Kelly, i have some concern at

"Every aspect of war, from our involvement as a nation to the rights (PDF 185KB) of individuals to resist being compelled to fight a war they believe on reasonable grounds to be unlawful or unjust, should be scrutinised at the same time as the imminent parliamentary debate on Afghanistan"

Kellie, I want you inform Australia what sort or military Australia would have if each soldier could not be compelled to fight, picking and choosing fights.

Sure express your right to influence people to force the govt to stop fighting, but please keep the debate real.

I think when you speak for soldiers, you may want to include their perspectives rather than assume they do not want to fight any war.

I know a lot of soldiers and sailors, all of them joined up because they wanted to.

They all totally enjoy going overseas to fight in wars, it's what they trained for and what they are about.

No one I know in the military objects to war.

Every person in our military has taken an oath to obey.

When I hear of soldiers objecting, I immediately suspect it's not war, but probably some personal problem, like their relationship that is at the heart (yes) of the matter. Lo and behold, it usually is.

Some American soldiers (Army) genuinely do not want to fight, because they often enlist to get an education, never dreaming they might fight. Their Army is huge and is the lowest skilled military in the USA - you never hear of Marines not wanting to fight .. they really are "soldiers", the US Army is an occupying Army, not an offensive army any more.

European armies are all top heavy with brass these days and have huge recruiting problems, so they end up with people years ago they would not have taken.

Not all militaries are the same, just as all people are not the sme - it's simplistic and I suppose convenient for you to lump them all together which shows you just have no idea.

You seem to think Australian military people are unwilling participants and have to be coerced to go to war zones. That's just insulting, you need to have a little more respect for the military since your assumptions about the Australian military are just wrong.

Honestly go and meet some Australian soldiers and sailors, it will open your eyes.

These articles by Kellie just get more and more strange and disconnected from reality.

I wonder when this bloke became a conscientious objector?

Would it have been before he joined, but still wanted a nice secure "job"?

Would it have been after his training, paid for by us?

Perhaps it was after he was posted to his ship, & didn't like his bunk.

Would it have been when the ship was dispatched, but before it went into Perth?

Quite likely it was after receiving advice from a smart lawyer. Kellie should know all about that. I've never heard of any lawyer telling a defendant to tell the truth, the whole truth, etc.

Kelly must have a fertile mind. You'd have to, to get as much lefty gumpf out of one bloke missing his ship.

"I am not a coward and I would be prepared to fight for my country, because this is not our war, we are just following the Americans. I am prepared to die to defend my country but not to protect the United States oil lines. "

I support this statement,abbridged from the initial quote of a seaman of Conscience.

Australia must not be obliged to send our youth to an aggressive war on the say-so of a Prime Minister, on a littany of lies, without Parliamentary debate of both Houses of Parliament in support of the unilateral, illegal wars instigated by the united States

We must develop an independent Foreign Policy and stop supporting the Imperialist wars which have no part in developing Freedom and Democracy

Trained soldiers who love fighting and killing human beings are Mercenaries. They are not Patriots and do not deserve to be seen in any other light

The fangs are out, aren't they amicus. Perhaps it is your interpretation that is out of touch with reality. When I read this article I did not get any of what you did. The point being made is not that Australian soldiers are afraid to go to war or that they must be coerced to do so, the point is that one man - ONE - made a decision for the entire country and now we are all made to follow it. It was not debated, it was not asked of the public or the armed forces whether we should be there we were all just told. The point of the article is that war being such a vast undertaking, expensive and costly in terms of lives, should not be left to one man to decide and one boys club to push and promote. It should be carefully weighed and debated, lest we end up with the royal mess that we have now. The US started to war, it was their decision to invade. What should have been a US Afghan war soon became a worldwide mess, a soldier not wishing to fight to support another country’s war should have the support of their own country and their own parliament. Australian soldiers are not cowards and they are more than willing to fight, but they should be asked to fight for Australia, not the US.

Yes, Kellie, whatever. Somebody should do something. That's all you've got. As usual.