Return of the digger's daughter

War means imperialism, killing, bloodshed, destruction and murder

For all those who chose to glorify the killers and those who buried their dead on Anzac day - instead of just remembering them - should also remember how many innocent civilians were killed and murdered in all wars and in the latest illegal and degrading wars on Iraq and Afghanistan - merely for their resources and not because anyone was attacked.

More than anything in today’s world war means imperialism, killing, bloodshed, destruction and murder for oil.

War is a lethal meme and is the root cause of domestic violence in our community. It remains a contradiction in terms to continue to glorify murderers’ and killers’ sent abroad and to jail murderers’ and killers’ in Australia for domestic crimes here.

Those who raped, pillaged, plundered and buried their dead for imperialism, queen and country should not be glorified in any way shape or form. Remember them as being stupid, scared or dead yes but glorify them no.

The quicker we reform the military into a Humanitarian Aid Group - who can also defend Australia the better - and the more likely that internal crime and domestic violence will be impeded - based on the very notion of leading a county by the example that; violence does not win.

Most of the corporate media and the Australian government in the lead up to this Anzac day have done there nationalist-corporate darn best - not to just remember them but to also glorify war and to exploit the children of war veterans. Shame on them.

Anzac heirs' marching orders
Sarah Dawson, 13, began marching in 2001 [when John Howard and his corporate cronies started to promote the war in Iraq and religious right wing nationalism] Sarah now says that "she marches in memory of her great-grandfather Harrie James Dawson, who fought in World War I as part of the 21st Battalion." But most likely she does however moved by the corporate claim that 'nationalism promotes wars' like Iraq and Afghanistan. What better way to encourage that by promoting and indoctrinating the youth with past wars as something to be proud about? ] "lf dawson, didn't die?" [Or if Sarah wasn't exploited at 13 years of age?]



Updated 29 April 2008

Commando death puts spotlight on military strategy


The news of the death of an Australian soldier in Afghanistan has underlined the dire security situation in the country and brought fears that it will not be the last Australian casualty.

Twenty-seven-year-old Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) member Lance Corporal Jason Marks was killed yesterday morning during an attack on a "substantial number" of Taliban militants about 25 kilometres south of the Australian base at Tarin Kowt.

Lance Corporal Marks was a married father-of-two, his wife Casandra said his family was devastated.

The death takes the Australian death toll in Afghanistan since 2001 to five, and has again put the focus on Australia's military strategy.

Politicians, defence officials and experts on the region all agree the Australian death toll is likely to rise as the illegal and degrading war becomes bloodier - particularly in southern Afghanistan.

Unknown News
"News that's not known, or not known enough."

-- IN IRAQ --

30,000 IRAQI TROOPS KILLED
and 90,000 SERIOUSLY INJURED Aug. 2003

785,957 IRAQI CIVILIANS KILLED
and 1,414,723 SERIOUSLY INJURED June 2007

3,615 U.S. TROOPS KILLED
and 50,677 SERIOUSLY INJURED June 2007

287 OTHER COALITION TROOPS KILLED
and 861 SERIOUSLY INJURED June 2007

160 U.S. CIVILIANS KILLED
and 288 SERIOUSLY INJURED June 2007

251 OTHER COALITION CIVILIANS KILLED
and 452 SERIOUSLY INJURED June 2007

-- IN AFGHANISTAN --

8,587 AFGHAN TROOPS KILLED
and 25,761 SERIOUSLY INJURED July 2004

3,485 AFGHAN CIVILIANS KILLED
and 6,273 SERIOUSLY INJURED July 2004

342 U.S. TROOPS KILLED
and 1,026 SERIOUSLY INJURED Jan. 2007

278 OTHER COALITION TROOPS KILLED
and 834 SERIOUSLY INJURED June 2007

? U.S. and COALITION CIVILIANS KILLED
and ? SERIOUSLY INJURED

Related:

Thousands take part in anti-war protests
Thousands of anti-war protesters have marched in Britain and the United States to mark the fifth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq



National RSL avoids row over veterans' descendants
The national branch of the RSL says it is staying out of a debate over where veterans' descendants should march in Anzac Day parades