Quote:
Originally Posted by Legbreaker
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The scum & vermin who worked the docks pulled the same shit during the Vietnam War. My father (who served there) told me how some Australian units had to locate tools, jerrycans, jacks, towing cables and so on (even bulbs from headlights sometimes) in country at times, because the dock worker scum in Australia had stolen all those items before loading the vehicles onto the ships for transport to Vietnam.
Now, with the unpopularity of the Vietnam War, you could, I suppose, argue that it was a political protest rather than the blatant theft and corruption that it really was.
However, during WW2 when the country itself lived in fear of a Japanese invasion? When there's recorded incidents where their theft caused the death of Allied personal?
That was nothing less than undermining the Allied war effort. Those bastards should have been arrested and tried for treason. Personally, I believe they should have been conscripted because as much as I would have liked to shoot them, it's too damned quick and they didn't deserve a quick, clean end.
Although they're supposed to be under more scrutiny now, the scum still pull the same shit even today albeit at a lesser level. One of my co-workers said some family members moved to Broome for work and had their car transported by ship. When it arrived, the windscreen wipers, the petrol cap and some other items were missing - they weren't missing when they delivered the car to the wharf for loading. This happened some time in the mid-2000s.
Now in terms of what you're proposing Leg, it's an interesting twist and an effective way to tighten the screws on Australia. Particularly as it could very well lead to street fights between wharfie scum and people with relatives serving in the military. With the history of wharfies using violence, intimidation and other criminal means (I'm looking directly at you Painters & Dockers Union) I could easily see it becoming a serious police problem that could even possibly escalate to armed clashes.
Can you tell I have no love for Australian dock workers?
