if i could please amend my original statement to- "i don't think that there'll be a *large-scale* war including australia". i answered the original question in terms of perceived danger to my persona only. not what i would think of politics - whether it's right or wrong, whether i'd have moral issues following orders, etc. that i can only hypothesize on and it's an endless debate.
i'll try to refrain from exhibiting the foot-in-mouth syndrome.
i suppose you may have some individuals joining the forces for training/money and not realising the implications of their decision? i can't see many cases of that, although, human stupidity is a widespread disease...
As per fun- you are right, after all, a cousin's grandparents met in a nazi concentration camp, so it can't ALL have been that bad
black humour aside, my credibility on anything in that field is lacking. what we were taught as part of soviet patriotism (and what to do with undetonated missiles or the enemy spies, not that we found any), and what i've personally heard from guys from soviet/afgan and russian/chechen wars... i've been sheltered from all that and any passionate stand of mine hasn't yet stood the test of reality. Thus i apply great (hopefully healthy) dosages of cynicism to any potential passionate outbursts of mine. one day- i may speak from experience. i doubt there'll be any less cynisism then though. (especially considering how so much of what i learnt already about things like birthcountry, the great Stalin, communism etc turned out to be true)
i'm more inclined in the peaceful application of my (hopefully) talents, such as the great part our Navy aviation has in SAR, firefighting, peacekeeping / border control operations to name a few. PLEASE don't mistake this for a desire to do the easy jobs and hide in the trenches when **** hits the fan. how the hell can i become the best then?
on a more serious note, i see more good being done in there, especially how it's now a *relatively* peaceful time.
Surditas, well said. thank you.
i hope i've explained my stand a bit more clearly this time. my convictions do not lack strength. i merely allow that in my life i could NOT have seen and understood enough to say that i know all and that what i know and believe will never change. not to say that my morals are subject to flunctuations!! * insert disclaimer*