I don’t want to downvote because that’s not good conversation.
I also recognise it’s a slippery slope that will lead to criminal investigations etc being leaked and punished just as hard to keep a politician or police officer safe.
That is exactly what is going on here - those in power in the military were covering up their own failures and investigating innocent soldiers instead of those committing war crimes, i.e. Ben Roberts-Smith who was their PR guy basically who the politicians were using to sell the war.
The difference is the military is here to protect everyone, the police are here to protect those in power.
Given the premise for our military engagements since WW2 it is quite difficult to argue that. I think it’s dangerous to think that the military can be above the law and do things which may damage Australia’s international reputation without the consent of the Australian people. If we don’t know what’s happening we can’t consent to it.
Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 5 months ago
I will concede we should know what is going on, but unfortunately I’m certainly not qualified to make decisions on what we should and shouldn’t know and i doubt you are either.
It’s bad to know we have to live in ignorance, but imagine if an asteroid was coming to earth tomorrow 50/50 of hitting, the right thing would be tell everyone and let us make our own decisions. The ramifications from that though would be monumental. Yes this is hyperbole but it I think gets my point across.
Sometimes people in power know better, and if this was the worst thing happening then we’re not doing to bad.
unionagainstdhmo@aussie.zone 5 months ago
I’m a citizen of a modern western democracy, pretty qualified I would think.
I think every disaster movie ever aims to disprove that
In your previous quote you argue that people shouldn’t know if the end of the world is imminent: who does that protect? In the case where the world ends you get chaos but they were going to die anyway, they got a chance to enjoy their last moments because they knew them. In the case where the world doesn’t end - the people in power effectively lose their power. It’s a bad way to think in a democracy, it’s how we slip into tyranny if we trust power.
Someone has been sentenced to prison for exposing war crimes were being committed, damaging Australia’s international reputation and were actively being covered up by senior leadership. Meanwhile those committing and covering up the war crimes are not being investigated because “Sometimes people in power know better”. The fact that the media is complicit in this (especially the ABC who released a hit piece against him on 4 Corners). Sure we could be in complete civil war or have executions, but this (and the secret Morrison Ministries and Governor General David Hurley’s support of said cover up) sets a very dangerous precedent.
Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 5 months ago
I don’t have great thought out answers, everything you say is a good point. I still believe war secrets are necessary and releasing them should be punishable.
Put 10 years on the incident and a review process provided the conflict is over and then have at it. However if it is proven necessary then scott free for those involved.
The problem is then everyone person with boots on the ground will live in fear of what they may have done after ten years rolls around. Especially as socially society shifts
unionagainstdhmo@aussie.zone 5 months ago
Whatever changes in society, I don’t think people will look down on those who risked their lives to ensure we had a tomorrow, those who engaged in wars in DEFENCE of Australia will never be looked down upon. It’s those who participate in wars that were started for political reasons, where peace was definitely an option but not the default. Even then, I don’t think poorly of those who fought in those wars, even though that war was pointless and politically motivated, they though they were doing what they thought was the right thing to do. Soldiers committing war crimes though. Nah, fuck them, there will be a warm place in hell for them.