Ah yes, balancing the ledger of history?

And trie before by a comparatively larger more powerful military that swept through Europe in a blitzkrieg that the world had not seen!

As Herr Hitler tried to balance the ledger of history! And that did not end well did it!

And Both Putin and Edgowan, yearn for past empires and glory days!

And eventually, have to bump heads with China's competing objectives! As totalitarian states see the only real threat to them are the other totalitarian expansionist, states!

It seems inevitable that there will be another war!? And only those that do not pose a threat will remain untargeted! Given all the madmen have nuclear arsenals at their fingertips!
And no compunction, it would seem, in using them!?

We've arrived at a very dangerous place as the imperative to manufacture and build up military forces has meant, the use of planet-destroying energy choices! And as great as the peril is of WW111, the risk of irreversible manmade climate change and the consequent extinction event, is greater!

Are there any adults left in this particular room!?
Alan B.

Dear Alan,

I agree with your observations, except with "only those that do not pose a threat will remain untargeted": everyone will be targeted.

For China, Australia is a big hole with ores and potentially some 20 million whites, hungry, dirty and in ragged clothes, slaving away to dig it up under their whip. An opportunity rather than a threat.

For China to "respect" Australia, we ought to become a threat to that enemy. Nuclear weapons are not that effective against such a big country, but biological weapons are and we ought to have them ready. We should probably develop these weapons in cooperation with India, which is likely the only regional force with a chance to withstand the Chinese and from where these weapons can be more easily disseminated.

Finally we must remember: no matter how strong the enemy is, in the end only God will prevail, so we ought to always keep God on our side by being more moral, virtuous and devout than our enemies.