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Bring Back the Cane!

As you sit listening to the news, a black cloud of despair descends and you have to worry where Australia is heading.

I'm not talking on the political front, or the economic front - although we have become a pack of complete wussers and still have the world's worst company management - but rather young people of today.

And, it has to be said, the reason is gutless politicians and uncaring - or unthinking - parents.

Politicians have put so many restrictions on schools - and in particular removing corporal punishment - that kids today laugh at authority.

Many parents either don't care about - or never impose - discipline at home and this of course makes the little (or big) beggars think they can get away with anything.

Breaking things, being smartarses, getting up to mischief (or, in some suburbs, just starting straight off with armed robbery) and generally being painful and annoying to everyone who has the misfortune to pass them in the street or shops.

And, pity the poor old teachers who have to not only try to educate the little pustules, but maintain discipline long enough to be able to do so.

An Australian report has teachers suffering from more and more physical abuse and intimidation at the hands of these little monsters and their cretinous parents. More than 40 phone calls a week go to the teachers' union from staff who have copped something nasty.

Assaults are rising and so what do the poilticians do? Yup, stick their heads up their own fundamental orifices and say that nothing seems to be wrong.

If a Liberal Party is in power the line is: "We've given more money to schools than ever before and we are getting it right." Wrong!

If a Labour Party is in power it's: "Children are little people and we must accord them the same rights as adults. Corporal punishment is barbaric and we have better ways of disciplining them." Bollocks!

Kids understand discipline and when an outbreak of them is standing on a street corner abusing folks - the last thing on their collective brain cell is "ooooh, we may get a detention."

What has always kept kids in line - myself included - is the threat of a damned good caning on the backside by a large male teacher. At my school we had a chap who used to cane overarm - like a cricket bowler.

By all accounts it was a ferocious sight and more than one allegedly tough guy left the office with tears in his eyes and a determination not to cop the same thing again.

So, bring back the cane and the strap and put the fear of God back into these little swines, who will - no doubt - turn in teenage monsters and criminals given half the chance.

If there is something that has really got up your nose, let Grumpy Old Coot know at grumpy@webwombat.com