Fiji as seen from a holiday resort. Got any nice slides?

Another British legacy !

Another British legacy? What was there before? A primitive stone age culture that was at war with other tribes and headed to where Easter Island went as they hewed and hacked down trees for boats and firewood for cooking fires. The brits brought laws, courts and a constitution football and cricket The indigenous rep for laziness and benefitting from the industry of others seems to fit? As does an easy going, cargo cult mentality? Make better friends than enemies! Love rugby!

Given the parasitic nature of business operators? The poor get poorer and the rich get richer. Slaves would cost more than the average hourly rate!

This situation will end one day in some primitive blood bath as happened elsewhere where extreme capitalism and rampant exploitation was the order of the day, by money faced ( I'm all right Jack) business operators.
Alan B.

( I'm all right Jack) business operators.
Alan B,
That's what I mean by British Legacy ! Exploit opportunism without giving a thought of the consequences which are later (rather opportunistically or planned) again called unintended consequences !
What would you say Britain is a fine example of ? A Govt system with more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese ?
Ask Fijians what they think of Democracy ! Democracy is nothing more than minority group Dictatorship !

And the Chinese are offering business deals with strings…why is that different to golden handshakes full of expectation leading to exploitation and humiliation?

Dan

Ah yes, that terrible colonialism.

Fiji is a 'developing' country, which received $83.5 million in handouts from Australia in 2020-21 and another $85 million in 2021-22 to help the Government of Fiji shore up its fiscal position and bolster economic recovery. They'll probably want more next year.

With a population of less than a million (910,333 at last count), Fiji is hardly in a position to go it alone if the people want anything approaching a decent standard of living. So far they have resisted Communist China, but we will have to keep on giving to keep it that way.

China forgives debt for 17 African nations
http://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/china-forgives-debt-for-17-african-nations/news-story/28ab7f45440142634ff8efd0360b2fec

China builds roads, ports, rail-links and hospitals, then forgives debts.
When has America ever done anything like that for anyone?

It undermines other countries and their governments, places military bases everywhere, profits off weapons sales and uses coercion and threats to get its way and if not, overthrows their governments.

Is this the way the world is supposed to be?

The people who think America will be our saviour are the exact same people who will create a situation that forces China into becoming our enemy.

If we stop playing little brother to the United States, and focus on our our nation building and economic interests, we won't have to worry about China becoming our enemy.
One problem cancels out the other.

We need the US far more than they need us. On top of our need for their protection, we need to be looking pretty damn quick to doing more to protect ourselves as well. Without the US, we are a one shot wonder against China. China is already our enemy, already fighting a grey war against us.

Building our defences is more important than anything else at this time. And, if we don’t continue to ally with the US - even the piddly little bit we do now - we cannot expect any favours from them. They talk us up pretty big out of politeness, but they have been covering our arse even since WW2, mainly because we have always been willing to do our little bit in Korea, Vietnam and the Middle East.

Too many Australians are ignorant and ungrateful.

Hey ttbn,
Tell me exactly how the US is going to help us.
The US is not going to send troops to help fight a ground war in Australia if China invades, they would be overstretched and their ships would be sunk by Chinese hypersonic weapons and the US isn't going to nuke China either because they will get nuked with with Chinese hypersonic nukes. The US has only just gotten their hypersonic to actually work, and are years away from incorporating these capabilities, and they don't have the industrial manufacturing capabilities they once had.

If Russia can sustain 70,000 artillery and ammunition a day, what do you think China can do?

I saw an article today, that Australia wants to buy more F-35s.
What's the point?
They will get shot down by more sophisticated Russian S500 Prometheus.
What's their special weapon, the AGM-88 Harm anti radiation missiles to jam radar and air defenses?

The best thing we can do is just stay out of it.
America survives by corrupt politicians (that probably all belong in Guantanamo), and feeding the military industrial complex.

It's America that is creating most of the planets problems, but they might lose their global hegemony soon.
Lots of countries are moving away from the dollar.
1 in 6 can't even pay their electricity bills, and homeless people live with rats and filth just a few blocks away from the WH.
Even the South African Foreign Minister told Blinken to go jump a few weeks back.
They're a dying empire.

Take a look at Ukraine, 200K dead and wounded Ukrainians, and western ecomomies under severe pressure.
Side with the US and those dead and wounded will be our fate too.

In other news, China's just built a 600klm/h Maglev.
The US isn't building anything much except bombs, and on that score it can't build enough of them if push comes to shove.
All their military simulations end with them on the back foot and going nuclear, which means everyone loses.

Tell me exactly how the US is going to help us.
armchair Critic,
In the same way they're "helping" Ukraine to prolong the misery until the inevitable !
They simply can not actually fight for Australia & if they decide to do so the US President might as well just hit that button & end it all for good !

China prepares to give US$140 million parliament building to Zimbabwe

http://www.scmp.com/video/world/3184156/china-prepares-give-us140-million-parliament-building-zimbabwe

- Give as in 'GIFT'.

How much would it cost to build that here?
Out of curiosity what do we get for 140 million?
- This ugly box maybe?
http://www.afr.com/property/commercial/ispt-hesta-to-develop-140m-office-tower-in-melbourne-20220810-p5b8ol

Do a bit of digging and find this
http://www.creherald.com/nuveen-partners-with-eagle-street-hesta-to-acquire-first-dublin-btr-asset/

"Located in Dublin’s Central Business District (CBD), in the city’s North Docklands, the site is situated at the economic heart of the capital and close to the headquarters of a wide range of local and multinational firms. The comprehensive development will include new homes for rent, a new community space, social and affordable housing, best in class public amenity space, and an adjacent hospitality offering."

Social and affordable housing in the heart of Dublin's central Business District?

Maybe it's a good investment, but why are Australians superannuation funds being used to build housing projects in foreign countries?
Shouldn't they be spending it here on OUR COUNTRY's 'Affordable Housing' needs.
- It smells a bit off to me.

One builds for the future - the other likes to blow stuff up

A project that made 27 countries give up!
China builds Padma Bridge for Bangladesh
http://youtu.be/Yf_aiP-bIz4

Biden announces nearly $3 billion in new Ukraine military aid for the years ahead
http://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-08-24/us-ukraine-3-billion-military-aid-for-years-ahead