Winston "Churchill" wanted to dig ditches using machines because that would more efficient than using shoves. He assumed ditches would be dug.

If we were attacked by an enemy beyond Indonesia. The command centres, main bases, govenments and factories would be in the initiating country, not the landing force.

I have read White Papers on Japan and Australian WWII. Japan felt it could not invade and secure a position here.

Defence wise Australia has been conservative. In the 1950s, we decided against nuclear weapons. Remember, Sir Mark Oliphant was a key player at Los Alamos.

Ditto when we helped the English in the 1960s. The Amercians wouldn't. The Brits were in the US bad books over the earlier Suez Crisis.

Interesting thoughts on strategy Oliver. Now I have something to think about. I can see that this is a speciality of yours. No wonder our diplomacy with Indonesia is very careful. It should be.

Dave Clarke

Civil or internal wars are fought for exactly the same reasons as external wars . World War 1, World War 2, were precipitated by internal or civil wars. World War 3 may be precipitated by the present civil war in the middle east between the Arabs and the Jews.
The fact that there have been and still are so many civil wars raging across the world would indicate that war could erupt at any time. If the global warming is correct then it also will cause war to erupt across the globe as people struggle to take what they need to survive.
Why would the climate of the planet stay the same anyway,it probably has its own cycles that stretch across eons. Maybe we are headed for another water age where the planet floods and regenerates all life. It may just be a renewal cycle beyond the control of man. If global warming does precipitate war then we may need all the defence weapons we can get.

If as oliver says the new planes will end Indonesias superior aircraft supremecy over Australia then that is a good thing. One thing that is also true of being known to be armed and very dangerous is that it acts as a deterent to would be aggressors and so can actually prevent war. That fact doesnt seem to get mentioned much when people decry weapons.

It would indeed be great to be able to spend all of the money spent on weapons on more humanatarian causes but while mankind remains agressive and warlike by nature which is not going to change at any time in the forseeable future,then those who wish to survive must be ready to defend themselves.