. I backed up and turned towards home.

Yea, I guess the birthday treat won’t be on tonight, uttered Carole.

‘What say we just go home, make some cheese and bacon on toast and watch TV, do you all agree? I said. They did. Boy was I glad to be forty-five and still alive.

PS:

The next day I brought some flowers, roses in fact and I thought I drop them into our angels of the night after work. I parked out side and on the right side of the curb this time and carrying the roses walked up the scrub lined path. I knocked. The young guy who brought in the coffee the night before opened the door; somehow he looked a little different, older maybe his eyes seemed to have a slightly brighter hue, or maybe I was just imagining it.

‘Hi and what can I do for you’ he said looking as if he had never seen me before.

For a moment I was lost for words, ‘I’ve brought some flowers for Alice and your Dad as a thank you for your wonderful assistance last night’.

He looked puzzled, ‘Last night? What happened last night?

‘We, that is my wife and our two children had a near miss out front, on the intersection and your Mom, Dad and you come to think of it invited us in’, I muttered in a deeply confused voice’.

‘Look I’m sorry, but my Mum and Dad and twin brother David haven’t lived here for, four no, five years. You see, they died in a motor accident right on this intersection, hit by a bus. Would you like to come in?

No, no thanks; thank you for your time, but please take the roses and put them where your Mom would have liked them. Bye’. I walked back to the car, climbed in and headed home in somewhat of a daze.

I entered our kitchen and gave Carol a hug and said, ‘I’ve just had a strange experience’. That family that helped us last night’

‘What family? What help? Interrupted Carol.

‘You know, they took us inside and gave us towels and coffee’ I said, totally confused by Carol’s answer.

‘Must be stress, she said, maybe you should see the doctor, want me to make an appointment?

‘No, I’ll be OK’.

On the top of the fridge, I saw it, a native fern in a plastic pot. Alice’s gift, I walked over and touched a tiny font, it was real.

‘When did you buy the fern? I softly asked.

‘I didn’t I thought you did, must have been one of the kids, neat fern don’t you think.

Are the kids at rugby practice?

No it’s Wednesday, they are up stairs getting flashed up for tonight’s birthday for Dad at the Fishermen’s Table. Don’t tell you’ve forgotten your own birthday party. My, my you are getting old’.

I said nothing but later that night I took a different route to the Fisherman’s Table, avoided that intersection, it was raining cats and dogs when we left home and I buckled up without a reminder.

We had a great night, one to remember.

Yeah it’s sure good to be forty-five and still alive, thanks Alice for the advance warning.

Have a great week and enjoy the sun but please stay safe...and don't get run over by a big red bus...

MPR will bring you a short story each Monday at 4pm...over the Christmas and New Year period.

How high can we jump. Wheelers Corner 49 1st Dec 2018

Wheelers Corner wishes you a merry Christmas and a happy and safe New Year.

1.
Oh dear me the the USA's and its attachment followers ie: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Australia, UK have declared that the villianist Chinese are at it again...spying on us via our own tech compampies who use 'Huawei equipment...The US tells us what to do and NZ asks 'How high do you want us to JUMP' and the US suggests we actually look and behave like Australia and jump over the moon as did the cow in the fairy tale. And it would now seem that our own [?] GCSB was first to ask the question, "How high should we jump? Well Peter G a good Wheelers Corner reader has a view on this very issue.

Peter G

"Peter,
I read that the panic was initiated in the US of A backed up by their
best buddies, Australia. It looks like an early shot in Trump's trade
war with China. It seems from today's news that Huawei are disputing any
possibility of the claims being made against them. The GCSB are not to
be trusted in my view and they appear to be going all the way with USA!
Just think back to the orchestrated raid on the Dot Com mansion some
years back. Would our Rozzers have had the nous to mount a helicopter
based attack with all guns blazing? I don't think so. Recall the mess
they got themselves into over the raid they initiated in the Uruweras
some time ago. While there may have been some substance to their
concerns, it seemed to end up as fanciful scheme dreamed up by wallpaper
face. Nothing ever appeared to have been proven to any degree.
Peter. G"

Speaking of finding some guts, it was great to read that the US Senate has decided to vote on the US legallity of assisting the UAE and US backed Saudi murder and stavation of the total population of Yemen...Trump rushed his top ranked aides to meet the senators one of them was the nut-case ex general who loves killing a-rabs: but even they seemed to have lost any creditability and they failed to stop them [the senate] from voting in favour of a review read this from Truthout: https://truthout.org/articles/we-need-to-end-the-yemen-war-now-not-in-january/ 

If ever we needed clear evidence of the political corruption that rules America we have it in the US President's support for the murder of a US resident ordered by the Saudi so-called crown prince. 

Still we may be lucky because one country has shown some guts in following international law and may well arrest the said the crown prince when he visits Argentina for the G20 summit meeting. https://truthout.org/video/g20-host-argentina-considers-a-probe-of-saudi-crown-prince/ 

Another hundred thousand Yemeni bite the dust says the POTUS,

Of course Trump may decide to bomb Argentina or tear gas its citizens by the use of long range drone attacks...and the evil crown prince may flee arrest...and be forced to slip back home to hide like the international war-criminal he is, as is Donald Trump who has and still is playing a massive role in the murder of Yemeni children and civilians and driving millions into starvation. 

Just imagine if the countries of world that are being forced to accept and assist the millions of refergees who have been forced out of the middle east by US supported illegal wars...acted the same way!!! Only in America is jailing children considered heroic...

Should they tear-gas those swimming ashore off the coasts of Italy, France  etc. Australia picks them up and sends them off to remote islands to be ill treated, bashed and imprisoned for years and years. So much for Australian human ethics...and a real question for us here in NZ should we treat Australians in the same manner. or should we like Argentina arrest any Australian leaders who visit NZ as war criminals because of their treatment of refugees and their strong support for US and UAE and Saudi aggression in the Middle east. Now that would take some guts on our part and would go a long way in proving to the world that we actually care about humanity world wide. But don't hold your breath...we often talk the talk but rarely walk the talk. 

3. 

Is their God the same as yours? How could God make such massive mistakes...that has led to the deaths of thousands if not millions of innocent people. 

Christmas is a time when religion rules. while it is difficult to believe in Father Christmas, when we all know FC is really Mom or Dad, we stop believing in the tooth fairy around about when we stop believing in Father Christmas.

I'm sure my God can not be the same as Tony Blair's or George Bush's or Hillary Clinton's or Theresa May's







Lastly: This from Rachael Andrews: a wonderful activist and community member.

Extinction Rebellion Aotearoa:

Kia ora whanau,Extinction Rebellion Aotearoa is underway and building momentum as I'm sure you have all picked up on. Being mindful of many people's desire to take a break from organising for the next couple of months Kirsty and I have joined the national conversation (somewhat peripherally). There is
a sense of urgency around this as a movement (obviously) and some groups
have already had public meetings so we thought we could get the ball rolling here.

We are NOT asking anything of you. That said we have scheduled a meeting for Thursday 6th Dec, 7pm @ Snails. This is just for an introduction and to see who turns up really - hoping some new people will come and want to help organise. The good thing about this is that XR UK have a great
plan already and we don't have to start from scratch. We intend to talk about the three Global aims and the targets (which we can tailor to fit what makes sense for our city...COUNCIL!!!! for example). And have a bit of a brainstorm.
So, again we are mindful that people need a break. If you have people in your contacts and networks who would be good to include at the early stage please invite them and we would love to see you - we don't expect any hands to go up for jobs!
Aroha nui,
Rachael.

To learn more go to: https://www.opendemocracy.net/joost-de-moor-brian-doherty-graeme-hayes/new-climate-politics-of-extinction-rebellion :  

Wheelers Corner is broadcast each Monday at 4 pm.

 
 

Wheelers Corner 48 24th November 2018 Them and Us.

'Connecting People who Care'

1. Check out this drawing and then seriously consider if its message applies to you.
Is NZ 'Our blessed Homeland? or what ever country you come from? Are all others especially those you consider enemies 'Their Barbarous Wastes'...
Since Donald Trump has the US gone from OBH to TBW?
I suppose it all depends on how successful your Government / Dictator / Propaganda machine functions in convincing you that your views represents the national view.

It would seem that some countries, for example Saudi Arabia and Israel can switch from one to the other, and so long as they purchase their arms from America [or Britain].  It is said that a picture can be worth a thousand words as the above picture proves.

 This picture also tells a story about society and its twists and turns.

Murdering Jews was legal in Germany in the 1930's and 40's, now murdering Palestinian civilians from Israeli soil is now legal...a double standard to suit the state.

Ethics come and go, Slavery was legal and was expensive, owners of slaves had to pay for food and housing...so they made it illegal and paid workers who then had to pay for their housing and food which saved employers heaps. And stopped a civil war in the US...

When Blacks moved into White areas the value declined; so segregation was legalised.
The New Testament introduced the concept of freeing slaves so freeing slaves was criminalized. Jesus was years ahead of his time don't you agree?

The State is in it self, a really bad judge of morality because it adjusts its self-centered morality to suit its political and economic goals whenever it feels inclined. It teaches or instructs you to love or hate according to THEIR needs and convinces you that your needs are one the same.

How could a whole Nation, Germany be taught to hate Jews and murder millions of them. How could American be taught to hate all Blacks, how can some men be so sexist and treat women so badly as done by our Defence Forces? One answer is because of the way the State manipulates our emotions and attitudes via the media and the educational processes.

So the answer is obvious we have to ignore their crap and stand up for what we believe. It's not easy but it can be done.
So can I assume, that the same State can manipulate in favour of the majority rather than the few and move in the opposite direction...where the total community, regardless of race or colour, settler or immigrant are treated equally and fairly in the eyes of the law.
Yes it can, but first it must accept that responsibility and this must be achieved at all levels, local, national and international.

One last picture for you to consider, Malcolm X, Albert Einstein,Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi all state a view on the preset Zionist Government of Israel shocking and inhuman treatment of Palestinians.

The British gave away some one else's country to appease Zionist Terrorists way back in the 1940's.

The one common factor that links the four individuals from, the USA, Britain, South Africa and India is the fact that all these individuals were persecuted in various way within their home countries.

This gave each of them a greater understanding and compassion for  what happened when they were still alive [and still is happening at this very moment] to the People of Palestine.
We should teach our children about the successful application of terrorism in action by teaching them the true historical facts about the birth of Israel.

Just think of how much we could save and share if we followed these few simple rules...[see left]

Finial word: To our military industry enhanced Mayor:
 
Dear Mr Smith [Honorary SAS want-to-be].

Lets next year select a Mayor who has a vision rather than one who has a dream to being a combat Officer.

This is A special message / Question to our combat ready Mayor and and his followers and timid Councillors.

"Can the Mayor of Palmerston North convert our cuy from one whoes goal is peace! to one whoes goal is war...and if this is just possible may I ask War against whom ?

It would appear that the Mayor has totally ignored the protest against selling weapons of war and has already invited back the NZDIA next year. I wonder if the Mayoual goal is to be installed as an honorary member of the SAS...

I for one have a bigger goal for my City, our City, as I believe most Councillors do, I want to welcome people here who can think for themselfves, I want Councillors with real guts who will stand up to a child like Mayor who likes to play with tin soldiers on his kitchen table as he relives battles of old...where the goodies always win.

Of course there are no winners of wars...name the last war that the Americans won. I await his public invitation for the public to attend his workshop on Council Ethics in renting the citizens peoples assets to the so called military Industrial complex based mainly in the USA.

I can well imagine our mayor as a honorary general in the US or Saudi military...A modern day Muammar Al Gatifi or a Donald Trump who failed to honour his US military commitments

    

Wheeler's Corner 47 17th November 2018 Good and Evil.

"Connecting People who Care"

1. I refer to my blog as being for people who care...I suppose the important point is 'Care about what? Life and death...Peace or War...Good and Evil...Community Vs the individual and dozens if not hundreds of other factors made up of opposites.

We each will have various views on these subjects and how we express them. The perspective from which you approach each will have been strengthened or weakened by your life experience, your religious upbringing and other factors many and varied. 

Life and Death are direct opposites yet all life is followed by death, yet life is often shortened by the behaviour of the few over the majority.
The US Rifle Association for example clearly shortens thousands of peoples life's because of their mass and unrestricted sales of small arms and automatic weapons which were used to murder hundred of thousand plus over the past decade. School children and young people and black Americans seem to be the major targets. Where do you stand on gun control?

Another clear advantage in extending life revolves around wealth, the wealthy live longer...in fact no members of the Royal family seem to die until they are aged around ninety five plus. So where do you stand on fairer system of wealth distribution via a livable wage system and controlling CEO salaries or introducing a Capital gains tax?

Good Vs Evil, What is good and what is evil? That's a difficult and deep question to answer. Do I mean good for me, but if its not good for you does that make it evil, in your eyes it may well be evil.
Some examples are clearly good for some but evil for others...take Israel and Palestine, Israel stealing Palestinian land is good for Israeli settlers but really evil for Palestinians land holders. But we here in New Zealand are inclined to ignore the behaviour of the powerful, like the US and Saudi bombing in the Yemen. We are quick to forgive our so-called friends when they murder or assassinate but rarely forgive our enemies. Where do you stand on forgiveness? Can you forgive?

2016 PNCC Candidates.

Community Vs The Individual, now this is a tricky one...communities are made up of individuals...are they not one the same?
No they are not, take politicians both local and national, they love to tell us that they are a part of the communities where they live...but their behaviour often proves that they are more interested in votes...or the income that goes with the job.

They often stay silent when they feel their supporters won't agree with their behaviour if they speak out or take part in supporting progressive local or national movements that often appear within communities. The latest example was the protest about the NZDIA so-called forum [that cost tax-payers 250 to 300 thousand dollars. Twelve Councillors voted to look at the Councils staff along with the Mayoral approval that took place without council discussion...but once instructed by the Mayor all but one Councillor [Brent Barrett] backed off appearing at any protests about the issue. So their timid and compliant behaviour spoke volumes about their public and actual public or community courage.

Since Roger Douglas and the rapid growth of individualism as a key part of the Neo-liberal governing process used to transfer community ownership to private or individual ownership, now days if you are unemployed its your own fault, if your wealthy is because of your hard work. Where do you stand on Community Vs the Individual?     

2.
The Listener published Nicky Hager's latest investigative effort into the NZ Defence Force, it is a clear and concise report backed up by sound research and constructive writing, I've said enough on the subject over the last few weeks and I would strongly recommend that you find time to read it in full.

https://www.noted.co.nz/currently/crime/nz-defence-force-toxic-culture-revealed-nicky-hager/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NOTED_newsletter_15-11-2018&utm_term=list_notednz_newsletter

3.  Let me end this week with a short story: The New Bomb that could save the world: I wrote it a few years ago:

"We all need a dream for dreams keep us going…energized, if you like. We also need a sense of humour. This short story is a blend of both dreams and humour. It is also for me at least a break from being so damned serious.

The other week the mayor got to sing at the Regent to raise funds for the people of Samoa. The ironic thing was that the AGM of the local housing trust was on at the same time. When the mayor put the feelers out for others to attend rather than he, he never said that it was done so that he could be free to exercise his vocal cords in a good cause.

Honest and transparent actions are key behaviour patterns that can, if used, make life easier for some, but when misused they become deadly tools. As we are now all aware, the US financial whiz-kid Mr. B. Madoff who stole millions and millions, but he was different, in that that he would only steal from those who were recommended by other investors, who were themselves being ripped off. His victims were willing victims motivated by greed.

So I want you now to imagine that it is now sometime in the near future. Lets say just before Christmas…last nights headlines in the Manawatu Standard were quickly picked up by TV and various international media outlets…the headline read…A BOMB TO END ALL BOMBS!

The Mayor of Palmerston North was stunned and lost for words [truly] so he burst into song with a rendition of ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’ which shocked all those present in the council chamber, both Councillors and staff.

The Deputy Mayor was somewhere else [as is normal]

Most Councillors were shocked; Cr. Chris Teo-Sherrell immediately went out and withdrew his savings from Kiwi Bank. Cr. Michael Feyen rushed off and wrote another press release on Green Heart.

The entire staff at Massey University was utterly dumbfounded, please note I said dumbfounded not dumb.

And the Fonterra corporate foundation was ecstatic…because it had brought the marketing rights, and it was about to make a killing if you’ll excuse the pun…[You see Fonterra actually owns Massey University, but don’t tell anyone]

Tucked away in his Beehive office in Wellington and while sharing a ginger-nut biscuit with Bill English. Prime Minister John Key was livid because he had sold his 50.000 shares in Fonterra just a week or so ago, in the same way as Bill English had sold his interest in his family trust to himself.

Cr. Gordon Cruden hoped and prayed that this development wouldn’t stop the bridge to nowhere from going ahead.

Cr. Anne Podd wished she was back working at Fonterra and Cr. Findlay was still trying to work out what the fuss was all about.

Mighty River Power Corporate bosses were really angry because they had planned to put wind turbines on university land.

Only Cr. Annette Nixon, Pat Kelly, Bruce Wilson and Peter Wheeler saw this as a chance for peace in the world.

The fuss was earth shattering. It’s possible implications for the future of mankind…gigantic. It could over night completely and utterly alter the balance of power across the whole universe.

A new bomb, a new awesome weapon of mass destruction, had been secretly developed by a couple of forth year Massey students and its implications have now shocked the entire world. New Zealand’s largest dairy company Fonterra had originally hired the students. Their task was to help sell diary products in ever growing amounts.

As most are aware these days when a bomb explodes it can wreak havoc and destruction. It can rip people apart and cause buildings to collapse into heaps of rubble. The blood and guts of both humans and animals are often spread in all directions. Fires start and the destruction continues until control is reestablished. And if of course the bomb is nuclear hundreds or even hundreds of thousands of humans can be reduced to ashes in a matter of seconds. A normal bomb attack like for example 911 brought huge increases in security activity. Every human-being especially if they were ‘Part’ – Arab was suspect, even part Scottish or English when mixed with Cuban were considered dangers to the freedom of the USA. Now with this new discovery a New Hope is possible. People may even stop killing each other or ripping each other off. CEO’s may halve their salaries or even more…financial advisers may become insurance agents once again. Pensioners may get enough to live on. Anything is possible!

The Massey students have created a bomb that can and will achieve exactly the same thing as any other explosive device but without any loss of life. And there is no known antidote. No way to avoid this force that if released will shatter the world as we know it.

But this bomb is different, it’s non-nuclear and will be available to any nation. You don’t have to be a hypocrite to have this bomb. You don’t need to be in the nuclear old boys club to get the bomb, a simply deposit of say one hundred million dollars and the recipe will be yours.

When this bomb explodes it releases not a pent up force of mass destruction that turns people and objects into radioactive particles that wreck the environment for a thousand plus years. In fact it does the opposite. On exploding it releases a specially designed set of chemical elements that instantly alters human thought patterns and therefore human behavioral actions. The chemical compounds are broken down into key groups and each group leads directly to change behaviour. The changes recorded at various test sights were absolutely amazing.

When compound X was released among New Zealand’s top combat troops the SAS, within minutes all aspects of violence were rejected and the entire SAS company wished to enlist at the University of Auckland’s catering wing to learn the art of creative cooking.

When a small sample of compound x was released at the New Zealand First Conference in Auckland, Winston Peters was soon rejecting his phobia about immigrants taking kiwi jobs and in fact commenced plans to double the number of immigrants in the next six months.

The only negative reaction to a release of compound x was amongst the Manawatu Rugby Team the Turbos, for it made them kinder and more gentle on the rugby field, which made it almost impossible to win, but they were wizards at the after match barbecue.

A fine sprinkle of compound x was filtered in the air at the executive morning tea at Mighty River Power corporate office. They immediately changed policy and informed the Judge that they would redesign the Wind Farm and would repay the PNCC the full cost of their presentation to the court. They also said they were sending flowers to all those opposed to the wind turbines and that they intended to reduce their charge out rates by 30%.

Wheelers Corner each Monday at 4pm at AM999