Is a place with 720,000 people worthy of the description 'country'? Surely it is not big enough to be a 'going concern'. SI can now only be considered as a Communist China platform, less than 2,000 kilometres from our East coast.

SI has to go on the bot to hold some damn games, for heaven's sake! Games they have no need of, and no business staging because they cannot afford to.

And, if SI can't even afford to hold an election, they need to go back to when they subsisted on fish and yams. Their population is simply not sufficient for modern independence. They can only survive in the 21st Century as a protectorate, and their protector looks like being China, Australia being too mamby pamby and frightened of being called 'racist' to do anything except throw a few coins in SI's begging bowl and hope for the best.

Russia invades a country to protect itself from a threat (NATO and the West). Australia sits back and allows the threat (China) to do as it pleases. We should have had a military presence in the Solomons years ago. That might sound odd now, with successive Australian governments leading us fools to believe that everything was going to be fine and dandy since the last time Australian troops fought there, my father being one of them, but that’s what should have happened. It's all a bit too late now, I think.

The author mentions Bougainville. Old Dad was there too; so was the enemy. They got that close. The current enemy intends to do the same.

I said all along that this PM and his activities is aimed at entrenching himself in power, indefinately! He can't lose if he never ever has to face another election! And his ultimate aim?
Alan B.

First and foremost, Australia needs to address the issue of “The Enemy”.

Government decisions based on a belief China is the enemy, are light on evidence.

Running a consistent Australian National foreign policy with a wish in latter times that the cuddling-up processes of the past are now regrettable, and the new reality dawns that China wishes more than ideal trade deals, simply highlights the immaturity of politicians with no street-wise sense of human nature, and a total disregard of history as their guide.

After all, the White Australia policy was entirely aimed at the threat from China. A threat that has been obvious and politically acknowledged over a hundred years ago!

Dan

First and foremost, Australia needs to address the issue of “The Enemy”.
diver dan,
Anyone who can out-think, out-smart, out-do, out-perform is a potential enemy !
Australia definitely will have a lot of enemies if it hesitates & keeps baulking at introducing a national Service scheme !

Will the Conflict Islands become 'enemy' territory ?

The Domino theory is alive and well. And the aim is obvious, we're in the crosshairs. And for decades have been sleepwalking toward our demise as a free and independent nation. And because we closed blind eyes to problem in pursuit of the dollar.

Ukraine is a case study in how not to trust a militant neighbour. And the war there will see energy prices double then double again. And flow on to everything else in extraordinary cost of living increases.

That'll put us further and further in debt and further behind the economic eight ball. As we are saddled by a government with an idiotic idealogical opposition to the one glaring solution, whose name cannot be mentioned, i.e., Nuclear energy, i.e., MSR thorium.

No, they will throw borrowed money at the problem but change nothing real except, buy choppers and nuclear subs. The choppers only as useful as the fuel reserves needed to keep them aloft!

Go figure!
Alan B.

Because Australian governments have been so slack on defence, we now need to spend 6%-7% of GDP on defending ourselves - if we still have time. When China does act, there will be no warnings.

they will throw borrowed money at the problem
Alan B,
Yes, they do so without thinking that the problem they throw the money at IS the problem in the first place. Democracy bleating power mongers who have started WW2 & probably will start WW3 also.
But, it's all Russia's & China's fault, never the US !

Individual

There is no Australian nation, only an Australian Government.

We could only hope for the re-election of Trump to turn around the US slide into something outward looking and encompassing of its allies. At the moment under the free hand of the culture warrior class commonly referred to as the elite, the situation continues to slide.

Trump was on target for what is most urgent in the US, a dictator: Instead the power base fell back into the hands of the rainbow warriors assembled under the rainbow flag.

No red blooded American will be willingly forthcoming with risking their life by joining any of the arms of US military under current circumstances.
Trump had achieved a Nationalistic pride in the cohort most likely to willingly join up: Currently recruitment for US military service is struggling for suitable volunteers. It’s an appalling state of affairs.

Stop worrying about a military attack on Australian soil. There is no need for China to do this.
It will simply isolate Australia from Asia more by extending its grip into the South Pacific, inclusive of NZ, which has already fallen over to it.
Having almost achieved this aim, trade will be the battle front. The US is historically disinterested in the South Pacific. It’s always been a secondary consideration to Europe.

Capitalism via Neoliberal mania, has doomed us to a bleak future. If only the truth were allowed off the chain!
There are no citizens, only consumers!

Dan.

When China does act, there will be no warnings.
ttbn,
How many more warnings do Australians need before they can see past the Dollar ?

Individual

The most obvious enemy to our survival and well being, are our own politicians and their political parties; the same Mafia gangs of self interested impenitent thieves, that you lot vote for with an apparent clear conscience and total lack of understanding.

Have you no memory? Your vision of the past is seriously flawed. A tail end Charlie view of what’s behind is a proved necessity.

Dan

Your vision of the past is seriously flawed
diver dan,
Well, all I seem to see is Australians selling the ground from under their feet to Chinese buyers. The Darwin Harbour lease & an airport in WA. Almost 90% of everything for sale in Australia is made in China.
It looks as though that strategic islands presently owned by an Australian will be bought by Chinese etc etc.
Saw on the News tonight how African refugees are starting businesses in Melbourne. Almost 50% of Australians seem to be watching & bet on Sport, get another tattoo & ask for more money !
You reckon my vision is flawed ?
If I was a politician I too would throw my arms in the air & give up !

Hey Indyvidual,
"Well, all I seem to see is Australians selling the ground from under their feet to Chinese buyers. The Darwin Harbour lease & an airport in WA. Almost 90% of everything for sale in Australia is made in China."

'Australians'... We are not our government.
The citizenry is just used for taxes and labour, and every 4 years we go to vote, and that's it.
After each election the winning team then has a blank cheque, they can do whatever they want in our name.
Nobody asked me if it was ok to sell Darwin Harbor or an airport in WA etc.
"Saw on the News tonight how African refugees are starting businesses in Melbourne."

Foreigners and refugees are probably given more help than Australians.
We are complacent, but largely nobody taught our kids at school how to manage money or to own businesses, and they don't see the potential opportunities (and lack the will, determination and incentive) that people from less fortunate countries do.

You want to know why everything's gone so horribly wrong Indy?

This is why:

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/28/100-days-of-labor-albanese-sets-out-his-governments-key-priorities-for-an-australian-culture-change

"The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will use a landmark speech on Monday to pledge support for a “culture change” to improve conditions for working women as part of a shift in the government’s focus to a reform agenda."

You notice there's no mention of empowering Australian men?
- Take a good look at our PM, he's a pansy and a weasel.

You want to know what else is wrong?
- This, take a good look.
http://twitter.com/SameeraKhan/status/1562902825767936008
- This:
"Not Being INTO to Fat Women Is Systemic Oppression" - Strong Independent Women
http://youtu.be/lPMMg1eKdP4
- This:
Woke Narcissist Teachers are the GREATEST THREAT
http://youtu.be/gHsyyJvChkY
- And This:
"Validate My Healthy Body": Fat Acceptance Cringe
http://youtu.be/8wu4aF2RSFw

There was a serious turning point yesterday.
Cancel culture just suffered it's worst defeat ever.
- Definitely watch this:
http://twitter.com/LandonKN/status/1563333932023955457
130,000 viewers in a live stream on Rumble.
Rumble became the #1 Most Downloaded App in the App Store.
YouTube is losing it's influence because of its tactics of control and censorship, and there's not much that they can do about it right now.

- But this is why we have things like this:
“Recalibrating” censorship in Australia
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=22106

And this, above - is without any doubt an effort to place oversight and regulation on platforms like Rumble, to try and maintain the power and control of the pink and green haired woke cancel cultured beta army.

Armchair,
The very same is happening here right now ! The ABC/SBS are the pushers of this agenda !
They have successfully dumbed-down themselves & there's no authority stopping the dreadful trend of these dumbed-down to now brainwash our young.
The fact that they can do that is due to exploiting the progress made by those they accuse & the hindsight available due to this progress being misused by these lemmings !
Thankfully that cliff is not far away !

I tell you what, this business with China is stupid,
- and the so-called 'impartial unbiased' media is stupid too.

Officially the US recognises the One China policy.
- So 'officially' they recognise that Taiwan is a part of China, right?

That means that the Taiwan Straight is officially Chinese territory, going by their own admissions.

And whats the impartial unbiased media say?
China 'claims' that US actions (Of freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Straight) are 'provocative'.
Really? That's all they can say? 'claims'?

That's like me jumping a neighbours back fence every day and spending the day in their pool.
They say, "You can't be here, it's not your pool and you know it's not your pool. You don't even have the decency to ask."
And it's like me saying "Yeah I know it's not my pool, so what? What the hell are you going to do about it?"
What part of this situation is NOT bloody provocative?
China claims, what a load of crap.
Of course it's provocative you stupid shill media.

The 'Rules Based Order' is actually this,
"We make the rules, and what the hell are you going to do about it?"
China puts on this big show of military strength.
It should probably just shut-up because it just makes things worse, trying to act tough.
If you're not going to do anything about it, you should just go back inside and zip it mate.
"I like spending the day in your pool, so either do something about it, or just shut-up"

On this basis China should actually sink a few US ships in the Taiwan Straight, or stop complaining about it.
Put-up or shut-up.

I think this may be exactly what the US wants, they're insane.
- Like Joe Biden a man who has certainly dropped all his marbles, babbles incoherently, probably doesn't even know what month or year it is.
The US bolsters it's economy with military spending, to the benefit of all the other government bureaucrat weasels.

And this is how they look after their own, sad.
http://youtu.be/gEIA3PRGQlU

Jeffrey Wall "Hey Sogavare, can we give you 30 million dollars to hold elections, so we can get rid of you please?"

Sogavare "You've got to be bloody kidding me mate...
- You and your western band of weasels, you come over here, you use your 'democracy' to stir up strife and civil unrest on the streets and many of my people get killed and injured, so that you can install a leader that better suits YOUR interests...
Which forces me to have to make a deal with China...
Now you want to reopen your embassy? - Do you think I don't know what you're up to?
- And now you want to offer me 30 million to hold elections??!!
You idiots.
- You really are a bunch of halfwits, right?.
Take your 30 million and go back home... bloody morons"

Dear Critic,

I understand how you passionately describe American and Australian hypocrisy.

This hypocrisy is a tactic to keep the war's flames low and prevent greater bloodshed. It is a war nevertheless whether or not you agree with the tactics.

The question is, what you do when the world is divided up between greater evil and lesser evil.

For the time being, my strategic position is to side with the lesser evil (America/Australia) because my heart goes out to the most oppressed and I don't want myself and those I love and care for to fall into the hands, or remain in the hands, of the greater evil (China). Once we are safe from that big monster, then it would be time to also seriously deal with the smaller monster we currently live under, with the final aim that nobody has to live under the rule of any kind of monster they never wanted.

Or do you find a flaw in my strategy?

Hey Yuyutsu,
I'm not sure I know who the greater or lesser evil is anymore.
- that's about all I can honestly come up with right now.

The US seems to want to rule everyone, and dictate for it's own interests
It may bring 'democracy' but it just as much about exploiting other countries and profits that can be made from doing so,
inc. profits from wars, military spending to bolster a clapped out economy.

China may be communist, but some of the criticisms against them seem to be deliberately overblown.
At least they genuinely try to build things that make the lives of the people whose countries they're in better, which the west most certainly does not.

Above all, having to choose the lesser evil is really a poor concept.
No-one really wins when those are the choices anyway.

Dear Critic,

«I'm not sure I know who the greater or lesser evil is anymore.»

If we had this conversation in China and you wrote the above, where would you be the next day?

Yes, there are many illegitimate impositions and prohibitions in Australia, policed by a bully state we never had an opportunity to choose whether or not to have anything to do with.

But compared to China? where people disappear into concentration camps just for practicing their religion or even just belonging to a religious or ethnic group? where even the remaining religious institutions are ordered to remove religious symbols and place photos of Xi and party-propaganda instead? where everything one does is recorded and evaluated by AI technology?

I suppose there are some exceptions, a few things that Chinese are allowed to do or have and we not, such as to consume certain exotic animals (including insects and reptiles, dogs, cats and sharks) and use their ingredients in traditional medicines. Chinese are also, unlike here, allowed to ride [manual] bicycles without a helmet!

Suppose we so much opposed the Australian restrictions that we marched out in the streets against them in great numbers, here at least we would not be crushed under tanks, would we?

«Above all, having to choose the lesser evil is really a poor concept.
No-one really wins when those are the choices anyway.»

Good, so what alternative do you suggest?

Honiara reacts angrily after Australia offers to help fund Solomon Islands election amid moves to postpone the poll
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-06/solomon-islands-election-funding-penny-wong/101410316

Australia is using money as a weapon to empower the narratives of opposition groups, and

Hey Yuyutsu,
I suggest Australia worry about Australia and let China worry about China.
All we seem to do is make decisions that cost the Australian people money and jobs.
- And that makes about as much sense as peeing into a headwind.
In my opinion Australian interests start and end at our maritime borders.

Dear Critic,

«I suggest Australia worry about Australia and let China worry about China.»

"Australia" as such worries about nothing because it is an inanimate object.

Nevertheless, the people of Australia, most anyway, including myself, are troubled about the suffering of the Chinese people, the people in the countries China occupies and the potential suffering of those in countries that the Chinese regime desires to occupy.

Nor can China as such worry about anything, but the vision of the Chinese regime does not stop at China!
As part of their vision, they see a weak continent containing enormous amounts of ores - iron, coal, copper, gold and much more, along with the potential of having millions of Australian slaves dig it till they drop and some 100-millions Huns taking over their space.

«All we seem to do is make decisions that cost the Australian people money and jobs.»

Yes, there are people for whom money is everything. They consider any helping of others for free to be stupid. Trump was one of them.

«And that makes about as much sense as peeing into a headwind»

Who said that we ought to be stupid like the ANZACs who rode unprotected straight into the Turkish firing line? We can be more intelligent than that and if there is wind - use a wind-cheater!

«In my opinion Australian interests start and end at our maritime borders.»

Aha. When the Nazis took the communists, people said "I am not a communist, let me deal with it when they come for me".
When the Nazis took the Jews, people said "I am not a Jew, let me deal with it when they come for me".
When the Nazis took the homosexuals, people said "I am not a homosexual, let me deal with it when they come for me".
And when the Nazis came for them... it was too late...

What sort of a response did you expect to get Jeffrey?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-07/coalition-says-labor-mishandled-solomon-islands-election-offer/101416408

These people will never be our 'partners' you know why?
Simple, these governments don't trust us, and we don't work to build mutual respect.
People like Jeffrey are all the other non-profit 'democracy' NGO family are too busy playing the grand chessboard to consider any 'nation' partners.
Their partners are individuals that can affect an outcome not nations.
- And at the end of the day, it's all about China and all the players know it.
I take it the Solomons Island opposition either benefit from western funding or are aligned with them...
(They might be partners)

Yuyutsu, some of those 'stupid' ANZACs were my relatives, one of which fought in Gaza in 1917 and helped pave the way for Israel, a nation you may be more familiar with.

As for carrying on over China, you probably fall for too much propaganda, most of the people you mentioned whinging are actually related to western governments in some way and may as well be loyal employees as such.

Dear Critic,

I am so sorry, I did not mean that members of your family were stupid, only that the act of charging cavalry frontally, senselessly straight in front of enemy machine-guns, was utterly stupid, criminal in fact.

«most of the people you mentioned whinging are actually related to western governments»

Which are they who whinged? I don't recall mentioning any names.