Cecil has thrown an insight into the war on terror. And it’s worth looking at some of the figures. In actual fact there’s only one figure worth looking at and that’s the six trillion being spent since 9/11 by the U.S on war. Whichever way you look at it, that’s a pretty tidy sum. All as a consequence of the terror attack on New York.
The figures (Brown University’s Watson Institute for Public Affairs) have been published in its annual cost of war report. And it makes staggering reading, because it repudiates the value of the military industrial complex. Reports like this undermine national solidarity and the comfort of knowing that we are righteous and it’s “U.S” against ‘THEM!
Cutting research to preserve Mainstream Values!
In Australia, if such research sought funding in our universities, the Federal Education Minister Mr Simon Birmingham would close it down sensibly as; “useless to the national research effort”.
But seriously, it begs the question is six trillion enough? Is it keeping us safe?. It also begs the question is five hundred thousand dead through the U.S war on terror enough? Is it up to the mark? Can it prove the metrics and demonstrate as the War on Drugs has done, an outstanding success for prisons, incarceration and ruined lives?
Value for Money! The F 1-11, worth every cent to the Australian Taxpayer! To preserve ” Mainstream Australian Values”
Which begs the question; Have we been doing our heavy lifting?
Our First Submarine. HMVS Cerberus. Since 1878 protecting Port Phillip Bay from Russian Invasion. Still at WORK preserving Mainstream Australian Values!
Collins Class Submariners listen intently to PM’s speech on Terror! On the frontline to preserve Australian mainstream Values!
Well onto that score we’re doing our best. We haven’t lost three thousand to a direct terror attack, but at the latest count three people may have died in Australia as a result of terror. Though it may have just been people acting under the influence of terror when they should have been under mental health care. Still, it’s a terrifying statistic. Though another woman was killed by another enraged, immature petulant, man-child yesterday which gets our tally up to 67, that doesn’t count. Cos the victims were only women, and the men who knocked em off were normally decent Aussies, who like a bit of cricket, and just “Lose it” when they’re being nagged at. A demonstration of “Mainstream Australian Values”. Perfectly understandable, and not the hideous, heinous, nefarious bastardry we associate with acts of terror. Terror that we must defend ourselves against and be ceaselessly wary of, for it poses an existential risk, as our PM said, “the greatest threat to the Australian way of life”.
That’s why it’s good to know that we’re doing our bit to assist with the war on terror. We’ve alienated an entire sub section of the population who cannot ever atone for the sins of their ilk in coming from parts of the Middle East where they don’t play cricket (decently and fairly and gentlemanly as we do). And we’re up to our armpits fighting them where they could unleash an attack on us at any time, in the foothills of what we used to call, “the north-west frontier” and beyond. As at Gallipoli, if we don’t stop em there, they’ll be marching down Bourke Street.
New le-merde class submariners in training. Re-listening to the PM’s speech on terror. On the frontline protecting Mainstream Values!
But what of forward defence? You may tremble in bed. What if they should think to catch a boat and infiltrate our northern shores, and thus equipped inspire through their insidious process of indoctrination the crocodiles to wreak jihadi violence on hapless beachcombers? Is this the next existential catastrophe?
Well, be assured, we are building a fleet of submarines, negotiations alone, have so far cost in excess of five billion, and when they’re ready, and operational by the 2050’s they’ll have cost us fifty billion plus. And per capita, as the F 1-11 did, they’ll show the Australian taxpayer willing to do whatever it takes to do the heavy lifting and prove we’re lock step behind our glorious ally the United States in protecting us from evil.
And the benefits are immeasurable. Just was the purchase of the F 1-11’s did in giving us a place at the international table. To fight gloriously in Vietnam!
Another fifty billion and the U.S President might even bother to turn up to the APEC forum.