praxidice: "I very much doubt we'd get involved in any future yankeefied conflicts."

We will have to see how the Syrian conflict develops. At present, the US and other Western governments including Australia's, are supporting the rebels, who include foreign jihadists allied to al-Qa'ida. It is estimated that as many as 200 Australians might be fighting for al-Qa'ida in Syria as part of a contingent of foreign fighters drawn from Western and Middle Eastern Islamic communities. Not only are they persecuting innocent civilians including ancient-community Syrian Christians, but they are gaining first-hand terrorism experience. Yet, all the Western including Australian governments are doing is sit on their hands. Shame!

Rayco

I think you missed my point

We should only get involved in ANY war if the head of state personally leads the troops into battle. Anything else is immoral.

The history of the world reveals
A very simple plan
He takes who has the power
He holds, who can.

LEGO

That much is true as far as it goes, however the sheeple by their very apathy generally elect to allow grubs to hold power. There will always be far more sheeple than grubs, therefore it will always be possible for the sheeple to take control, in fact very occasionally, a mob of sheeple do awake from their stupor and overthrow the grubs. Problem is that revolutions only seem to happen in 'funny' countries, Australia is 'too civilized' (ie in a perpetual coma) for the vast majority of local sheeple to even consider challenging the grubs here. Seems we've managed to retain the worst features of the pommy class system in that the dumbclucks we elect are almost universally regarded as our 'betters'. I was impressed by the SMH story yesterday on Senator Madigan, that makes three current Senators who have admitted the Australian political circus is utterly corrupt. Add to that Pauline Hanson & Big Clive & we have a slowly growing list of people either inside the system or close enough to know who have bucked the 'old boys club' and exposed what some of us have suspected for yonks.

Dear LEGO,

You wrote;

"Not another sneery one liner, csteel?"

What do you mean 'another'?

You are going to have to show me the plethora of 'sneery' one liners I have supposedly delivered.

But leaving that aside, this thread seems to be a little deserted now and as I finally have a little time up my sleeve I thought it would be a good opportunity to reacquaint.

You had written on another thread;

“Hi Mr Csteel. If you want to take a cheap shot at me, at least have the courtesy of directing your post at me. But I can understand your shyness. You had better have done your homework if you want to cross swords with me.”

I had unfortunately committed to refrain from further posts on that particular thread if a certain other poster did the same therefore I did not respond. So how about 'crossing swords' or more aptly 'crossing words' here? It might be fun.

I will be presumptuous and make a start.

I am putting forward the proposition that as a former member of the armed forces you represent the 0.5% of our community who should only be very cautiously listened to with regard to capital punishment. Our society has determined that to make that 0.5% an effective fighting tool that the natural human resistance to taking the lives of fellow human beings should be tampered with and dulled. This often is something that will often stand the test of time as it has obviously done with you. It is recognisably abnormal but accepted as a price we are all willing to pay. These views however are not those to base public policy on.