The Federal Election Thread

[C-Whiz]

'Rebuild' troops? - Are they equiped with hammers & nails instead of guns & ammo?
Who is going to fight off the insurgents and maintain security for this to happen?
Labour was planning a full immediate withdrawl before X-mas how long ago? The tunes keep changing........

Australia's defence force is piss weak by comparison to Nth Korea and Iran. I used those two as examples because they are rogue countries. I was getting to the point of 'what if' Australia wasn't under the umbrella of the US & UK alliance, and hadn't been for all these years? We would be more vulnerable and alot less secure.

25% of Indonesia's population could paddle across with spears and bow & arrows to captulate half of Australia. Up against a modern army like Iran and Korea, what chance would we have? Just a thought, not a possible I know.....

Do you think every member of the defence force carries a gun? I would say the "rebuild troops" (lets just call them engineers to keep it simple) would have many hammers and nails instead of guns. There are also "fixxy-hurty" troops (sometimes referred to as medics) who are armed with bandaids, and even other types of troops who don't actually go around trying to shoot the enemy. Hard to believe but true!

Also, I love the way a Howard supporter could ever accuse another politician of changing his tune. CLASSIC!!!

But don't worry about the Indonesians, they don't have enough sea-worthy boats to get here, otherwise they would have come over a long time ago, and we'd all be wearing $2 boardshorts and eating nasi-goreng!

[Ryan]

Do you think every member of the defence force carries a gun? I would say the "rebuild troops" (lets just call them engineers to keep it simple) would have many hammers and nails instead of guns. There are also "fixxy-hurty" troops (sometimes referred to as medics) who are armed with bandaids, and even other types of troops who don't actually go around trying to shoot the enemy. Hard to believe but true!

What are 'rebuild troops', medics and engineers gonna do when a trucks full of diesel and fertiliser keep driving through the worksites? - Throw hammers, first aid kits and building plans at them?

But don't worry about the Indonesians, they don't have enough sea-worthy boats to get here, otherwise they would have come over a long time ago, and we'd all be wearing $2 boardshorts and eating nasi-goreng!

Haven't you seen border security?
I watched our navy destroyer, armed with a 20mm machine gun on the bow and a boat full of personel with shot guns and rifles, be stood off by an Indonesian fishing boat armed with spears carved out of sticks. Why? - because boarding the boat was 'too dangerous', those stupid bastards let them get away with a boat load of my reef fish! (I'm gonna look for this particular episode on youtube)

Oh, and we do wear $2 board shorts from Indoneisa, we just pay $30-$50 for them

[Steelers]

What are 'rebuild troops', medics and engineers gonna do when a trucks full of diesel and fertiliser keep driving through the worksites? - Throw hammers, first aid kits and building plans at them?

Remember when our troops were protecting chinese engineers or whoever they were? I am sure that the Americans or another country would show some good faith and deploy a few troops to protect our guys. If they wouldn't, then there is no point having a military alliance with them, is there?

[Ryan]

Remember when our troops were protecting chinese engineers or whoever they were? I am sure that the Americans or another country would show some good faith and deploy a few troops to protect our guys. If they wouldn't, then there is no point having a military alliance with them, is there?

They were Janpanese engineers we were protecting.
America has 160,000 troops in Iraq, Australia has 1500.
American's have almost 4000 Iraq casualties, the only Australian soldier to die in Iraq was an 'unfortunate accident'.
You do the sums, who do you think is carrying out the dangerous role?

[nflin3]

They were Janpanese engineers we were protecting.
America has 160,000 troops in Iraq, Australia has 1500.
American's have almost 4000 Iraq casualties, the only Australian soldier to die in Iraq was an 'unfortunate accident'.
You do the sums, who do you think is carrying out the danderous role?

On the 7:30 report on Thursday it said we have only 500 troops in Iraq

[Ryan]

On the 7:30 report on Thursday it said we have only 500 troops in Iraq

I don't watch the 7:30 report, but I'd say the 500 personel they would be refering to are only one part of the operation.
There are approx 1500 Australian personel involved in the operation but not all are on the battle field or even in Iraq.

Operation Catalyst is the Australian Defence Force (ADF) contribution to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Iraq.

Working with the Iraqi Government, the ADF continues to contribute to Multi-National Force efforts to develop a secure and stable environment in Iraq, assist national recovery programs and facilitate the transition to Iraq self-government.
Operation Catalyst currently comprises up to 1575 Australian Defence Force personnel..........

......The Overwatch Battle Group-West (OBG-W) based in the southern Iraqi province of Dhi Qar comprises approximately 515 personnel and consists of a headquarters, a cavalry squadron, an infantry company, ASLAVs and Bushmaster vehicles. The Battle Group is based at Tallil Air Base and from where it undertakes a security overwatch role for Al Muthanna and Dhi Qar Provinces as part of a larger Coalition Force.

[C-Whiz]

[QUOTE=Ryan;200540]

What are 'rebuild troops', medics and engineers gonna do when a trucks full of diesel and fertiliser keep driving through the worksites? - Throw hammers, first aid kits and building plans at them?

Well, surely the logical conclusion to your argument is if there is NO ONE there, then all the insurgency will stop if they have no one to drive their trucks into. So you are now supporting a FULL WITHDRAWL ?????

Haven't you seen border security?
I watched our navy destroyer, armed with a 20mm machine gun on the bow and a boat full of personel with shot guns and rifles, be stood off by an Indonesian fishing boat armed with spears carved out of sticks.

Oh, maybe you should be getting your "real world" information from "Sea Patrol". Those guys are always getting involved in something, every week, and they'll board any vessel, even without approval from Canberra! Maybe we need more ships like that?

Oh, and we do wear $2 board shorts from Indoneisa, we just pay $30-$50 for them

Sort of makes up for all that natural gas we are stealing from Timor!

[Ryan]

Well, surely the logical conclusion to your argument is if there is NO ONE there, then all the insurgency will stop if they have no one to drive their trucks into. So you are now supporting a FULL WITHDRAWL ?????

I'm not sure how you managed to put the word 'logical' in that answer. No insurgency in a country without government or security, in the Middle East?
I'm sure the Sunni's and the Sh'ites will respect each others own spin on Islam and get along like one big happy family, that is ofcourse if Iran can resist it's captulation of a defenceless Iraq. And what would terrorists want with control of a country, surely all those insurgents will just go back to their huts in the Paki mountains and leave Iraq alone?
I thats what you want to believe will happen with a FULL WITHDRAWL!

Oh, maybe you should be getting your "real world" information from "Sea Patrol". Those guys are always getting involved in something, every week, and they'll board any vessel, even without approval from Canberra! Maybe we need more ships like that?

Ofcourse, a Blue Heelers style reality show that covers all bases! Why not? Don't even know why they changed her name from Maggie Doyle

[DIEHARD]

Labor wants to withdraw our troops and focus on our own region.

Which I think is a good thing.

They reckon Rudd's polls are up to 60% now.

He really hijacked Lil Johnny's little APEC Party.

[HodgoBerro]

if you want to vote in the federal election but havent enrolled do so asap as it closes as soon as its announced as the rumour is it going to be announced after the apec meetings

[C-Whiz]

I'm sure the Sunni's and the Sh'ites will respect each others own spin on Islam and get along like one big happy family, that is ofcourse if Iran can resist it's captulation of a defenceless Iraq. And what would terrorists want with control of a country, surely all those insurgents will just go back to their huts in the Paki mountains and leave Iraq alone?

Maybe you don't realise it, but you are agreeing that Iraq is worse off now than it was before we invaded! At least Saddam had control.

Anyway, there must be a thread going about the Iraq war somewhere, and if not, start one if you want to keep arguing about it.

Either way, I'm still supporting K-Rudd. Being mates with the Chinese PM sounds like a good idea for regional security to me!

[DIEHARD]

That reminds me, thanks John Howard for changing the enrolement rules giving people even less time to register.

We should be trying to encourage as many to vote as possible...

Thanks another serving of his brand of democracy.

I finally put my Kevin07 bumper sticker on my car. It has been raining so often, it was the first chance I got. I have also ordered some Rights at Work stickers.

[Ryan]

Maybe you don't realise it, but you are agreeing that Iraq is worse off now than it was before we invaded! At least Saddam had control.

Saddam was a Sunni, so the Sunni's were looked after under Saddam's control. The Sh'ite's, well the Sh'ites were up 'Sh'ite Creek' on the wrong end of the Genocide. If Saddam's Genocide is what you call control, then yes, the Sunni's may be worse off now but the Sh'ites ain't
As least now they have hope for eventual democracy and freedom. Untill A FULL WITHDRAWL of course. Keep trying to put words in my mouth though, it's a good sign of you running out of points to argue

Anyway, there must be a thread going about the Iraq war somewhere, and if not, start one if you want to keep arguing about it.

Yes there is, and thats good advice from the person who brought the argument up in this thread.

Either way, I'm still supporting K-Rudd. Being mates with the Chinese PM sounds like a good idea for regional security to me!

So now you wanna credit Rudd for developing relations with China?

[C-Whiz]

Saddam was a Sunni, so the Sunni's were looked after under Saddam's control. The Sh'ite's, well the Sh'ites were up 'Sh'ite Creek' on the wrong end of the Genocide. If Saddam's Genocide is what you call control, then yes, the Sunni's may be worse off now but the Sh'ites ain't
As least now they have hope for eventual democracy and freedom. Untill A FULL WITHDRAWL of course. Keep trying to put words in my mouth though, it's a good sign of you running out of points to argue



Yes there is, and thats good advice from the person who brought the argument up in this thread.


So now you wanna credit Rudd for developing relations with China?

Yeah, you must be right. Let's keep doing what we've been doing in Iraq, clearly it must be working. Even G.W. Bush knows it was "Mission Accomplished" in May 2003. I should just listen to the media and believe what they tell me. Finding out the facts is over-rated! :duh:

[Ryan]

Yeah, you must be right. Let's keep doing what we've been doing in Iraq, clearly it must be working. Even G.W. Bush knows it was "Mission Accomplished" in May 2003. I should just listen to the media and believe what they tell me. Finding out the facts is over-rated! :duh:

Yes, facts like how long it takes to recover from captulation and the transfer from dictatorship through anarchy to Democracy. Countries like Germany, Russia and Vietnam are examples of how long it takes to recover from war, haven't you learnt anything from history? Might be time to turn the radio off and give the newspapers a rest.
Saddam being caught in 2003 was "Mission Accomplished", no-one said a revolution was gonna happen overnight.