Sacked Home Affairs Secretary, Mike Pezullo, believes that Australia faces looming peril, and would struggle to defend itself in a major conflict without the support of the U.S.

Political infighting has been a distraction from the necessity for defence reforms.

Both the Coalition and Labor are criticised.

Pezullo was sacked by the Albanese government; we will never know the real reason. My guess is that he was too smart and too honest for the government, whose attitude to China is different from that of the Coalition.

https://youtu.be/Ilpls_8fImk?si=2trMtDvRRMMjbeIj

I don't think that the Australian vote for Palestine in the UN when the U.S voted against will do much to endear us to the only ally that could probably save us from Communist China.

But, of course, it's possible that the Albanese government doesn't want to be saved from Communist China - given the push for similar censorship, digital ID to that suffered by the Chinese people.

Remember, even the previous government went down the Chinese Communist road on Covid, slashing freedoms, allowing businesses to enforce mandatory vaccination on its employees and all that other nasty stuff that has no place in a democracy.

Now, the Albanese government denies us a Royal Commission into the Covid affair to protect its dictatorial state premiers and unelected bureaucrats.

The refusal to do some tough talking on the two aggressive Chinese actions (there could be more covered up) against our ADF personnel is just another reason to ask, "WTF is Albanese up to".

The only good news about the man is his continuing slump in the polls.

Talking about WTF?

It sure is strange that after Tuesday
the rest of the week spells - WTF.

I disagree with the whole context of further aligning with the US on anything that even hints of dependence.

Are you ignorant to the plight of Israel and their current outcomes in a war with a ragtag band of terrorists, almost totally dependent on a manipulated US arms supply to maintain a war effort which will defeat even one of their surrounding enemies.
This will be Australia when the chips are down, and we dare attempt to maintain our Sovereign independence.

We urgently need to kick them off, not drag more of their losing war mentality on board.
Playing the Chinese Dragon against the US mouse would be good policy.

On the matter of what Albanese and his gang are up to and what they might be hiding from us, and what they want to prevent us from seeing and hearing, the Reporters Without Borders organisation now says that the score for Australia's press freedoms has slumped from being in the top 20 to 39th. No surprises there.

DD

I would be interested in hearing how you think that Australia can retain its sovereignty, and defend itself, without the help of America (and perhaps other allies). They are still obviously relying on America.

Also, do you think our political class would action your suggestions, and why have they not already come up with an Americaless plan to defend the country now, and not in twenty to thirty years time, when most of them will have left the stage.

The ADF is losing personel at the rate of 600 a month; nobody wants to join up; conscription is out of the question; we are already fighting a grey war with Communist China, and the CCP is becoming physically more aggressive, while Albanese doesn't seem interested in defence at all. He can't wait to get back to China to fawn over his mate Xi Jinping. He is so far to the left himself that he thinks a full-blown Communist can be trusted.

As it stands, Australia will be toast without America, and with Albanese.

Yes Australia is indeed in peril !
I heard yesterday that Australia is to decommission our "fleet" of
air warfare destroyers of which we have three.
This reminds me of the similarity to our power stations.
We blew them up before we had the replacement generation in place.
Now we are blowing up our destroyers before the replacements are built !

Like the plan to install 22,000 solar panels a day for 8 years
and 40 wind turbines a month for 8 years
and a fleet of 10 destroyers in one year no doubt !
and a million homes by next week probably.

Is there anybody in the public service or parliament who can see the
absurdity in all this ?
Has anyone in the public service or parliament ever ever had to run
a project that had to organise men, materials, factory production,
transport, remote area accommodation, remote area canteens, etc etc ?

ttbn is right Australia is stuffed !

Nuremberg Dan, Nimbin Paul here,

I totally agree with you. Australia has never gained anything from our supposed US alliance, except dead Australian in far off wars! Can anyone actually point to a US war of aggression, post WWII, where the result has been a win for "freedom and democracy", Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan. Don't mention Bermuda that was a glorious victory.

This Liberal party hack, Pezullo was there when ScumO' and Co tried to shirt front China, which only resulted in a massive loss of trade for Australia, look at the wine industry. Even though Albo has tried to patch things up, the wine industry here is a wreak now in need of life support.

" Can anyone actually point to a US war of aggression, post WWII, where the result has been a win for "freedom and democracy""

South Korea.

Cold war - ie Poland, Czechia, Latvia. Lithuania, Estonia, Germany (eastern part).

"Can anyone actually point to a US war of aggression, post WWII, where the result has been a win for "freedom and democracy""

Why post WWII? Maybe because they are good examples of great improvement? And why "war of aggression"? Why not just war or military intervention?

There was a cold war, and the Soviets engaged in many military interventions that could accurately be described as wars of aggression, and Russia is trying to relive the good old days by invading Ukraine. Many communist regimes didn't require wars of aggression for their demise. Most died of natural causes, leaving a memory of corruption, incompetence and brutality that is kept alive in the lore of those nations.

To answer your question Paul: Kuwait. Saddam's invasion was supported by the 400,000 Palestinians living there at the time. Roughly 20,000 Palestinians live there today.

Baz

Yep. Australia is a fool's paradise. It has been so for too long now for much to be done, particularly by the fools in Canberra. It is hard to believe that people, even politicians, could be so foolish. Perhaps it is deliberate; the self-hatred is at work. They have weakly accepted the evil white man, the wicked West narrative.

Cowardice and lack of conviction in those who should be standing up for Western traditions and values has brought Australia down to the level it is now at.

Albanese's hard Left tactics are part of the decline. Substitution of abuse for debate; hiding details, and pursuing an extreme agenda behind distractions of identity politics, supermarket prices, and “crises” like climate, “misinformation” and “disinformation” - to be censored; all the hallmarks of totalitarianism while putting on a pretence of affability and reason.

The man is a scoundrel of the first order.

The crap about American ‘wars of aggression’ is another smoke screen used by Australia's Fifth Column of Communists. The situation at hand is about Australia's defence - or lack of defence - against actually very aggressive and, and getting more aggressive, Communist China, rogue Islamist countries like Iran; and North Korea, and Russia.

The only bad move by America in regard to China, was its push for the vile Communists to enter the WTO, which they have been using as a war against the West ever since.

The China threat will increase. Unemployment among 16-24 year olds is 15%. 70 million apartments are abandoned or unfinished. Gross national debt is 320% of GDP. Growth is forecast at 3%, dropping to 2% by 2030. Global manufacturers are moving to India and Vietnam.

ttbn,

Maybe China's economic decline is another example of what happens when nations become insular, paranoid and controlling? I'm not saying China isn't a danger, especially with all the military aid being sent to Russia, but China's world view might ultimately be of most harm to the Chinese.

Mike Pezzullo was dismissed in November 2023 for
breaking the public service code of conduct
at least 14 times. Hundreds of texts emerged
revealing the extent of his attempts to influence
government on policy. He had breached the code of
conduct at least 14 times.

Sam Dastyari resigned and his career in politics ended
some time ago wdue to concerns over his links to
Chinese businessman Huang Xiangmo.

Politicians need to be held to account and as we know
politics is a blood-sport.

As for concerns about a war with China?

Pezzullo has stated he thinks that the consequences of this
occuring is actually quite low but of course our concerns
have been 10 years in the making which is meaningful
enough to plan for.

Hence the government's AUKUS Agreement. A bilateral Security
partnership for the Indo-Pacific region between Australia, the
UK and the US. The US assisting Australia in purchasing
nuclear-powered subs.

We're in safe hands.

Ttbn
re you/dd above.

The US involvement in AU is entirely predicated on their huge investments. They’ll fight for the preservation of those as the priority , our own interests will be secondary; It’s a sensible vantage point on which to base possible outcomes into the future.

The Chinese are moving in; I distinctly remember Trump once outlying a future involvement for South East Asia which stopped at the Phillipines.
But for the fact that General MacArthurs stoic individualism was not popular at home base, we’d all be speaking Japanese by now.

The successes we achieved in WW11 were as vague as the luck of the draw , and not due to any concerns by the US or the UK for Australia’s future.
In 1942 John Curtin was forced to beg for a squadron of Kitty Hawks to defend against the Japanese for six weeks as we waited for US assistance. Things have only become worse not better; your blind to reality if you’ve missed that truth.

There is not a shred of evidence anywhere in the world, the US can be relied on with confidence as an Allie. The bottom line is, allies are not friends unless there is something of value in the alliance to benefit them, as the priority: Israeli conflict is the outstanding example to all US Allies at the moment, and all and sundry are taking notice of the message writ large of the inherent dangers.

The China issue at the moment: Au has a shaky trade alliance with China. We need them more than the reverse; we are regularly reminded by China of the imbalance that alliance is.
What Politician is up for that one, and what are the Chips of value to bargain with.
Swinging their way , balanced by what is unfolding in the US domestically, might be more self preserving in the long haul!

First:-
I'D like to challenge the truth of Albanese's statement on
the TV News Channel last week that:- "AUSTRALIAN People WANT the Australian GOvernment to censor the Internet." Where is his referendum
to prove this? Is it a psychological ploy?

He could have better spent the $40 million he spent on The Voice referendum, on a referendum asking the Australian people if they wanted DIGITAL BANKING control without cash,and government censorship, of what,THEY say is disinformation.
Notice they don't act to censor the Incitement to violence, in some mosques and the genocide being called for in Australian streets.
Seems the censorship is unevenly applied.

The term disinformation is way to VAGUE, proper laws like the
1. Pornography of children.
2. HARRASSMENT,
3. Displaying of nude photos without permission
4.SLANDER.
5. True incitement of violence. (Not just difference of political opinion)

Bring in DEFINITE laws and allow the Justice system to hold court cases to decide., NO POWER OF CENSORSHIP, granted to the Australian government of any stripes.

0f course CHINA would see Australia as a great prize to invade. So much mineral and farming wealth.
The more they realise we have powder puff military weapons and EUROPE, BRITAIN and AMERICA are not the great military powers that once could defend us They have been dismantled and weakened by corrupt politicians and big corporations and ridiculously,massive destablising Immigration.

The only reason Australia is not a Japanese country today, is America bought their superior weaponry and manpower out here after PEARL Harbour and SINGAPORE were attacked. Australia had about 7 million people at that stage and a very small army, and not huge stocks of weapons.

We were outnumbered by the Japanese and they had good weapons.
Regardless of America's reasons for coming to our rescue,it was nevertheless their involvement that saved us, along with our own excellent fighting men.

History is replete with territorial conquest, nothing has changed in the biology of the human species
I once said to a CLIMATE CHANGE believer,
Don't worry about that, you are much more likely to die in war with China or some other conflict.

That is still true, it is simply ridiculous to spend trillions on windmills and solar when it would ensure you and your children a longer life, prosperity and freedoms to use that money to stay armed to the teeth.
History should very clearly tell you tha
t

Fester,

It's simple: Communism and a command economy don't work; they never have, and they never will. Capitalism is the only way, even if it is not perfect and some people fall through the cracks. Even then, capitalism looks after them as well.

DD

“But for the fact that General MacArthurs stoic individualism was not popular at home base, we’d all be speaking Japanese by now”.

Likewise, if we can't have help from the U.S now, we will all be speaking Chinese.

“The successes we achieved in WW11 were as vague as the luck of the draw , and not due to any concerns by the US or the UK for Australia’s future.”

That nullifies your Macarthur comment.

I don't know what “evidence” you want - apart from the formal alliance - that American wouldn't help out; but say it didn't, what other country would or could? You still haven't revealed that bit of your cunning plan.

You don't like America. That's your right. But we can't survive anything but a brief scuffle without America.

Cherful,

There is no truth from Albanese. The man is a liar. We can't believe a word he says.

Now. Let's talk about the enemy within - apart from the Greens and some members of both main political parties.

I would like to think that Muslim Australians, like Christian Australians, would vote as Australian citizens for and about Australia, not religion; and perhaps most do.

But, have a look at ‘muslimvotesmatter.com.au’. It takes the form of a statement. The FAQ'S can't be opened, but the existence of the site is a worry.

Hi ttbn,
'Australia would struggle to defend itself in a major conflict without the support of the U.S.'
- From this line of thought one might conclude we need the U.S. now more than ever, but it's actually an irrelevant conclusion.

'Australia would struggle to defend itself in a major conflict EVEN WITH the support of the U.S.'
- That's the one you should be paying attention to.

'faces looming peril'
- Is that code for the U.S will start a war with China and we'll be right there with them all the way?
What makes you think America will win a war against China nearly 12000 klms from home even with our assistance and where does it leave us if the US can't win?
It's a risky game we'd be playing to take sides.
And given China is our largest trading partner - just playing this stupid game has already cost us enough in exports and trade tariffs.

The US and the Europeans blinked just this last week when Putin ordered tactical nuclear training for combat troops.
And without NATO or US troops, the Wests Ukraine project is over.
Russia has now taken Chasiv Yar and is moving on Kharkiv.

I want you to watch this, listen to Piers Morgan get frustrated when John Mearsheimer tells him that the US will NOT respond with nuclear weapons if Russia uses them in Ukraine.

John Mearsheimer vs Piers Morgan
http://youtu.be/vlLubLH5QfE?t=590

Also, regarding your link - (and thanks for adding it)

Your link: http://youtu.be/Ilpls_8fImk?si=2trMtDvRRMMjbeIj

See this on the end part of your link - '?si=2trMtDvRRMMjbeIj'
- It's a source identifier for tracking, and you should remove it before sharing.

http://youtu.be/Ilpls_8fImk
See, still works - you don't need (or want) that part on the end.

Michael Shoebridge of Strategic Analysis Australia writes that Communist China’s latest taunt - dropping flares in front of a RAN helicopter - shows that Xi is happy to see his pilots and ships captains acting in a way that could kill ours and other countries’ military personnel.

Also, the Albanese government’s China policy is doing nothing to restrain the dangerous and arrogant behaviour.

Our region is getting much more dangerous because of Communist China.

Marles is touting a $760 million defence budget over the next ten years (will China wait that long?), but the awful truth is that “our military will get less capable and less powerful between now and 2034, while others – notably China and its partners – get more powerful.”

If it's too hard for Albanese to show some self-respect and take his mate Xi to task over these matters, it will be even harder for Australia to play any constructive defence role against the Communists in the future.

We must face up to reality as countries like Poland, Japan and Ukraine already are.

The fact that the helicopter and the sonar incidents were perpetrated outside Communist air space or waters should be enough of a warning, even for the Albanese government. There's been quite a lot of things going in other countries’ economic zones and space.

There might be even more that the Albanese censorship squad are keeping from us.

Communist China could not be blamed for thinking that their aggressive and dangerous behaviour is trivial to the Albanese government.

AC

America trying to start a war with China? It's Communist China doing all the threatening and bullying in our region.

We need Donald Trump as US President. All the anti-West countries, including Communist China, behaved themselves during his last Presidency. They will do so again.

"America trying to start a war with China? It's Communist China doing all the threatening and bullying in our region."
- Well, the U.S. does have troops stationed 2 klms from the Chinese mainland...

Ttbn.

Reading your posts, it’s difficult to determine more than an emotional attachment to fear itself.

In your world, a military style attack on Australia is imminent. Where is the evidence.

There is evidence Chinese incursions into the Australian field of influence at the tip of Asia, below a more likely target, Indonesia, is very minimal.

There is evidence of Chinese incursions and destabilisation tactics in and around the Phillipines, which are a strategic necessity to counter US influence in the US strategy of defending Taiwan. These are current events which don’t concern or threaten Australia in any significant way, and certainly doesn’t warrant spending billions of dollars we don’t have to spare, propping up US industries which are incapable of supplying them.

In its current state of collapse, the US is incapable of the most fundamental of objectives in deciding who is the actual enemy. The group think in Washington has become more abstract than a Picasso painting.
Study closely the US-Israel souring relations currently, and the consequences to Israel of the
Alliance with the US, through other times Israel was at war with its neighbours.

Cont.,

Our time now and the US of today, are far flung from the US of 1945 with its ability to win a war on display with MacArthurs determination.

Above, very lightly sketches a picture of who we must allie with. We definitely need to be taking a backwards step and a very sober view with our US engagements: As much as possible should be put on hold or stalled with the current Administration, at least until after November, when a clearer view into the future gives a better guide.

If Democrats are re elected at that point, Australia would be given the green light by a sense of survival, and engage more deeply with China to avoid becoming another Ukraine, or Israel for that matter.

ttbn, I heard another unbelievable stuff up by the politicians and
the bureaucrats;
The new SW airport that is to start operations next year has had a
rail line built to connect the airport to the main line at St Marys.
Great except it is not compatible with the rest of the electrified
network, so passengers will board at the airport and a short while
later get off the train and wait for a western line train to go to
the city or elsewhere.
The reason; the NSW electrified system is 1500 volt DC but the new
shuttle line is 24,000 Volt AC !
Such a ding-a-ling decision could only come from politicians & burocrats !

America is probably going to double down on hostilities with China.

No Substitute for Victory
America’s Competition With China Must Be Won, Not Managed
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/no-substitute-victory-pottinger-gallagher#

"Amid a presidency beset by failures of deterrence—in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and the Middle East—the Biden administration’s China policy has stood out as a relative bright spot. The administration has strengthened U.S. alliances in Asia, restricted Chinese access to critical U.S. technologies, and endorsed the bipartisan mood for competition. Yet the administration is squandering these early gains by falling into a familiar trap: prioritizing a short-term thaw with China’s leaders at the expense of a long-term victory over their malevolent strategy. The Biden team’s policy of 'managing competition' with Beijing risks emphasizing processes over..."

I don't have access to the rest of the article unfortunately.

MATT POTTINGER served as U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser from 2019 to 2021 and as Senior Director for Asia on the National Security Council from 2017 to 2019. He is a co-author and editor of the forthcoming book The Boiling Moat: Urgent Steps to Defend Taiwan.
MIKE GALLAGHER served as U.S. Representative from Wisconsin from 2017 to 2024 and chaired the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

Baz,

Socialists can afford to make stuff ups with other people's money; and they don't give a stuff about inconvenience to people.

DD,

Can you reveal this “evidence” you claim exists?

AC,

The U.S has Green Berets stationed 10kms from Communist China: on Taiwanese territory, for the purpose of training Taiwanese troops.

Not a bad idea, given that the Communists regularly make threatening incursions into Taiwanese territory, without Taiwanese permission.

If Taiwan and its islands go, America would be shut out and that really would affect Australia.

Fortunately, America has undertaken to protect Taiwan from the Communists, unlike the Albanese government which is more and more proving to be a sh-thouse ally to America; looking less deserving of American protection every day. Albanese is too busy trying not to offend the Communists, even though they treat him - handsome boy - and Australia with contempt and dangerous stunts against the ADF. Communist China is the enemy, and having any relationship at all with it is gross stupidity.

I hope that the millions of Australians who don't post anti-Australian, anti-American rubbish on OLO are smarter than the few who do, come the next election.

Albanese's lies about have been exposed again by the revelation that he, the defence minister and the foreign minister did NOT remonstrate
with their Communist counterparts. The was a little whine from low-grade public servants about the latest attack on a RAN helicopter.

Hi ttbn,
I think you need to stand back and look at the bigger picture.

We're in a period of a changing world order.
America is desperately trying to cling onto unipolarity but the world has already changed.
The multipolar world order hasn't been born yet, but it's on the way.
There's nothing the West can do to stop it, but it's likely going to try.
You need to think about letting go of what was, and accept the reality of what is and what will be.

The whole world is changing.
Why do you think the West, Europe and Russia are willing to push right to the limits of creating a nuclear conflict?
Because it's the end of US global hegemony, and the beginning of the multi-polar world order.
The West thinks it can force others to cut ties and remain the only game in town, and somehow pull things back to the way it was before, but they're mistaken, just as they have been on everything recently.

"The was a little whine from low-grade public servants about the latest attack on a RAN helicopter."
- I see the statements from the higher-ups more as tantrums.
If it was an actual attack on a helicopter the damn thing would be sitting at the bottom of the Yellow Sea.

Our leaders do have to officially object, but they are doing it in a way that makes them (and us) look pathetic, kind of like a big tough fearless chihuahua.

Ttbn

You’re dead in the water; you have no idea!

Best of luck with a closed mind.

DD

You always turn nasty when you are questioned, or when you can't substantiate your claims and "evidence". I suppose it's to be expected from someone who is proud not to do the only thing most people can do to get change: vote. Poor fool.

Ttbn

Wrong again.

That isn’t nasty as you describe, that is frustrated.

I have nil to no patience with the dead thinkers of the day, that see no problems with n Alliance continuing with the US. It has lost the plot, and if the lunatics from the Democrat asylum continue after November, Australia, instead of the slow march towards death with the fools, will need ever more urgently to run swiftly in the opposite direction.

Staying engaged with the US as currently is, can only be calamitous for Australia, as it obviously is with the current disasters of the Ukrain and Israeli war as evidence of US meddling . There is the evidence - plus the more as example, in my above musings.
So you either don’t read, or you don’t think. My conclusion.
Aspire to be the Kelpie dog mate, not the sheep.

And speaking of aspirational, there is historical evidence of how to play the superpowers against each other, and come out winning. We should have no loyalty to any of them outside of OUR own best interest, and currently that is not blindly following US dictates of the lunatics unleashed in Washington.

Its difficult to know where you're going when you don't know where you've been. To understand our future and future choices we need to understand or past. Yet we have people here who utterly misunderstand our past and even misunderstand our present.

We have people saying the US victory over Japan was luck of the draw. They also talk about Japan invading and conquering Australia (" we’d all be speaking Japanese by now.").

Neither of those things are true. Once the US decided on a policy of unconditional surrender against Japan, the conclusion was set. The US economy simply overwhelmed that of Japan. And the Japanese never had any intention of taking Australia. They had discussed it pre-war, but the army had concluded it was beyond their resources and of little strategic value.

What they did want to do was isolate Australia and not allow the US to us it as a base for operations - hence the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway.

The US OTOH supported Australia, not out of brotherhood or because of their investments (another moronic claim from DD), but because they recognised the strategic importance of Australia, first as a base but more importantly as a theatre for operations against the southern flank of the Japanese empire. As Curtin pointed out the US (not that he needed to) in 1942, if Japan secured their southern flank, the next stop was the US west coast.

Failure to understand these things means a failure to understand the current parallel situation vis a vis China.

China doesn't want to conquer Australia. Again it is of little strategic value and holding and securing such a land mass would be beyond their ability and resources.

But China would love to see Australia knocked out of the US alliance so as to make their taking and holding their southern flank that much easier. Sure, our resources are attractive, but you don't need to conquer a territory to get its resources.

Australia isn't opposed to China because of fears of conquest. We are opposed because of the threat China poses to Australia's way of life. We are a trading nation utterly reliant on the free exchange of goods and the freedom of the seas that underpins that. China threatens both those things.

Additionally we are a nation that is part of the vast Western civilisation and China threatens that. The end of western civilisation is the end of Australia as we know it. We become a very different place.

And the US opposes China for the same reason - the defence of all that makes the US the great nation it is and underpins the wealth of its economy. China OTOH fights for the glory of its rulers and that's the difference.

Australia is but a small part of the international efforts to face the Chinese dilemma - Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam. India all see the Chinese threat to the world order and order in the world.

While a small player, our part is vital. We arm not to defend the homeland. We arm to check China's ability to wage war. Those who follow such things know that all the rockets and naval equipment we have or are aiming to have is designed to do one thing - close the Straits of Malacca thereby severe China's links to its markets and suppliers.

Australia fought in France and Turkey in the WW1 because or vital interests were dependent on a British victory, Britain then being the guarantor of the world trade system. We fight with the US for the same reason.

I liked AC's comparison of the threat to the West, and to Australia in particular, with a change in fashions. Some people are are definitely in denial, out of fear or ignorance. As with Japan during the war, Communist China is trying to cut Australia off from America. As I said earlier, the taking of Taiwan is part of the strategy.

DD

In future I will leave to your intolerance and frustrations. They are your problem, not mine.

mhaze

That’s laughable mate, and twenty years behind the times.

Well argued DD!!

How could I possibly challenge such a fact ladened rebuttal.

Nuremberg Dan, Nimbin Paul here,

Well said, I'll have a celebratory joint for that one, BTW, its Christine Milne birthday today, I'll break out some extra weed for that one as well.

Nimbin Paul…

Beware, I’m very familiar with Nimbin; there are many traps!

mhaze

The KISS theory at work!

"The KISS theory at work!"

OTOH, and much more likely, you don't have the wherewithal to argue for your daffy nations and don't want to embarrass yourself by trying.

mhaze

I laugh out loud.

What volume of the propaganda files did you copy your mythical BS from.. seriously mate, get a life.

So you’re quite happy to trot along behind O’Biden down the rainbow trail to doom.

That’s great mate…good luck then!

Mhaze.

Oh, just in passing, I’ve mentioned before on these pages; Australia has a need to set a new course starting with the exploration of US citizens, Nationalise their Au assets and kiss old sleepy Joes backside goodbye, before he sells us out to the Chinese; just like he sold the Israelis out to the Islamic Terrorists.

Keep up to date mate!

"I have nil to no patience with the dead thinkers of the day, that see no problems with n Alliance continuing with the US."

- About time we got stated thinking things out properly.

"Staying engaged with the US as currently is, can only be calamitous for Australia, as it obviously is with the current disasters of the Ukraine and Israeli war as evidence of US meddling."

- The point everyone misses, the elephant in the room
The problem with relying on the United States for defence;
- is that one must also become subservient to US policy.
That might not be so bad, if America was not trying to commit suicide, and to take us with them.
(They can't do it without our help)

"And speaking of aspirational, there is historical evidence of how to play the superpowers against each other, and come out winning. We should have no loyalty to any of them outside of OUR own best interest, and currently that is not blindly following US dictates of the lunatics unleashed in Washington."

- Well, hooray for fecking Australia.
Someone else here finally bloody woke up.
I'm no longer sitting in the corner like an idiot by myself, yay.

...Watching this video just before.

WEST PANIC: Saudi-US Mega Deal Falls Apart, China Achieves Global Shipbuilding Dominance
http://youtu.be/0OE3_7Nyy38

Fun Fact: Chinese shipbuilding is 232 times that of the United States
Fun Fact: Chinese shipbuilding accounts for more than 50% of the global market
Fun Fact: China has more naval vessels than the US

There was once a time when you couldn't trust a chinese spanner, but now look - entire fleets of ships!

The US wants to control trade with sanctions...
But who has all the resources and industry, and China has advanced in technology.

http://www.aspi.org.au/report/critical-technology-tracker
"China’s global lead extends to 37 out of 44 technologies that ASPI is now tracking, covering a range of crucial technology fields spanning defence, space, robotics, energy, the environment, biotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced materials and key quantum technology areas."

Do you also know that China has had advancements in chipmaking since that report (because of US sanctions) and now China has cancelled purchases of billions of US owned chips.

Nvidia shares drop after report of canceled China orders
http://www.reuters.com/technology/nvidia-shares-drop-five-month-low-after-report-canceled-china-orders-2023-10-31/

Huawei’s new Mate 60 phones are a lesson in unintended consequences
http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/huaweis-new-mate-60-phones-are-a-lesson-in-unintended-consequences/

Yellen Says Nothing Off Table in Response to China Overcapacity
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-14/yellen-says-nothing-off-table-in-response-to-china-overcapacity
Treasury secretary wants to ‘responsibly manage’ China ties
Yellen also defends Biden’s domestic manufacturing push

[Yellens complaints of overcapacity are an admission the US can't compete]

‘Significant’ Chinese response to US tariffs possible: Janet Yellen
http://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3262552/significant-chinese-response-us-tariffs-possible-janet-yellen
The United States is expected to raise tariffs on Chinese clean energy goods such as electric vehicles
US Treasury secretary said she hopes China won’t mount major retaliation against any steps US takes

Biden sharply hikes US tariffs on billions in Chinese chips, cars
http://www.voanews.com/a/biden-sharply-hikes-us-tariffs-on-billions-in-chinese-chips-cars/7610326.html

----

So it looks like 'Globalism' is off the menu and we're headed towards protectionism.
Is the US going to attempt to Re-Industrialise?

We don't need leaders like Albo dancing around blissfully over hydrogen.
Whatevers going on in the world during these changing times we need to become more self sufficient.
We need a crapload of cheap energy either nuclear if we are to compete in anything.
China are the world leaders.
You need to accept that the CCP might be here to stay, and stop trying to piss them off.
At the same time, we make clear that we don't let them tread on our balls.
And for that, we need a leader that actually has a pair.

You want to know the west part of all?
It's not that the chinese are smarter, it's that the west have proven themselves more dumber and stupid.
The only real difference is that they have a plan, and we don't.
- Because we're a nation lead by idiots.

Nimbins probably gone broke since the government started opening up weed dispensaries everywhere.
They do sell some nice candles though.

Hi AC,

Nah, our candle business went belly up shortly after ScumO' shirt fronted President Ginsling about tossing dim sums at our navy boys (and girls, don't forget the girls) doing a recon, climbing over the Great Wall into Ginslings back yard! They were in international waters at the time. Anyway, Xiy got the you know what's, and wack'd a 10,000% tariff on our candles. We retaliated likewise with a 10,000% tariff on the Special Fried Rice, down at the Golden Dragon, but it didn't seem to work, they wouldn't even talk to Birms, not even on Snap Chat! Want to buy a candle...or 10? Albo's seemed a nice guy, you'd think he'd toss in a bill or three our way, to save the Ninbin Candle industry from lights out!..... I thought that was going to be the centre piece of last nights budget, think of all those struggling hippies, like me, it would have saved!

AC

Nimbin.

LOL

The northern rivers of nsw , has the highest collection of weed smoking hippy real estate tycoons in Au.
They made little to nil contribution to society, outside of sitting crossed legged in the shade of the local Ashram over the past fifty years, watching their goat blocks turn them into multi-millionaires.

It’s such an aspirational dream for the losing class of today, as the area now sports the highest rate of homlessness, along with its desperado lifestyles, and permanent riot squads in key locations, keeping the lid on the pressure cooker.
How times change!

And as for the over comfortable classes carping on above, extolling the virtues of the most corrupt and failing Banan Republic on earth, the US, I shake my head to them!

Nimbin Paul, 14.05klm from the local riot squad.

Am I good for a loan son?

"The KISS theory at work!"
mHaze,
Not here old son, it's more a case of the more idiotic & unworkable one operates the more "in" one will be with the governing Woke !

The trouble for many of those who fancy themselves followers of international affairs is that they fall into the trap of mistaking short-term movements for long term trends. Sure, the US is currently led by one of the most incompetent regimes in its history, and certainly the most corrupt ever. But mistaking this for a long term trend is naive in the extreme and shows a monumental lack of understanding of history.

In the 1970's the US was similarly led by a hopelessly incompetent regime, yet this was turned around by the 1980 election and withing a decade the great rival - the USSR - was no more.

But those who hate the US and all it stands for continue to fantasise about its inevitable humbling.


In the 60's, the Soviets were going to surpass the US.
In the 70 and mid 80's it was still the Soviets. Vietnam and all that. I remember reading Galbraith saying the Soviet economy had already surpassed the US and walking around Moscow trying to reconcile that view with what I was seeing on the ground. I finally worked out that those saying this were as incompetent as the Soviets.

90s - Then the Soviets collapsed and it was Japanese managerialism that was going to supplant the US.

oops.. that came unstuck. But never fear because here comes the EU to put the great Satan in its place. How's that going?

So now we have China. Surely they'll overthrow the US. Isn't that what they all want. Except China's economy remains a shadow of that of the US and China has already passed it peak. Still the true believers in the ultimate demise of the hated west continue to believe.

I predict that in the 2080's we'll have AC's decedents telling us that it's inevitable that Nigeria will overthrow the US hegemony.

The long term trend of Australian history is that we have always, from our inception, allied with the leading democracy and the power that defends the freedom of the seas and the freedom of commerce. As explained earlier, Australia's very existence if predicated on the open world trading system. Its why we fought in the Boer War, in WW1 against Japan.

Australia could have easily elected to not oppose Japan in 1941, declared neutrality and left Japan to do as it wanted in S-E Asia. Ultimately we weren't in immediate danger. But our way of life was. So we fought.

Those who hate the Great Satan and instinctively cheer for whoever is its opponent, would have us overthrow this long term policy based on a short-term assessment of one US regime.

These people also wantonly forget previous lessons. They tell us how powerful the Chinese military is as compared the US. I well remember similar claims about how the Soviet military overwhelmed that of the US - just before the fall of the USSR!! There are all sorts of ways to compare the military power of nations but counting the number of ships is probably the dumbest of them all.

The US might be in long term decline. The next election will be pivotal. But overturning long term policy on such a small sample size is monumentally insane and inane. What we do know however is that China is most certainly in long term decline - its population size is collapsing even if you use the CCP's doctored figures. Industry is leaving. Its close rivals (Japan, Vietnam etc) are awake to its threats and reacting accordingly.

Again, overturning Australia's long term policy to align with such an alien and declining power is stupidity in the extreme that only people like AC and DD would fall for. Thankfully, even those of the ilk of our present leadership haven't reached that level of insanity.

Hi Paul,

Yes those damned hippies!
'If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down.'

The Greenies (your lot) together with the tree-huggers...
Well, the children of actually... after attending Uni through which they took part in such great activities such as - 'laying on train tracks' and 'glueing themselves onto roads' and 'dangling from bridges' etc these young future thinkers all became climate scientists, and they worked the system from the inside.

They've achieved such wonderful accomplishments such as 'rolling blackouts' and helping to assist with the homeless...
(Assist in helping create more homeless that is)

And now I can't even by myself a cheap Chinese EV !
What is this country coming to?!

Ah well, can't win em all can we?
Nobody has any idea what the hell is going on...
It's the Australian way.

"But those who hate the US and all it stands for continue to fantasise about its inevitable humbling."

- Oh ffs stop being so naive.
It's not what I'm saying it's what everyone is saying that is paying close attention to it.
Look at the statistics, look where the winds blowing.
Your argument is that the United States and the collective West is going to re-industrialise our fecking economys and compete with Russia, China, the Middle East and the entire global south which hold all the worlds resources, which are all moving to join BRICS, to get away from the US dollar and current global trading system.

If America can freeze and confiscate a countries central bank funds, this is more incentive for these countries to move away from that system and towards one where they can trade in their own currencies.

China doesn't want to rule the world militarily, it wants to rule it economically by trade, it's the West that is threatened by that but can do little to stop the direction things are going.

The United States has 1700 fecking train derailments a year.
They don't have any hand in future energy, lithium EVs, China dominates.

Western leaders would send all their own citizens to die, for the sake of it's own elite oligarch capitalist political donor class and
protecting their wealth
- You know the ones who donate, not vote, not our interests.
- But only to the point those politicians own re-election campaign is threatened.

I told you all we need to start seriously looking at the flaws of democracy.

"It's not what I'm saying it's what everyone is saying that is paying close attention to it."

No. Its what everyone you read is saying. But that's not remotely the same thing as everyone. I've tried to explain to you before that reading one side gives you one side. I can show you any number of studies showing the dire straights the Chinese economy is in or the collapse in the Chinese demography that is being hidden. One I looked at t'other day used very reasonable assumptions to show that the Chinese population might be a much as 40% overstated by the CCP.

Go here.... http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chinese+population

and see what 'everyone' isn't telling you.

I've said before that a totalitarian state that sees its window of opportunity closing is very dangerous -eg Putin's Russia - and for that reason China is increasingly dangerous.

"China doesn't want to rule the world militarily, it wants to rule it economically by trade,"

"Fun Fact: China has more naval vessels than the US"

This from the same person on the SAME day.
It must be nice to have such flexible opinions. Whatever you want to be true at this moment is true, and if its inconvenient later, then just ditch it!!

But the relative current trajectory of the US's and China's military and economy is largely beside the point. Short term events aren't pointers to long term trends. And even if the trends were bad for the west (hint: they aren't) that's no reason to abandon the cause of saving our way of life just to please your subservience to the CCP

Fun fact: China doesn't have 800 military bases in 70 countries.
It has one, in Djibouti and Russia has one in Tartus.

Sadly we've gone through this before mhaze, this claim of yours;

"Fun Fact: China has more naval vessels than the US" Imply China has a stronger navy than the US.

The mhaze logic is if the US has 100 nuclear submarines and China has 101 row boats then Chine has the bigger navy.

Fun Facy; US naval capacity far outstrips that of China. (despite China having more ships)

"And even if the trends were bad for the west (hint: they aren't) that's no reason to abandon the cause of saving our way of life just to please your subservience to the CCP"

Who said anything about subservience to the CCP?

You think I want Australia to stop giving the Americans fellatio so we can go and provide the same service to the Chinese instead?
You might be happy down there on your knees, but I'm not.

And as for our way of life?
Don't point the finger at me, point the finger at the idiots in charge that we vote for?
Championing democracy doesn't work when all we get is sellouts.

I didn't piss our soverignty away to join the UN.
I didn't let a million immigrants in a year.
I didn't infect the country with all this woke nonsense.
I didn't shut down the power grid and make people homeless.

Democracy did all that mate.
Or better still, lets just call them fckwits in charge.

Speaking of sellouts, the woke right Israel firsters are probably as bad as anyone supportive of the CCP.
They complain about government over-reach and censorship but champion it if its in support of Israel.
They'd be quite happy if the cops were billy-clubbing kids on campus that oppose Israels actions.
These people think there's a Star of David on our flag.

Like somehow the rest of normal thinking Aussies with a conscience want to be associated with the genocide those people support.
Go read your Scofield Reference Bible or something.

Eww the west is so cringeworthy.
King Charles just unveiled a portrait that screams 'Satan's little helper'
And Tony Blinken is in Kiev singing Neil Young's 'Rockin in the Free World'
(and if you read the song lyrics...)

Paul,

Ya berk. It wasn't me saying China having more ships was important. It was your BFF, Armchair. I was merely quoting him to point out the moronosity of what he was claiming.

Do try to keep up with the rest of the class.

Still. it means that you and I are on the same page as regards this point which:

1. makes me feel a little icky
2. makes me wonder if I'm in the wrong.

"You think I want Australia to stop giving the Americans fellatio so we can go and provide the same service to the Chinese instead?"

What is it with you people and sexual perversions. AC wants a sex dungeon, Foxy wants shock collars, now AC fantasises about fellatio. Dear oh dear!

This isn't about fellating the US. Its a mutually advantageous arrangement. Let me try to explain this in terms you might understand - its more in the nature of a 69. The US needs us and we need the US. I'm not surprised you don't understand this but I'm not sure how else to explain it that might make sense to you.

"Who said anything about subservience to the CCP?"
You. You're constantly praising China over the US. You're constantly praising totalitarians over democracies. You bent over backwards to justify the Uighur genocide.

You have a jaundiced understanding of democracy and how its the system that provides the greatest liberty to mankind and then turn that misunderstanding into barracking for the anti-democracies.

After telling us that everyone is saying what you're saying, I can't help but notice that you ran a mile when I showed just a few of the myriad of examples of people saying the exact opposite of what you're saying