Dear Foxy,

"In the current international security environment there
are many threats to democracy, but in order to truly
safeguard it, we need to fiercely defend the rights of
citizens to protest and voice dissent."

Exactly ! Even though I suspect that provocateurs, from both 'left' and right, will try to destabilise tense situations, it's possible that 'sensible-centre' demonstrators and protestors will see those bastards coming and expel them (if it's their 'own') or expose them (if they're not).

Trump might be an idiot, obsessed only with himself, but he is surrounded by total mongrels who wouldn't hesitate to use provocateurs, like the Wolverines, or the 'Proud Boys', armed neo-fascist groups, to attack peaceful demonstrators.

With only 20 days to go to the election, I anticipate that Trumpf will incite such groups to attack peaceful Biden supporters, and more so as the day itself gets closer. After Trumpf's phony virus 'scare', i.e. nothing more than a panic attack, I suspect that he and his cronies will use every trick in the book to destroy democracy.

Joe

Dear Joe,

I agree 100%.

Dear Foxy,

On the subject of provocateurs: yes, of course, we can expect the Trumpf camp to send in such destabilisers, but it has to be admitted that the pseudo-left throws up its own, anarchists maybe, who have their own idiot agenda of 'no-government, no-state-, no power-structure', whose rationale is to tear everything down now - it's all corrupt capitalism - and re-build a New Utopia of sweetness and light, all love and no power for or over anybody.

But surely we have enough experience now, of a hundred 'socialist' revolutions and revolts and coups and pusches, to realise how idiotic that always is. My dear old grand-dad was a Wobbly back in the 1900s, I don't know how deeply he believed in the anarchism of the IWW, but I don't think he would have countenanced any of the inevitably 'necessary' turns to exterminate all unreliables once in power, of whom he may have been one if that idiocy ever got close to fruition.

So the major enemies are the neo-fascists, as they always have been. And Trumpf, a political slut, will use them if he needs to. We're in for very dangerous times.

Love and best wishes,

Joe

"Love and best wishes" ?

Smoochy smoochy kissy kissy honey bear.

Mr Opinion said-

Canem Malum, What is your take on Xi telling the PLA to prepare for war on two occasions over the past several years?
China's annexation and militarisation of the East and South China Seas should give you the hint.
Taiwan. Will China's invasion of Taiwan be the start of a second Pacific War? I imagine yes.

Answer-
Good question Mr Opinion.

As Newton says- a mass will continue in a straight line at constant velocity unless it is acted upon by a force.

The PLA is the biggest military force on Earth by some measures. I don't know how the US can stop China even if the US wasn't undermined by Communism. It's good that the US is far away from China and so less vulnerable to direct physical action. China perhaps already indirectly controls much within it's domain and is seeking influence further afield in the Indian sphere and the Middle and Central East.

China has a multi-dimensional strategy. I haven't read much on their Belt and Road international strategy other than their foreign aid and African activities. The history of MAD strategy is low level tactics and intelligence warfare with perhaps the odd strategic invasion. I suspect that there will be a fair amount of "bait and switch".

China already has effective control of Taiwan and Hong Kong so it can safely use this as a distraction for other more profitable activities.

In the end everything is about power- the question is how can China get the most power in the shortest time? And then use this power to grab for the next target. But they aren't the only rising and expanding power. There are alliances and competitors. What do you trust when you can't trust anything- your family, your people, ... there are and will be betrayal... often within our own ranks... this must be managed decisively and effectively. The government may need to implement inconvenient security measures- temporarily. The government will probably (and evidence appears that it has) itself be compromised by the enemy and itself. Some elements may require cleansing.

Hopefully this "Locke Liberal Experiment and it's dramatic failure" will return the world to sanity.

At least if the US is ever attacked by China it will be Californian Liberal's that are effected first.

I hope "our boys" are working on these issues.

For Australia (Satire)- It would be amusing to wake up to the news reports one day to find that China had smuggled military material including 500 J-18 VTOL Stealth Fighters into the Port of Darwin, Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne overnight and these supported by undercover Chinese student reinforcements had managed to obtain air superiority and territorial control of the north and east coast.

Please look after each other- remember the history of our British Culture- our friends in Europe- and further afield- and the trials that have gone before.

Sometimes all you can do is pray.