Hope you have a great Australia Day Belly , but I do hope your not one of those people toting an Australian flag (made in China) on their car.

Only the least intelligent amongst us would indulge in such meaningless symbolism.
I cringe every time I see this, and once thought that this sort of thing was the domain of the hapless,
misinformed and obviously brainwashed American public.

But these people, are usually the same people (who also sport) "Australia love it or leave it" stickers on their back window. Scary aren't they in their four wheel drives. Not a humanitarian or social libertarian or environmentalist amongst them, their numbers on the the increase.

Shows how far we have digressed, don't you think?.

you are most probably a good bloke.
But can you look at that post ,then in to your mirror? come bloke do it for me.
See you get very close to the true lefts standard issue, clap trap.
You infer I am not Aussie not patriotic ,because my views are different than yours.
By implication you do not think free speech, different ideas, are of value.
thinker 2 I truly remind you you are not a God, you can be wrong, your views are not mine, not those of most AUSTRALIANS.
Can it be you have convinced your self you know best.
Nothing flash for me tomorrow, watch the ceremony, silently remember mates and family who are gone.
Bar B Q on the veranda at lunch, Australian lunch sausage sandwiches and a beer.
I will remember your slur but laugh it of, look at photos on my wall, my history as an Aussie.
OH by the way never spoke of that bus bomb, Iraq death toll over 150 this week your silence csteels too on the subject is telling.
sling those arrows know however it is More than fun to see them it is evidence you can not rebut my posts with truth.

Dear Belly,

I'm not sure what you mean when you say 'I disagree'. Do you disagree that the drones are a bad weapon? Well okay, you may have that opinion but it flies against International Law. Do you disagree that they targets civilians? Plainly they have so you are wrong, dangerously so. Do you disagree they target funerals? Again you are wrong, again dangerously so.

The mistaken target at that particular funeral was Baitullah Mehsud a leader in the Pakistan Taliban. There is no indication that they were involved in the Moscow bombing, nor has anyone claimed responsibility. Why are you linking it to the drone strike on the funeral. Are you incapable of separating these out in your mind?

I can hazard a guess. Is it because you are wanting to offer another misguided reason for your condoning of war crimes?

The only comparison we can make is purely in terms of shattered human lives and the drone strike wins. If those lives count equally then the strike was two and a half times as bad.

Now Belly I have directly answered your questions on more than a few occasions even though you did not afford me the same courtesy on the question of your support of a gas attack.

I would like to try a different tack. Australia ratified the Ottawa Treaty in 1999 banning landmines. The US has refused to sign it and continues to use them in places of conflict including Afghanistan.

Do you agree with Australia's position? Do you agree with their use by the US in Afghanistan?

Further Australia is a signatory but yet to ratify the Oslo Process which bans cluster bombs.

Again do you agree with Australia's position? Do you agree with their use by the US in Afghanistan?

Both are blamed for high death and injury rates among civilians particularly children.

Do you instead see Australia's position as a sign of weakness?

Dear thinker2,

I was quite happy with the rather unfrenetic way we celebrated Australia Day here in this country and certainly didn't mind the odd Aussie flag flown. That was until Cronulla. I am only just getting back to welcoming it rather than cringing myself. Got to tell you though ANZAC day dawn service at the Shrine in Melbourne is thankfully almost totally bereft of flags worn Cronulla style in fact the last time I went there were only two.

Traditionally we head out to my brother-in-law's sheep farm for beer, BBQ, and Banjo Patterson. Most years the children do a reading as well but the highlight is always the host's rendition of The Man from Snowy River, his voice has just the right timbre. Other favourites include Mulga Bill's Bicycle, The Geebung Polo Club, The Man from Ironbark, and Clancy of the Overflow.

My sentimental favourite is the Pearl Diver and as such visiting the Japanese diver's cemetery in Broome was quite and experience for me.

While being open to its failings I have a deep pride in this country and what it stands for. These appear to be a little different to the values Belly espouses but we are all entitled to celebrate the day in our own way.

Dear Yabby,

You said; “When the Taliban took over Afghanistan, millions fled to
Pakistan. When they were overthrown, millions returned.”

I acknowledge that is the case but would say there were a few other factors that contributed including an extremely severe drought, some pretty brutal sanctions, some very belligerent attitudes toward AID agencies from the Taliban etc.

Other things come in to play in and near the Tribal Areas. I find it pretty difficult to separate out what behaviour is Taliban driven and what is Pashtunwali driven. Pashtunwali “is a non-written ethical code and traditional lifestyle which the indigenous Pashtun people from Afghanistan and Pakistan follow.” that well pre-dates Islam. Wikipedia

Its main principles are Melmastia (hospitality), Nanawatai (asylum), Badal (justice), Tureh (bravery), Sabat (loyalty) ,Imandari (righteousness), Isteqamat - Trust in God, Ghayrat (self honour or dignity), Namus (Honor of women).

They are a heady mix but for those with very little in the way of personal goods they are an extremely important part of how this race of people view themselves.

It is a pity it has been co-opted into Talibanism but probably understandable in some ways. The challange is how to pull the two apart leaving the Pashtunwali ethic as a cultural foundation.

Yabby I would like your opinion here.
Are we feeding a pink revolution here?
It is clear if we left the thread would stop .
Seen through eyes that are not mine it appears we will never be able to get our views across.
I however will try IF csteele, remember I think lies are currency in this part of the world, that funeral was attacked I SUPPORT IT.
I find nothing wrong with drones or targeting any enemy combatant.
I do,,, highlight,,, your thread infers drones are evil,,, but steps around confronting human and car bombs by those you seem to cuddle.
I have to try,to put in to words, my thoughts on the very left the blind anti west.
I am reminded of a water hen, one will wander into the middle of the road.
Unaware of the nature of a road, convinced it is ok, get run over and killed.
Its mate will wander on to? the road calling for its mate,picking at it, then it too is dead,never understanding things are not what they seem.
I fly the EUREKA FLAG along side my Aussie one, I am proud to have come from convict stock, be as Aussie as you like but do not insult my nationality.
Yabby we you and I have been caught in sticky fly paper.
No intention to comment on mass murder,, human suffering of women is going to be let to see life here unless it is us.