I dont think it is a wise decision to move away from America in the Bibles "last days" especially if we are moving towards asia.
Asia treats its christian believers quite horribly and would do so here if she ever got her soldiers on Australian soil.
We would be leaving a relatively close relationship with a bible-based christian friend (the uSA) to dance with ungodly alternatives.
I would encourage more US bases in Australia and an "invitation" for more US military technology to strengthen the region.
The Bible tells us that China has an outward march in the planning (the current build-up looks like it/click on kings of the east) and, of course, there are many prophecies from The Lord to the christian churches of Australia of an invader in the region.
I would like to see defence with some courage to resist K.Rudd and co. and not limply being dragged along behind federal Labor for a kissy-kiss with evil asian governments. Spend the money and really fortify Australia!

Hi Susenjit

I think (as an Aussie) that your commentary on Rudd's single handed Foreign Affairs efforts looks pretty accurate.

As well as Nixon/Kissenger going to Beijing in 1972 you may be aware that Australia's then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam also visited Beijing that year. Whitlam was also a single handed operator who fiddled overseas while the domestic economy smoked off the rails.

Rudd may well refer in Beijing to the Dalai Lama but I'm fairly certain that it will not prompt the Chinese to cave in and accept Tibet's independence OR D Lama's right to represent Tibetans. The Chinese would see that giving in to Tibetan rioting and D Lama's campaign would be a face-losing move. China may make some superficially conciliatory statements however.

You would be aware that China allowing Tibet to be independent would be seen as an invitation for India to again expand its sphere of influence into Tibet. India and China have gone to (border) war over less from the 1960's on.

I think China is anticipating that Tibetan rioting will be followed by a larger pre-Olympic threat - that is mass Falun Gong demonstrations inside and outside China. Chinese Security (internally and externally) will step up its hopeful campaign to persuade/payoff/threaten the Falun Gong leaders to be quiet over the next few months.

I'm concentrating on India's military and intelligence outlook (eg. http://soodvikram.blogspot.com/ ) now and its encouraging to see that you are gaining a sound knowledge of Australia.

Regards

Pete
http://spyingbadthings.blogspot.com/

Silver tongued charmers like k.rudd are easily disarmed and appeased with, er, charm.

Gotta love international diplomacy, especially when engaging the bigger kids on the block. They can often be very charming and diplomatic when dealing with the pesky neighbourhood kids who are well outta their depth, but deluded enough to think they're 10ft tall. Thing is, these deluded little second raters can weild a bit of influence, when taken alone amounts to nothing, but when part of a larger group has a bit of sway.

USA has had little support from the international community in recent times, whilst the little kids on the ozzy block sort of sucked up a bit, for a dose of credibility by association. So the yanks have more or less hummoured the ozzy govt, out of self interest. Every now and again a USA politician makes an off-the-cuff remark along the lines of 'austra-who-what-where-insignificant'. And the oz govts tend to have a tendency to grand-stand on the international stage and pretend to be grown-ups.

Its all a bit harmless. They get humoured and patronised, which seems to be more than enuff to get them to fall into line, behind the movers and shakers.

A thousand troops in iraq... as far as being slack, its not a long trip from there to zero.

This is typical of what we can expect from krudd and his sock puppets. No doubt their penchant for do-nothing rosey rjetoric and grandiose sentimentality will define their style of governance. Hmmm, the usual 2-3 terms will likely be necessary before the hopeful voter grudgingly recognises the facade, gets tired of the show and votes in the next bunch of actors.

It'll be amusing to see how the eternally pragmatic, long-term, big thinkers of China handle the madarin speaking, next-term thinking prime minister of wittle austwai-ia.

Pull up a seat and enjoy the pantomime.

Heaven's forbid - that we have an Indian national determining the future of Australia's Foreign Policy and facetiously speculating on what our madarin spruiking PM is likely to say to President Hu Jingtao when they again play tooties in Beijing, come August ?

As for his puerile attempt at our War History - Korea and Vietnam, I would recommend he educate himself with a few factoids, instead of frothing-in-the-mouth, like a Bengali dalit, lost for words.

A good place to start - the Australian War Memorial, in Cambell.Canberra. There is NO discrimination against Brahims, Shudas or Varnas. What's more it's free.

All in all, the defamatory piece de resistance is bovine-excrescence prettied up to look credible.

It wasn't wonder-boy Kevin, who forged the Anzus Treaty Alliance with the US. It was R G Menzies in 1951, just after WWII. The US and Aust Military were involved in Midway, Coral Sea, New Guinea etc. In WWI, we fought the Jerries in the Battle of Hamel, 4th July 1918 with US combat troops, and won !

Woebegone Rudd's 17 day sojourn to 5 Countries was to establish his credentials. He only took office five months ago.This World tour is promoting his inimitable prime-ministerial stamp and statesmanship. It hasn't all been Kevin's way either, having committed several faux pas enroute. He offended the Japanese by not adding Nippon to his itinerary - especially after tacitly condoning the act of piracy on the high seas, by allowing the mv Steve Irwin attacking/boarding the Japanese Whaling Fleet's mother-ship ! Japan, after-all, is still one of our major trading partners.

He stepped out of line when he casually 'saluted' J W Bush whilst attending the World Forum. As a former civil servant in the Diplomatic Corps of DFA, his decorum was sadly lacking and reflected woefully on Oz. No amount of Oz 'larrikinism' or ' she'll be right,mate' will ameliorate such self-indulgence. Simply inexcusable, even for a weaner. It doesn't end there, KR is still on a learning curve ?

Karma obligated, Susenjit doesn't understand what diplomacy is all about ! Prattling on about Rudd's intervening

in China/Tibet internal conflict. Why would we offend the sleeping colussus taking sides with the Dalai Lama ? Put simply what kudos would Kevy derive from such a diplomatic gaffe ? History records India ( Jammu and Kashmir ) and Pakistan ( Azad and Northern Areas ) still in rancorous dispute. India does NOT reconise Pakistan ceding Kashmir to China 1964.

Would this rate a mention ? Why exacerbate the volatile situation with more speculation ? Let these tin-pot dominion's manage their own affairs amicably.

The US Elections scenario boils down to not whether Hilary, Obama or McCain extending the War in Iraq/Afghanistan to yet another ' axis-of-evil 'Iran. US Foreign Policy is dictated by Halliburton & Co. Dick Cheney envisioning Iran's oil providing enough for the next generation and more, to feed America's insatiable appetite at the bowser.

The ultimate choice between an Afro-American and female ex White House incumbent is daunting. There has never been a more gut-wrenching dilemma. I leave others to decide a history making episode in US politics.

The most cutting-edge good news to arrive from Energy & Capital - Geologist have confirmed with 3D seismic surveys the greatest Oil discovery this century, the Bakkan Oil reserves in North Dakota / Montana. Reputed to contain a staggering 503 barrels of ' black gold, in them thar hills '.It rivals Alaska's Prudhoe Bay discoveries 1957.

With crude at $ 111.80 a barrel in March, and American motorist paying $ 3.30 a gallon, this miracle will change US Foreign Policy forever, and hopefully end the Middle-East War's. US imports 14 million barrels of oils a day !

Halleluja !

Charmed the American? You are a bit nieve, What is American going to say "we are scrapping the ANZUS treaty?" Of cause they are going to be diplomatic about it, it was just to save face, and project it to the rest of the world

What Rudd has done is offended the American (our third biggest trade partner) by pulling out of Iraq

Offended the Japanese, our second biggest trading by not visiting them

Offended the Chinese, by talking about Tibet and human rights (our largest trading partner)

Not bad for a former "diplomet"