The author of this deja vu article should be congratulated for his foresight, analytic perception and academic aptitude. What a timely expose : " remembrance Day 2011 " e.g a dignified glorification of War !

Without divining into Australia's copious THINK TANKS, i.e Lowry Institute, Dibbs / White / Mortimer etc Reviews, ADA, Kokoda Foundation etc, this topic has been regurgitated umpteen times by more Academic Phd's, then paid Analyst, from the Office of National Assessments in the ACT.!

Realistically, our obsequious, cliche-driven, much vaunted ADF are grossly subservient to the USA for our future survival, no matter what Defence Minister Smith equivocates. For a Nation which spends less on Research & Development, then it does on bipolar disorders, and mental health, what can one really expect ? It's a Life time characteristic to piggy-back on other people's technology & successes.

Treasurer Swan's Election pork-barreling budget purloined $ 2.5 B from US Defence contracts e.g Joint Strike Fighters, P3 Orions, Hornet upgrades, 12 new submarines etc into welfare payments. Another $ 1.5 B cuts to equipment shortages, and sacking 1000 civilian boffins on to the scrap heap. $1.9 B on two unwinnable Wars, and Peace keeping Operations in five theaters of the Globe !

Smith's bizarre announcement of permitting women to serve in every Branch of the ADF, in light of HMAS Success pornographic Inquiry, and our ten latest casualties by a rogue ANA trooper, in Tarin Kwot, is indicative someone is egregiously out of their depth. Will Smith and his retinue of camp followers be at the waiting tarmac, to welcome the female warrior's caskets, as they are brought home by the dozen, in a C130 ?

Who is supportive of the Afghan people ? They continue to grow the World's largest crop of Opium. The Kazai Govt depend on it's penetration to the four corners of the Globe. Human Right's violations is endemic, and women are still mercilessly stoned to death. Worst, this paradigm is a parsimonious rerun of Vietnam, where the Civil Aid Program ran off the rails, and the " good guys " slope..

cont..

slope heads, ARVN finished up in Interment Camps for brain washing and Communist indoctrination courses, which incidentally the RSL Branches, now want a " memorandum of understanding " with our Diggers murderer's at Long Tan ?

Enough said. Some people have short memories. Has anyone stopped to consider what the eighteen families, dependents and next-of-kin have to say on the matter ?

Bureaucracy gone MAD.

here here Jacinta I never thought I would 'see' you about anything but on this occasion you have my attention .

I don't think governments could always be expected to live up to Mr MacInnes' high standards for avoiding conflict, but could certainly do better. Will mankind never learn? Note Israel's latest dummyspit reaction to the Palestinians' acceptance to UNESCO - a cooperative organisation. Are there no bounds to arrogance and sefishness?

As for Afghanistan, I was not convinced by the father of the latest ANA whackjob when he said his son had no involvement with the Taliban - very unconvincing. In contrast to the Libyan people, the Afghans don't appear to be willing to stand up to the Taliban, and continue to hate the allied intervention. Kharzai also seems to be a whimp, and not to have the support of the populace. I think we should get out and let them sort it out for themselves - but after forcing them to conduct a fair and comprehensive national election.

As for drugs, people need a good whack in the bum and stop taking them. What a pack of whinging whimps. Woe is me; life's so hard; I miss my mum. Whimps.

War. Damned if you do, and damned if you don't. Too slow to intervene in Rwanda; too pussyfooting in Srebrenica; too lenient in Mogadishu; naughty, naughty assistance in Libya; hands off Syria! Can't please everyone.

The lavishness of the West, and the resources and lives wasted in conflict - immoral. If resources could be employed more sanely in supporting education and industry development in impoverished nations, just to give them a leg up, the foundations of conflict could be defused, and the groundwork established for a tolerant and democratic world. I won't hold my breath.

Malaysia is mounting a legal case for the indictment of Bush and Blair for war crimes in Iraq.

The war on terror is a lie. http://www.ae911truth.org? The science is now irrefutable.

I must confess that I have not read the article, however, my comment would be, can these countries afford to bring their troops back,as there is no work home for them and, given they are now accustomed to huge wages, how will they and thier families survive without these huge pay packets.

Then there are the private contractors. One guy I know went over 7 years ago and has now returned a multi millionaire. Ne started with nothing other tan the skills he gained from the army.

The governmentS have made a rod for their own backs with this one.