The Price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance.
Cranky Lizard is and has been an observer of the human condition for several years.
For a Lizard, it has been, at times, a frightening experience.
Lizards do not have parliaments. Lizards do not mass together to fight wars. Lizards do not have time for the self-indulgent nonsense about much of what seems to occupy the barren intellects of young, wealthy Australians!
Generally speaking, Lizards live in dry gullies, occupying the eucalypts that line the dry gullies or the rocky outcrops that meander along the tops of the dry gullies.
All the Lizards know who is in charge of the place. From time to time, there might be a bit of Lizard testosterone thrown about, but, almost without exception, the biggest, strongest Lizard is the boss of the gully.
And what that means is that all the creatures, large and small, that live in the gully do so, in peace and safety, protected by the size and strength of the ‘Boss Lizard’.
The ‘Boss Lizard’ cannot just drape himself over trees and gaze lazily along the gully. Oh No! The ‘Boss Lizard’ must keep watch over the gully, checking out new arrivals, watching the use of the water supply, making sure that cockroaches and scorpions don't sneak into the place and attempt to kick the Lizards out! Don't think they won't try; they will take any chance they can get!
That is why the ‘Boss Lizard’ must always be aware of what is going on around the place. Constant reality checks take place, leaving no time for Lizards or any other creatures to stare self-indulgently into their reflections from the gully pool and wonder whether they are the proper sex or not!
This eternal vigilance carries on, not just in the Lizard world, but the animal world in general. Cranky Lizard offers you the meerkats as an example of eternal vigilance.
Outside of the human world, it has always been like that for time beyond counting. Long before Captain Cook arrived and wrecked the place. Astute observers will note that the good Captain did not mess with the Lizards.
Cranky Lizard notes that in this land and on a human plane, a parliamentary democracy exists and has done for over two hundred years of European settlement.
Up until current times, it has worked quite well.
This arrangement, however, has started to become a bit wobbly.
The human condition, in current times, encourages a relaxed approach to life. An extended period of peace and economic security brought about by the sacrifices of previous generations of Australians has allowed complacency and entitlement to insinuate themselves into modern Australian society.
Many young Australians, not all by any means, but many, have been seduced by the siren songs of wealth, economic security and the subsequent application of enjoyable days and nights in a Country that seems to have endless resources.
In their self-indulgent torpor, they have missed the fact that many of their fellow countrymen are not so fortunate and are living in challenging times in this wealthy Country.
Cranky Lizard observes the antics of this entitled mob in the light of the Federal Election and notes that they have organized themselves into colours – green and teal being predominant.
They flounce about the place, promising to deliver new ways of governing the country. They dismiss the lessons of the past. One of them, already a Senator, and Cranky Lizard has no idea how that happened, has dismissed, with a casual wave of the hand, the fact that the CCP of China presents a real threat to the Pacific and our way of life.
They preen themselves in the lascivious limelight cast by adoring media. They coyly deny any significant political party association or preference, blatantly denying the reality of their association with and funding by fellow travellers of major political groups.
Cranky Lizard points out that by now, the hackles of the ‘Boss Lizard’ would be well and truly up, and the future of this mob of egocentric drongos in the dry gully would be under very close observation.
But out here, drifting on is the day's central theme in the human world.
Cranky Lizard points out that none of these aspirants has achieved much in their lives.
For the most part, their wealth and influence has been passed on to them by their fathers and mothers, who created the wealth but have now passed on.
Some have created their own wealth by intelligent work in the metadata world of the internet, developing cyber trading methods of fungible football parts, which they then sell to non-fungible football clubs who stare in childish wonder at their purchases!
Cranky Lizard observes that the purpose of these teal-coloured aspirants and their green counterparts is to enter the Australian Parliament in sufficient numbers to influence the legislation of the major parties.
Cranky Lizard also notes that in a parliamentary democracy, there is nothing wrong with that in normal times.
But it is as obvious as an apple pie plonked on your face that we do not live in normal times – far from it!
Alongside the rider of the White Horse, who has galloped through our lives, we can now see the rider of the Red Horse. A far more destructive and unforgiving presence. As the rider of the White Horse brings pestilence, the rider of the Red Horse brings War.
The Australian Parliament has some important business to consider in the coming years. It is not the forum for gazing wonderingly at our navel trying to decide our biology.
You can do that in your bathroom by standing in front of the mirror without your clothes on!
The Australian Parliament will need to deal with an aggressive and expansive power in the form of the Chinese Communist Party, not the Chinese people, but the Chinese Communist Party.
The Australian Parliament will need to deal with defence matters – an urgent task.
The Australian Parliament will need to deal with pressing matters of inequity within our communities.
Our country does not have the luxury of the time for self-indulgent nonsense about matters of biology, inequity in sport or the lives of the remaining three spotted wheelbarrow birds hiding in the spinifex on the banks of the Lachlan River.
The Australian Parliament will need to be a bloody serious place for bloody serious people. Not the romping ground of self-indulgent, entitled teals or other variants of the colour.
Cranky Lizard again reminds you all of the meerkats – they are eternally vigilant.
As are the Boss Lizards…
That vigilance applies to us as well, lest we squander the freedoms bought for us by the expenditure of the blood and treasure of previous generations of Australians.
Enjoy your days.