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1  General Discussion / Federal Politics / Re: Defence
 on: Today at 7:37pm 
Started by Frank | Post by Frank  
In talking to Australian high school audiences, I found, when I asked directly, that only one in ten … were prepared to fight for their country. —  Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenk at ADF Academy, April 12, 2023

In April 2023, the Albanese Government’s National Defence: Defence Strategic Review declared the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to be “not fully fit for purpose” to meet the most dangerous strategic environment facing the country since the Second World War. Such a frank statement, with its haunting echoes of the unreadiness of the 1930s, reflects not only the ADF’s materiel shortcomings, but serious weaknesses in its military education. If wars are first prepared for in the minds of an officer corps, then, a “not fully fit for purpose” defence force is failing in the intellectual preparation of its personnel.
...
The Australian-born British general Sir John Hackett, in his seminal 1983 book The Profession of Arms, warned that the military is simultaneously a shield and a mirror of a democratic society. Reflecting on military recruitment in democracies, Hackett famously wrote: “When a country looks at its fighting forces, it is looking into a mirror. What a society gets from its armed services is exactly what it asks for, no more or less.” For Hackett, this social mirror was all the more reason for the military to ensure that those who join its ranks embrace an austere professional ethos free from contemporary ideological fetishes. While Australia’s democratic civil society can, in the name of liberal tolerance, accept unpalatable currents of cultural and intellectual behaviour, a small, regular military such as the ADF must relentlessly guard itself against negative social forces that may threaten to overwhelm its ethos and cohesion as a fighting force.

The effectiveness of the Australian profession of arms depends on a rigorous military education that is at once unique and specialised for the needs of warfare. Yet, in the twenty-first century we are faced with an unprecedented decay of Australian military education which, if not reversed, may impair the operational and strategic proficiency of our forces. Today’s ADF is an undermanned, “come as you are” military with little reserve strength or expansion base, and no evident plans exist for the mobilisation of the population to defend our way of life. For these reasons, a military failure—especially in the first act of any future major war—is likely to be disastrous for our political fortunes. The ADF must be an educated force that is able to fight and hold its own in the first battle of the next major war, if only to buy precious time for the nation to recover its senses and rally around the flag.
https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2024/03/why-the-adf-risks-failure-in-the-next-w...

But the ADF is keen to embrace every contemporary ideological fetish.

2  General Discussion / Thinking Globally / Re: Argentina has a new President
 on: Today at 7:21pm 
Started by Baronvonrort | Post by Frank  
Australia is heading Argentina's way.


Peronism, like our own modern Labor and Liberal parties, treats economics as an emotional or sentimental pursuit. Peronism put “fairness” — a terrifying word when spoken by social justice types — at its economic core. “The two arms of Peronism are social justice and social help,” President Peron wrote. “With them, we can give a hug of justice and love to the people.”

He gave them, through applications of Peronism that far outlived himself, hyperinflation and other elements of economic devastation—all in the name of fairness. For example, hugely expensive electricity bills were judged to be unfair. A sensible response to this might be reducing the cost of electricity production by smashing unions and such. But Argentina went with fairness instead, which means subsidies.

This causes absurd outcomes. “The average European spends around US$40 a month on electricity,” the Economist noted last year. “The average Argentine spends around US$5—eight times less.” But with all those paybacks flying around, Argentinian taxpayers are hammered each year by an electricity subsidy cost of US$12.5 billion.

Australia’s taxpayers are copping the same treatment thanks to our various governments’ also equating subsidies with fairness. Electricity bill relief payments of up to $500 were delivered last year by a federal government that by its anti-coal actions is causing those bills to surge. It’s a Buenos Aires squeeze play.
Tim Blair

3  Member Run Boards / The Tavern / Re: do you like your actual name-- what
 on: Today at 7:21pm 
Started by Agnes.. | Post by Jasin  
AusGeoff wrote Today at 12:55am:
How's about this poor bloke?  I wonder what his life was like at school?

Pharmacologist professor Richard Head,  Emeritus Professor UniSA Clinical & Health Sciences.

    Grin


Oh no! Grin Surely that can't be true?

4  General Discussion / America / Re: Joe Biden , 81 Million votes ?
 on: Today at 7:17pm 
Started by it_is_the_light | Post by greggerypeccary  
Dnarever wrote Today at 7:04pm:
greggerypeccary wrote Today at 4:45pm:
it_is_the_light wrote Today at 2:29pm:
Joe Biden needs illegals because America is not

voting Biden


How would an illegal immigrant vote in a general election?

I'm curious.

And, why would they risk being a) discovered as an illegal immigrant and, b) being sent to prison for a year for voting in a presidential election as an illegal immigrant?

Makes absolutely no sense.

(A) Perhaps you have the names of some illegal immigrants who voted for Joe Biden in the last presidential election?   Undecided

Or "B", perhaps you know absolutely nothing about the electoral system in the US.



Option "B" is the value bet.


He thinks Joe Biden is running in a local election.

Oh dear   Roll Eyes

5  General Discussion / Aboriginal Affairs / Re: We lost Uluru - more to lose with a voice?
 on: Today at 7:15pm 
Started by Bobby. | Post by Grappler Truth Teller Feller  
Ayers Rock - show some respect each way - the time will come when some government rips up all these 'agreements' made between the Dork governments and the Abos.

Slowly but surely every worthwhile site to visit - naturally occurring ones, of course over which NOBODY can claim possession .. Open Range .... in Australia is being shut down for 'cultural sensitivities' and soon there will be only empty desert stretching for miles and miles for visitors and travelers to see.

Just today the wahless news said that two spots near Byron Bay were being renamed - without your leave, freediver - with Aboriginal names.

Well - you know what - cultural sensitivity and respect work two ways - people can choose for themselves what they want to call a naturally occurring feature that NOBODY has any right to lay claim to.

Ayers Rock it is... Mt Warning it is... if you don't know what those names mean and what they identify, then piss off... I, for one, will name them as I choose ....

Everyone happy to have the two names of two different cultures shown side by side?  If not - piss off.

6  Member Run Boards / The Tavern / Re: do you like your actual name-- what
 on: Today at 7:13pm 
Started by Agnes.. | Post by Dnarever  
AusGeoff wrote Today at 12:55am:
How's about this poor bloke?  I wonder what his life was like at school?

Pharmacologist professor Richard Head,  Emeritus Professor UniSA Clinical & Health Sciences.

    Grin



I worked on a comms design project that had a guy over from England. His name was Jim Bond. On the same project we had a guy from South Australia who was a submarine weapons systems design specialist.

7  General Discussion / America / Re: Joe Biden , 81 Million votes ?
 on: Today at 7:13pm 
Started by it_is_the_light | Post by it_is_the_light  
greggerypeccary wrote Today at 6:04pm:
it_is_the_light wrote Today at 6:00pm:
So you didn't know that illegals are

voting in US Elections , got it ⚡



Joe Biden is running in a presidential election.

"In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed a law prohibiting noncitizens from voting in federal elections, including elections for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and presidential elections."

So, how would an illegal immigrant vote in a presidential election?

I'm curious.

And, why would they risk being a) discovered as an illegal immigrant and, b) being sent to prison for a year for voting in a presidential election as an illegal immigrant?

Cat got your tongue?


You have zero clue what's being orchestrated

You simply repeat mainstream media blindly like a Coward and

Traitor to humanity .. day 1 , watch what Trump does

8  General Discussion / Aboriginal Affairs / Re: Home invasions by Abbos
 on: Today at 7:12pm 
Started by Bobby. | Post by Bobby.  
Grappler Truth Teller Feller wrote Today at 6:50pm:
Bobby. wrote Today at 2:45pm:
Quote:
Noel, 85, suffered a nasty gash on his head after being knocked to the ground and
bashed with a jimmy bar while trying to defend Marcia with a stool.



What kind of animals would do that to an 85 year old man?

That's right - they are not human beings - they are animals -
they should be in a zoo.





I'll put you down as a supporter of Aborassic Park Plus -  sign up, pay your fees, and you can be shipped there  as well....  not you, Bobby - just stating the principle.  Anyone who wants to go there to live and who is not Aboriginal can pay for service... user pays, no?  Repeat criminals are free................



What should society do with wild animals out on the street?

9  General Discussion / America / Re: Joe Biden , 81 Million votes ?
 on: Today at 7:05pm 
Started by it_is_the_light | Post by Dnarever  
.

10  General Discussion / America / Re: Joe Biden , 81 Million votes ?
 on: Today at 7:04pm 
Started by it_is_the_light | Post by Dnarever  
greggerypeccary wrote Today at 4:45pm:
it_is_the_light wrote Today at 2:29pm:
Joe Biden needs illegals because America is not

voting Biden


How would an illegal immigrant vote in a general election?

I'm curious.

And, why would they risk being a) discovered as an illegal immigrant and, b) being sent to prison for a year for voting in a presidential election as an illegal immigrant?

Makes absolutely no sense.

(A) Perhaps you have the names of some illegal immigrants who voted for Joe Biden in the last presidential election?   Undecided

Or "B", perhaps you know absolutely nothing about the electoral system in the US.



Option "B" is the value bet.