Useful And Fantastic, Useful And Fantastic: J Did Not Know
Val Yule tellingly reminds us that we only have ourselves to blame for the ruination of our world.
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Niemoller in Germany wrote:
First they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
then they came for the communists and I did not speak out, because I was not a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me.
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They came for the local councils and I did not speak out,
because I did not know
They came for public lands and I did not speak out,
because I did not know
They came for electricity, gas and fuel and water and I did not speak out, because I did not know
They came for public transport and I did not speak out, because I did not know
They came for schools as property and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came for the unions and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came for Crown Land that was pastoral leases and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came for Australian industries and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came for the Carlton gardens and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came for the site of the museum that Labor had started building and I did not speak out because I did not know
They leased public beachfront for a private marina and I did not speak out because I did not know
They cut the funding for the disabled, the mentally handicapped and the psychiatrically disturbed and I did not speak out because I did not know
They cut the funding for hospitals and community health and baby health and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came to turn annual riverbank and coastal leases into 99-year leases and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came to allow anything to be developed for private profit regardless of public and long-term harm and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came for prime sites on St Kilda Road to build private towers and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came for what they wanted in the City to build private developments and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came to clearfell in State forests for private profit and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came to impose problematic brothels and gambling in areas where people did not want them and still I did not speak out because I did not know
They came to ruin natural beauties on Crown land by private developments for private profit and I did not speak out because I did not know.
They came for the hospitals and prisons that were on desirable land for developers and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came for the prisoners and the sick because they were profitable for private businesses and I did not speak out because I did to know
They came to spend millions on glitz and entertainment at the cost of the people’s needs, and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came for the banks and for telecommunications and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came for the workers to put their hard-won conditions at risk and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came to put profit for shareholders above the Common Wealth and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came to change the Constitution dozens of times to curtail rights and liberties but I did not speak out because I did not know
They came for people who did speak out from their official knowledge and did not speak out because I did not know
They came to allow anything to be developed for private profit regardless of public and long-term harm and I did not speak out because I did not know because I did not know
They came to ruin natural beauties on Crown land by private developments for private profit and I did not speak out because I did not know.
They came to silence by threatening and law suits and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came to give the rich a better deal than the poor and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came for the banks and for telecommunications and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came for the workers to put their hard-won conditions at risk and I did not speak out because I did not knows that were to let them be sold out
They came to put profit for shareholders above the Common Wealth and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came dozens of times to curtail rights and liberties but I did not speak out because I did not know
They came for people who did speak out from their official knowledge and did not speak out because I did not know
They came for the independent broadcaster and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came to silence by threatening and law suits and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came to give the rich a better deal than the poor and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came to turn the universities into profits and administration, not learning and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came to operate in silence so that I could not speak out
because I did not know
They came to sell Australia to foreign interests and I did not speak out because I did not know
They came to sell the people and I did not speak out
because I was dumb and I had been sold.
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The Scots say that when many folk arrive at the Judgement, they will plead, “Lord, Lord, we dinna ken!” and the Lord will say,
“Well, ye ken the noo.”
