Hard Work and Efficient Management = Success? LO28423

From: Alan Cotterell (acotrel@cnl.com.au)
Date: 05/07/02


Replying to LO28421 --

With reference to the comment about 'friendly fire'. I am sorry to learn
of the loss of the four Canadian soldiers. Life is about risk taking and
managing the risk. If we think back to the 'good old days' of Wotld War
One when the directive paradigm was at its height, Australian soldiers
volunteered to fight at Gallipoli and in France. At Gallipoli they were
ordered to charge machine guns. Haig said 'the machine gun is a vastly
overrated weapon' or similar words. In France soldiers fought in trenches
with military police patrolling the 'picket line', to capture and
eventually shoot deserters. Our Cathjolic Archbishop Doc Mannix opposed
conscription, much to his credit. I suggest that from the time our men
signed their rights away they sometimes began an inexorable march to
death. It is obscene to conscript, and deny democratic rights, by sending
men to war without choice.

Friendly fire has killed plenty of Australian soldiers, however most of
them were volunteers, I suggest they knew the risk, and still chose to be
there. I respect and admire them for that. But to use authority to put
others at risk is an abysmal misuse of power. This principle also applies
to workplace safety. The person with the directive mind is responsible
and accountable, this is where the buck stops in the Victorian
Government's Industrial Manslaughter legislation.

Best Regards,
Alan Cotterell

-- 

"Alan Cotterell" <acotrel@cnl.com.au>

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