Warren it's like the lessons we never learn after bushfires, it's obvious we're a very lazy people, but not too lazy to shoot the messenger.

I'm watching the present Royal Commission in Melbourne into the bushfires as are a lot of Californians who suffer similar events.

A friend in San Diego, USA, mentioned to me that it is starting to appear as if the government has already made up its mind and wants to move on.

I believe we can't do that till we have a scapegoat, then we can go back to ignoring everything again, having assigned blame.

Mature, no, relaxed yes. For the time being ...

Dear Warren,

Congratulations on an excellent, gutsy hard hitting story. The issues you raise are of deep concern.

You make the point that Fairfax journalist Paul Daley has been the only journalist to follow the tragic story of Russell Vance. Daley is to be commended on this occasion but he overall remains an enigma.

Daley with other self-appointed Defence experts at Fairfax have refused to question why those who dominate Australia's Defence debate have no hands-on military experience. We have witnessed the disaster these experts have caused over the past 2 decades.

As a society we scrutinise doctors, lawyers, intelligence chiefs, plumbers, but for some reason when it comes to defence experts this is a taboo issue.

Daley needs to show leadership by opening up Australia's defence debate. We the tax payers are the ones who foot the bill.

Journalists because of their influential position in society, for better or worse, play a leading role in shaping the Defence debate.

Keep up the good work, Warren.

Sasha Uzunov
freelance photo journalist (Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan)
ex-Australian soldier (East Timor)

It is time that the public demanded that "Public Servants" be treated as servants of the public who pay their wages. These people should not be treated as servants of a government department or a minister.
They have their wages paid by the public and so should be accountable to the public, if they see something which is not right in their line of work they should be free to report to the public and not suffer any repercussions.

You're right, Peace - but how is that to be achieved? We ordinary folk do read and do care - but what are we to do about it? Australians are not, on the whole, an apathetic people. It is a normal reaction for people who feel disempowered to disengage. One day, the right leaders might emerge - leaders who want to devolve power back to the people - and the people will flock to them in droves. But don't hold your breath - at present, too many are getting too rich out of state/bureacratic control.

>> Australians are not, on the whole, an apathetic people. <<

I have to disagree. We like to think of ourselves as critical, nonconformist, and anti-authoritarian, but when it comes down to the wire we always do as we're told and choose the safest, most conventional option.

That's why it takes decades to see any significant political or socail change in this country.