The cost of maintaining a military presence in Afghanistan is horrendous in lives as well as financial costs.
This is being done to protect us from the threat of terrorism.
I do not think that any lives have been threatened let alone lost due to terrorism imported from a foreign country.
We have had a lot of lives lost in another war which is presently raging and will continue to do so perpetually. This is the war that nature is waging against us and is exacerbated by global warming.
The bush fires that are causing devastation all over the eastern states at the moment is one aspect of this war.
We are fighting this with one hand tied behind our backs due to a lack of the proper tools.
The helicopters that are in use together with a few crop dusters are ineffective and there are better aircraft available.
The Canadian purpose designed and built Bombardier would be a tremendous boost to protecting the tinder dry land we live in.
In an average mission of six nautical miles (11 kilometres) distance from water to fire, it can complete nine drops within an hour and deliver 14,589 U.S. gallons (55,233 litres) of fire suppressant.
It is an Amphibious Aircraft so is suitable for general duties also when not fire bombing.
Surely it would be better to obtain a fleet of these aircraft and have the RAAF operate them than to spend multi millions on a futuristic fighter that we really do not need and then ship them overseas to fight a war that is not only unnecessary but unwinnable

Australia has spilled much blood in Afghanistan.
If the west had not gone there it still would be the place terrorist acts came from.
All the local graft, the local insider military murders of western troops has taken place.
Women and girls have every chance of living without fear.
It may all fall over when we leave.
I dislike our being there but think we should stay till it is time to go.
No war was ever clean not one was a clear trouble free thing.
We owe it to the very reasons we went, and our dead to stay.

The USA/NATO has now deployed troops to 35 African countries.They are trying to contain China.The Africans love China since they leave them with infrstructure and no debt unlike our Western Bankster parasites.

Do not be concerned about our arjay, he is very anti west.
Your second point, well combined within the thread needs addressing.
It is more than likely other posters are or have been volunteer bush fire fighters.
Some could confirm my Grimm story.
In fighting fires first we must stop the fire starters,some who are in fact active members of those brigades.
I can give first hand evidence of that, having served with one.
True volunteers need no praise, but some seek it out and light fires to get it.
Unreal lated in my view to true war, prison terms for every caught offender no matter who will greatly reduce fires.

he is very anti west.
Belly,
Any decent Westerner feels the same. Just look at the morons we have allowed to prosper. Hell. I'm starting to get very anti West myself. Being Western is nothing to be proud by any stretch of the imagination.
I think it's time the West woke up !

Robert LePage,

Agreed, however the "Great and Powerful Friend" delusion is widespread.

"This is being done to protect us from the threat of terrorism."

By making enemies of people who had probably never even heard of Australia before we invited ourselves to America's wars?

The government and a large percentage of the population seem to think that we're paying some sort of insurance premium on future US assistance by behaving like a sycophant, the Americans might be a more reliable ally than the British, but in the long term I doubt it.