Question everything
This page is not specifically about asylum seekers & refugees, but more about celebrating those 'Gadflys', who dare to question.... much like Buddies, and other supporters of asylum seekers & refugees (and all thinking people) do.
Its intention is to temporarily distract the reader from the painful (and all too occasionally joyful), reporting of the treatment being meted out to asylum seekers & refugees, under Australia's "care". We hope you enjoy this diversion, but don't let it stop you from thinking and questioning.
​
The content on this page will generally not be updated... the content on the link to Richard Ackland, should update, since this is external to the Buddies site. We hope you enjoy this little distraction
All email contributions are welcome.
The Gadfly
A long history of questioners
​
We are all very well aware of various politicians, who by word or deed (or both), demonstrate an inhuman cruelty towards asylum seekers & refugees (and not limited to this group only).
These people need to be challenged, and indeed, Buddies, as well as other support groups and individuals do just this.
In politics, a gadfly is an individual who challenges others, particularly those in authority, and holding positions of political power, by asking the "hard" questions.
The Gadfly is nothing new, and dates back to ancient Greece.
Similar to our philosophers, the Gadfly is a little more directed to contemporary, "on the ground" questions.
In any society, the role of the Gadfly is to question, and thus to prompt thinking people as a whole, hopefully lifting them above complacency.
Some call them "dissenters", but dissent is not a negative..... it can be a powerful tool to help us progress as a society.... if only we have the courage to ask these "hard" questions.
We are human beings.... not the sheep that some of our political "representatives" would like us to be, and unfortunately, we don't seem to have enough dissenters.
One Of Our Own Gadflys (Oi, Oi, Oi)
Caring, clever, witty and insightful
Every society and generation has its Gadflys, and Australia is no different, with Richard Ackland being just one (of which there cannot be too many).
Read him in The Saturday Paper. Here are just a few minor examples of his work.
Love your work Richard!
​
Six Degrees Of Separation
The points below all have a lot in common. There is a great story in this, but far too much for this page.
​
Ethel Voynich, George Boole, Sidney Reilly (Reilly, Ace of Spies), Sam Neill, Dmitri Shostakovich, Nicola Benedetti (Violinist), Andre Rieu, (this list could go on and on.)
-
Ethel Voynich wrote the novel "The Gadfly"... a great read.
-
She was an Irishwoman, and daughter of the great George Boole, yes, of Boolean arithmetic fame.
-
She drew on both Sidney Reilly and her husband, for the main character of her novel.
-
-
Sidney Reilly was one of Englands most successful spies of the early 20th century,
-
it is suggested that he had an affair with Voynich, at the request of the fledgling MI6 (British Intelligence), to keep tabs on the pre-revolution Bolsheviks.
-
-
Sam Neill played Sidney Reilly in the 1980's Thames TV miniseries 'Reilly, Ace Of Spies'
-
now dated, but still excellent... watch it if you can, about 12 hours, and all on Youtube
-
-
Dmitri Shostakovich composed the suites of music for the 1950's film 'The Gadfly', based on the book by Voynich
-
incidentally 'Romance' from the Gadfly suite was used as the theme music for the 'Reilly, Ace Of Spies' miniseries)
-
-
Nicola Benedetti - just one of the million, billion, gazillion performers of The Gadfly
-
Andre Rieu - just another one of these performers
​
Four minutes of pure bliss to start or end your day
A soft, inspiring and beautiful performance
​
Nicola Benedetti performs 'Romance' from the Gadfly suite at the Last Night of the Proms 2012
Six minutes of a more invigorating interpretation
A bit more strident, but still an inspiring performance
​
