Military 'Safeguards' Fail Again: Surprise, Surprise
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) now faces the legal system for alleged systemic sexual abuse, a narrative sadly familiar globally. One might recall similar 'isolated incidents' within the US military, where reports of sexual assault jumped 13% in 2021, according to the Pentagon’s own statistics. Despite countless reforms, 'awareness campaigns,' and mandatory sensitivity training, the pattern
remains: strong institutions often create fertile ground for the very behaviors they claim to combat, particularly when accountability mechanisms are internal and opaque. So, the Australian military is 'shocked' and 'committed to change.' How many landmark lawsuits, official apologies, and token reforms does it take before we acknowledge that the structure itself, designed for absolute command and
control, inherently facilitates abuse of power? Or are we just supposed to trust that THIS time, they've really learned their lesson?