In Defence of Spending and Social Costs?

This was sent to me today and a few insightful statements.

As for homes, have you seen this short piece on defence housing laying desolated & vacant in the UK?  Ive reached out to some others here in WA to see what defence housing availability is like in WA & Australia (this is for the homeless).  I have also reflected on defence housing given it is provided to soldiers but not the homeless who are in crisis.  There is a large budget allocated for this.
I also saw this post on Budget cuts for essential community services, yet blank cheques for the profit-driven war industry…
 

I would be interested in understanding the cost/benefit analysis.  I would like to know more about this from the Minister for Defence Industry.  This is industry not procurement, there is a difference as it is to promote industry-military.  This is profit making and in the public interest.

This link highlights Ministers in Defence portfolio’s  https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/  Below is the Hon Steven Ciobo Minister for Defence Industry.  I didn’t realise we had a Defence Industry Minister until recently.  I would like to know who are the defence companies in the Defence Industry he represents.  I note his portfolio is to work with Defence Minister Pyne and develop a Defence Export Strategy, which I assume is arms exports.  Refer https://www.forbes.com/sites/millystilinovic/2018/02/06/whats-behind-australias-bid-to-become-a-top-arms-exporter/#1156156c1712  This has implications for tensions in our region given the fears generated around terrorism identified as islamic.  We live close to the largest Muslim archepeligo in the world.  Therefore the way we are perceived by this region will either escalate or deescalate conflict and misunderstandings.  Refer http://www.pewforum.org/2011/01/27/future-of-the-global-muslim-population-regional-asia/

In addition, I ask if there are any staff that have peace training, that is training in how to resolve conflict, how to educate for peaceful outcomes, how to build relationships?  The problem I see is that if you have an interested that sees itself as a business and aims to profit maximise it is going to seek to expand the need for arms.  It will be interested in identifying threats in my view not de-escalating threats.  I believe there are real questions that must be asked about defence as an industry and the concerns raised by former US president Dwight Eisenhower about the military industrial complex.  You cannot create peace is there is a profit incentive in my professional view as a peacemaker.  The two do not go together.  The result is those who are seeking to create peace become the enemy as they confront power out of public interest as civilians are the ones primarily killed in conflicts (90% of casualties).  Therefore, the public has a real interest in peace. There will be no GDP if the country ends up in a war, one only need look at the devastation of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan to realise the destructive outcomes of warfare rather than investing in education, as was put to the US Congressional Committee for Defence Appropriations under charlie Wilson’s watch.  he made clear the end game of education was ignored but the interest in buying more weapons was where the action was.  The reality on the ground, certainly in Afghanistan, was that half the population were children, as their families had been murdered.  Education would have enabled them to rebuild their country and understand a complex world where empires consistently came to fight given their unquestioned fears in respect of superpower strategy (which they got wrong).  When the citizens are war torn, when there are extremists running the country and war lords, the people are extremely vulnerable and their children can get caught up in the continual violence, in this case, of what once was a very peaceful people.  This is the socio-economic cost on the ground that I never see referred to in any defence reporting or material.  It is as if the social reality does not exist, only the objective of winning a perceived war against an enemy in the name of peace and security.  Yet the real work is on the ground where the conflict festers and other interests can stoke the fires of hatred.    This point I am making links to the homeless situation here in Australia in respect of how we all work together to ensure people are cared for, the country is secure and other interests do not inflame hatred or division in the name of profit.

I was listening to some analysis of Hitler and the rise of fascism.  I was seeking to understand the mindset and dynamics that foster an environment where a person detached from his humanity can arise.  I learned of the industries involved in supporting activities that gassed 5 million Jews.  He had a mindset of no questioning, he was hardlined, he was efficient and he held strong views or stories that the Jews were blamed for the economic woes and for the first World War.  These are grievances that are not problem solved, this is where an unquestioned mind demonises an entire group of people, unrelated to the reality.  Some of his henchmen were interviewed and they had no question of doubt in their minds as to shooting an innocent person in cold blood.  They followed orders (compliance), they believed the negative story, they dehumanised them as vermin and literally designed camps that would maximise suffering.  This included the Poles, ethnic groups and minorities.  I will post the film I saw in a future blog as it is so important that violence is understood in the context of a psychological pathological (psychopath) mindset that sees a threat but is unable to assess the discord within that drives the myth and reacts to a need for power.  How many people needed to die in the Second World War for it to be stopped?   This video below overviews Nazism.  We have to be prepared to identify the rise of fascism as I see this as emerging around the world given democracy is not understood. The mindset of emotional detachment is intolerant to differences, there is a belief in superiority and deep fear that drives a desire for totalitarianism.  Moreover, it is noteworthy that technology increases the detachment from humanity. Be mindful.

I haven’t reviewed this film but felt inspired to post it.  I will review it soon.

It is the civilians that suffer, the military only marginally, predominantly war is a civil issue today and civil society has to be informed about what is being done with tax revenue, to whom, the rational and an analysis of the threat to justify $200 billion being spent.  If we are speaking of direct terrorism in Australia none of the events have been to court given those involved were shot.  My understanding of the Lindt Cafe siege was that it was reported to be the result of a dispute with the Sunrise program over the perceived incitement of terrorism, then it was communicated by the media as a terrorist incident which inflamed fear in Australians that Muslim terrorists were in the country.  Here is the article https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-siege-gunman-man-haron-monis-and-his-obsession-with-sunrise-20141226-12dyhb.html

The recent incident here in Melbourne of what is termed the Bourke Street attacker. I note his birth country is named and as a peacemaker I instantly feel concern for Somali’s being perceived as terrorists.  It is reported he is radicalised. I would like to know more about that and how.  It is reported he had mental health and abuse issues and his life had spun out of control. That would appear to be more related to mental health issues rather than a planned terrorist attack with clear links to groups known or labelled terrorists.  The media and government were quick to make links to terrorism which again instils fear in the community.  He is reported to have killed a restaurant owner Sisto Malaspina and severely injured two others, and assaulted police officers.  Had he not been killed, we could have found out what caused this and prevented it in the future.  https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/bourke-street-attacker-hassan-khalif-shire-ali-delusional-agitated-before-deadly-rampage-20181110-p50fa4.html

As a peace educator what needs to happen in schools is to educate children about what I term universal values – REAL HOPES – this is an acronym for:  responsibility, empathy, awareness, love, honesty, oneness, peace, enjoyment and service. This is an experiential values based nonviolence based program where the kids learn to resolve conflict through conflict resolution, they learn about body language and how to projected positive body language, they learn about bullying, they learn to critically think and to solve problems.  They learn about discrimination and how we demonise on the basis of characteristics deemed ‘the other’.

Jane Elliott the famous Texan educator made clear through her work with children and adults that discrimination is deeply embedded, we have to be mindful of how we communicate violence and how we report it.  They learn to feel empathy, this is a key one as those who engage in violence are either trained to not feel anything for the ‘enemy’ or the vulnerable as it is the power they seek.  Empathy enables the standing in anthers shoes to gain an insight to how they are feeling.  It is to imagine outcomes. This is a very important value as you cannot harm another if you feel empathy nor can you harm them if you feel happiness.  Recently I sent information to the police on a Culture of Peace and Happiness.  These are the cornerstones that prevent violence.

Moreover, the issue of male violence is another area that doesn’t receive enough attention as a broad problem of violence as a solution to threats.  It is estimated that one woman a week is murdered in domestic violence cases. Refer https://www.whiteribbon.org.au/understand-domestic-violence/facts-violence-women/domestic-violence-statistics/

When this is contrasted with alleged terrorist incidents it is evident that the real threat to civil society is actually domestic violence.  This is male violence which is a social construct of behaviour normalised. It is deepened by violent films and video games that make it fun to kill, that is how the psychology embeds. the military use violent games for training simulations as it is an effective means of training.

In my work it is not to demonise men it is to understand what is blocking them from feeling empathy. Why do they feel to harm another in moments of anger and frustration? Why do they use violence rather than dialogue?  What are the inner drivers?  How can we help them find a peaceful pathway out of violence.

What I have learned is the suppression of emotions is a key driver.  Men are taught to suppress their feelings as this is identified as feminine and weak, this belief has been held as truth since the beginning of patriarchal governance structures.  Of course the expression of emotion as feminine is an untruth, in actual fact feelings are inner navigators or pointers to instantly signal if a person is in alignment or out of alignment with inner truth (this is not conceptual, this is felt truth).  It indicates quickly where a person is at emotionally.

What I understand today is that if you feel bad you are believing something  untrue about yourself, if you do not enter dialogue from a conflict resolution perspective, then you will believe your thoughts, if thoughts are allowed to fester unchecked, the thoughts will continue to become more distorted, hateful, fixated and then anger and violence is projected onto another to release the energy.  Projection is unowned beliefs projected onto another perceived as causing the problem rather than owning the issue and seeking to find out where the discord is.  This is where the real power in conflict transformation occurs.  You have to identify where the negative discord is.  The mistake is in believing the world has to change to make you feel safe, in truth we have to find the security within in order to make the world safe from the violence within people.  It is latent.  There are also issue around the painbody where a person carries pain over their life and this is a wound that has not been dealt with, often started in childhood.  This is why nurturing and education of people in early childhood is extremely important. War zones cause enormous psychological pain and discord and people seek revenge as they are so hurt and devastated.  PTSD is arising from projecting behaviours that harm others and this impacts the soldier or civilian psychologically. They go through flash backs, they can’t sleep, they are deeply traumatised as it runs counter to our nature to harm others.

The military will overview this and consider it problematic given they promote Defence.  However, given society has not implemented peace education or wise philosophies to guide human conduct in awareness of inner motivations, we are still in a world where men (for the most part militarily) are believing in threats and this is generated by great fear, so they seek to defend against threats and they seek to win the wars to feel a sense of accomplishment.  I am aware there is noble attitudes but we have to face war squarely and the psychology behind it. I understand there will be times where violence must be used to stop it, to prevent greater deaths.  However, my job as a peacemaker is to inform you so you are not reinforcing the ‘glory’ without understanding the social reality on the ground or questioning the arguments for warfare or violence as justified.  I have interviewed soldiers, I have seen the trauma and I am told it is horrific, there is no glory in killing. However, many believe it is necessary and they are prepared to die for the cause. Today we must be mindful of exactly what the cause is, who is behind it, who funds it, what are the real needs driving conflict and to investigate if other interests are fueling endless war doctrines regardless of the death toll. This is a conversation that must take place within the government, the military and within the police, if real peace and security is the focus.  Human beings are not violent by nature, they are actually peaceful. So what is teaching people violence? How is it reinforced?

There has to be training not only in schools but workplaces, institutions, the Defence forces, the police etc. to understand peace and conflict and its many manifestations.  Violence is another face that projects a story about a threat, demonising that threat, undermining or ignoring peaceful alternatives in order to attack and to win.  When other parties profit from this attack for political or business reasons, then there is a strong campaign to justify violence.  This becomes the bias or the spin promoting division.  Women and children suffer terrible consequences from normalised violence.  This blog is to provide another perspective.

The Minister for Defence Industry.

I would be interested to know about the Defence Industry e.g. the donations, contractual arrangements, competitive bidding (or not) process, foreign contractors and the justification for preparedness for war in respect of threats (real and imagined) to Australian safety and security.

I note there is a projected expenditure of approximately $200 billion over the next decade.  The figure below is indicating the Federal Government is directing $20 billion towards planes and maintenance until 2025 (6 years into the future). This would be 10% of the above figure earmarked.

We all get to choose.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/defence-doesn-t-know-cost-of-maintaining-new-f-35-fighter-jets-20181205-p50keq.html?fbclid=IwAR3RAO9U19Id-VoryGTSAOKbwznqnd7Wkz7zhR09rp1L1EanhdFenPZKesE

Defence doesn’t know cost of maintaining new F-35 fighter jets

By Doug Dingwall

6 December 2018 — 12:00am

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The Defence Department doesn’t know how much it will cost to maintain its new multibillion dollar fleet of warplanes as officials wait for United States-based support to become ready.

Days before the first two of Australia’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighters are due to land in Williamtown, NSW, the national auditor has found the price tag for keeping them in the air won’t be known before 2020.

Defence also failed in three years to provide annual updates to the government on the purchase, despite directions, and had committed $266.3 million in spending without first telling the prime minister and finance minister as required.

Australia is purchasing the new fleet from the US to replace its ageing F-18 Hornets, and the federal government is directing more than $20 billion towards buying the planes and maintaining them until 2025. The federal government doesn’t yet know the final cost of the purchase as the complex project, involving multiple partner nations, takes shape.

This year the Defence Department estimated Australia will pay an average of $115.7 million for each of its aircraft.

Mohandas Gandhi

“God has no religion”

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