As retired Major General Mick Ryan says “China has waged a quiet war against us for two decades”. He also believes that Australia is complacent, even though the old world we knew and understood is nearly gone. As is possibly protection by America.

We are on the edge of a “dark abyss”.

China and other totalitarian regimes are constantly probing for military, societal and technological weaknesses. When this probing goes unchallenged (as it is by the Albanese government), they will take the meekness as a tacit invitation to continue. Think the Chinese circumnavigation of Australia, and all the near misses of Australian aircraft by Chinese aircraft.

Australia's apathy is leading to an almost inevitable strategic surprise and failure. Years of chronic underfunding have degraded our military readiness. And the people mismanaging Australia do not understand war; and this misunderstanding of war means you cannot deter it, and you “certainly cannot win it if it is forced upon you”. There is a rigid group think in Australia that blinds our so-called leaders to strategic danger, resulting in events like the Bondi terror killing of 15 Australians; the outdated belief that geography will protect us; that we have established our relationship with China; and of course, the unwillingness of government to discuss the threats to our country with citizens, and what could happen if Australia had to go to war to protect itself.

The Chinese circumnavigation of Australia, for instance, and the Albanese government's fairytale that China was just exercising ‘freedom of navigation’ was nonsense. It was a deliberate display of power to show Australia's relative weakness. The Albanese government's “response” was pathetic.

The General's observation that the Albanese government has probably demonstrated “less capacity for leading Australians and engaging with them than any other modern Australian government” is pretty hard to refute.

War is always a possibility, and anyone thinking that our trade with China (the ‘we need each other’ trope) is seriously deluded. Historically, economic ties have not prevented wars.

yes ttbn

Our leaders are obsessed with identity politics, climate cult lies, dei policies in the military, free handouts, appeasing China, bringing in people who hate this nation, Palestine, sucking up to UN, so called far right. It does not go well for the future. Future generations will want to know how we let such dei clowns and treacherous bureaucrats destroy this nation.

"China and other totalitarian regimes are constantly probing for military, societal and technological weaknesses."
- Only because the West is engaged in a war against them.

Understand the Wolfowitz doctrine ttbn.
http://youtu.be/WA5ReEf3vtY
And understand the difference between the Unipolar and Multipolar world.
Understand that the world does not trust America or wish to only trade in U.S dollars and hold that currency to trade or to carry is debts, when it looks like it's headed to default.

China bailed America out in 2009.
They don't wish to have their central bank assets frozen like Russia, so they buy gold now, not U.S. treasuries.
They don't wish to fund a nation hostile to them.

The cost of U.S. bonds is the highest in decades and the U.S can't borrow the money to pays its debts at a low cost.
All it can do is print money, and devalue the currency.
No country want their assets frozen and held over them, the U.S. weaponised it's own dollar system and put the nails in its own coffin.
43% of the global populaion live under U.S. sanctions.
No country wants to hold dollars when they are devaluing against gold.
That's why gold is now the worlds reserve currency, not the U.S. dollar.

The U.S. is driving the world towards CIPS (Chinese SWIFT) and trading in their own currencies.
The U.S. empire is almost over.
It's overstretched militarily it has neither the weapons or the means to fight its own wars, and it's currency is failing.

The Mick Ryan's might have some valid arguments here and there, but beyond that they are products of a dying age.
No amount of spending on U.S. weapons would've helped, Americas adversaries have learned how to defeat the weapons of the past era.

"War is always a possibility, and anyone thinking that our trade with China (the ‘we need each other’ trope) is seriously deluded."

We buy 32 billion in goods from America and 82 billion from China.
America buys 29 billion in goods from Australia whilst China buys between 140 and 195 billion in goods annually.

China buys twice as much from us as we buy from them.

You are worried about 'Who might invade us' but your not thinking about 'where the food on our tables (via jobs though exports) comes from already' and which country it is that produces the goods where we spend that very money which we make from selling things to them.

Which don't we need again, and who is deluded?
The numbers don't lie.

I told you years ago, U.S. weapons would bankrupt our nation 1 week into any conflict and either Australia or the West (whichever applies) will still lose the war anyway.

AUKUS will be obsolete before we ever get a sub.
And that fuel shortage I told you was coming, it's almost upon us.

US diesel prices hit an all-time-high
http://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7903r0grx0o

Ukraine is heading towards collapse as well.

Australian students record worst-ever reading and maths results in international PISA test
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-08/australia-records-worst-ever-reading-and-maths-results-pisa/107101504

There is only a war if you want a war, and these relics from yesteryear like this retired General Brassbottom, just like all his predecessors, wants war with these truculent Fuzzy Wuzzy's, in this case the Chinese, where the enemy can feel the thrust of cold British steel up their their khyber pass. Get real fellas, with your gunboat mentality, this is the 21st and not the 19th century, wake up to the shock horror that the world has moved on.

An experienced senior military officer is “part of a dying age”? We will all be dying unless Australian politicians and bureaucrats start listening and stop hiding behind their desks.

In Australia, these people are so paralysed, so fearful of reality and so completely ignorant of history. Cut them off from their history, said Karl Marx, and they will believe anything.

The situation now reeks of the 1930s. The buffoons in charge now don't know what World War is. The situation in Australia is now the same as it was when we were caught napping by WW11. We are appeasing China, just like Britain appeased Germany, and crapped on about ‘peace in our time’.

The idiot Albanese is currently sucking up to pissant Pacific Islands who offer us NOTHING; they are leeches, not allies. China doesn't need to do whatever he thinks it wants to do with the Islands. China can take out Australia from mainland China. And Australia is not equipped to do a thing about it.

It's only a matter of time before people with their heads in the sand get their still-exposed arses blown off, with those of the rest of us - not just the China apologists, the traitors and the ignorant.

Yes ttbn, he's a neoconservative living in the unipolar moment.
- But he does have some sensible positions regarding drones.

Google? 'what is a neoconservative living in the unipolar moment'

AI Overview A neoconservative living in the unipolar moment refers to an American political intellectual or policymaker during the post-Cold War era who advocated for the aggressive use of U.S. military power and global primacy to shape the world in America's image.
The "unipolar moment" was a term coined by columnist Charles Krauthammer in 1990 to describe the period following the collapse of the Soviet Union, during which the United States stood as the world's sole, unchallenged superpower. For neoconservatives (or "neocons"), this unprecedented geopolitical advantage was not a time to retreat into isolationism, but a historic opportunity to lock in American hegemony.

Linked articled from Google AI below
- Here's your dying age:

The Rise and Demise of American Unipolarism: Neoconservatism and US Foreign Policy 1989–2009 Maria Ryan

This essay will analyze the ‘unipolar turn’ in neoconservative foreign policy thinking from 1989–2009. Its core premise is that the touchstone of neoconservative foreign policy in these years was the preservation of America’s so-called unipolar moment—its post-Cold War status as the single pole of power in every region of the world. This, rather than the export or promotion of democracy, constituted the central organizing principle of neoconservative foreign policy in this period. However, the consensus around the concept of unipolarism began to fracture in the mid-2000s as leading neocon thinkers began to grapple with the American failure in Iraq and the rise of other great powers, which challenged their assumptions about the reach and depth of American power.

Why did the West fail?
Fighting wars for Israel, that resulted in Muslims bum-rushing every western nation...

It's not even feasable for the U.S. to return to the Persian Gulf.
Iran has effectively booted them out. Yay!

Who are the ‘gang of five’ pushing Australia to war?
http://www.higginschambers.com.au/who-are-the-gang-of-five-pushing-australia-to-war/

AC,

You and people like you have no interest in Australia, society or anything else. You probably have never read a book; you trawl for the most obscure, nutty ideas you can find online.

Worse, you think that OLO is to be used as a pissing contest. I am not interested in how far you can piss. Just state your opinion and piss off until the next time you have something to say.

That's not true ttbn.
I just fail to see any logic in your arguments.

You're saying the Chinese are planning on invading Australia?
Lets take this 'War with China scenario'
How does this situation come to be?
China's got what 2 billion people.

Australia declares war against China or China declares war on Australia?
The first would seem fairly irrational, the second, how long do you think we'll last?
In days?

Look over in the M/E, look in Ukraine
Does it look like America can defend anyone?
How much air defense did the United States remove from South Korea and the Pacific to send to the M/E to get blown up and deplete their missile and interceptor inventory in just a few weeks.

The West doesn't even have the supply chains for rare earth metals or the production capacity to build the weapons needed in the event of a full scale war.

I don't want the West to go to war against China on their doorstep, because the West will lose.

What we have here is the forums regular Old Fart with his sabre rattling regarding China. The fella knows he's personally safe from any possible conflict in the world, like another forum fella who calls for Natinal Service for young people he probably dodged militarism when he had the opportunity. Always gung-ho when it comes to turning young Australians into cannon fodder, but these guys wouldn't apply that rule to themselves.

Like so many of the spats and straw hats brigade, he harks back almost 100 years to the days of Neville Chamberlain claiming; "The situation in Australia is now the same as it was when we were caught napping by WW11" Really, are you serious, so delusional!

AC,

What, in your opinion, is “not true” :-

You probably have not read a book?
You have no interest in Australia, society or anything else?
You trawl for the most obscure, nutty ideas online? .. and/or…
You use this site as a pissing contest?

That's what I said AFTER your uninformed response to my original post.

Did you not understand that my post was a review/summary of an article/commentary by Major General Mick Ryan.

Here's a clue: I quoted him in the first line!

Another tip: reviewing the work of others - an expert on this case - has nothing to do with “(my) arguments". I'm not arguing anything.

“Declaring” war went out with button up boots. Australia would never “declare” war on China. Australia is not able to make war on Lilliput. Neither would China extend the courtesy to Australia. They would just start firing missiles. No Queensbury Rules for the Commos.

And how long would we “last in days”? One or two, probably; and what? You think that has something to do with the possibility of not being attacked by China. Our lack of preparation is what is making it easier for China, which is not going to say, “Oh, we shouldn't be bullies and attack poor little Australia because it can't defend itself”.

I haven't got a clue how your fourth paragraph fits into what happens here.

Finally, of course we would bloody well lose! That's the point! That's what people who know what they are talking about are trying to get through the thick skulls of Australian politicians who have shamefully trashed our ability to defend Australia.

The only country we go to war with is America! Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, Afghanistan War and Iraq War. If these sabre rattling clowns want a war, the great warmongering nation America will happy oblige. To keep America gorging itself on the rest of the world, it needs WAR!

As for Australia not knowing war with Japan wasn't a real possibility during the 1930's, Japan had invaded Manchuria in 1931, and China proper in 1937, resulting in the deaths of millions.

Xi Jinping has intensified calls for the Chinese military to 'prepare for war'. He plays war games around Taiwan. War between China and India is considered likely. They have been sparring across the border for years. The goons in Canberra think that it will all pass them by. Half-witted online know-nothings can't tell the difference between offence and defence. It can't end well - unless Australia is strong enough to deter any moves against us. That is not the case now, and it doesn't look like happening. 'If you want peace, prepare for war' is one of the old axioms sneered at these days, by the the usual naive suspects living in la la land. Eighty years without a major war is an anomaly. All this waffle about the 'world changing' for the better is shite. The world has never been more dangerous than it is in the 21st. Century. It's only a matter of time before the balloon goes up.

Its not true that I don't care about this country.

"Did you not understand that my post was a review/summary of an article/commentary by Major General Mick Ryan."

Did you not know I'm subscribed to his substack Futura Doctrina?
https://mickryan.substack.com/

"And how long would we 'last in days'? One or two, probably; and what? You think that has something to do with the possibility of not being attacked by China."

Oh come on, Australias a big country.
We'd get smacked across the face by China and head straight to the negotiating table, and if we didn't and allied powers convinced us to fight and the war continued - then maybe we might last 4 to 6 weeks with pockets of Aussie resistance that would fight to their end.

But Pauls right about the U.S.
We wouldn't end up in a war without or because of them, and they can't defend us.

And if you don't know what this means:
'The West doesn't even have the supply chains for rare earth metals or the production capacity to build the weapons needed in the event of a full scale war.'
- Then you obviously need to.

My point is that the U.S. cannot defend it's US dollar-cenric / SWIFT / sanctions / neoconservative model empire any longer and the empire is no longer expanding but contracting, and it's being challenged, and it's not in a position to win anything, economically or militarily.

Funny thing happened in Iran, America stated it's objective was regime change, all Iran had to do was survive.
When the U.S. failed in regime change, everything they now do results in them becoming weaker, militarily and economically.

The U.S. is being booted out of M/E
Didn't you see cluster munitions missiles raining down on U.S. bases in Jordon yesterday, the U.S. wasted about 50+ patriot interceptors.

'obliterated'?
Obviously Trumps lying again.
See, weaker.

It was Phase 24 of Operation Saeqeh.
Iran's following a well refined plan, when the U.S. does things, they respond with stronger actions, and they've stated they will not work with the Trump Administration.

Why would I know - or care - what you are subscribed to? Whatever you delve into, it hasn't helped you to understand what a review is, and why it is pointless to argue with me, a mere reporter, instead of dealing with what is reported.

I'm having trouble interpreting your shouting. Do you drink alcohol or take other substances to work yourself up?

Everything you say suggests, to me at least, that you believe anyone who is concerned by Australia's lack of defence wants a war with China, when anyone with modicum of common sense would know that is absolute nonsense. China is the aggressor, not Australia or any part of the West, including America. It's China that wants to change the status quo. China's leader really believes China and Communism is better than democracy, and it should rule in the region, then in the world. So do Islamists, but that's another story.

“My point is that the U.S. cannot defend it's US dollar-cenric / SWIFT / sanctions / neoconservative model empire any longer and the empire is no longer expanding but contracting, and it's being challenged, and it's not in a position to win anything, economically or militarily”.

Where did that crap come from, and how is it relevant?

Funny things in Iran. Missiles in Jordan. Trumps (sic) lying again. Phase 24 of Operation Saeqeh …

You have really gone off the reservation - again.

If you have substance abuse problems, there is help to be had.

Hi AC,

Well said, the forums warmongering tosser recently had a go at another poster Nathan J for not having his own opinion when starting a topic.
The fool posted this tripe;

"What do you think Nathan? You always ask questions. Never make a statement. Don't have a mind of your own? Too timid to express an opinion? Of course, you don't have to answer. Nor do people have to answer your insipid questions. Man up. Have your own opinions"

HE DOES EXACTLY THE SAME! "Did you not understand that my (ttbn) post was a review/summary of an article/commentary by Major General Mick Ryan." MAN UP HAVE YOUR OWN OPINIONS.

Ryans recent article wasn't bad.
http://mickryan.substack.com/p/diplomacy-on-the-side-a-new-peace

"The war Washington and Tehran are not quite fighting, not quite negotiating and which neither is winning, took a turn this week. Trump administration officials have settled into what several analysts are now calling a “no war, no peace” approach, mixing periodic strikes with sustained economic pressure rather than either a return to high-level combat operations or a full ceasefire."

Trumps trying to impose the Israeli 'Mowing the grass' Plan
http://www.dw.com/en/trumps-iran-strategy-could-this-become-a-forever-war/a-78875030

>>According to the news portal Axios, it was considering limited strikes, at regular intervals if necessary, to prevent Iran from reconstituting its military capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz. An American government representative used a concept from Israeli security policy to describe this idea: He called it "mowing the grass."

The metaphor refers to a strategy that doesn't even attempt to promise that an opponent will be defeated once and for all. It is enough to regularly reduce the enemy's military capabilities to the point where the threat remains manageable. When the grass grows back, you "mow" it again."<<

The MOU a ruse to buy time and rearm, Trump can't get caught in a 'Forever War' and he can't admit he lost. His plan's to hit Iran periodically and enrich himself from the war-related market volatility, but Iran is just like No, we'll take the fight to you, your interests instead.

The US had to move carriers and air defense from the Pacific to the Middle East, and building it's future strategy around previous failures and limited munitions.
They're playing whack-a-mole without the ability to succeed anywhere. Trumps enriching himself sending his envoys who are just as interested in looking for business projects and getting money out of the gulf countries, all while the whole world pays for it.

What exactly do you expect us to do about China except be a barking U.S. poodle?
With little to any chance of winning anything, in any conflict.

Playing the poodle is going to get us swiftly kicked if it comes to it and for what?
Why does China need to invade anyone?

"China is the aggressor, not Australia or any part of the West, including America."

Do you even understand the world we live in ttbn?

Why is China the aggressor?
Because they built forward defenses in the South China Sea?
Because they fired a missile or sailed a little warship around our country in international waters enough for you to have a complete poodle-level panic attack?

No, because they challenge US hegemony.
Not militarily, financially.

They challenge the neoconservative system, built on sanctions and regime changes, unilateral US sanctions are enforced via the SWIFT payment system, and US reserve currency is backed by SWIFT and the petrodollar.

China is the aggressor because America needs to force the world to hold and use its currency for trade, and many in the world are fed up with it, some 43% of the planet under US sanctions.
They stay on top, by beating everyone else down.

Do you understand what the Wolfowitz doctrine is?
I ask you these things, but you don't seem to know anything.

Do you even know that Chia bailed the U.S. out in 2009.
Do you even know that China was one of the largest holders of U.S. debts?

Don’t Count on China to Bail Out the Global Economy This Time
http://www.aei.org/commentary/dont-count-on-china-to-bail-out-the-global-economy-this-time/

FFS if you don't want them sailing their warship around our country stop provoking them by sailing down the effing Taiwan Strait!

We provoke them, then they respond.

And then you're the useful idiot ttbn, that uses that Chinese response to our provacations to try and drum up some more warmongerings...

'I call China's toughness with our Australian toughness'
You idiot, I dare you to go say that to Xi's face.
Bring back Tony Abbot and he might shirtfront him for you.
(Another tough guy)

'We were spying on them Chinese people in the South Pacific and oh golly me, they flew too close to our plane and launched flares, oh golly gosh, I need to yap yap yap now like an injured-poodle, u-huh u-huh'

Look sure I think we need defense for defense sake, but not tied to Americas skirt.

US military and spy bases in Australia, mapped
http://youtu.be/xkia6zeu4oo

They're going to bring 1000 U.S. Navy to Perth for the sub base.

If you want to be the clown, down complain when you get a pie in the face.

Really its stupid, and pathetic.

We sail up the Taiwan Strait beating our chests all tough and macho.
And the only point of it is to stand over them, or to get them to react.
And when they react, then we can scream

'China's acting aggressively!'
'They're the aggressor!'

No, WE are shitstirring antagonising weaklings that act tough and scream like banshees the moment China kindly tries to smack us aside like stupid annoying insects.

Empires don't last, they all have a used by date.
They eventually collapse upon the weight of themselves.
America is trying to break the rules of the universe.

Once you accept and get past this, maybe well get some sense!

To whom am I a useful idiot, AC? All I'm interested in is Australia's lack of ability to defend itself; while you charge in raging about rubbish that has nothing to do with Australia's inability to defend itself. Stop drinking. Start thinking.

Yes and what U.S. weapons can defend us that the wests adversaries have not already learned to overcome ttbn?

If Ukraine and Israel cant defend against Russia and Iran what makes you think Australia a huge land mass, can somehow defend against China?

And what are we fighting over anyway?
The issue of retaining the U.S. as the global reserve currency and how they can bully and stand over other nations with it by tying the worlds trade to their currency via SWIFT and the petrodollar?
- They're both already well on the way to the dustbin of history, China has CIPS, it's better and the payment system is already in 192 countries, and America has been booted out of the Persian Gulf.

We'd be fighting for something that's already happened but something America just refuses to accept.
The worlds moved on.

You need to very carefully separate the issues of defending Australia ourselves and what's in our best interests from the separate issue of getting dragged into the U.S. wars of empire that it now can't win.

I'm interested in the first issue, but certainly not the second.
We have no money for military we spent it all committing to stupid submarines that we won't get until this part of history is done with, and if America fails we might never get them at all.

That China is an expansionist state is unassailable. That they intend to own an/or strategically dominant their neighbours via ridiculous claims like the 9 dash line is clear. That their neighbours intend to resist becoming vassals of the Han is also, for now, obvious.

When you have a hegemonic state in your midst, the options, history shows, is to either acquiesce or resist by uniting against said state. China's neighbours are doing the latter.... as they should if they esteem freedom and their own welfare.

A Chinese victory in these struggles will overthrow the current world order and that's where Australia comes in. Our entire national being is predicated on the existence of the current arrangements. Its why we fought in wars that were apparently unrelated to us like the Boer and WW1. If the Chinese hegemony were to eventuate, it would mean a very different future for Australia, a further decline in our economic well-being and a diminution in our freedoms.

But the idea of China waging war on us directly is fanciful. They won't. They can't. It's just sabre rattling. We have much to fear from the Chinese seeking to re-establish the Han as the paramount arbiters of world power, but direct military action isn't it.

As to them circumnavigating Australia, its just more of that fear-mongering. They sailed solely in international water and have every right to do so, just as we have every right to sail up the Taiwan Strait. You can't support one right and deny the other.

But sailing in our region was triggering for some which of course means it'll happen again the next time the Han want to rattle some cages. By far the better solution would have been to ignore it or adopt a policy I saw some advocating. How would it have humiliated China if Albo (or someone competent) had merely opined that they were lost and then made official offers to the Chinese embassy to help them find their way home. That would have been far more effective as a way to counter what was just a propaganda exercise.

Hi Trumpster,

"Its why we fought in wars that were apparently unrelated to us like the Boer and WW1." Unlike YOU, I didn't fight in the either the Boer War or WWI, and the Forums Old Fart brigade dodged both wars as well. So what's the problem?

"So what's the problem?"

No problem. Just pointing out that Australia has always had an interest in preserving the current world order because our entire standard of living is based on it. Sorry the point was too complex for you.

Yes, its terrible the way China has started wars in the Middle East, and elsewhere, backed the Zionists with their murder and genocide of the Palestinians. Put the world economy in peril from tariffs and oil shortages, tried to take land off other countries. Set up 800 military bases around the world to attack anyone they want. Yes, China is a very dangerous country.

Agree Trumpster?

"That China is an expansionist state is unassailable."
I don't think their moves into the South China Sea were expansionist, I think they were defensive.
You'll need more proof to make that case.

I think that the Chinese seeking influence over their neighbours doesn't necessarily have to be nefarious in nature either.
If I was them, I could see sense in wanting that influence to block the West from using these nations as it's beach heads in their region in the case of a conflict.

"A Chinese victory in these struggles will overthrow the current world order and that's where Australia comes in. Our entire national being is predicated on the existence of the current arrangements."

The current arrangements...
- Have reached their use-by date.
I feel like you're trying to make an argument to try to 'stop the tide from coming in', meaning there's nothing anyone can do to stop what is going to happen, America will continue to decline and their position will continue to weaken.

I'm not a financial person.
But if U.S. bonds are being sold off that means there's no demand.
Which means they can't raise money even when they issue new bonds at a higher rate; Which means they have to run the money printer, which means inflation and higher interest rates.
What happens when all these countries sell their U.S. bonds and for gold, because holding the gold is more profitable than holding the bonds, and China and Russia are holding tonnes of it.

Trumps D-Day sanctions wont work.
Iran made a billion during the first 11 days of the most recent blockade, and China's dismissing their sanctions.
The price of oil going up might make Russia enough to fund it's war in Ukraine for while longer, and the EU are broke, asking Ukraine what happened to all the billions.
EU's fracturing with the AfD winning in Saxony-Anhalt.

America's a declining world power, now they've been forced to retreat militarily, and the world sees the bully being stood up to, smacked and trapped in a mess of its own making, and Iran's working to a well prepared plan, that Trump seemed completely unprepared for and one he can't get out of.

Iran's firing at U.S. carriers and warships and escalating strikes against U.S. bases and allies.

America's not what it once stood for anyway.
Kidnapping leaders, Assassinations, Wars of Aggression, Weaponising the financial system.
At least in past periods it at least gave the pretense of being noble, but not anymore.

"Our entire national being is predicated on the existence of the current arrangements."
I don't think the US empire can be maintained by trying to undermine other nations with sanctions, regime changes, financial warfare and military interventions for much longer, their trade war with China failed and they are now having one with Canada.

Also however, no nuclear safeguards anymore, the U.S withdrew from the INF Treaty and the New START treaty expired.

Do you know MacKinder heartland theory?
Russia, China and Iran have control of the heartland and are working together.
Iran's exporting to China via rail, they trade with each other via a 10,000 klm railway that takes half the time than by sea.
I can't see America re-establishing its bases in the region, or maintaining whatever's left of its 5th fleet presence in the Gulf.
None of that's viable anymore.

Iranians won't be humiliated and for them, death is not the end.
They weren't looking for a fight, but they have a solid plan to respond to any situation knowing for decades it was likely going to come to this.

The issue at hand is China. So Paul and AC immediately pivot to criticising the US. Mustn't say a word against the CCP, n'est pas?

"I don't think their moves into the South China Sea were expansionist, I think they were defensive."

All expansionist states claim their aggression is in fact defensive. And their drooling flying-monkeys nod. The thing is Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea, the Philippines and Japan don't want to be swallowed up for the greater glory of the Han Empire. So they will resist. If they weren't being threatened they wouldn't need to resist.

And while Australia isn't threatened with absorption into the Han sphere (YET), we do have a vested interest in participating in the defense of those that Xi currently covets.

China's war is waged mainly on America, whose hegemony, and dollar, it wants to replace.

Small-fry Australia's gold exports this financial year rose by $5 billion (iron ore fell by $8 billion).

Why? China is buying up gold.

The ‘China Daily’ says, “Given that gold is a globally recognised ultimate payment method, increasing China's gold reserves can enhance the credibility of the renminbi and create favourable conditions for the currency's internationalism”.

That is, replace the US dollar, the dominant global currency, the primary backbone in international trade, central bank reserves, and global financial transactions.

And, ‘quietly’ replace the U.S itself, and the rest of the West, without firing a missile.

I don't really care about Taiwan.
Well, it's not that I don't care, I just want nothing to do with it.
If the U.S. wants to accept the One China principle and then play 'strategic ambiguity' then China, Taiwan and the U.S. can deal with it themselves and I want Australia to have absolutely ZERO to do with it.
If China invaded Taiwan, I still wouldn't necessarily claim they were expansionist, but if they invaded any of those other countries I'd grant you your designation.
(China has never attacked any other nation by sea)

"The issue at hand is China."
If you think that you can hold back the rise of China, first run down to the beach and make a video, I want you to show me that you can hold back the tide with your bare hands.

If America has to beat every other nation down to stay on top, that's not a status qua I support, I want them to fail and Israel with them.

Google? 'patriot guidance chips require rare earth elements and the U.S. can't get it'

>>AI Overview
The U.S. military faces critical shortages of rare earth elements needed for Patriot missile guidance systems because China restricts exports of these vital materials

The Rare Earth Shortage
High Demand: Patriot and Tomahawk missiles require large amounts of rare earth magnets and specialized electronics.
Chinese Control: China dominates the global supply chain and has placed strict limits on exporting these dual-use minerals.
Supply Gaps: The U.S. struggles to quickly replace Chinese materials, which strains defense production and weapon stockpiles<<

Do you understand the U.S. does not have enough stand off weapons to wage a war against anyone? And they does not have enough air defense interceptors to adequately protect anything if attacked.

Their offensive and defensive weapons are depleted, and they don't have the means to increase production capacity.

There's no way back for the U.S. to this old neoconservative model that does sanctions and overthrows.

MARCO RUBIO: "We won't have to talk about sanctions in five years "
http://youtu.be/aJT5pAgbU-Y

As for Australia's currency and economy, we don't need China to interfere because, “the Albanese government rarely misses an opportunity to make things worse”. (Dimitry Burshtein).

But Burshtein allowed that the rot set in before Albanese was elected to ‘ change Australia’, as he vowed to do. Both sides have been equally culpable over the last 20 years.

.Higher taxes.
.Increased government spending.
.Expanded welfare.
.Increased subsidies.
.More public servants.
.More regulation …. were all put on our shoulders, by all the mongrels - producing a “bipartisan” policy of debt. Now $1 trillion's worth of debt. Plus the states’ projected debt of $2 trillion “in four years”.

Who needs China to wipe us out when we are steadily marching towards the cliff voluntarily!

"And while Australia isn't threatened with absorption into the Han sphere (YET), we do have a vested interest in participating in the defense of those that Xi currently covets."

Majority of the people on Formosa (Taiwan) prior to the Chinese civil war were Han.

Why do we preach his democracy when it's all complete bullshite?

Don't the pro-democracy people believe that the people who live in these places should decide what is best for them themselves?

Hell no. Democracy is not about 'letting the people decide'
- The first thing they attempt to do is interfere and put their thumbs on the scale.

Solomon Islands treaty puts Australia's motives in Pacific 'contest' with China on show.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-08/solomon-islands-australia-china-pacific-contest/107127740

Nice photo there, Solomon Islands - 5 thousand million over 5 years.
Meanwhile kids primary schools are falling apart and parents have to raise the money themselves.

It's a bidding war over who wants to be their bestest friend.
Can I pretty please buy your democracy?

Look at your mate Trump offering $5000 inducements to buy the midterms.
'Don't worry Americans, we stole this cash from Venezuela'.

Not all things can be bought Donald.
Honestly, Loyalty, Integrity.

"Majority of the people on Formosa (Taiwan) prior to the Chinese civil war were Han."

And they consistently vote AGAINST any notion of becoming part of the mainland or any part of the growing Han Empire.

But for people like our resident CCP apologists, the wishes of the actual Taiwanese are subservient to the wishes of Xi.

Hi Trumpster,

I have a good friend in Sydney who is Taiwanese, she is very worried about her family back home. My friend is anti-communist, but not anti-China, has relatives living on the mainland as well, at one time they could visit each other. I agree with her, that the Taiwanese people are entitled to self determination, without interference from either the CCP or America. America is using Taiwan as a political pawn in a geo-political power game with China, and does not care about the Taiwanese people as such, just seeing them as expendable cannon fodder.

But for people like our resident CCP apologists, the wishes of the actual Taiwanese are subservient to the wishes of Xi.

As China rises, Australia is increasingly enmeshed in the US war machine. Is the alliance still worth the risk?
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/12/rise-of-china-is-australia-us-alliance-still-worth-the-risk-kevin-rudd

Hi Trumpster,

Unlike you our resident Trumpster Useful Idiot who believes Daffy Donald can do no wrong, I assume you are referring to AC and myself as CCP apologists, can YOU show examples of us being so? I can show a thousand examples of YOU playing the Trump fool.

As for Taiwan, I have never said anything other than, the people of Taiwan, now 77 years after the Communist victory in the civil war, deserve anything other than self determination. Unlike YOU who has supported Zionists genocide in Gaza, and the murder of thousands of innocent people by the Trump regime, I, and I believe AC as well, support the rights of humanity to live in peace.

On September 11th did YOU shed a tear for the 4.5 million innocent people who have been murdered by AMERICAN TERRORISM in the past 25 years?

Israel destroyed the West.

Google? 'what was US national debt before 9/11'

AI Overview
'Just before the September 11 attacks in 2001, the total U.S. national debt was approximately $5.73 trillion.'

Then there was the fake 9/11 with the 'Dancing Israelis'
The there was the 'War on Terror'
Who are the 'terrorists'?

America always pushes the lie that 'Iran is the biggest global sponsor of Terror'
- Not Sunni like Islamic State, Islamic State were helping the U.S.overthrow Assad.

The 'terrorists' as it were, were the nations supporting Palestinians.
This is what the war on Terror was all about.

General Wesley Clark: War in 7 Countries, in 5 Years Speech
http://youtu.be/x17KVOiiGfI

This whole entire thing has been in the works for 30 years.
Since the Clean Break Policy Document in 1996.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Clean_Break:_A_New_Strategy_for_Securing_the_Realm

>>A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm (commonly known as the Clean Break report) is a policy document that was prepared in 1996 by a study group led by Richard Perle for Benjamin Netanyahu, the then–prime minister of Israel.[1] The report explained a new approach to solving Israel's security problems in the Middle East with an emphasis on Western values. It has since been criticized for advocating a policy of removing Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq, and the containment of Syria by engaging in proxy warfare and highlighting its possession of weapons of mass destruction. Certain parts of the policies set forth in the paper were rejected by Netanyahu; however, the report was ultimately adopted and serves as a foundation for modern-day Israeli global affairs.<<

Now look at America, 41 trillion in debt unable to barely pay the interest on it's debts.
America isn't just 'going to collapse', it is collapsing right now before our eyes.

"I assume you are referring to AC and myself as CCP apologists, can YOU show examples of us being so?"

This thread.

"As for Taiwan,... deserve anything other than self determination. "

The only way they get that self-determination is by allying with powerful western nations. Left alone, they would rapidly become the next Tibet and suffer the same fate as the Uighur. As usual, you and those like you, pretend to be pro-peace while in reality supporting the aims of the CCP.

"Then there was the fake 9/11 with the 'Dancing Israelis'"

Why am I not surprised that you fell for the dancing Israelis story. You fall for pretty much every antisemitic meme, so why not this one as well.

The dancing Israelis story has been thoroughly debunked but lives on in the warped minds of the Jew-haters.

Even though it is completely false, sadly it was the least bonkers part of your last post.

"Why am I not surprised that you fell for the dancing Israelis story."
- Coming from a man who believes everything Donald Trump says...

'The White Van' ABC News 20/20 Preview on Urban Moving Systems and 9/11 Hi-Fivers (Dancing Israelis)
http://youtu.be/fOiCMMMeXE8

Do you want the names?

Were Israelis Detained on Sept. 11 Spies?
http://abcnews.com/2020/story?id=123885

>>According to the police report, one of the passengers told the officers they had been on the West Side Highway in Manhattan "during the incident" — referring to the World Trade Center attack. The driver of the van, Sivan Kurzberg, told the officers, "We are Israeli. We are not your problem. Your problems are our problems. The Palestinians are the problem." The other passengers were his brother Paul Kurzberg, Yaron Shmuel, Oded Ellner and Omer Marmari.<<

http://x.com/Partisangirl/status/2098526889119990170

http://x.com/TonyTwoTon1975/status/2098075113933459842

http://x.com/BKravty/status/2098460550824882550

http://x.com/RT_com/status/2098612349209092234

The scheming Zionists and Neoconservatives shouldn't have called it the 'Clean Break Policy' or the 'War on Terror'
They should've called it 'Operation Verschlimmbesserung'

When an attempt to fix a problem makes the situation worse, it is commonly called verschlimmbesserung, a German word that translates to a "disimprovement" or a worsening through attempted repair.

They spend three decades making the situation worse, culminating in Trumps Grand Stuff Up of the Century where the situation completely blows up in their faces and the U.S. find itself smacked down and humiliated more than the entire U.S. history.

They failed in the regime change, Trump was again begging Iranians to overthrow the government again a day or so back, maybe Jarrod or Bibi asked him to, they're still clutching at their missed opportunity.
Military bases and capabilities built over decades across the M / E are destroyed.
Russia has assisted Iran in developing advanced supersonic cruise missiles powered by ramjet engine technology under Project C430L.

America's not going back to it's Gulf bases and won't be able to rebuild them, they're no longer viable, no more 5th fleet in Bahrain.
America's been kicked out of the Persian Gulf.

Iran and the Houthi have Trump completely caught in the escalation trap.
I heard the Houthis tricked the Pro-Saudi Yemeni forces by hacking their communications and sending out call for retreat.

Houthis have a chokehold on the Bab el Mandeb strait now and they've shown that can hit the pipeline to Yanbu for the Saudis Red Sea exports.
Pezeshkian says Hormuz agreement with Oman to be signed in Muscat tomorrow.

The truth that your so-called sources won't give you....

The “dancing Israelis” (sometimes mislabeled “dancing Jews”) refers to a real incident on September 11, 2001, involving five Israeli nationals that has been heavily amplified into an antisemitic conspiracy theory claiming Israeli/Jewish foreknowledge of or involvement in the attacks.

What actually happened
_______________________

Five young Israeli men—Sivan Kurzberg, Paul Kurzberg, Yaron Shmuel, Oded Ellner, and Omer Marmari—worked for Urban Moving Systems, a New Jersey, moving company owned by Israeli Dominik Suter. On the morning of the attacks, after learning of the first plane hitting the North Tower, some of them drove to a vantage point (near the Doric Apartments in Union City, NJ, overlooking the Hudson River and Manhattan skyline) to watch and photograph the burning towers.
A local resident (referred to as Maria in reports) called police after seeing them on or near a white van. She described them as jovial—smiling, hugging, and giving high-fives—while appearing to film or photograph the scene. They did not appear shocked like many other onlookers. Witnesses and later FBI descriptions referred to them as the “high-fivers”; no contemporary witness account described actual dancing.
Later that afternoon their van was stopped at a roadblock. Police and FBI detained them. Items recovered included a camera with photos of the towers after the attacks (none showing the intact towers beforehand), cash (around $4,700), multiple passports, maps, and box cutters (standard tools for movers). They were held for weeks, interrogated, and polygraphed. The company offices were searched.

Official investigation outcome:
The FBI (Newark and New York divisions) conducted a full investigation as part of the broader 9/11 probe. Declassified summaries and field reports concluded:

/cont

/cont

None of the five had prior knowledge of the attacks.
None were actively engaged in clandestine intelligence activities related to the 9/11 plot.
They were ultimately deported for immigration violations (working while on tourist visas/overstaying). The five said the were high-fiving because they thought they had film and photos from a vantage no=one else had and that they'd be able to sell them for a substantial sum.

Some contemporaneous reporting and later commentary noted possible Israeli intelligence connections for the men or the company (e.g., routine surveillance of Arab or Muslim communities in the U.S.), and Urban Moving Systems was described in places as potentially serving as a front. The FBI assessment, however, found no link to the planning, execution, or foreknowledge of the September 11 attacks themselves.

Origin of the “dancing” label and the conspiracy theory:

The specific phrase “dancing Jews/Israelis” did not come from the New Jersey witnesses. It originated in a quote from the father of hijacker Mohamed Atta, published in media coverage of claims circulating in the Muslim world that Israel was behind the attacks. He alleged the FBI had seized Jews “dancing in celebration.” This was then retroactively applied to the five movers.

The incident has been repeatedly cited in conspiracy circles as purported proof that Israel or “the Jews” orchestrated or had advance knowledge of 9/11 (often paired with other false claims, such as thousands of Jews being warned to stay home). These narratives ignore that hundreds of Jews and at least five Israelis died in the attacks, that al-Qaeda claimed and was responsible for them, and that the FBI’s detailed probe cleared the five men of any connection to the plot. Recent AI-generated fake photos purporting to show the men dancing with an Israeli flag against the burning towers have also circulated and been debunked.

In short: the five men existed, were present and behaved inappropriately by appearing celebratory while photographing a mass-casualty event, and were thoroughly investigated. The leap from that to Israeli/Jewish orchestration of 9/11 is unsupported by the evidence and forms part of a long-running antisemitic conspiracy tradition.

"4.5 million innocent people who have been murdered by AMERICAN TERRORISM in the past 25 years?"

15trillionPaul makes up a new bullsh!t number.