I don't know why anyone would fight over that part of the country. It's like the North West Frountier. Just great swayths of crap country that's not wort a pinch of s#!T.

Interesting article.

- showing how messy life can be if a country, like India, contains large unhappy minorities and also shares long borders with hostile countries.

Thank Christ Australia has none of those misfortunes.

But for India 3 major terrorist bombings a year (on average) and a possibility of nuclear war with Pakistan and China are realities Indians live under.

Pete

Plantagenet wrote:

"Thank Christ Australia has none of those misfortunes" (The misfortunes being land borders with hostile countries and disaffected minorities)

Australia occupies an enviable geo-strategic position. It has no land borders with any country. Our nearest neighbour, Indonesia, may have a population ten times ours but is, for now, incapable of inflicting any significant military damage on us even if it wanted to. Certainly it does not have the ability to occupy us.

The only significant military threat for the foreseeable future emanates from China. However it will be decades before China is in a position to challenge the US Navy. What's more, even if China were to embark on a quest for "Lebensraum" there are richer and more accessible pickings to the North.

Australia is about as safe as any country can be today.

Yet this is a country that goes into hysterics over the arrival of a few boats.

Does it behove Australians to contemplate their good fortune and be less self-righteously critical of other, less fortunately located countries, when these are compelled to resort to harsh measures to safeguard themselves?

Australia occupies an enviable geo-strategic position. It has no land borders with any country. Our nearest neighbour, Indonesia, may have a population ten times ours but is, for now, incapable of inflicting any significant military damage on us even if it wanted to. Certainly it does not have the ability to occupy us.

Why do you hold this view StevenLMeyer?

we are unique

I "hold this view" because it is factually correct. We do not share land border with any other country. Our nearest neighbour does not, at least for now, pose a military threat.

Or do you know something I don’t know?

I just wondered why you would disregard Indonesia as no possible threat [whether it be now or in the future] Steven.

Not having a go at your viewpoint as I agree with many things you raise on OLO. I am all for peace; however must be in my soul never to disregard any possible threat from any country; particularly some countries closer geographically to Australia.