Humble servant of the Nation

Australia’s end of innocence

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Sydney has joined many of the great cities in the world in having police on patrols armed with assault rifles.

The Colt M4 that will be issued to 100 officers from the NSW Public Order and Riot Squads is a combat weapon, with an effective range of 600m, firing up to 800 rounds per minute. Standard magazines hold 15 rounds.

At major sporting and cultural events, at railway stations, at places where people congregate en masse, the people of Sydney will soon become accustomed to the presence of heavily armed police.

The situation is similar to that throughout Europe, and Australian tourists have become accustomed to seeing armed troops and police on the streets.

There are arguments against, of course. The Metropolitan Police Service in London, once a group of baton twirling bobbies, armed with whistles who, when encountering a ne’er-do-well were obliged to say, “Stop or I’ll be forced to say stop again.” Now, of course, many are heavily armed with automatic long-arm weapons on patrols of London streets.

The detractors say this has not stopped terrorist events, but this is a failure to appreciate the extent of the terror threat facing the world and how to respond to it.

Full column here.

279 Comments

  • Tracy says:

    You have a new moggy Jack, rescue?

  • Henry Blofeld says:

    Exciting news, Mr Insider, as we read FLOTUS Melania Trump arrived to spend her first night as an official resident of the White House on Sunday, almost five months after President Trump was inaugurated. This of course “ratshits” another theory that your humble correspondent Mr Baptiste had that the Presidents marriage was on the rocks! Another “B” for Bollocks Mr Baptiste!
    http://tinyurl.com/y8ohlrge

    • Milton says:

      Yessiree Henry, the Do Not Disturb sign outside the Oval Office will be getting the sort of workout it had in Clinton’s day.

    • Jean Baptiste says:

      Oh you poor deluded romantic dill Henry. My contact Boris, oops Barry, in the administration informs me that Trump finally managed after many sooky tantrums to come to an agreement with Melania. She gets ten mill US to move into the White House and two million per month after. On top of the allowance!
      Part of the deal was he holds her hand, notice the grip! (and she’s not smiling for such a notable occasion) from the chopper to the White House to maintain a façade of harmony plausible only to “Days of Our Lives” watchers.
      You seem to be a silly enough old sop to believe those beautiful trophy wives really do love their fat ugly old husbands. Ridiculous fantasy. Go girls! Take ’em to the cleaners.
      Why doesn’t Trump give her the flick? He cant! His ego wont let him and Barry says she has more wood on him than you can find in the Taiga.
      Price d’ Amour , dear Henry Price d’amour!

      https://www.google.com.au/search?q=prix+d'amour&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjW6_fyn7nUAhXCXbwKHZ2VD6MQsAQILg&biw=1314&bih=598

      Oops wrong White House!

      • Henry Blofeld says:

        Bless you dear Mr Baptiste you can always be counted upon to lead your “flock’ up the garden path. PORUS and FLOTUS Trump very happily wed and what a striking couple they make . Cant wait till they come out here in November! Cheers

  • smoke says:

    L. van Onselen and D. Llewelllyn-Smith…. shakes me ‘ead….NSFW ..swears a bit

    https://soundcloud.com/user-409617978/june-2017-macrobusiness-dls-lvo-pt3-final

  • Milton says:

    For some odd reason when I look at the assault rifle affixed to this post I can’t help but think of the wheelchair bound Andy from Little Britain: “I want that one”.

  • Dismayed says:

    Go Westy. Australians are lucky to have brave journalist like Michael West.
    https://www.michaelwest.com.au/small-journalism-business-grateful-for-swipe-by-foreign-media-giant/

    • Razor says:

      Westy westy, he’s our man
      He says so much more than Dismal can
      He fights for the worker
      He fights for the poor
      He now has sycophants lining up at his door!

      • Dismayed says:

        No surprises. Again you prove just how low a life form can go. Your inferiority complex is out of control.

        • Razor says:

          North South East or West,
          Dismayed says Westy’s the best.
          Because the green dollar flows
          For those in the know
          And that’s enough to pass the dismal test

          • Jack The Insider says:

            I know Westy well. Good journo. Good bloke. He’s entitled to fund his work as an independent journo in a manner of his choosing provided he makes appropriate disclosures. I can’t see where he hasn’t.

          • Razor says:

            Not saying he hasn’t and not commenting on his journalistic ability or his character.

            Just pulling the tail of the sycophantic ideologue who bows before him.

    • Bella says:

      Never heard of Michael West before the past few days but if he is giving Get-Up free assistance in the public interest, then how good is that?
      Seems he’s been treading on some powerful toes too, so good on him for having the guts that must take for a journalist.

      • smoke says:

        when did you first hear of the gold plating of electricity networks?? guess who

      • Razor says:

        Free assistance my arse! What he is doing Bella is getting free publicity through Getup to increase his readership. There’s plenty of Big Green money out there you just have to tap in!

  • Wissendorf says:

    After a dreadful weekend of tipping, the Blues repaid the faith with a gutsy and gritty, if unpretty, defeat of GWS. The game was a thriller. Blues kept their noses just in front and kicked a winning behind with the timekeeper reaching for the siren. Great game. I want the Lion’s water bottles tested. Something seriously amiss there. Great to see the Suns down the Hawks, but it’s always fun to see anyone down the Hawks.

    Demons for the last game of the round.

    • Jack The Insider says:

      Good get, mate. I couldn’t see it happening and hoped for a four quarter effort from the Blues. They are going pretty well. Very tough defensively and starting to put it together up forward. That will take a while and we must be patient but they are definitely going in the right direction. Enjoyable to watch them go around.

      • Wissendorf says:

        Just scooped tickets to Metricon to watch the stoush with the Suns next weekend. Two teams on the improve with everything to play for, and the eight beckoning both. This should be a howler. Also my last chance to see a live game this season.

        • Jack The Insider says:

          The Suns were too good against the Blues last time. Very hard, fast running side from half back, two big talls down forward in good form and Ablett in the middle is good for 40 touches every week. Be good to see what the Blues have learned since then. Should be a cracking game.

  • smoke says:

    1in7inch twist 14.5inch barrel length 600m effective range ….father Xmas tooth fairy cheques in the mail

  • Huger Unson says:

    Jack, you are an expert in these things, so what is “Boris set to launch bid to be PM as May clings on” all about?
    Is it a troll, fake news, a fishing expedition, or just a bit of a deniable throw-away to see how BoJo goes in the social media?
    I reckon he’d have a better chance of being next Batman, or Mayor of Geelong, but maybe he’s been anointed by Trump.

  • Henry Blofeld says:

    So we may have not paid our Tax or that outstanding fine etc, Mr insider, but it may not matter as that wonderful mob who gave us 6 superb perfect Moon Landings, NASA, have now spotted at least 10 Asteroids close to earth that “may” obliterate us! They found these using their Near-Earth Orbit Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE). The amount of Near Earth Objects is strangely increasing, say NASA. That’s it, no Tax for me this year, “Beam Me Up Scotty!”
    http://tinyurl.com/ycyx8aam

    • Jean Baptiste says:

      How can Near Earth objects be “strangely increasing” one wonders Henry. If one or more skonks the Third Rock then it was always going to happen. Nothing strange about it, they just haven’t been previously noticing some things before.
      Unless, a Baptistian Theory that an invading force from another planet might disguise their battleships as asteroids in order to approach stealthily is about to be proved correct.
      The only other plausible explanation is that they just naturally have very ugly spacecraft by our standards.
      If so, I shudder to think what their women might look like and hope I will not be required to interbreed with them against my will.
      Best wishes.

      • Henry Blofeld says:

        Indeed, Mr Baptiste, your opening question mirrored mine. However our dear learned friends at NASA are well versed in celestial goings on and also they have all the latest in equipment denied to humble people such as you and I. However I take on board your theory re the “invaders” disguising their craft as Asteroids, that does indeed hold water. I am reminded of that excellent movie “Mars Attacks” that did indeed see some ghastly apparitions invade us. Cheers my friend as we both continue to monitor the heavens.

  • Henry Blofeld says:

    Big Bad Boris Johnson circling, Mr Insider. Meanwhile Labour is celebrating “nearly winning” but sadly the Bookies don’t pay win $$$$$’s for a short half head loss. I think May should stick it out and show us now how tough she is, do a Margaret Thatcher Ms May, when the going gets tough the tough get going!
    http://tinyurl.com/y8k7dj5n

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