All true, Chris, but there is too much emphasis on political rights: the people of China and its colonies suffer actual oppression of their personal and religious freedoms, not just some abstract deprivation of politics.

It is not the first time in history that a man (why rarely a woman) called himself "God" and demanded that he be worshipped alone.

Around 5250 years ago, such an evil person, Kamsa, came to power, oppressed the sages and terrorised the world. It was bad enough for the Lord to incarnate Himself in the form of Shri Krishna in order to save the world. The young Krishna killed all the demons that were sent by Kamsa and eventually, while still a boy, killed Kamsa himself.

Today is Krishna's birthday. Today we are reminded that no evil can rule forever, that while we now suffer, eventually God alone will prevail.

Blessings of freedom to all!

One of the main differences between the USA and China, is that the USA has a lot of friends around the world, and China has none at all. China is acting like it can do whatever it wants to in the world and that is getting up the noses of a lot of other countries. Even Chile opened fire and sank a couple of Chinese fishing boats recently who ignored warning to get out of Chilean fishing grounds. The Chinese had tried to ram the Chilean Navy ship sent to warn them off. Chinese support for Muduro in Venezuela is not making China any friends in South America.

The South East Asians despise and fear China because of it's bellicose and illegal actions in the South China Sea. The Indians are very wary of them, and they regard the recent illegal building of a road by China in the Himalayas to be an invasion route from China to India.

The war in Vietnam showed the USA, that even a superpower could take on more than it could chew. With almost the entire world stacking up against China, it looks like the Chinese are about to discover this self same truth.

Strategically, China is in a very poor position. It's absolutely essential maritime trade routes can be easily blocked. And it would be unable to mount counter strikes against the US mainland in time of war, unless it used conventionally armed ICBM, and that would be insane. They can't even cope with a trade war with the USA now, so how they would cope with a real war is something the Chinese don't want to think about.

Meanwhile, the US could easily isolate the Chinese garrisons on their man made islands and could take the fight to China itself using B2 bombers, plus air, submarine and surface launched cruise missiles, and carrier born warplanes.

The USA will always be 20 years in front of the Chinese and the Russians, because the Americans have to invent it, design it, and build it, before the Chinese and Russians can steal it.

But, do Australians "value their freedoms"? Many of them, dull and self-absorbed, don't seem to; they are not aware of what is at stake.

China cannot do without its economic ties to us. We need to stop thinking that we need China more than China needs us; it isn't true. Besides, the lazy tycoons, always after easy money, need to get off their backsides, start showing some patriotism, and sign up other markets.

The "investments" in Africa are all about China, not Africa. China is intruding into s..thole countries to entrap them with debt that they can never repay, so China can take payment in kind with military bases to further menace the West.

China has no intention of helping any country; it has no intention of being friendly to any country. China's only interest is world domination. And, there are countries like Fiji, lurking near Australia, only too willing to help them achieve it for a fistful of dollars.

What's going on with ScuMo. One minute he's telling everyone how great it is being in the pocket of China and next minute he trying to give China the old heave ho!

Well, one thing we do know for sure: Australia has a Chinese future.

What we should do and what we can do are two very different things! We're so economically dependant on our trade deals with China, we cannot afford to upset out benefactor!

Moreover, we have numerous self-serving Quislings here at home willing to accommodate the Chinese in almost anything, real estate, Iconic manufacturing, arable land and a port.

And let's not forget how dangerously dependent we've allowed ourself to become on Chinese students and Chinese tourists! Instead of the robust manufacturing sector, we used to have!

President Roosevelt nailed it when he said, talk softly, but carry a big stick!

He was able to back his demands with a very large and powerful military and an extremely efficient and robust manufacturing sector.

Our military? Could do what? And our manufacturing sector has been effectively dismantled by visionless idealogues! Who have been so busy looking after themselves and their cronies, they, like the proverbial frog being slowly brought to the boil in a pot of warm and comfortable water, couldn't see what was coming. or the danger there.

Just don't comprehend what they've done! And probably don't give a rats?

And refuse though prohibition to take the necessary steps to make this nation strong enough to say no to Bejing TBC
Alan B.

I apologise if you have seen this previously but perhaps it is news to some.

Chinese Reality
China, the Central Kingdom, believes that only China is a sovereign
country, all other peripheral countries are vassal states.
These other states must pay tribute.
China believes this rather surprising attitude is real and based on its history.
This principle is known as "tianxia".

China was not a party to the 1646 Westphalian Treaty which defined
what is a sovereign country and describes how a countries borders are defined.
As a result China does not recognise the treaty.
It believes in its own definitions.
As a result President Xi Jingping recently made the point
that the United States is NOT a sovereign country.
They do not recognise the definition of what a sovereign country or
borders etc means.

Chinese believe that all other countries are vassel states to China
and owe tribute. This system was in operation for centuries but the
arrival of voyaging Europeans resulted in it being an uninforcible policy.

Today the current Chinese government is starting to operate as if
Tianxia is a viable and acceptable policy.
This can be seen in such actions as the Sth China Sea claims and
ordering other countries navies and aircraft to leave the area
immeadiatly in a most perfunctury manner.
They simply do not accept the law of the sea and impose their own rules.
This attitude makes it believe they can shine lasers into the eyes of
pilots of US military aircraft. Other countries are not sovereign and
are subserviant to Chinese policy.
Their intrusion into Vietnamese coastal waters and economic zones is
another example.

The current attempts to capture Pacific Island countries by means of
debt traps will need to be opposed.

We need to adjust our relations with China in a way
as to demonstrate that such an attitude is not aceptible.

If we bear tainxai in mind we will understand better what is going on.