Navy

“He who seeks peace should prepare for war” wrote Roman scholar Vegetius during the latter part of the Roman Empire.

Though most would argue the phrase alone is somewhat simplistic, it is nevertheless true that the number one priority of any democratically elected government is the protection and wellbeing of its citizens.  This simple concept has been evident among communities across the globe throughout history, recorded in the most ancient of documents.

However, in the current global community, where the boundaries of nation states seem to blur as communication systems and faster modes of travel allow us to access the world at a whim, there seems to be a growing temptation for our leaders to lose focus on the practical on-ground defence of our nation and those who serve abroad in our name.

Continue reading "Disarming Australia by stealth" »

It’s Tuesday at The Punch

The United States navy admitted female cadets for the first time on this day in 1972. Hopefully they were inspired by this song.

The spread sheet is well laid out and user friendly, with a simple Wimbledon-style draw where after six rounds a clear winner is declared and the top eight rankings are listed on a league table.

It is elegant and efficient in its design, as you would expect from a product created inside one of the world’s biggest accounting firms.

Headshots of the contestants appear to have been sourced from the mega-firm’s intranet but the prize isn’t a silver trophy like at the All England Lawn Tennis Club – it’s the honour of being named the hottest chick in European office of Deloittes.

The only difference between this and what happened on board the HMAS Success is that this 2007 spread sheet was probably viewed by thousands of people around the world, instead of a handful of sailors who likely didn’t get anywhere near the bunks of their documented prey.

Continue reading "Your daughter could do worse than join the Navy" »