Re: [GZG] Grossly Off-topic ANZAC Whining, was Re: [OFFICIAL] GZG: FREEBIE OFFER FOR BFPO/APO TROOPS!

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=take+the+piss

An artform to which I was introduced by CPO Harvey, RAN.

Who happens to be our NCOIC back in Baghdad.  Our OIC is an Aussie
Major as well.

The point remains--on the internet, in forums containing a fairly
mixed group of 'Mericans and furriners, bagging on the US seems to be
acceptable in a way that bagging on furriners isn't.  Every now and
then it gets old, and a broadside in my now-traditional form will be
forthcoming when I get tired of it.

To be fair, I did concede the point about the tendency of the average
American to be ignorant.  I just pointed out that if the average
American is more or less ignorant of what is being done with his tax
money by 185,000 fellow Americans, it should neither surprise nor
shock anyone if the same person is fairly ignorant of what 2,500
Canadians or 1,000 Aussies are doing.  One wonders if those survey
where it is clearly demonstrated that your average American can't find
Afghanistan on an unlabeled world map have ever been conducted
elsewhere, and what the results were.

One might even (if we drag the topic back to GZG for a moment) suggest
that if the majority of the combat in the 3SW involves largely
professional armies fighting on colony worlds, then the apathy would
be magnified by an order of magnitude.	This, along with the lack of
real-time or near-real-time media coverage would permit wars to drag
along inconclusively for years rather than being driven by electoral
politics.  Even autocratic governments can't fight forever without
something to show the population for a result--just ask Nicky II.

John
-- 
"Thousands of Sarmatians, Thousands of Franks, we've slain them again
and again.  We're looking for thousands of Persians."
--Vita Aureliani

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