That’s right - kick our own soldiers in the guts instead of saying anything to upset the enemy. After all, a bit of red-blooded lust (perhaps more unseemly behaviour in the cases of a few) is far, far worse than anything other women-hating cultures can do to their own women, according to the likes of Reist. And those porno pictures that most women don’t know exist on barrack walls! How dreadful! I suppose the women pictured were made to pose for them, the poor little innocents. I wonder what we would see in the female soldiers’ barracks. If these ladies are anything like civilians of their generation, they don’t need protecting from anyone, many of them more sexually aggressive than, certainly, my generation of males. They would frighten the life out of me. It’s amazing that someone of Reist’s obvious youth is so naïve.

Reist doesn’t even talk about her opinion of men in general. It’s Australian men involved in wicked wars only.

And, in a very short jump from a few pictures on the wall, she has these mostly decent young men involved in sexual abuse and sex-slave trafficking.

I would be the last person to ill-treat a woman (apart from Tony Kevin), but this essay is a piece of nonsense

I not a student of the politics of pornography nor do I know anything about the links between pornography and the the traffic in women - not saying it does nt exist - it is just a field of enquiry I dont delve into - maybe I should

But from what I see pornography is a thriving (legal) retail business in most or our capital cities - and not surpisingly a big business in Canberra - home to the nations most active onanists( the editor thought my alternative word was a profanity!).

But never the less I find Ms Tankrads protests some what shrill.

And what I find more suprising is that where these images would be the subject of prosecution in any other workplace our soldiers are free to stick all manner of stuff on the walls - and I only have Ms Tankards peice to tell me the back drop was pornographic.

The fact that they are there - together with the other forms of stupid behaviour portrayed tells us there are discipline issues to be dealt with - and the calls by the government to bolster the number of regular soldiers by lowering the entry standards is a very dangerous proposition indeed.

For possibly the only time in my life, I find myself in (partial) agreement with Leigh.

Pornography has been around since the days of cave paintings and it always will be. I don't think the soldiers, in an unnatural environment, cut off from female company, should be condemned for having some nudes on the wall. Having worked in a number of workplaces with large numbers of females, I can say first hand that women are not averse to having a few male 'hunk' photographs.

On the other hand, I don't believe the military should be 'off limits' for scrutiny. It seems that any criticism of the military is immmediately labelled as 'unpatriotic', that 'our boys' can do no wrong. They are of course human, and subject to the same weaknesses as the rest of us. They should be expected to abide by the same codes of conduct, perhaps higher given the potential they have to do harm and good.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to agree with Leigh on this one too... feels a little weird, but there it is.

In terms of the big picture issues, quite frankly, porno rates pretty low on my list. Even if you take away the porn, men are still going to have sexual fantasies. If it was to be banned, it would simply be driven underground.
Guys aren't just going to give up their sex drive and stop wanting to see naked women. Who's to say it's harmful anyway?

If a man commits a crime against a woman (or another man for that matter) of course there needs to be justice. But chalking it up to porn is a bit of a reach I'm sorry.

Plus, I find it kind of stupid that people are being shot and bombed in Iraq, but Reist is more concerned with the porno on the walls of soldiers tents or whatever.
In my view, that's some seriously dodgy prioritising.

* * * *
Many female members of our defence forces have reported sexual assault and harassment. This fleshly montage hardly contributes to their sense of safety, or belief that they will be treated with respect.
* * * *

This is the classical feminist fallacy of half truths.
By only reporting a part of the truth a false impression is created.

Guess what, lots of male recruits get sexually assaulted, harassed and tormented, some to the point of suicide. This is not about sex, it's a culture of military thuggery not a men vs women thing.
Wether you get smacked around or not in the military is, I suspect, primarily a function of rank, not gender.

Husmusen

You have to laugh.

These young diggers are just kids. The mockery of their enemy is something that soldiers have done since the year dot. It makes it easier the kill them when the time comes.

None of these kids will get in trouble. They've done nothing wrong except let some pictures of them blowing of steam in barracks escape onto the internet. For this reason alone the Army is embarrassed.

As to the alleged porn on the walls. These kids are full of bravado and testosterone. Some pics on their barracks (bedroom) walls is of little concern.

The actual problem lies with the exploitation of the nature of young men who have paid their hard earned dollars to obtain these pictures. I would bet that the models involved were paid quite well for posing, the photographer and publishers would also have profited.

Pornography is nothing short of the exploitation of men for money.