Sadly though, Poirot, such is the extent of popular paranoia, Abbott can only benefit politically going to war. That's why Shorten supports him; leaders and serious oppositions have to be seen to be decisive and macho above all else when there's a campaign in the offing (political or military). There's always a political backlash once campaigns drag on, deaths on all sides mount up, atrocities are exposed, incisive criticism gradually erodes popular support etc. But there's nothing like beating-up a perceived threat and going to war for short-term political gain--not to mention economic growth!
Patriotism is the first refuge of a scoundrel--especially politicians. They never tire lionising the military, such that it's hallowed and effectively above criticism, and even the atrocities committed by our own (not to mention domestic scandals), in every war, are sanitised and covered up by 'in-house' investigations whose findings are vetted, rationalised or kept secret till the pong dissipates.
This is not to say Australia shouldn't intervene for good reasons, just that it should 'untie' (canine metaphor) itself from the US, whose ethical credentials are in tatters, take off the imperial lenses it's been fitted with, and 'actually examine the whole situation'.
Fat chance.

I sort of get the impression that Poirot does not like Tony Abbot or his government. Congratulations, Poirot, I don't like Tony Abbot either because of what he did to Pauline Hanson. And the last thing I want is for Australian troops to go back into the Middle East and for our blokes to get killed trying to sort out their endless problems, which they do not appreciate anyway.

But for you to claim that Tony Abbot's reference to "Team Australia" is some sort of rallying cry for Australian nationalism is simply moronic. Just like you, Abbot wrongfully believes that "Australian" Muslims are nearly all moderates and it is only a few bad apples which give the majority a bad name. His reference to "Team Australia" was simply a metaphor which everybody except trendy lefties can understand is a way for the majority of "moderate" "Australian" Muslims to demonstrate their commitment to the collective safety of all Australians.

But naturally, as a card carrying left winger, any reference to nationalism is like a red rag to a bull. You charged before you even thought about is because it is a reflexive instinct. Your brain has been wired to always register "Nationalism-bad", "Internationalism-good", and you are incapable of thinking any deeper.

The world is on the verge of another serious war and the fact hat Australia has been given access to NATO planning indicates that Europe is now taking the situation in the Middle East very seriously. Nobody wants a war except these stupid Muslims but you will never see that. All you can see with your one track mind and it's conditioned responses is that the European nations including Australia are always wrong and "oppressed" minorities are always right. All you need to think that way is the amazing ability to disconnect your brain from unpleasant facts and realities.

LEGO,

"......But for you to claim that Tony Abbot's reference to "Team Australia" is some sort of rallying cry for Australian nationalism is simply moronic. Just like you,..."

(Lol!...is individual giving debating classes these days? - You obviously passed with flying colours:)

You have got to be joking.

Tones finally comes to the conclusion that the Oz electorate realises that almost his entire election spiel was a scam. Hockey delivers a budget that leaves no doubt in their minds at all. The polls go south at a rate of knots.....and suddenly Abbott is blustering left right and centre about "Team Australia". Getting his Ministers to ask question after question during Question Time on national security.

And this bunch in govt aren't even sophisticated about it. "Border Force" and "Team Australia" are straight out of a 60's/70's kiddy entertainment package. (One wonders if their will be figurines available in the shops)

I would've had a similar argument with you in 2003, as I did with a few friends, when Howard was strutting around like an obsequious toady behind Bush ready to assist in setting up the conditions that have now created the power vacuum that has resulted in the mess in Iraq....and you, no doubt, would have labelled me a "moron" for opposing the invasion.

.......

(Agree, Squeers:)

And LEGO, interesting that you've got a snout on Tony because he established the fund to bring down Pauline Hanson.

Under the ironic title of "Australians for Honest Politics" (Hahaha!)

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2003/s933489.htm

"KERRY O'BRIEN:

Tony Abbott, when you established the slush fund to get Pauline Hanson politically, you called it Australians for Honest Politics.

Was that some kind of a joke, a bad joke?"

"TONY ABBOTT, EMPLOYMENT & WORKPLACE RELATIONS MINISTER: Of course it wasn't and it wasn't a slush fund."

"TONY ABBOTT: If you go back, Kerry, to the parliamentary debate on 1 July, I think it was, of 1989 -- 1998 -- Labor speaker after Labor speaker were demanding, screaming, that the Government in general, but I in particular, do something to stop this terrible Hanson woman."

"KERRY O'BRIEN: There are a lot of people out there right now who would believe that you're anything but honest in the way you've explained all this.

TONY ABBOTT: Well, I think that I can live with my conscience.

I think it was very important to challenge the Hanson juggernaut back then in 1998.

The difference is, Kerry, that a lot of people who were angry with her then feel sorry for her now, and I suppose I do myself, because I think that there's a sense in which the punishment meted out to her doesn't really fit the crime, but certainly, at the time, the reality of her so-called party needed to be exposed and I was happy to try to do it."

....

Read that lengthy transcript - you'll note a shifty pollie there trying desperately to two-step his way out of culpability.

It goes to the character of Abbott, who appears to be programmed to do "whatever it takes" whenever the need arises.

And it's further ironic that the LNP not only pinched Hanson's policies after pushing her off the cliff, but they pumped them further full of nationalist laughing gas and hung bells on them.

Poirot: “We should all remove our sense of discrimination and jump on board Abbott's confected bandwagon.

The one with the wheels falling off and the Snake Oil advert peeling off the sides.”

You want to be called a moron,I know, but I will not oblige. Being a leftie, you are based in dishonesty, and attempt by your baseless and untrue comment to detract from Abbott’s success.

Your predictions of his failure on the Carbon tax and the Mining tax have been proved incorrect, and he has dropped 18C. He is in a comfortable situation.

It is disappointing that he is only about a thousand times better than Shorten, but nobody is perfect, and Abbott continually improves.

Why doesn't Tony Abbott mention there have been twenty three be headings in Saudi Arabia this month for insignificant crimes?, I just had a seniors moment, I forgot Saudi Arabia is an ally of the US, so those be headings are ok, no wonder the world is in such a mess, sit on the right side of the fence and all is forgiven, sit on the wrong and all hell breaks loose.