As you say Alon, eyewitness accounts, correctly called and right on the proverbial money!
Alan B.

The cautious co-operation between Turkey, Russia and Iran - each with their dreams of restoring the former glory of their own empires - fraises some intriguing possibilities.

As any one of that triumvirate - not to mention China and India - grows more powerful and assertive, what might be the area that, by happenstance, each will be seeking to expand across ?

Central Asia.

But some central Asian countries, Kazakhstan, for instance, have their own plans for future greatness.

So, is there room for five or six medium-level powers across that vast region ? Is there potential for possible conflicts between any of them ? Gosh, who knows ?

Maybe between ALL of them, would be more accurate. Some alliances don't last all that long. Underlying history and unconsummated dreams last longer.

Joe

Turkey has the second largest standing army in NATO! Has around 52 nuclear warheads stationed on its territory! And it would seem in the control of a power consumed madman.

An unholy alliance between Russia, Iran and Turkey, would spell disaster! Especially if they saw the other expansionist totalitarian state as their main threat? And who has few allies!

Who would we sell our coal, iron ore, and gas to then? And assuming other markets became somehow available? How would we safely ship to them?

We need to prepare for the worst case scenario, while hoping for the best. And we need to understand, our best interests are served by greater independence, and the resuscitation of manufacturing and manufactured exports.

We have the resources and the skills to make the world lest expensive finished steel. Similarly, if we embrace thorium as base load and local power, we can supply cost competitive aluminium to the world, as opposed to shipping raw bauxite or alumina (aluminium sulphide) We lead the world in molded carbon fibre production.

And punch above our weight in biomedicine. Ditto quantum computing. We have commercial reserves of lithium, cobalt and some of the purest graphiel on the planet. And as such could be leading the world in battery manufacture, and the electric vehicles they'd power.

Submersible shipping utilising more Aussie ingenuity, would see virtually undetectable venturi powered vessels transferring our products to our customers in acrylic subs. And if northern routes are out, then submersible technology safely opens up ice bound southern bypasses!

Moreover, we can profitably transport more than our own trade goods, especially if the vessels are thorium powered!
Alan B.

Hi Alan,

Of course I forgot the Yeti of international diplomacy, Trump. He has to make up what passes for his mind about Afghanistan soon. Channelling Clint Eastwood, he will probably decide to 'go in and clean it up' or some such macho fantasy. I suppose the one bright spot in all that is that he will get his arse kicked well and truly.

Regards,

Joe

Yes Joe, and that (Are you feeling lucky R Sole?) would MAKE MY (44 Magnum) DAY! I think however the character needs updating and a bigger 50 cal handgun, So he can punch holes big enough to stroll through in D.T's Southern 6 inch thick concrete wall?

Interestingly, D.T. is the initials of America's Current President as well as the abbreviation of delirium tremens, common in the demented, the unpleasant side effect of a diseased and rotting cerebral cortex, possibly impacted by undiagnosed syphilis or HIV?

Could it be, do you think, a common factor pertaining to (paranoid, delusional, MUMMY there's an OBAMA bug in my underwear) virtual dictators?
Cheers, Alan B.

Hi Alan,

If Syria is 'complicated', then Afghanistan will be much more so, given the range of would-be big powers who will have their fingers in so many of its pies, all around it and beyond.

Let's see: the US, China, Iran, Russia, India, Pakistan, probably Turkey, Central Asian countries especially Kazakhstan - they'll all claim some sort of right to be top dog there. It could easily be the Graveyard of Empires, all over again, since the days of Alexander (Iskander/Skander to Muslims).

So like Syria, the struggle there is much more political than just military.

Then there's the Sunni-Shia 1400-year War being reproduced there.

And Trump thinks he can ride in, shoot-'em-up, and ride out again, his job done, to the applause of a grateful village. Yes, I think the man is a complete moron.

Cheers,

Joe