A few questions.

And what a world we live in where a reality television star is President of the United States, a surfboard shaper is the most powerful political force in Australia and an anti-depressive surf website is the place where people come to calmly solve the long-ish simmering feud between Arab and Jew as it relates to the beautiful country of Israel.

Absolutely fantastic.

Those who spend time here, often, will know that principal Derek Rielly is completely pro-Zionist, having been won over on a trip to Tel Aviv with professional surfer Ozzie Wright. I, also a principal, am decidedly pro-Arab having studied in Egypt and spending much of the last two decades traipsing through Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Palestine, etc. (Buy here).

We are, the two of us, an international version of Mary Matalin and James Carville. Happily married with extremely opposing views.

Now, yesterday, a wonderful podcast listener (anyone who listens to us ramble is a saint) who happens to live in Israel and also describes himself as Zionist-leaning wrote a thoughtful response to a comment I made referencing apartheid in a conversation about the Holy Land.

It’s very worth an entire read (here) but the bulk of the argument rested on a genetic tie Jewish people have to the land and criticism that I was “trying to force western concepts on this situation” that was “historically inaccurate and not very constructive.”

I would like to ask a few questions.

First, what allowed for the conquest of Israel in 1948? Was it that genetic tie or the same guns, gold, banking and technological advantage that had propelled all European colonial powers to conquest and displacement of local rulers for the previous three centuries?

Second, is it really so wise to stake a claim on land that belonged to someone else, forcibly evicted on your very behalf less than 75-years ago, on a genetic continuity between Polish Jews and Yemeni Jews?

Does my Germanic heritage and connection to that land allow me to go kick some Turks out of Berlin and reclaim my birthright?

An extremely slippery slope.

I am not anti-Israel, not at all, and have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the bravest little nation on earth, even once partaking in a Shabbat dinner with settlers in the illegally occupied West Bank, but genetic arguments as it relates to the conflict is a decidedly western concept.

Can it not be called what it is? An exclusive club with membership and participation ruthlessly and brutally enforced?

Also have you watched Lawrence of Arabia?

It is the greatest movie ever made.

End WSL tyranny!

Maurice Cole is one of the grandest of all surfing personalities. Talented, brash, handsome, unafraid especially when the sissification of surfing is in full swing. A rare combination and I truly fell in love when he barked, “Chas, you are a complete and total fuckwit whose opinion is based on other fuckwit’s stories.”

Extremely to the point and true and if I lived in Torquay, Australia or Jan Juc or even Gnarwarre I would beg to be his campaign manager.

Yes, it is true. Maurice Cole is running for public office on a grand, explosive anti-WSL platform.

According to the Brisbane Times, there exists, in Torquay, a plan for a permanent viewing platform at Bells Beach to be used chiefly by the World Surf League for viewing and filming the once-annual Rip Curl Pro.

Mr. Cole ain’t having it and has cobbled together a coalition of independent like-minded candidates in order to put a stop to the whole nonsense.

“We are already seeing the most overcrowded car parks and surf we’ve ever seen,” Mr Cole declared and also, that surfers and residents were angry about the proposal and believed there should only be temporary infrastructure installed for the annual Rip Curl Pro surfing contest along with accusing the council of attempting to appease the World Surfing League by agreeing to build the platform at the community’s expense.

Appeasing the World Surf League would be foolish as the enterprise is in full retreat and should be chased to Santa Monica then broken on the Third Street Promenade while buskers sing songs of it’s demise.

If you live in the Surf Shire, which includes…

Aireys Inlet, Anglesea, Bambra, Barrabool, Bellbrae, Bells Beach, Benwerrin, Big Hill, Birregurra (shared with Colac Otway), Boonah, Breamlea (shared with Greater Geelong), Buckley, Connewarre (shared with Greater Geelong), Deans Marsh, Eastern View, Fairhaven, Freshwater Creek, Gherang, Gnarwarre, Inverleigh (shared with Golden Plains), Jan Juc, Lorne, Modewarre, Moggs Creek, Moriac, Mount Duneed (shared with Greater Geelong), Mount Moriac, Ombersley (shared with Colac Otway), Paraparap, Pennyroyal (shared with Colac Otway), Torquay, Wensleydale, Winchelsea (shared with Colac Otway), Winchelsea South and Wurdiboluc.

…then I plead with you. Vote Cole and end WSL tyranny!