Sexual Abuse and the Australian Navy
News that male sailors on an Australian navy ship, HMAS Success (see link, below) have, amongst other depraved acts, bullied female sailors into agreeing to sex, should not come as any surprise. The Australian navy, like all other arms of the military here, is unbelievably sexist. Women are treated like total shite by men who have no concept of decency or civility. Within the broader Australian community, there will be twinges of moral outrage about this story but also a perverse, smirking admiration for the perpetrators. We tend to think that military men are hypermasculine perverts and that, to some extent, is the price we must pay for our freedom. Any claims by the Department of Defence that they will stamp out the sort of behaviours that have disgraced HMAS Success should be immediately dismissed. Navy operates as a law unto itself and no bean-counter, politician or judge will rattle that hate-filled culture. Even as I type this grisly post, more young Australian women are no doubt being abused while in the service of their country.
Update: The current inquiry (see link, below), will come to nothing, such is the Australian way…
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