"In the face of domestic difficulties centred on a failed budget, a foreign policy performance based on war time parameters has played well for Abbott. His initial spontaneous pugnacious response to a threat or challenge has on balance stood him in good stead – in the short term. But for Abbott his challenge will be to plan or follow through in the longer term and to date he has shown little aptitude for that. He apparently has given no thought to the prospect that what he is proposing might go awry. He would be better advised to cover himself with parliamentary approval before going it alone. The Abbott Doctrine could sink in a sea of hubris.

It is not in Abbott’s nature to consider diplomacy as an aspect of war...."

Ain't that the truth.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/leader-for-a-more-dangerous-world/story-e6frg74x-1227022252877

Paul Kelly:

"Abbott’s every instinct is to deploy Australian military and police assets and he needs to be persuaded by his advisers from such options."

"In the early days of the crisis several weeks ago Abbott wanted to put 1000 Australian troops onto the crash site in conjunction with 1000 Dutch troops. Nothing better testifies to his outrage at the event and his keenness to deploy Australian assets in a cause that affected Australians. This option remained on the table for a few days.

It was never going to be viable. Yet debate around this idea continued before the Prime Minister was talked around and decided it was too dangerous and inappropriate an option. Putting Australian troops into that highly charged situation would have been far too risky.

Yet it offers insights into Abbott’s approach to military issues: he is impatient with limitations relating to logistics and deployment...."

Send Abbott, Bishop and the rest of the war mongers off to battle in the front line of fire, as they are so happy to follow the biggest war machine in the world, the USA, guarantee there would be no talk of war then, so we will have more crocodile tears at the laying of wreaths at memorials for the glorious war dead, that they have sent off to battle their war
Where is Abbott getting this money for his war crusade? has he consulted the taxpayer public for his dictatorship attitude with war and everything else.
The sooner this idiot is out of office the better off we will all be.

Poirot, the problem is that the opposition are just as stupid as Abbot is and they will also give parliamentary approval for another excursion into the Middle East. This just gives more ammunition for the jihadists when they return home to Oz.

David

The weirdness of War is that murder is illegal -unless the gumment sanctions it.
Since the individuals leaving Australia are fighting in other people's wars that have NOT been sanctioned, they have committed murder.
If they try to return to this country they should face immediate incarceration and life sentences.

Peder-Pedo Quim Rimmer Grim Fat Low, you’re talking about an “elected government” remember? Your holy of holies, remember? Which automatically and necessarily represents society more and better than society does? Than which no question of mere liberty can be higher or more important? Merely to question Abbott’s clownish bumbling aggressiveness means you support the “ideological support for corporatisation of the planet”, remember? Even to suggest a right for liberty against unlimited government power means “irrational profound hatred of freely elected governments”.

Remember?

How can you have forgotten? It was only yesterday you were sticking this absurd jumble up of self-contradictions my nose. The only difference is that in your case, you believe them and you’re constantly contradicting everything you yourself post, and in my case, they’re only your primitive misrepresentations, I’m consistent in preferring freedom from aggression which you only partially and inconsistently support now.

Okay let’s cut to the chase. Enlighten us. Is aggressive violence okay if it’s done by an elected government, or not.

You can bet your left teste that Abbott's sprogs won't be anywhere near the frontline if the manure hits the fan. I am waiting only for the jingoistic babble to gush forth, urging the Crusader's onwards and upwards for the cause of the Cross and the almighty dollar. About time someone took a 'pot shot' at one of these clowns to put their cocky heads down !