Australian Treasurer uses 'bodyline' to increase anti-Pom sentiment and push Australian Republic

Treasurer Wayne Swann has written an opinion piece in the Herald calling for the Australian Republic debate to heat back up. Swann brings up the infamous 'bodyline' tactic used by the poms to attack Australians. This is an interesting read and I think it reveals more than the governments willingness to break away from England in every way shape and form. Swann seems to show that he resents the way Australia has been treated by the big powers in England, Europe and America. You can tell. And so do I. Sawnn explains that Australia is no longer a nation that must bend for those that do not have our best interests at heart.

I do think its funny that the Australian Treasurer is using 'bodyline' to stir up anti-pom sentiment. He links it to the fact that England has never done anything other than use Australia to its own advantage but its still funny.

At its core, Bodyline amounted to a calculated attempt by the English cricketing establishment to attack the Australians - specifically the wunderkind Don Bradman - with brutal, intimidatory, even life-threatening tactics. Read more: www.smh.com.au...

What the Bodyline series showed was that while we refuse to put on airs and graces, Aussies are not a ruthless, ''whatever it takes'' people. Rather, we are a plain-speaking lot, who play hard but fair, and expect no less. Ours is not a gentleman's code; it is a democratic code.

Douglas Jardine had no interest in honouring any such code. By directing his bowlers consistently to target the body, and placing fielders to prevent strokes to defend themselves, not only were life and limb threatened, the spirit of the game was deeply contravened. Obviously what was at stake was a sporting trophy; this was not war.

But Bodyline left a mark on our national consciousness because it symbolised wider issues of the period that actually did in the long run involve our sovereignty.

To understand that we have to put ourselves back in that summer. Australians were in the middle of the Great Depression, with the mass unemployment, homelessness and betrayal of hope that it brought. Australians did not cause that Depression and to a great extent we were powerless to tackle it because we lacked full economic sovereignty. Read more: www.smh.com.au...

At home, our adherence to the gold standard and low foreign exchange reserves made it impossible to increase public spending to raise demand. Even worse, austerity was strongly recommended to us from on-high overseas - largely by English gentlemen whose gentlemanly rules had little interest in the welfare of ordinary Australians. Honouring deals between bankers was more important to them than equal sacrifice from all and fair play for working people.

The result? Catastrophic unemployment and hardship. Australians were mad as hell. So when Jardine bent the moral code to win at all costs, people joined the dots. It was only cricket, but it was typical. It symbolised the need for a new assertion of national sovereignty underpinned by the democratic rather than the gentlemanly values - to play hard, within the rules, to look after each other. Read more: www.smh.com.au...

I believe Bodyline caused many Australians to wake up to the urgent need of making Australia's interests our No.1 priority and to do so in a typically Australian egalitarian manner. Bodyline played a big role in embedding a sense of independence and a desire for true sovereignty in Australia's international outlook. It did not invent these ideas that had surfaced at various points in Australia's past - but it amplified them and took them in new directions. Wartime Labor prime ministers John Curtin and Ben Chifley were heavily influenced by the awakening of egalitarian national sentiment that followed the Depression, and it informed their determination to stand up for the country's defence interests.

Today Australia stands almost alone in having stayed out of recession during the most significant global downturn since that Great Depression. This in part speaks to an enduring determination for our country never again to be at the whim of anyone who claims an inherent right to make and break the rules at our expense. Read more: www.smh.com.au...

www.smh.com.au...

Australia needs nothing from England. It is sentimental to remain tied to the commonwealth. Australia is also an Asian nation.

Australia needs nothing from England? (It's Great Britain actually). All they needed from "England" was the heroism and endeavour of the British People who built Australia in the first place. Or have you forgotten where you came from?

reply to post by alldaylong


What? You lot floated us out here in chains and left us to our own devices.

Originally posted by alldaylong
Australia needs nothing from England? (It's Great Britain actually). All they needed from "England" was the heroism and endeavour of the British People who built Australia in the first place. Or have you forgotten where you came from?

Yeah, changed my mind... Ha!

Free settlers from all over the world built Australia. And Australians have hated pommies ever since Eureka Stockade. Its nothing new. Wonder why...

reply to post by alldaylong


We hate losing any sporting contest, but we hate nothing more than losing to you Poms.
Jardine was a maggot, he even treated Larwood his main strike bowler with disrespect.
Well Larwood had the last laugh, after cricket he retired and spent the rest of his days in Australia.
Yep sunny Australia, much better than gloomy old Yorkshire in England.
He must have been sick of cucumber sandwiches and cups of tea.

Originally posted by Kryties
reply to post by alldaylong

 

What? You lot floated us out here in chains and left us to our own devices.

Er

en.wikipedia.org...

And Er

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by alldaylong


Thanks for proving my point:

From your link en.wikipedia.org...

On 29 April 1770, Botany Bay was the site of James Cook's first landing of HMS Endeavour on the continent of Australia, after his extensive navigation of New Zealand. Later the British planned Botany Bay as the site for a penal colony. Out of these plans came the first European habitation of Australia at Sydney Cove.

Originally posted by alldaylong
Australia needs nothing from England? (It's Great Britain actually). All they needed from "England" was the heroism and endeavour of the British People who built Australia in the first place. Or have you forgotten where you came from?

australia is very multicultural these days only about 30 plus percent will be of British origin within the next twenty years. Australia is having an identity crisis.

And stop calling us POMS it is very insulting.

Originally posted by stuntmanbob

Originally posted by alldaylong
Australia needs nothing from England? (It's Great Britain actually). All they needed from "England" was the heroism and endeavour of the British People who built Australia in the first place. Or have you forgotten where you came from?

Yeah, changed my mind... Ha!

Free settlers from all over the world built Australia. And Australians have hated pommies ever since Eureka Stockade. Its nothing new. Wonder why...

edit on 25-1-2013 by stuntmanbob because: (no reason given)

Australians hate Poms? Maybe you should mention that to the 1/2 million or so Aussies we have over here.....at any one time.....

I love these anti English threads, they make me laugh so much. Cheers

As to bodyline - was it sporting? Possibly not. Was it against the rules? No. Tough cheese and well done to us.

On the flip side, you got your own back during the 80's and 90's by being bloody unsporting in every test by not giving us a chance.

reply to post by alldaylong


Most of my family came out here after the English tried to massacre the Irish with the Potato famine.
I guess that's another reason to dislike the English, actually I take that back. Because if there wasn't a potato famine we could still be in Ireland ( No offence to the Irish) and sweltering in 8 degree weather.
Actually I like the Irish and the Scottish and if my brain could hear quick enough to understand what they are saying the Welsh, but the English well they're another kettle of kippers altogether.

Originally posted by HelenConway

Originally posted by alldaylong
Australia needs nothing from England? (It's Great Britain actually). All they needed from "England" was the heroism and endeavour of the British People who built Australia in the first place. Or have you forgotten where you came from?

australia is very multicultural these days only about 30 plus percent will be of British origin within the next twenty years. Australia is having an identity crisis.

And stop calling us POMS it is very insulting.

Redcoats?

I dont think anyone knows what pommy actually means. Im sure its not so bad.

reply to post by Flavian


Actually, Aussies don't hate Poms. I certainly don't anyways.....

I was just correcting a falsehood someone else stated in the thread is all.

reply to post by Flavian

Too true, my nephew is a chef living in London and working at Google no less. He loves it over there.
Its got me beat why though.

reply to post by Flavian


Well I dont mean we hate you like we want to kill you.

But Im sure of all nations Australia hates the Poms the most.

Originally posted by stuntmanbob

Originally posted by HelenConway

Originally posted by alldaylong
Australia needs nothing from England? (It's Great Britain actually). All they needed from "England" was the heroism and endeavour of the British People who built Australia in the first place. Or have you forgotten where you came from?

australia is very multicultural these days only about 30 plus percent will be of British origin within the next twenty years. Australia is having an identity crisis.

And stop calling us POMS it is very insulting.

Redcoats?

I dont think anyone knows what pommy actually means. Im sure its not so bad.

Yea redcoats - I have no problem with that, although some of the English wore bluecoats.

Originally posted by stuntmanbob
reply to post by Flavian

 

But Im sure of all nations Australia hates the Poms the most.

I'd say the Seppos actually By a long shot...

reply to post by HelenConway


Helen, we really dont hate the English. But over here it is a national sport. It is called P*mmy bashing and it has been here along time. Actually I have ancestors from Wiltshire and Hampshire so it's all only in fun.

Originally posted by stuntmanbob

Originally posted by alldaylong
Australia needs nothing from England? (It's Great Britain actually). All they needed from "England" was the heroism and endeavour of the British People who built Australia in the first place. Or have you forgotten where you came from?

Yeah, changed my mind... Ha!

Free settlers from all over the world built Australia. And Australians have hated pommies ever since Eureka Stockade. Its nothing new. Wonder why...

edit on 25-1-2013 by stuntmanbob because: (no reason given)

What language do you speak? English i believe.

Originally posted by stuntmanbob

Originally posted by HelenConway

Originally posted by alldaylong
Australia needs nothing from England? (It's Great Britain actually). All they needed from "England" was the heroism and endeavour of the British People who built Australia in the first place. Or have you forgotten where you came from?

australia is very multicultural these days only about 30 plus percent will be of British origin within the next twenty years. Australia is having an identity crisis.

And stop calling us POMS it is very insulting.

Redcoats?

I dont think anyone knows what pommy actually means. Im sure its not so bad.

I think it means 'pride of mother england'.

reply to post by kudegras


I take it you are unaware that the main protaganists in the Irish Potato Famine were Scottish and not English? But becuase they represented the crown this becomes "English". The whole history of these Islands is far more complicated than most people assume. In point of fact, most of the seriously dodgy episodes from British history have been dreamed up by Scots - why is that never mentionned? Is it because it doesn't fit the necessary stereotypes?

Personally, i don't really mind either way. People are free to believe whatever they wish. It is always beneficial though when those beliefs start with correct information!

Either way, i love the Aussies. Unless we are playing you at sport, in which case you become worse than the French, Germans or even the Yanks. *

* New Zealand is too small to count (for either of us!).