Recently, I watched a Tv program about foreign operatives acting 'undercover' in Australia.
They have reportedly been threatening individual citizens here.
They are targeting those who are critical of a particular overseas regime.
I began to think along these lines....
That 'Australians' who are criticising another 'regime' must decide who they are.
Are they Australian citizens?
And if so, what they are doing is certainly not normal activity for a citizen.
Citizens should not be waging a 'war of words' with another country.
If they are not willing to stop, I think they should leave this place.
That kind of activity is reserved for the government of the day to pursue.
They could instead make it clear to our government that a particular situation is serious, and some form of intervention is needed.
If it thought it necessary, the government could do this at a diplomatic level, or perhaps a trade level.
But it is difficult to do this when the 'regime' in question is the legitimate governing body of another place.
In any case, individuals should not engage in any kind of private 'war of words'.
And those who are reportedly harrassing the locals must be found and deported.
Once again, the government should be active in this area.
For the government to fidget and hesitate is not acceptable.
And those suffering extreme deprivation of liberty elsewhere in the world must fight their own battles.
World opinion can be with them, and help provided to them through government channels.
But no active part should be taken by any individual from another place!
In this case, both sides of the 'argument' are using the wrong approach.
Both sides should be forced to cease their absurd 'cloak and dagger' activities immediately.
We cannot become a battle ground for another country's woes.

Let's be frank. Don't call them "foreign operatives". They are Communist Chinese. And they are threatening Chinese people living here, Australian citizens or not. They are operating here because our governments are too piss-weak to do anything about them. Beijing might stop buying plonk and crayfish.

And, to clear up the 'citizen' bit - a citizen is a person born of at least one citizen parent, or an immigrant who has been naturalised.

There can be up to 7 million non-citizens living in Australia at any time, and there are over 3 million (non-citizen) permanent residents.

When it comes to immigration - how many, who, from where - Australian governments are extremely stupid; or extremely bad and corrupt. We must be a laughing stick in Beijing.

Liberal MP, James Paterson, has raised the matter of a CHINESE SPY working in the Australian Parliament where, he says, "the vast majority of staff who work in this building here in Parliament House are not security vetted or cleared in any way."

It's time our political class and our Mickey Mouse security services pulled their fingers out.

Ipso Fatso

As usual, people don't want to face the truth about China. Too scary. If they keep their heads in the sand, it will all go away.

An ABC Radio announcer at reading/commenting on the news about the Putin-Kim meeting yesterday used the term 'the Tyrant' went by train & 'the two Dictators' etc.

In the meantime, Albanese is about to trot off to China like a good boy after being invited or summoned by Xi, a creature he has no hope of dealing with.

As ex-Labor MP Michael Danby warns, the trip could blow up in his face. Any meeting should not be held in the very country where two Australians are incarcerated by the Communist regime. Until the hostages are released, and trade problems are sorted out by someone other than a dumb politician, there should be no kowtowing to a dictator like Xi.

Even then, it will always be dangerous, and stupid, to try to deal with the CCP.

The fool Albanese has even uttered the words, "mutual respect". Communists just do not do respect; Albanese might as well roll over and offer his exposed stomach like a frightened dog.

"When it comes to immigration - how many, who, from where - Australian governments are extremely stupid; or extremely bad and corrupt. We must be a laughing stick in Beijing."

Our dictates come from the UN, a mostly western aligned institution.
So long as foreign entities dictate the who and how many, Australia will remain a vassal state under globalism and nothing we do or say matters much.
This whole discussion of a housing crisis is bs, it's actually an immigration crisis, and neither party is going to save us.
- They wish to apply a band-aid treatment to the consequences but ignore the cause altogether.
- Too petrified that someone might scream 'racism' towards immigrants, meanwhile it's all our kids and grandkids that will suffer from it.

The West is stupid, we're stuck in a war for supremacy by the US against China, and the US and the West is certainly going to lose.

The west wants to impose it's 'do as we say' model upon the whole world, but the others are not keen about having their future dictated to them.
China, Russia and India are all nuclear superpowers that have their own cultures, why would they wish to acquiesce to the US dominated global model.
We're all just going along for the ride until the superpowers learn to live and act peacefully towards one another.

And I don't care enough about the feelings of mentally questionable LGBTQ people to see the whole country destroyed, but that's what's happening.

China goes to a foreign third world country and builds roads, ports and hospitals.
The US goes there and waves fingers about LGBTQ rights, upon penalty of no IMF loans while it loots the wealth of the country with western business interests.

Chief Bedwetter and CCP sycophant Comrade Albanese should expose his mongrel belly like the good 'bitch' his master acknowledges him to be. Xi will gut him for the dog he is. That the incumbent government(s) - state & Federal have actually allowed these wannabe CCP Police stations and the like to set up shop is telling in itself.

Dear Ipso Fatso,

I see no reason why Australian citizens/residents/visitors should not be able to criticise other regimes. You have not provided any reason(s) either.

Hi Yuyutsu,
I was leaning more towards Ipso Fatsos side of the argument, but you've made me think again.
I think he has a point on some level, but your argument seems just as valid.

You know if a person were born in China, and for whatever reason disliked the place
- then left China and came to a new country, started a new life and have new found freedoms including the ability to criticise government...
- And then all you want to do is criticise China and cause problems for the country you're now a part of.

I'm not sure I support that.
This isn't some safe safe from which you can freely launch a private war against your home country.

- That's where I was at until I read your comment.

Now I don't know, you see I agree with you as well.

My position is that I will freely criticise any country or government I like, whenever I like including my own.
It goes the same for any religion or culture.
- But I will also point out that if I do criticise any of these things it's never without merit or reason.
Also I'm not an immigrant which makes me slightly different to the Chinese examples discussed on this thread.
I live in the country I was born, same country as where my parents were born, and their parents as well.

Maybe part of it is that generally speaking Aussies don't hate on the countries they came from. England, Ireland or Scotland for example anyway. Maybe the Aussie way was more of a friendly rivalry.

In any case I recognise Chinese Australians right to criticise whoever they choose but using a host country as a safe space to spend your life attacking your home country doesn't sit right with me, and I'm not exactly sure why at this moment.

I was talking to a housemate earlier today about the freedom to hate whomever I choose.
- Not that I specifically do, but it was said in the context that I do have every right to like or dislike whomever I choose, for whatever reason.
It's actually part and parcel of our system, considering whom I like and dislike every time I have to go vote.
It was in relation to woke narratives saying we must be tolerant of everything;
Can't ever criticise gays or immigrants for any reason as an example.
- Not permitted to be intolerant.

I was pointing out that our leaders are a bunch of hypocrites anyway.
We must love Ukraine and must hate Russia as an example.
Must love America and the G7 and the rules-based-order and must hate 'The Rise of China' because of their 'human rights violations' and 'illegal and belligerent behaviour in the South China Sea'.

- Pointing out that they're hypocrites because it's perfectly fine to hate those who the establishment also hates.

Isn't it funny how Western governments hate the patriotic nationalist citizens of their own countries?
And love immigrants, can't bend over enough for them (in this current era)

It got me thinking how for some people being criticised is like an 'end of the world event' that they must fight tooth and nail to defend themselves.
It's like we've become a thin-skinned nation too scared to offend anyone else.
And if we're too scared to offend anyone that also means we're also too weak minded to stick up for ourselves when necessary, for fear how others will carry on when they are criticised.

Sorry I know I'm ranting random thoughts.
But the world is becoming stranger by the day.

Maybe its just history repeating.
Nothing new under the sun.
The rise and fall of nations and empires.

AC

I wasn't aware that there was an "argument".

However, I do get your sentiments in your second post. Concentrating on our own country - the only one we get a vote in - Australia is now a lunatic asylum: mass immigration, sexual perversions, division by race, creeping totalitarianism.

It is a lunatic asylum because the majority of decent Australians - decent but disinterested - have allowed the lunatic minority to turn their country into a lunatic asylum.

To address the points you make: you do have the right to like or dislike who and what you chose. It is other people who are intolerant - the posters here, for example, who hate what others say so much that they nag non-stop, instead of just expressing their own views and letting others do the same.

The main culprits here are Foxy, Paul 1405 and SteeleRedux.

Moving on, I'm sick of hearing about Ukraine, the most corrupt country in Europe, and that little squirt of a president, globe trotting and being adulated by Western dumb-arse politicians while his country and people are being destroyed.

It is a disgrace that Australia has anything at all to do with Communist China just for economic gain.

The madness of climate change shows just what ignorant, semi-literate history-ignoring dropkicks that pass for "experts" these days are. That a buffoon like Chris Bowen has been let loose on the energy portfolio is nothing short of criminal. The ruination of the environment with solar panels, wind farms and proposed pylons and wires would have the people responsible locked up if they weren't politicians.

Some people deserve to be 'offended' for their stupidity.

Any immigrants except those absolutely vital to Australia's welfare should not be here. Every day, I see old multi cultis staggering around who can't even say 'hello' in English, let alone serve any useful purpose.

Say what you want to say.

Dear Critic,

You were born in Australia.

Fortunate for you, but suppose, God forbid, Australia were to come under dictatorship, suppose some of your friends "disappeared" and were tortured and you somehow managed to escape to some safe-haven, say India just for example: wouldn't you want to have your private war with the new Australian regime, just for the rare chance that one day you will be able to return to the place you grew up in and safely rejoin your family there?

So long as it is only a war of words, of course.

A new book for readers: 'When China Attacks', Grant Newman, Google Books, $24.99.

Armchair Critic- I like your musings. It shows the issues.

For me a dislike the idea of land resources falling into the hands of totalitarians who will just use these resources to create misery. Some time ago I read the whitepaper on bitcoin and it talked about the need to have the predominance of computer power in order to create integrity. Perhaps it's the same in global affairs- but some have made themselves poor by trying to be the world's police. Sometimes it's better to wait sometimes not- but it's probably important to create stability- but sometimes good intentions don't mean good results.

Kudos.

Australia is a democracy with free speech.

Chinese are perfectly free to criticise their own governments while here especially since they cannot do so at home.

People are also free to believe what they want and to say so, however, they cannot stop people challenging them or thinking that they are idiots.

https://www.youtube.com/live/XICBnyP-vb8?si=YNPh3m16FQs4DR3j

Just saw a video by well known Commentator Neil McAvoy from the UK on utube. The UK Govt has just bought in new authoritarian control and scrutiny of everyone's posts and messages and photos on the internet. They will fine Platforms a few million dollars for posting a message the Govt doesn't approve of.

The user who posted the unapproved opinion.will get 6months in prison. Everyone will require a digital ID and a fingerprint to be allowed access to the internet.
I bet they will make us use that Digital ID to access our Bank Accts as well, and Lose access to our Bank Accts too, if we upset our new Authoritarian governments.
Australia has the same disinformation bill to censor opinion.on the internet,tabled in Parliament right now.

Thanks Cherful for the information. Sounds like the UK has given up on democracy and free speech in favour of totalitarianism of a Marxist bent. What comes next Gulag's and forced marches- in the "modern" age it probably means 24 hour surveillance and cancelling.