My Dear Samuel. No all is not lost and I commend you for being so supportive of our brothers and sisters in arms. My meandering attempt at logic was really trying to say that iff there was a strategic plan to develop and maintain a credible land power base, and if the intelligence would support the dilution of maritime and air power, then that would be understandable. NZ, due to it's economic realities only has two main options for credible defence - either complete neutrality ala Switzerland or being part of functioning alliances. The Swiss option probably requires too much investment in capital programmes to be a floater so imho you are left with alliances. ANZUS etc. If NZ land forces are required in support of that organisation then strategic transport and tactical transport can be provided by the other members. If there is a requirement to deploy land forces in isolation to that alliance then stuft, or atuft would work in our current strategic environment - not much air defence in the SW Pacific. The analogy earlier with Sept 11 is, of course, really silly. The C and C and radar etc equipment alone would break the banks of OZ and NZ combined and it would still only be any defence against that type of terrorist act if our intelligence organisations could give us some sensible information with which to work - a joke I know. The flaw in my logic is that there is probably no such strategic plan other than a more immediate requirement for re-election at all costs. You all have my support and sympathy. Get rid of Hellen, not because she's a woman - some of my best friends are women - but because she is a morally corrupt, self serving liar.