2005 » January » Suki Has An Opinion

My shout for a Crown as the General leaves the building…

January 19th, 2005

General Peter Cosgrove will not be renewing his contract in July 2005. I have much respect for the man inside the Uniform.
I will miss his wisdom, judgment and compassion.
Not least of all for statements such as this,

“We should not rush off on jingoistic sentiments or warped ideas of mateship and the ANZAC spirit. Those ideas are true. But they are outcomes. They are not motives. So our decisions as a nation to go to war must be the most serious we ever take. Only when the decision is irrevocable and accepted, let then the people perform to the ANZAC spirit which is uniquely Australian and compounds our effect wherever we appear. But let’s not ever use that as the reason to put on khaki.”

…and who will post into the position?
Air force blue should be the next leading colour…
Probably Air Chief Marshal Houston.

Image from here

Posted in Personal | 1 Comment »

Latham to become a lighthouse keeper.

January 18th, 2005

Lighthouse keepers don’t need doorbells as there is very little foot traffic. It is the perfect job for a person who wants to get away from it all.

rocks and swells ahead team Labor

My hope for PM in 2007, has resigned from parliament.

He is looking as sick as his beloved Labor party is!

He just wasn’t what I hoped he could be.
Even as I listen to the audio I’m thinking "internal attribution; suck it up"
I’m instantly ashamed of my lack of concern for him as a human being.

I guess that’s how it is.
I demand that my Leaders lead.

No crying.
No weakness.
No sycophancy.

I admire Mark as an individual, a husband, a father and a son.
He is putting his health and family before his career.
He can however, not fill the expectation I have for Leader of my country.

I’ve just realised what that means.
It means that I expect utter devotion and single-mindedness to one role.
I dislike personalities like that.
They make such lousy people…

What I expect creates what I dislike.

I have to go now, I need to cook some comfort food for me and the lighthouse keeper.

Posted in Life; barely possible, Political | No Comments »

John HoWARd, the Doctor can see you now.

January 17th, 2005

Our Prime Minister has a serious frontstage backstage dichotomous personality going on…

Posted in Political | No Comments »

Army reservist should have paid attention in History class.

January 16th, 2005

In 1945, in Nuremberg the trials began.

All these men were found guilty of Count Three: War Crimes.
These were the more traditional violations of the law of war including treatment of prisoners of war.

“I was just following orders”

was not a defense allowed then and it is not a defense allowed now.

US Army reservist Charles Graner Jr., convicted of mistreating Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison, said he had been ordered to abuse detainees as he took the stand for the first time today. He described himself as a by-the-book prison guard corrupted by superiors who ordered him to physically mistreat and sexually humiliate detainees.

He said he initially resisted pressure to mistreat prisoners, but his Army superiors made it clear to him that he was expected to obey the commands of the military and civilian intelligence agents who ran his part of Abu Ghraib.

Graner said a lieutenant in his unit told him:

“If (military intelligence) asks you to do this, it needs to be done. They’re in charge, follow their orders.”

the-nuremberg-trials-the-nazis-and-their-crimes-against-humanity

You can buy the book from here

Posted in Anti-war, Social justice | No Comments »

Poor Mark. Leadership demands human if not superhuman effort.

January 14th, 2005

I have no loyalty to Mark Latham and it seems I’m not alone.
I’m not even that enamoured of the Labor party since Paul Keating went off to do other things.

I am however, committed to the end of the HoWARd, Downer, Ruddock, Vanstone, Anderson et al regime.

So, Federal Labor, get some style advice for Kevin Rudd and put him up as leader.

John HoWARd needed new glasses, bright ties and a brow wax before he became acceptable.

I’d like to see a woman in the job. I’d like to see more women in charge!
We’re certainly capable of being superhuman.

The US leads in the area of women in powerful positions. The US may be ready for a Hilary-shaped President in 2008.
With the way that Australia slavishly follows the US; we could have a Julia-shaped leader of the opposition by 2013.

Please just make the decision and get on with being in opposition with a LEADER!

Illustration by John Spooner

Posted in Feminism, Political | No Comments »