Affinity Soul-Deep
Our Dark Lord Cheney in Oz, heralds the deep bond of the soul between two great nations.
“Australia and America share an affinity that reaches to our souls.”
Great pic here Old One Heartbeat from the Presidency, One Heartbeat from the Grave in front of two of the hated Crusader banners.
Both nations are known for their ingenuity and brash style that is often expressed in remarkably practical ways, such as distinctive headgear. Of course, the unique hat thing may be related to our common British heritage.
But let’s dive deeper into the soul.
A Pommie poet whose name I’ve forgotten, in a fit of damn-fool romantic patriotism in 1914, got himself a commission and six months later found himself up to his armpits in gore at Gallipoli. There, amid death and destruction, he marveled at the Australians who “fought naked.” This impressed many at the time:
“Not since pre-historic stone ages has such a naked army been seen in civilised warfare as the Australian army corps fighting on the Gallipoli Peninsula. They display an utter abhorrence for superflous clothing. They are famous throughout Europe for their hard-fighting, hard-swearing and nakedness, even to a sense of indecency.” (Egyptian newspapers as quoted in “The Anzacs,” 1978)
Their spirit, fighting and otherwise, like ours, always widely admired:
“there was hardly the slightest pretension to being gentlemen or civilised. Their faces were coarse and hard bitten. …..the Australian manner….. was blatant and self assertive and the Australian voice likewise. I am afraid I never wish to meet any more Australians- there seems to much of the Botany Bay strain in them! My servant too complains that they are a rough lot.”
” a disgrace to the Army, nothing but an undisciplined mob… and we are all confined to Barracks through them. They are all mad drunk having their Easter holidays but we dare not do as they do, they do as they like”
“The Australians rose to the occasion. Not waiting for orders, or for the boats to reach the beach, they sprang into the sea….Then this race of athletes proceeded to scale the cliffs…”
They’ve been with us in every war of the 20th and 21st century, including one that most wanted nothing to do with.
Enough war. How about some fun. At the beach.
Brash attitude variously mocked or admired but always secretly envied around the world. Love of the outdoors and a good time. A willingness, always, to step up and do what needs to be done. A deep affinity of the soul.
Topics: Cheney, Oz, Uncategorized
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 9:10 am on Friday, February 23, 2007
12 Responses to “Affinity Soul-Deep”
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February 23rd, 2007 at 9:28 am
Jules,
You can write more about “at the beach” anyday!!! :P
February 23rd, 2007 at 9:54 am
This, OR better said THESE could fit in the “beach” fun (there is just something about them, that screams BEACH BALLS) AND in front of two of the hated Crusader banners, story (”uncovered meat”, OK not completely). I don’t know what does.
Of course, me being a knuckle dragging male, helps two…I mean, too.
http://strangecosmos.com/content/item/5708.html
February 23rd, 2007 at 9:57 am
OH, don’t mess with this lady, ’cause if she can stand up with those two, she’s bad (meaning good, in battle). I’m bad (meaning a PIG).
February 23rd, 2007 at 10:04 am
Ow!
February 23rd, 2007 at 10:10 am
RebeccaH
Exactly my first thought ,WOW. Oh wait, I somehow missed the first W…:).
As Dolly Parton once remarked to an audience. “If this thing snaps, I’d take out the first three rows”. In the above, this lady could take out the house.
February 23rd, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Actually, I think you’re onto something here. Although we’re the “odd man out” in the Anglosphere for various historical, cultural, and political reasons, we have more in common with Australia than the others. Oh. There is Canada, isn’t there. Well, they’re in a category all their own, I think.
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Rebecca, that was my reaction exactly. Just looking at that picture made my back and neck ache. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.
So far, I’ve loved Cheney’s little jaunt abroad.
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:53 pm
But, but, her teeth are so pretty. (yes, I finally found them)
February 23rd, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Are they still calling Americans “Septics” down there, as in “septic tank-rhymes with Yank”?
February 23rd, 2007 at 6:59 pm
The canuks have had a rather pitched internal battle going on for a couple of years now trying to reign in their own moonbats.
February 23rd, 2007 at 8:52 pm
“Seppos”, not “Septics”.
I can appreciate the confusion; Oz is a separate dialect from Yank. A bunch of Aussies laughed hysterically when I once said “I’m rooting for you, Oz!”
February 24th, 2007 at 5:43 am
I’ve often thought that it’s something of an unconcious mutual admiration thing. The Aussies see(perhaps unconciously) in the US, the potential they have in themselves and we see in them the best of what we once were and aspire to be again.
I could also be full of crap but it sounded good, didn’t it?