Rick Bolt's Blog Random Musings from a Random Bloke

Well Well Well…. Its been yet another long time since I have last posted my blog. And as always I have a lot to say but don’t really know how to say it, so…. I just don’t say it at all. Until now.

I’m sitting in my lounge on a Sunday afternoon; Cate is watching the last episode of LOST …..Again…. I’m having a quick flick through the first newspaper I have purchased in a very long time.. I don’t buy newspapers normally; I prefer to read my news on the net from various sources.

On the front page of today’s paper yet another story of a special life lost while fighting for Australia. Yep, another Aussie solder lost in battle fighting yet another war that in reality nobody will win.. Up front I’ll make this very clear;

 I supported the sending of our troops to war when the war in Afghanistan started. I have supported the need for Australian solders to remain there and I support each and every member of the Australian Defence Forces here and overseas defending and/or fighting for Australia. Although I supported them, it wasn’t until a couple of weeks before ANZAC day that I fully understood what it is that our defence force personnel go through to serve our country. And it was a TV show, “Border Patrol” that made me aware of what ADF face and what they are giving for their country. At the time I shed tears and I made comment on Twitter about what I had watched and what the effect on me was. And it was quite a deal, I generally don’t give a shit about too much!

From that point I have paid far greater attention to what our defence forces were actually engaged in and what our government was telling us needs to happen.

But there comes a time with pretty much everything that if what you have planned is not working the way you want it or need it too, that you reassess the situation. You make significant changes or you cut your losses and you remove yourself from the situation altogether. And by reassess I do not mean throw more resources at the problem. That just increases the liability of greater losses.

Given that the objective that was to be achieved by having this war has not been achieved in the stipulated timeframe and the number of lives lost not only in recent weeks but in the entire time Australia has been involved and the number of injured I feel it is time for our government to completely reassess the situation in Afghanistan. We need to bring our defence force personnel home and bring them home alive and uninjured. No, this is not a kneejerk reaction on my part, I’ve thought long and hard about this. There must be another way to achieve the desired outcome without placing so many Australians in such significant danger.

Why am I saying this now?

With a Federal election to be called at any day, why is this not an issue being discussed in the media or even the social media? Why are boat people (Important issue in itself) and a mining tax more important then our own defence forces? Why isn’t there more noise being made about this? Even if the final outcome is not that Australia withdraws all of its troops at least the people of Australia will have had an opportunity to let which ever government wins power know what we expect should happen. That is, if we start to discuss this and allow for all views to be made.. No doubt there will be many that disagree fully or partially with what I have said. That’s fine.. That’s the exact reason our people went to fight in the first place wasn’t it??

What are you views? Do you agree or disagree? Or is this a political hot potato that nobody wants to hold??

Thanks for taking the time to read my rant.. Maybe my next one wont take to long to publish!!

Rick

Just a quick update on my Cenerlink office visit post. Thank you for the comments. I have not posted those comments as a number contained words that I didn’t think appropriate on my blog but totally understand the context in which they were made. I would like to make it clear that my post was aimed at the behaviours of the centerlink staff NOT my attempts to look for work. In fact I did state that “Maybe  that can be another post!”. So for those of you enjoying having a go at me for not finding a job, hold those thoughts until I get to that blog post. The one thing I do request is that you have the intestinal fortitude to use your real name and submit a real email address and or web site address. Hiding behind false information and details really defeats the purpose of your comments ( does it not??)

Lets face it, I’m not happy person and I haven’t been for a long time but sometimes I think I have a genuine reason to state that I feel I’m not being treated fairly!

Today was the day I hate the most each fortnight, some of you will have already guessed it. Yep, It’s form lodging day. That’s right, because I can’t find any work (and I don’t need any comments about “ well I’ve never been out of work”) because I am and have been looking for work but obviously failing miserably. Maybe that can be another post!

What I hate the most about this day is the actual visit to the centrelink office. Other then my last visit a fortnight ago which was a bit different to all others, today is the worst day. I hate the standing in line like a sheep with cap in hand feeling like I should be asking “may I have more sir”. This to me is so demoralising. Then to have a person who in all reality is no better then me, in fact who knows I may actually have had more life experience then they have, look down their nose at me, at the way I’m dressed (no I don’t have nice clothes that’s the way life is) that I’m wearing broken prescription glasses that I’m there begging for a hand out while they have the power to look at a screen with all my details that I cant see at the same time and drag out the awkward silence really is plain rubbish.

Wether they mean to do it or not, I feel like I’m being treated like I’m second class? Why do I have to sit there and hold my breath while they made a decision as to wether I’ve filled the form in honestly or not? If you don’t believe me, ring the phone numbers listed or email the address’s I’ve provided. Don’t make me sit there wondering wether I’m going to get my fortnightly hand out or not.

How hard is it to engage me in some conversation? Am I not worthy of your words because I’m on the other side of the screen? If that’s not the case, what could it be? Do they not like their job that much that they just go through the motions begrudgingly? If so, why not leave and let someone who wants to work do the job?

But on the other hand let me point out that my last visit a fortnight ago was very different, on that occasion the gentleman did engage me in conversation, he spun the screen around and let me see what he was doing, showed me what he and I need to complete. We discussed my efforts to find work and even found out that we both worked for the same employer many moons ago and even knew the same people back in Victoria. As bad as I feel having to go and hand in a form for a government hand out, that visit was made bearable and I felt like I was being treated as a person and not a sheep or a number.

So that shows me that they are allowed to communicate in a friendly manner! Why do you think it feels like this? Is this just me or have/do you have the same feeling when dealing with Government agencies?
Thanks again for taking a few moments to have a read.
Rick