Australian Politics Forum - All future wars should be put to a referendum.

Lord Herbert

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All future wars should be put to a referendum.
Jan 14^th, 2014 at 7:33pm

I've been watching a lot of documentaries about the different wars of the last and this century.

What you see in the filmed archives are just poor saps who get drafted into war situations at the behest of a miniscule minority of the population who happen to be politicians.

It's an obscenity that so many young men in the prime of their life find themselves in foreign countries getting shoot at and bombed for no good reason.

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Lord Herbert Gold Member Offline Posts: 34441 Gender:	Re: All future wars should be put to a referendum. Reply #1 - Jan 14^th, 2014 at 7:36pm The poll
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... Gold Member Offline Posts: 23673 WA Gender:	Re: All future wars should be put to a referendum. Reply #2 - Jan 14^th, 2014 at 7:39pm And if someone should attack us?
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Lord Herbert Gold Member Offline Posts: 34441 Gender:	Re: All future wars should be put to a referendum. Reply #3 - Jan 14^th, 2014 at 8:02pm ... wrote on Jan 14^th, 2014 at 7:39pm: And if someone should attack us? I'll let you work it out in that particular case.
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Life_goes_on

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Re: All future wars should be put to a referendum.
Reply #4 - Jan 14^th, 2014 at 8:17pm

We have a professional army - not conscripts. It's what they joined up for - to go to war. If they didn't, then they're idiots for not being happy at being sent to some far flung shithole to shoot and be shot at (most of them don't - the vast majority never see the pointy end).

If they want to bring back conscription - then hell yes, put it to a referendum.

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"You're just one lucky motherf-cker" - Someone, 5th February 2013

Num num num num.

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Bobby. Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 95629 Melbourne Gender:	Re: All future wars should be put to a referendum. Reply #5 - Jan 14^th, 2014 at 8:48pm Herbert- what is more disturbing is that The Prime Minister can send troops to a war zone without a vote in parliament. Howard never got any permission to send our troops to Afghanistan & Iraq.
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Grappler Truth Teller Feller

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Re: All future wars should be put to a referendum.
Reply #6 - Jan 14^th, 2014 at 9:04pm

Damn - and I missed Afghanistan - I tried, though. Ageism I tells yez!

Umm - yes - Herbert - you seem to have it organised. We do have a professional army but when the merde strikes the blades and begins its leisurely splatter around the room - there will be a sudden need for more men... men... men.. to be ready to fight or support the fighting arms.

I'm leaning towards some form of national service again... for the simple reason that I foresee a Big One coming soon.... and we are going to need men quickly - and a bit of solid training would go a long way.

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“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
― John Adams

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Swagman Gold Member Offline Beware of cheap imitations...... Posts: 15095 Illawarra NSW Gender:	Re: All future wars should be put to a referendum. Reply #7 - Jan 14^th, 2014 at 9:07pm Quote: Australians to fight without a referendum first? Trick question?
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Grappler Truth Teller Feller

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Re: All future wars should be put to a referendum.
Reply #8 - Jan 14^th, 2014 at 9:16pm

Swagman wrote on Jan 14^th, 2014 at 9:07pm:

Quote:

Australians to fight without a referendum first?

Trick question? Huh

Hush and what kind of Australian red-blooded man would walk out on a perfectly good fight and leave his mates in the lurch? Some kind of modern-day pussy-whipped namby-pamby loser metro man social science indoctrinated loser who's frightened of saying or doing anything out of line?

What do you take us for these days?

Oh.... sorry... I just looked around...... Undecided

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“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
― John Adams

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Swagman

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Re: All future wars should be put to a referendum.
Reply #9 - Jan 15^th, 2014 at 8:07am

Grappler Truth Teller Feller wrote on Jan 14^th, 2014 at 9:16pm:

Swagman wrote on Jan 14^th, 2014 at 9:07pm:

Quote:

Australians to fight without a referendum first?

Trick question? Huh

Hush and what kind of Australian red-blooded man would walk out on a perfectly good fight and leave his mates in the lurch? Some kind of modern-day pussy-whipped namby-pamby loser metro man social science indoctrinated loser who's frightened of saying or doing anything out of line?

What do you take us for these days?

Oh.... sorry... I just looked around...... Undecided

I voted 'yes' (as have 2 others to time) as the poll question is "Australians to fight without a referendum first?"

We have a Govt. Like it or not it's there to make decisions.

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Lord Herbert

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Re: All future wars should be put to a referendum.
Reply #10 - Jan 15^th, 2014 at 10:49am

Swagman wrote on Jan 15^th, 2014 at 8:07am:

We have a Govt. Like it or not it's there to make decisions.

When you say 'like it or not' you seem to be implying that we are not living in a Representative Democracy ~ but 'government by fiat and decree'.

On matters of running the ordinary business of State I agree the government should operate as an autonomy, but on matters that vitally effect the lives of the great bulk of the nation's people, I believe our politicians have a moral duty to defer to majority opinion for their mandate.

We've seen too many politically paranoid and whimsical wars in which young Australians have been sent to give their lives.

Enough is enough.

No more boutique wars dreamed up by the Americans for our youth to die in.

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Lord Herbert

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Re: All future wars should be put to a referendum.
Reply #11 - Jan 15^th, 2014 at 10:56am

Life_goes_on wrote on Jan 14^th, 2014 at 8:17pm:

We have a professional army - not conscripts. It's what they joined up for - to go to war.

Surely you jest.

Nobody joins up in the hope they'll be a target for enemy snipers and mortar-fire, risking injury and death.

Peace-time recruits join up because it sure beats the grueling hours of working in private industry, and the conditions and perks virtually ensure you'll be a home-owner while you're still young.

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Lord Herbert

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Re: All future wars should be put to a referendum.
Reply #12 - Jan 15^th, 2014 at 11:08am

Grappler Truth Teller Feller wrote on Jan 14^th, 2014 at 9:04pm:

Damn - and I missed Afghanistan - I tried, though. Ageism I tells yez!

Umm - yes - Herbert - you seem to have it organised. We do have a professional army but when the merde strikes the blades and begins its leisurely splatter around the room - there will be a sudden need for more men... men... men.. to be ready to fight or support the fighting arms.

I'm leaning towards some form of national service again... for the simple reason that I foresee a Big One coming soon.... and we are going to need men quickly - and a bit of solid training would go a long way.

I can't see a war happening in our neck of the woods in the foreseeable future.

I'm tired of the US meddling in other countries' affairs, and then needing Britain and Australia to send forces to help clean up the mess.

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The_Barnacle

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Re: All future wars should be put to a referendum.
Reply #13 - Jan 15^th, 2014 at 11:10am

Lord Herbert wrote on Jan 15^th, 2014 at 10:56am:

Life_goes_on wrote on Jan 14^th, 2014 at 8:17pm:

We have a professional army - not conscripts. It's what they joined up for - to go to war.

Surely you jest.

Nobody joins up in the hope they'll be a target for enemy snipers and mortar-fire, risking injury and death.

Peace-time recruits join up because it sure beats the grueling hours of working in private industry, and the conditions and perks virtually ensure you'll be a home-owner while you're still young.

Anyone who joins the army has to know that they may be involved in some sort of action. I'm sure they are made aware of this when they apply.

I also agree with swagman, we have elected a government to make that sort of decision. I am not one who supports endless referendums.

It would also leave us in the absurd situation that if our troops were genuinely required in a warzone we would be paralized for months organising a referendum. It is simply not practicle.

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The Right Wing only believe in free speech when they agree with what is being said.

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BatteriesNotIncluded

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people died for this!

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Re: All future wars should be put to a referendum.
Reply #14 - Jan 15^th, 2014 at 2:05pm

Lord Herbert wrote on Jan 15^th, 2014 at 10:49am:

Swagman wrote on Jan 15^th, 2014 at 8:07am:

We have a Govt. Like it or not it's there to make decisions.

When you say 'like it or not' you seem to be implying that we are not living in a Representative Democracy ~ but 'government by fiat and decree'.

On matters of running the ordinary business of State I agree the government should operate as an autonomy, but on matters that vitally effect the lives of the great bulk of the nation's people, I believe our politicians have a moral duty to defer to majority opinion for their mandate.

We've seen too many politically paranoid and whimsical wars in which young Australians have been sent to give their lives.

Enough is enough.

No more boutique wars dreamed up by the Americans for our youth to die in.

I must say its a bloody good question to shed some serious light!

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*Sure....they're anti competitive as any subsidised job is. It wouldn't be there without the tax payer. Very damned difficult for a brainwashed collectivist to understand that I know.... (swaggy) *

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Poll
Question: Australians to fight without a referendum first?
Yes No « Created by: Lord Herbert on: Jan 14^th, 2014 at 7:36pm »