BBC News

[happy daze john in oz]

AS we go through life and mature things change, some for the better, others best not spoken of.

But what is going on in the world today beggars belief, after WW we expected a better world, but look at what we have.

Yes many nations were built on migrants and some such as Oz on crims and others.
But it worked, USA is an Irish based nation since the potato famine and go to Ireland and see the Yanks trying to trace their heritage.
After the war Irish was considered a dirty word, see notice in house windows, 'no Irish or Blacks need apply here'
Now Ireland is flavor of the month, but much of that comes from Macalpines fusiliers.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

John.
And now in Melbourne someone has cut down a metal statue of Capt Cook, the man was a navigator; not an invader, he only put Australia on the world map, he didn't instigate any war, in fact tried his best to get on with any natives he came across. I can see someone from the 18th century having a go but today?
Des

[j.sabourn]

If no one had colonised Australia they would still have been living in the Stone Age. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

But in time some other country would have knocked on the door.
Problem is none of these so called 'patriots' have no understanding of history.

When the Spanish took over the Canary Islands they put a cross up in front of the locals.
They had no idea what it was so did not kneel.
Thye were all killed off for that.

[Mike R868356]

Lets not forget the East Coast floods of 1953.

[James Curry]

Let's not forget the 135 souls lost on the same day 31st Jan on the Princess Victoria.

[Fred Saunders]

What the climate change folk are not taking into account with floods, here in the big cities of Australia and the U.K is.. with all the houses and tall buildings going up all over the towns and cities collecting all the rain water that is falling, where else has it got to go except into the streets and fill up the rivers and creeks ( brooks to the U.K ), before all the so called civilisation and all the people the rain just soaked into the earth did it not?
Fred Saunders

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Or flowed out to sea Fred, Capt Kong was on about them stopping dredging the river mouths, it that is still the case no wonder they are having bigger floods in the uK.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Main problem with flooding here in Oz is the fact councils allowed permits for houses to be built on natural flood plains.
Much of Oz is below sea level so it is easy to flood some spots.
But now councils have come to understand the problem and are changing the permit laws.

[Mo Docherty]

Wildfires reported in Lochinver, Scotland, due to wind-damaged powerline as UK marks hottest ever January on record