Two recent essays and letters threads on Margo Kingston’s Webdiary, relating to the war on terror and other examples of government misuse of the ADF - here are URLs to two recent Webdiary threads I initiated and took part in subsequent discussion of. (Or, you can access through the Webdiary Homepage, http://margokingston.typepad.com/ ).

Sunday, October 02, 2005

Defending Canberra: who you gonna call?
"Two RAAF helicopters, one about 300 metres behind the other, were flying circuits around central Canberra... They each appeared to be mounted with two large lethal-looking missile launchers, slung beneath the cabin. As the helicopters flew maybe 100 metres above my head, I saw these four launchers clearly. I wondered if the loaded missiles were armed, and I wondered what would happen if one of these helicopters were accidentally to crash over populated central Canberra." -Tony Kevin

Continue reading "Defending Canberra: who you gonna call?" »

http://margokingston.typepad.com/harry_version_2/2005/10/
defending_canbe.html#more

Friday, October 07, 2005

ADF chain of command - accountability v subservience

"The list of examples of questionable ADF conduct over the past four years is very telling. Let me just flesh out the list a little to remind readers of what the substance is. All of these instances are serious cases where the ADF command structure or senior ADF figures in positions of authority and presumed accountability, set aside their own service rules and codes of conduct, and their service loyalties, in their anxiety to give the PM what he wanted of them, or what they may have guessed he wanted of them. And of course, this is how authoritarian unaccountable power structures operate - the subordinates interpret what the leader wants done and they do it, without asking him to specify exactly what he wants done - because they know he does not want to know the detail of what was done or how it was done." - Tony Kevin
Continue reading "ADF chain of command - accountability v subservience" »

http://margokingston.typepad.com/harry_version_2/2005/10/
adf_chain_of_co_1.html#more