Johnny the Conqueror’s Domesday Book
Arnhem Land seems more like Afghanistan every day! We get dust storms here – just like Kabul. In Kabul, the locals herd sheep through the streets – here, they herd dogs (which looks pretty similar from a distance!). And the other day, i found myself in a meeting with a couple of soldiers. Just like the old days! Strangely, the soldier i was dealing with left Afghanistan about the same time as i did…
The soldiers were in town as part of the advance guard for the “task force” that the Australian federal government is sending round the Northern Territory Aboriginal communities. The job of these guys was to do a survey of all the infrastructure here – power, water, housing, sewerage, roads, etc etc. I guess the purpose is so John Howard and his gang know exactly what it is they’ve acquired, when they implement the land grab that’s set out in the Northern Territory National Emergency Response Bill 2007 – which is getting rubber stamped by the Senate in Canberra tomorrow.
It’s basically the same as what the Norman king, William the Conqueror, did in 1086, after he conquered England. His survey was called the Domesday Book – “domesday” (sometimes spelt “doomsday”) means “the day of reckoning”.
Let’s hope the day or reckoning comes very soon for Howard’s mob!
Leave a Comment
To prevent spam, the first time you post a comment on this blog, it will be held for approval. After that, as long as you use the same name and email address, your comments will appear straight away.