Malcolm,
I did not wish to offend anyone but denying history is not a very sensible thing to do. This period was within or just before the lifetime of most of our members - not from an earlier century.
I made no comment on Dutch involvement other than to state the obvious that their return was unwelcome. My comments were restricted to Australian involvement and most opinion is that having just fought a bloody war for "freedom" and the release of numerous countries from occupation, here we were trying to reinstate unwelcome masters in another country.
Not only the Dutch but the British, French, Americans and other western nations were equally culpable in their colonies (and support of each other) and the double standards of WW2 versus colonial occupation resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and misery right up to the 1970's. Australia was there boots and all (If they ever held a war and we were not invited we would be really p--ed off!).
The fact that many of these previously occupied countries have turned out to be rotten, corrupt and murderous societies is really none of our business.
I think we should use our armies to be on the side of the oppressed not the oppressors. But only if they jump the fence into their next door neighbour's yard. Fortunately we seem to be coming around to that point of view though politics, oil and money can strangely twist the reins on the white knight's horse.
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