Gummo ruminates on Lt-Col. Tim Collins' speech from the other day.

These are the sort of words that you address to mature adults who face serious risk and know that they face serious risk. Although there are obvious differences between Collins' situation and that of Howard & Crean when they addressed us on this war both speeches could have benefited if we had been addressed not as worried children refusing to go to sleep without the lights on but as citizens of a democracy. Collins' respected his men enough to address them as soldiers: it's long past time that we received similar respect from our politicians.

I missed Howard's speech to the nation, though I suspect I didn't miss much; I did see a bit of Crean's speech, and what I saw suggested to me that I wouldn't be missing much if I tuned out, so I did. The only thing I remember about it was the way he seemed unable to keep his hands still. Gareth has more to say about Crean here.

posted by James Russell | 6:26 PM