Monday 23rd of December 2024
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Today, Tomorrow, Forgotten

This is the philosophy ascribed to by conservative politicians.  They believe that anything ithat is said wil be dust within days.   

 They may be correct, but I don't think so.  We have the potential to see beyond the bullshit, but to do that we need to know that it's bullshit we're seing beyond, if you know what I mean..

I might  be wrong, but I now think that ike the pro-Yank ads being paid for in Iraqi media, Australian journalism is slanted to suit the cause of the current US regime.

LOCAL BOY MADE GOOD is the theme (yep, a really new one) that's been used to sell the militarisation of the state to the locals... it's a pity that BAE isn't "a Salisbury-based comany", and there's not a little cottage industry  winning worldwide work called Halliburon/KBR.

 

Today our Defence Minister announced the purchase of the Three Warships (that they asked for.. I'll hunt it and come back) AEGIS combat systems, justifying the speed of the deal by saying that the speed of implementation negated the shutdown of the production line and thus was mutually providential.. what a load of hogwash.

 If there was a wish I could bless upon Pollies At Christmas, it's that they not assume the general populalace to be the morons that they'd like us to be.  It would be convenient, but an end-of-day surefire tactic to lose the next election.

 Enought of this week. Time for a sleep.

 

Wars and rumours

The following weapons makers advertised in The Weekend Australian (Dec 10-11) Special Report on Defence.
Raytheon 
Lockheed Martin 
Gibbs & Cox 
Mercedes Benz 
ASC 
Tenix  
Armaris  
Sagem 
ADI 
SAAB 
DMO 
Navantia 
Australian Aerospace
Pacific 2006 International Maritime and Naval Defence Exposition Jan 31 - Feb 3, Sydney

There was an article on self-propelled and towed guns, including BAE's M777 155mm howitzer.


Geoffrey Barker, in Financial Review Dec 12th ('Army weighs heavy duty'):
... What should become clearer is the strategic reasoning behind the decision to develop significantly heavier armoured forces that the white paper said were "most unlikely to be needed in defence of Australia or in our immediate region". Leahy's vision for the army envisages what he has called a "dramatic break from being a predominantly light infantry to a light armoured force" - something of an understatement given that the army is acquiring American M1A1 Abrams battle tanks and other heavily armoured land vehicles. Leahy sees the future army fighting against insurgents in predominantly urban areas, presumably in places like Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries. This reflects an emphasis on distant deployments that bears little resemblance to the present white paper's defence-of-Australia priorities - and it appears to have been embraced by the government. If so, Hill should come clean on Thursday. ...