:D

Reena Ganga, my co-blogger at The Raw Prawn and an Australian journalist, has some excellent posts up about the Australian election:

- Her reaction to the outcome, and what it means for Australia - link
- Is compulsory voting to blame for the campaign focus being almost solely on swing voters, to an even larger extent than it is in the US? link
- A spotlight on some of the off-the-wall Australian political parties, like the "Lower Excise Fuel and Beer Party" - link

In an old-fashioned battle with spears and swords, rout was apt to start not with those heavily engaged at the front but with those at the rear who were in the best position to flee, and who could see things at the front not looking good, and reflect on what to do about it. There was no immediate, physical effect from their departure. But when those around them saw first a few warriors, then more sliding away from the fight, and then those fighting at the front became bitterly aware that they were increasingly alone, hope and resolution would shatter.

At the moment in Iraq, Australia is not in battle. We've got less than a thousand people there, total, we're not in combat roles, and we've taken no losses. But they also serve who only stand and wait. As long as we and other minor Coalition of the Willing partners stay where we are and keep doing what we are doing, we're a favourable factor. If we headed for the exits we'd (be scum and) encourage others to do the same, and those doing the real hard yakka would be abandoned and undermined.

That's the significance of the Howard win. He's an old spearman at the back of the battle. His spear and shield rest on the ground, but he's not going anywhere or looking like anybody else should get ideas about going anywhere. Such steady men are useful in war.

On the other hand, if we had fled the field unbloodied, that would have been a diplomatic disaster for the Coalition and a much greater disaster for us. Once you lose your character and courage, and the reputation that goes with them, it's not easy to get them back.

I'm still so happy about this win that I have to step outside from time to time because my happiness is too big to fit indoors. :D

What are the Aussies contributing to the Iraqi War On Terror?

It's really swell to have buddies if you want to fight an unpopular war. If nothing else it makes you feel better while you go about the dirty work. And it really helps if you protect your buddies, like give them a nice safe job so nobody gets hurt.

Does anybody know how many troops Australia sent to Iraq? How many Aussies have given their lives? How many Australians have been victims of the roadside car bombs? How many Aussies have been killed by snipers? How many Aussies have died when their plane or helicopter was shot down? Does anybody know how many casualties they suffered in this honourable war on terror?

Or is the US just using the Aussies as a show piece, something the US can point at and say, "Hey, lookie how big our coalition is!"

This massive Australian contribution to the Iraq war is led by Commander of the Australian Forces in the Middle East, Brigadier Peter Hutchinson. Well, I suppose Aussies need a Brigadier to lead 500 troops. That is "five-hundred" troops and no cents.

At the onset of the invasion Australia contributed 2000 troops. Now, as America is increasing their forces Australia has been continuously cutting back and has reduced it to a mere 500. Everybody faults Spain for pulling its 1300 troops out but Australia has already pulled more troops out of Iraq than Spain did!

In a recent interview the Brigadier described some recent action involving Australia. Their Hercules aircraft was taking off from Bagdhad airport at 5:00 in the afternoon and was hit by a single bullet! Wow, talk about risk taking! In an interview talking about the war this was the only risk he had to brag about. Talk about drawing fire! Talk about hazardous duty.

But there was a casualty. The casuality was an American who was riding in the plane!

So what are these Australian troops doing in Iraq? They are managing the air traffic control, sitting in a boat in the gulf and teaching some Iraqi policemen. That's it!

I certainly have no death wish on Australian troops. God knows there are too many people dying in these follies.

But let's not take Australia's contribution and involvement too seriously. Australia has not had one casualty. Australian troops are safely tucked away where they are not threatened and where Howard doesn't have to give account to the public for Australian troops being lost. Those Australian troops are safer than Australian tourists in Indonesia. There has been 21 journalists killed in Iraq! How do the Australians keep themselves so safe?

In an Op-Ed in The Australian the paper illumes us that Australians "...fought above their weight because of the lessons learned in World War I – that citizens under arms who are well trained, properly equipped and professionally led make very good soldiers and that armies – and nations – prosper when they embrace new ideas, question the accepted wisdom and acknowledge the universal right of men and women to strive and achieve according to their ability alone. The fact that we have, thankfully, not yet seen any Australian casualties in Iraq is due in great part to this tradition."

That's how they smuggle a load of crock into your head. Howard gives the troops and Bush has to promise that none of them will get hurt.

The important role Australia plays is that of an important facade. Bush is using the Australians to show off his coalition. "Lookie how big my coaltion is." They are show pieces. Poland was suppose to take over the central part of Iraq but when the UN headquarters got bombed last year they said it was too dangerous for them and the Americans had to keep it.

Of course, the good Brigadier wants to reassure us about the importance of the Australian contribution, "I've been in planes coming into Baghdad and without doubt they all say they really appreciate the work that the Australian air traffic controllers are doing here. That they enjoy actually having the space controlled by Australians because of the easy way that we do it."

Well, thank you Australian troops, because you really are making lots of pilots feel happy the cool way you handle that air traffic. And if it weren't for your contribution we would have to increase the number of American troops there from 114,000 to 114,500.

The number of Australian troops in Iraq have been further reduced to a mere 200, ten-percent of their original number.