T

he MH 17 accident is very saddening, as it is so very sobering for modern-day Westerners cocooned from and rarely, exposed to the ever present dangers to our Aussie Eden'€™s way of life.

Gary Lee, who had just sold his Orchard Gardens restaurant in Melbourne'€™s China Town was killed (along with his wife) on MH17 at the hands of Russian - backed rebel militia.

When in business, my wife and I would often have a favorite window table looking out onto Lt Bourke St, enjoying a good feed; watching the world go by. We also had staff Christmas functions and entertained clients at Gary'€™s when I would often gently rib him about having just bought another building in China Town.

I was in Berlin just after the Berlin Wall was breached; and will never forget the sights and sounds of babies and old people being passed/helped through the breaches. I will also never, forget (on that same day) the chilling experience of having my passport (and cab driver) confiscated; and being stranded for some time  in the middle of Checkpoint Charlie, with nonplussed, and very uncertain East German boarder guards still, in their elevated watch towers all about.

And I will never forget elderly East Berliners frantically tugging at my sleeve with '€œZie commen?! Zie commen?!'€ meaning the Russians, as they did to the Hungarians, and then the, Czechs!

Present-day Russia'€™s Putin, who is ex-KGB (and not, '€œKind Gentle Brothers'€ as the KGB claimed during the Cold War), is giving virtually unlimited credit to Indonesia (a country of some 300 million predominately, moderate, Muslims) to buy the most advanced Russian submarines, jet fighters, etc.

So to all those '€œStralians'€ abusing Indonesia'€™s hospitality  in Bali and to all those disregarding others'€™ '€œcultures'€ '€” lamenting Indonesia'€™s sovereign right to exterminate evil drug runners, just watch your manners because (if you, care to study history) today'€™s allies are tomorrow'€™s enemies.

Howard Hutchins
Victoria, Australia