Remember “mission accomplished”? President George Bush, standing on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln proudly declaring victory in Iraq. That was more than 11 years ago – and since then not a single day has passed without blood having been shed in that region. Rememberthe march against the Iraq war in London? A million people out with banners, desperately trying to persuade Tony Blair that war was a bad idea. This week, a few dozen assembled outside Downing Street to protest at the proposition that yet more bombing is the answer to Iraq’s problems. I am reminded of Albert Einstein’s famous definition of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” The difference this time is that even the public is on board. And the theatre has extended to Syria too.

I suppose we think it is different now because it’s just air strikes we are going in for. But air strikes have limited operational effectiveness. Lots of satisfying sounding noise and power, yes. Like a King Kong roar. But the Islamic State fighters know that all they have to do is blend into the civilian population. And when the bombs rain down on the innocent as well as the guilty, a new generation of jihadi warriors is born. Last time it was al-Qaida, now it is Islamic State – and next time they will be called something else. The bombs might help change the nomenclature but they do little to shift the underlying reality.

There are times when I can see that there really is no alternative to war. But when air war has become so easy (something conducted from above the clouds or from the safety of a bunker in Nevada or Lincolnshire) and peace-making so difficult (because we don’t really understand Islamic sectarian conflict) bombs and cruise missiles are increasingly used as the first resort and not a last one. Our fighters can press a few buttons, twiddle a few joysticks, and then drive home for tea. But on the other side of the world, mothers will be staring into the coffins of their dead children and new grievances will be born that will one day return to our shores, seemingly from out of nowhere.

read more: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2014/sep/26/loose-canon-education-can-inoculate-young-muslims-against-radicalism

Last night, the Abbott Government passed laws removing freedoms, increasing surveillance and which may see the gaoling of journalists and whistleblowers. Managing editor David Donovan comments.

WELL, I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, but I’m not feeling much safer after the Senate passed new “counter-terrorism” legislation last night.

Speaking as a publisher and practicing journalist ‒ and critic of this Government ‒ it is difficult, in fact, to not feel some terror about where these laws are leading. Especially when they are being waved through enthusiastically by the nominal Opposition under so-called Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

Ben Grubb from the Sydney Morning Herald summarised last night's troubling events this morning (25/9/14):

Australian spies will soon have the power to monitor the entire Australian internet with just one warrant, and journalists and whistleblowers will face up to 10 years' jail for disclosing classified information.

The government's first tranche of tougher anti-terrorism laws, which beef up the domestic spy agency ASIO's powers, passed the Senate 44 votes for and 12 against on Thursday night with bipartisan support from Labor.

The bill, the National Security Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2014, will now be sent to the House of Representatives, where passage is all but guaranteed on Tuesday at the earliest.

read more: http://www.independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/terrifying-tonys-terrible-terror-laws--and-lil-bills-big-betrayal,6939

Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel face losing some of their leave entitlements as part of a deal that includes below-inflation pay rises.

The decision, conveyed in an email to personnel on Friday, has been branded “outrageous” at a time when ADF members are risking their lives in combat operations in Iraq.

The chief of the ADF, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, said the position to be taken to the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal next week involved an annual salary increase of 1.5% during the three-year deal. The most recent official figures show inflation is running at 3%.

Binskin told ADF members it was “a fair and reasonable pay rise in the context of the government’s financial position and the clear need for wage restraint”.

read more: http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2014/oct/10/below-inflation-pay-deal-for-australian-defence-force-slammed-as-outrageous

The Abbott regime does not hesitate to send people to war, with wage restraint... The Roman armies would have revolted forthwith...