#SBG 1/12/19: Sortition, Renaissance, Part 61 and all that.

Sortition, Renaissance, Part 61 and all that. – AP forum version.

Back in the day, politics was a dueced dicey business, Assassination, deep dark cells, torture, bribery, corruption; almost anything you could get away with was on the cards. To hold power was a difficult thing, almost as tough as staying alive. And yet, some survived it all and made a mark; some even talked good sense. One of those was Niccolò Machiavelli. 

“In 1498, he began a political career in Florence, that would lead him to write one of the most important books in history—The Prince (1513).

“The Prince, however, was Machiavelli’s most influential work. It was an examination of how a leader could gain power and stay in power.”

Why is the fool banging on about some Italian fella, five centuries ago? With your indulgence, I shall try, in my ham fisted way, to explain. It’s all to do with nothing ever really changing and history repeating. We have all seen this happen; industry up in arms, thoroughly ‘pissed off’ without protest of a meaningful kind. Well, nothing that ever changed anything. Back in Niccolò’s day the ‘protests’ were not of a politically correct kind. One needed to be able to master; or, ameliorate; or, finalise the protest somehow. At least back then, there was a ‘full stop’: someone got things got resolved or, someone ended up ‘missing’ home comforts. It was all direct action, no holds barred.

Today, we have a situation worthy of Machiavelli. I won’t quote the whole thing –

Hitch – “But buildings, aeroplanes and runways don’t train students to ATPL level only instructors can do that. Right now this country is in the grip of a regulation-driven instructor drought that threatens the basic foundations of the GA industry. That won’t have much of an impact on Rex. You may remember a news story from two weeks ago where Rex announced they had gained permission to import instructors? So what they can do is set up a pipeline for instructors trained overseas away from the boat-anchor regulation of Part 61 to come to their academies at Ballarat and Wagga Wagga.”

Can anyone believe this? Australia: importing instructor pilots? What the Hell happened? Part 61 happened is what. Five centuries ago; there’d be Hell to pay if an industry had not provided enough ‘Guild’ craftsmen to carry on the works. Back them, tough as it was, each ‘Guild’ protected it’s own and apprenticed craftsmen to trade – it was in their very best interests to do so. Had a ‘Prince’ ordained a rule set which made it almost impossible to learn a craft or trade; there’d have been blood on the streets. Yet this industry has, whether through fear of retribution, protection of rice bowl; or, simply through a foreknowledge that to ‘go-along’ was to ‘get-along’ has allowed this to happen.

Part 61 was a wet dream. A thesis, an arse covering, audit friendly, razor sharp tool for intimidation; quite apart from being a royal cock up of massive, expensive, counterproductive  proportion. Not to mention the ‘sinister’ side of the legislation, which can, when pleases, make even the hanger cat ‘guilty’ of some black letter crime and unable to mount a defence due strict liability on the say-so of a contracted CASA ‘wizard’ on a mission.

Now, Machiavelli would see the potential for outright rebellion and move to avert it. The demands of his masters would be tempered with cool, clear logic. The deep flaws and on going headaches would be explained, in rational terms, leading to a compromise which made sense. But children we do not have a Machiavelli; we do not have a population with a backbone; we have Part 61 and no protest. Why would Machiavelli’s prince worry? Who would, particularly when the population is so worried they may be, one day, singled out for ‘attention’ that they all sit back and try to accommodate the lunatic rules and impositions dictated by a mad dynasty?

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Read it and weep –   Ref: http://auntypru.com/amroba-v-skidmore-on-part-61/ 

Plus: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/n…8601841a72 & Finally a voice in the wilderness.

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Industry allowed Part 61 into law without protest. Parliament, complicit through bipartisan nod allowed this aberration to become the holy grail. Rex are importing pilots. Perhaps the minister can explain why Australia can no longer produce pilots and pilot instructors?

Part 61 is a national disgrace and shame. It shames an industry which allowed it to happen without protest; it shames the political parties which allowed it to become law without even deigning to read it; it shames the leaders of this nation who do not have the common sense to see where it was all leading. The cost to the nation and the humiliation beggars belief. If. the simple fact that no one gives a continental that a small, regional airline must import pilot instructors from overseas does not ring a bloody great big bell; then, alas, what hope is there for Australian sovereignty over this wide, brown, sunburnt country. What have we become? Must we all now learn to Kow-Tow? – Well – Bollocks to that.

Aye well; I’ve settled the new Ale keg, good to go. Probably need it by day’s end; one of the local teenagers, bored with I-pad/ the net etc. wants to learn the arcane mysteries and intricacies of wood, tool and the melding of art and practical thinking (with some mathematics). A basic tool kit from my old gear will get her started, can I teach her how to hone a chisel; or, maybe sharpen a plane blade? Nah, best I import that talent – lest the basics elude me. Yeah, right. Bugger that, home grown skill will provide all that needs to be known. But, enough of whimsy – there is a queue at the stable door – even the cat wants a run – best away then. Before there’s a brawl.

Selah…….

P2 – Luv this cartoon…pins it in IMO   ref: https://independentaustralia.net/life/li…bble,13361