Like many I'm deeply disappointed by the decision to dump politician Andrew Hastie from the Army Reserve, simply because he had a photo of himself in uniform in campaign material and refused to remove it. 

Clearly, the rule about non-politicization of the army is being applied selectively. There have been many cases in which serving soldiers have worn the uniform in highly politicized contexts and they suffered no punishment. 

So Hastie's sin was not to be political. It was to be the wrong kind of political. That is, he was being politically incorrect. Therefore expelling him from the Army Reserves was also a highly political act. That's what makes this punishment not just unfair, but also dishonest -- even a bit sinister. 

In that sense it was typical of PC tactics. Its proponents are always pursuing an agenda, often punitively. But they hide behind the pretence that they are enforcing principles, being fair and impartial. 

The general line that the Australian Army is an apolitical institution is fraudulent anyway. As the renowned military historian Carl Von Clausewitz famously wrote: "War is merely the continuation of politics by other means." I think that pretty much nails it. 

When a conflict rages overseas, making a choice about whether or not to send troops there is obviously extremely political. Similarly, deciding to enlist is a political decision on the would be warrior's part.

Politics is everywhere here. Which is why the ADF looks so silly, and should not have made Hastie's use of that photo an issue in the first place.