sr36
TheBrownDog
Somewhere along the line we've gone from remembering the loss of life to glorifying the sacrifice.I'm not a fan of militarism, of the way Australia's view of strategic defence obliges it to hop aboard US engagements, and the way in which war has become central to Australian 'national identity' over the past 30 years.
It bothers me that the government forks out $100 million to a WWI museum in France that most Australians will never visit, and $500 million for an Australian War Memorial upgrade.
Along with the tens of millions already spent on remembering --and seemingly celebrating-- war, I reckon that the money and attention could be better spent elsewhere.
But the crimes being revealed through the report and future prosecution deserve to be seen in a particular light, rather than just seeing them as the latest episodes in military adventurism or inevitable outcomes of lackeyism.
Whatever might be said about the broader culture of the ADF, the Afghan murders are especially repugnant and need to be seen in their own sickly light.
In a confined period of time, a relatively narrow --they'd call themselves exceptional-- set of people took it upon themselves to inflict an especially murderous campaign of violence upon the local population.
The culture which gave rise to this and the leadership which allowed it to thrive is not reflective of the defence forces. I think it's important to point that out, not to 'defend the defence forces', but to underscore the special horrors of the Brereton report.