Our Politicians are all too willing to send us off to fight other people’s wars in the naive hope that they can gain great and powerful friends. They cloak themselves in the glory, of battle honours hard won by others, but they are most unwilling to accept their long term responsibility for the returned crippled, disfigured, blind and insane.
During the First World War, Australia’s fifth Prime Minister Andrew Fisher pledged to fight to the “last man and the last shilling” (he did not count himself in that of course).
1915 In England Churchill earned the title "Butcher of Gallipoli" for being the architect of the disastrous Gallipoli campaign on the Dardanelles. This was his major achievement in WWI and demonstrates his abysmal stupidity.
When Rupert Murdoch's father Keith Murdoch war correspondent cut through the censorship imposed by the Military, and described the campaign to the British Prime Minister as 'butchery and murder'. Our political ruling class rushed to create the myths of the “Birth of a Nation” and of “ANZAC Spirit” to cover up their shameful part in and execution of Churchill's mad plan and the blood on their hands for their part in it.
We have perpetuated their rotten spin over the last 97 years. Self deluded, we left the power to send our children to die for no good reason for no real purpose, other to allow them to strut about, as if they themselves ,had achieved this or that victory.
Those volunteer soldiers did not develop that spirit at Gallipoli. On the contrary, they carried the ‘Spirit of Australia’ with them to the Anzac Cove because that is who they were, and that is who we are.
History has demonstrated and Henry Lawson and Dorethea Mackellar wrote of this country, with its vastness, the furnace breath droughts, bush fires and floods, is character building to say the least. The truth is we are too stubborn for our own good. We know that when we are faced with calamity we need to and can rely on each other and we refuse to let any bugger get the best of us.
So let’s not idolise or mythologise these soldiers. They were from and of this place. They were descendants of migrants from all corners of the earth, who continued to come here on boats, pioneering men and women who carved out a great nation from a land so harsh and desolate that only the stubborn and brave dared persevere despite the hindrance of flood, drought, war and governmental interference.
I believe the Anzacs would not have thought of themselves as doing anything other than ‘just doing that which had been asked of them, and a job to be done’.
In almost every conflict since, men and women of Australia have gone to war because they felt they were doing the right thing and acting to protect and defend their loved ones and their country. None of them would consider themselves heroic.
Bob Menzies, on September 3rd 1939 said, “Britain has declared war on Germany and, therefore, Australia is at war”. He did this without consulting his Cabinet, which did not necessarily agree that after the First World War, Australia needed to blindly follow Britain.
John Curtin recalled Australian troops from the European theatre to defend Australia in the Pacific, much against the wishes of the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who argued that Australia was expendable and the priority of the entire British Empire should be to defend Britain.
Later, in 1950 and concerned that the UK had decided to send troops to Korea and that an announcement was imminent. The Country Party leader and Deputy PM, Arthur Fadden was determined to get in first and make an immediate announcement that Australia would be committing ground troops (Menzies was sailing to New York from London). The decision was made without consulting Menzies (or the rest of the Cabinet) and broadcast on ABC radio an hour before the British announcement.
Once Menzies was informed, he brazenly told the US Congress that he expected British and New Zealand troops soon to be joining Australians and Americans in fighting the communists in Korea.
Prime Minister John Howard, told cabinet we were off to war, no ‘ifs ’or ‘buts’. The question of who decides for Australia apparently is, by default, left in the hands of one man.
Since the first ‘Gallipoli Day’, which later became ‘Anzac Day’ our list of battle honours has grown.
Our service men and women have served us in Belgium, France, the Middle East, North Africa, the Mediterranean and the battles of Britain and for Europe.
So let’s not idolise or mythologise these soldiers. They were from and of this place. They were descendants of migrants from all corners of the earth, who continued to come here on boats, pioneering men and women who carved out a great nation from a land so harsh and desolate that only the stubborn and brave dared persevere despite the hindrance of flood, drought, war and governmental interference.
I believe the Anzacs would not have thought of themselves as doing anything other than ‘just doing that which had been asked of them, and a job to be done’.
In almost every conflict since, men and women of Australia have gone to war because they felt they were doing the right thing and acting to protect and defend their loved ones and their country. None of them would consider themselves heroic.
Bob Menzies, on September 3rd 1939 said, “Britain has declared war on Germany and, therefore, Australia is at war”. He did this without consulting his Cabinet, which did not necessarily agree that after the First World War, Australia needed to blindly follow Britain.
John Curtin recalled Australian troops from the European theatre to defend Australia in the Pacific, much against the wishes of the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who argued that Australia was expendable and the priority of the entire British Empire should be to defend Britain.
Later, in 1950 and concerned that the UK had decided to send troops to Korea and that an announcement was imminent. The Country Party leader and Deputy PM, Arthur Fadden was determined to get in first and make an immediate announcement that Australia would be committing ground troops (Menzies was sailing to New York from London). The decision was made without consulting Menzies (or the rest of the Cabinet) and broadcast on ABC radio an hour before the British announcement.
Once Menzies was informed, he brazenly told the US Congress that he expected British and New Zealand troops soon to be joining Australians and Americans in fighting the communists in Korea.
Prime Minister John Howard, told cabinet we were off to war, no ‘ifs ’or ‘buts’. The question of who decides for Australia apparently is, by default, left in the hands of one man.
Since the first ‘Gallipoli Day’, which later became ‘Anzac Day’ our list of battle honours has grown.
Our service men and women have served us in Belgium, France, the Middle East, North Africa, the Mediterranean and the battles of Britain and for Europe.
They have served in south-east Asia and the Pacific, in Timor, in New Guinea at Kokoda, Milne Bay, Buna, and in Borneo. More recently they have fought in Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. The Australian peace keeping forces have witnessed the Rwanda genocide in Africa. They watched the break-up of Yugoslavia in Europe, and saw the slaughter of Muslim civilians.
In East Timor they saw, first hand, the devastation and massacres in a tiny nation to whom we owed so much, and failed so miserably.
These service men and women share common experiences that they universally, pray their children should never know.
The horror, the terror, the hurt and the pain, their guilt over the relief that they felt when they survived where their mates did not, these stay with them for as long as they live.
The trench warfare of World War I introduced the terms ‘Bomb Happy’ and ‘Shell Shock’ to our language. The authorities, of course, condemned those who could not endure the fighting; as “lacking moral fibre” and some men were executed on all sides of the conflict for what we now understand is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
What a foul, foul obscenity it is that cynical, manipulative old men can still today send our young men and women, into harm’s way to address the failures of their leadership, policy, diplomacy and awful incompetence.
I have written, over the years to both sides of politics, preferring the people should decide by vote, but realistically asking for a joint sitting of both houses, to debate and legitimise any any decision. Unfortunately both positions are the same, and I quote.
“The Prime Minister and Cabinet, who are ultimately responsible to the Australian Parliament. This process is constitutionally valid and has been followed by successive Australian governments. Prior to exercising executive authority, the Prime Minister may elect to have parliament debate the issue or arrange a popular vote.
Alternatively, he or she need not consult parliament or the people prior to exercising this authority and in that case the full Cabinet or the National Security Committee of Cabinet may ultimately make the decision.
The Governor General, as Commander in chief of the ADF, is then informed and by convention must follow that decision.
The Government, consistent with the views of previous governments, regard this long-standing constitutional practice as appropriate”.
Prime Minister Cameron has this day28/08/13 , recalled the parliament of Great Britain to debate and decide, on actions relating to the Syrian civil war atrocities. In Australia or PM can make that decision without consultation as John Howard did.
President Obama, has now turned to the Congress to publicly debate and decide on war in Syria and still Abbott only has to get a signature from the Governor General, who is bound to sign off on the advice of PM Abbott.
Our prime ministers have the power of a Dictator!!!
It is up to us, the people of Australia, to insist that the parliament (both houses sitting jointly, not just the executive) decides if we go to war and recognises it has the duty to provide ongoing psychological and health support for veterans, their wives and families.
These are the experiences that large numbers of ex-service men and women and their wives, husbands and loved ones have all suffered, and continue to suffer today.
Day by day these families experience sleep disturbance including nightmares, emotional detachment, 'flashbacks', mood swings, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, alcohol and other drug abuse.
Please reflect on the enormous financially crippling price , the physical and mental torment, that veterans and their families have paid, one way or another, directly or indirectly, down through the generations to defend our country so that we, here and now, might live in peace.
In East Timor they saw, first hand, the devastation and massacres in a tiny nation to whom we owed so much, and failed so miserably.
These service men and women share common experiences that they universally, pray their children should never know.
The horror, the terror, the hurt and the pain, their guilt over the relief that they felt when they survived where their mates did not, these stay with them for as long as they live.
The trench warfare of World War I introduced the terms ‘Bomb Happy’ and ‘Shell Shock’ to our language. The authorities, of course, condemned those who could not endure the fighting; as “lacking moral fibre” and some men were executed on all sides of the conflict for what we now understand is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
What a foul, foul obscenity it is that cynical, manipulative old men can still today send our young men and women, into harm’s way to address the failures of their leadership, policy, diplomacy and awful incompetence.
I have written, over the years to both sides of politics, preferring the people should decide by vote, but realistically asking for a joint sitting of both houses, to debate and legitimise any any decision. Unfortunately both positions are the same, and I quote.
“The Prime Minister and Cabinet, who are ultimately responsible to the Australian Parliament. This process is constitutionally valid and has been followed by successive Australian governments. Prior to exercising executive authority, the Prime Minister may elect to have parliament debate the issue or arrange a popular vote.
Alternatively, he or she need not consult parliament or the people prior to exercising this authority and in that case the full Cabinet or the National Security Committee of Cabinet may ultimately make the decision.
The Governor General, as Commander in chief of the ADF, is then informed and by convention must follow that decision.
The Government, consistent with the views of previous governments, regard this long-standing constitutional practice as appropriate”.
Prime Minister Cameron has this day
President Obama, has now turned to the Congress to publicly debate and decide on war in Syria and still Abbott only has to get a signature from the Governor General, who is bound to sign off on the advice of PM Abbott.
Our prime ministers have the power of a Dictator!!!
It is up to us, the people of Australia, to insist that the parliament (both houses sitting jointly, not just the executive) decides if we go to war and recognises it has the duty to provide ongoing psychological and health support for veterans, their wives and families.
These are the experiences that large numbers of ex-service men and women and their wives, husbands and loved ones have all suffered, and continue to suffer today.
Day by day these families experience sleep disturbance including nightmares, emotional detachment, 'flashbacks', mood swings, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, alcohol and other drug abuse.
Please reflect on the enormous financially crippling price , the physical and mental torment, that veterans and their families have paid, one way or another, directly or indirectly, down through the generations to defend our country so that we, here and now, might live in peace.
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