Shown to be out of touch as Prime Minister, Tony Abbott is proving to be just as out of touch today with his call for mandatory conscription for school leavers. Not since the days of the Vietnam War when young Australians were used as American cannon fodder in an unjust war has Australia embraced compulsory militarism for its young people, then it was young males, now Abbott wants girls included as well. Abbott tells us that such places as Cambodia have forced militarism, well so does Uzbekistan and Algeria. Is Abbott suggesting Australia should join that band of elite peace loving nations. I suggest Australian would much rather embrace constipation than conscription these days. Peter Dutton should immediately dissociate himself from this clap trap being peddled by a former Liberal Party PM.

If he means National Service conscription rather than purely military conscription then the sooner the better.
I'd feel safer with common sense being restored than rainbow Wokeness perpetuated !
We need mentally strong people to restore what the rainbow clique have ruined !
Those conscripted would have the choice of any training they're suitable for or capable of and, if they so desire could progress to the Armed Forces full time. It may come as a real surprise to the Woke that the Armed Forces are not all frontline soldiers, there are technicians & many varied service personnel, all in with the chance of finding suitable & rewarding careers.
A national Service scheme is a stepping stone to mature life not as the opponents of discipline & decency portray it-as cannon fodder. Soldiers become cannon fodder because of Woke career Military officers & not defence professionals !
National Service must be introduced because the dumbing-down & training to become a burden has to stop asap !
The Woke have had their run, now let them experience the effects of their mentality for a change !

Not necessarily military service..

"Under Mr Abbott’s scheme, this service can be in the form of “putting on the uniform” or completing a broad scope of volunteer work. He suggested working in a remote Indigenous community, a nursing home or deploying in the Australian Peace Corps as options for those not interested in military service."

As usual Paul hears what he wants to hear rather than hearing the truth.

BTW, I'd be a little reticent about sending 18yr old girls out to work in "remote Indigenous community" given the epic amount of misogyny they'd be exposed to. </smile>

Get it right. Military service OR civilian service.

Something has to be done to get today's feckless youth into gear. Blubbering about natural events such as climate change and whether or not they are boys or girls, or something in between.

In fact, the entire civilian population needs to be taught the real facts of life in view of the distinct possibility that Australia could be at war any time in the next decade.

Warwick Stacey, not a politician or ex-politician has an even better idea: 5,000 unemployed people at a time doing training in the North and living in tented accommodation for a lot less than paying them the dole. Don't want to do that? OK, but no dole. No civil alternative.

In August of this year, there were 487,700 people on the dole. That is a bloody disgrace, particularly as our idiot government wants to bring 235,000 immigrants here over the next year.

While all of the almost half million on the dole would not be employable or of much use at all, most of them could be licked into shape to serve their country and do a lot for themselves along the way.

Dear Paul,

I'll have to do a bit more research on what Mr Abbott is
suggesting. I suggested some time ago regarding
the dire situation of homelessness amongst the young in our
country - for the government to set up programs and give
youngsters a purpose by working in our rural areas, aged care,
and wherever workers were needed. Employment and being needed
would increase their self-esteem and give them a purpose in
life - they would also acquire new sets of skills.

When I was a child and Roosevelt was president the US had the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The work that was done in the US National Park System still provides conservation and recreation for today’s US. For the homeless and people without direction a similar program might be good for Australia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_Conservation_Corps

“The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal that supplied manual labor jobs related to the conservation and development of natural resources in rural lands owned by federal, state, and local governments. The CCC was designed to supply jobs for young men and to relieve families who had difficulty finding jobs during the Great Depression in the United States.

The largest enrollment at any one time was 300,000. Through the course of its nine years in operation, three million young men took part in the CCC, which provided them with shelter, clothing, and food, together with a wage of $30 (equivalent to $1000 in 2021) per month ($25 of which had to be sent home to their families).

The American public made the CCC the most popular of all the New Deal programs. Sources written at the time claimed an individual's enrollment in the CCC led to improved physical condition, heightened morale, and increased employability. The CCC also led to a greater public awareness and appreciation of the outdoors and the nation's natural resources, and the continued need for a carefully planned, comprehensive national program for the protection and development of natural resources.

The CCC operated separate programs for veterans and Native Americans. Approximately 15,000 Native Americans took part in the program, helping them weather the Great Depression.

By 1942, with World War II raging and the draft in effect, the need for work relief declined, and Congress voted to close the program.

Australia faces an uncertain future and in that future will be the need for armed forces many times the size of our regular forces.Training takes time therefore it is wise to have trained forces at our disposal at a moments notice.
Only a system of military national service will attain such an objective and be a deterrent to invasion
It’s troops on the ground who are the ultimate deterrent.
See Switzerland.

" in that future [there] will be the need for armed forces many times the size of our regular forces."

Why?

I'd have thought that the current war in Donbass shows that the numbers of men involved is not decisive. A professional force with the right equipment is what is needed, not weekend warriors.

I'm pretty sure trench warfare is no longer in style.

mhaze,
When all the high tech equipment is used up, the soldier with rifle, or whatever other small arms, does the final fighting and where is Australia going to get the high tech equipment?

Maybe from China where we buy most everything else?

Who is going to rush to our aid?

Who is going to risk a long sea trip to help?

Quote: In August of this year, there were 487,700 people on the dole. That is a bloody disgrace, particularly as our idiot government wants to bring 235,000 immigrants here over the next year.

I have to say it.
235,000 new immigrants would need to be housed and fed and clothed.
This should create more than enough work for the 487,700 unemployed?
Then we would have only 235.000 (or less) unemployed persons.
And also, new immigrants would bring in new skills?
That seems to be a win-win situation?

When all the high tech equipment is used up,
mHaze,
In other words, when the power goes off ! The Woke are freaking out when they don't have a phone signal for five minutes. Imagine them fighting for a common good ?

Anyhow, I like ttbn's "Civilian Service", sounds more appropriate ! In fact anything that improves a languished mentality is needed ! The older won't change but the young will adopt it once they realise what dills their parents are !

As a believer in sustainability, I agree a voluntary non military option for young people on leaving school which involves real skills training should be offered. These things have to be costed and administrated correctly before implementation, there is a danger that good intentions turn into nothing more than a costly non-productive waste. The lazy anachronistic suggestion that young folk should be thrown into some military boot camp belongs to a bygone era.

mhaze, a good post, it accurately reflects the reality of modern warfare, its no longer numbers, China had an army of 2 million men in the 1970's, rather its technology these days and the skills needed to use it. Issy is welcome to lead the charge with Teddy Roosevelt up San Juan Hill any time he likes.

Interesting that hypocritical conservative politicians like Abbott are always prepared for sabre-rattling and committing young Australians to war.

I watched 60 Minutes las night and the threat of China
on Taiwan. Their young people are being trained to be
prepared for any future confrontation. They are determined
to fight to retain their country. Reminded me of the Ukraine.

The whole idea behind defending ourselves against China is to protect our freedom.

Should our freedom be already snatched from within, then why not welcome China since it would no longer make any difference.

Had I been 17 or so again, then my first option would be to leave Australia on the first plane or boat. Second option would be to go hiding in a cave or something, third option to be maim myself, fourth option to kill myself rather than be conscripted.

Ipso Fatso,
Name one new skill that migration will bring.

I'm very much with the RIGHT on this topic. Not only National Service to augment our fledgling military asserts, but to put us in a position to at least provide some defence or further recognisance of our vast coastline. A coast guard auxiliary in co-operation with the Navy perhaps?.

A 'part-time police force' to support and assist regular police. To allow them to spend more time investigating serious crimes - crimes occasioned against the person (women & children). After all they have them in the UK. Most are Special Constables and they work under the supervision and direction of their station Ch. Inspector.

And for those against military service - That's okay too. Then Civil National Service, where they take part, as Civil Service Trainees, where they wear a uniform, and render themselves under the same disciplinary criterion as a military trainee. This would include ALL young people, aged between eighteen and twenty five years. Including those who claim to be of a different sexual derivative. We'll find an adequate uniform for them too, so not to worry, man ma'am, or otherwise?

I believe the world is at the 'tinder box' stage with China v Taiwan and other potential scraps in and around our region. And the appearance that Putin's movement into further Russian domination, of who knows where, with his shaky hand on the button of human destruction?

More importantly for this country. There's been an alarming upward trend of youth crime in most centres of Australia. In trying to keep these young people out of gaol, and give them hope for the future, they have to be taught some basic (self) discipline.

As an example, get-up in time to go to work; elementary personal hygiene, A more positive attitude, and pride in themselves, their standard of dress, and their community. Many of these youth have never had a role model to teach them these basic life-skills. And it's NOT their fault. That being the case, it must fall to us, through our government, to teach them, or otherwise build more gaols and lose a very important future resource.

Skilled immigration is baloney. The jobs employers can't get workers for are unskilled jobs in hospitality, tourism, aged care etc: the sort of work Australian bludgers think is below them - but good enough for Africans and Asians who are pleased to have any sort of job in a place like Australia.

Almost half a million unemployed bludgers, and we 'have to' to bring in migrants.

We don’t have to, of course; we need a no-work-no-money policy. But our politicians don't have the guts to bring in such a policy. If they can't get people to work, they won't be able to get them into military service or a civil equivalent. If we carry on the way we are now, people will find themselves working for nothing for Communist China.

fourth option to kill myself rather than be conscripted.
Yuyutsu,
What about 5th option, serve in Civilian Service for 18 months ? Or would you just be content with others defending the land you reside on ?

"When all the high tech equipment is used up, the soldier with rifle, or whatever other small arms, does the final fighting"

Now let me get this straight.

After China arrives on Australian shores (having gone through Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, The Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and PNG and having presumably seen off the US Pacific fleet) and after we shot off all our high tech 'stuff', then.....kids who've spent 6 months learning to march are gunna save our freedom. Sheesh.

Seriously. The fact is that we need to fear Chinese militarism, not because they might occupy the MCG but because a Chinese victory in the final contest with the West would fundamental change the rules by which the world operates and almost all those changes would be detrimental to Australia's economic well-being and liberties. That is why we need to support the western efforts to contain Chinese expansionism, not because of some hair-brained notion that they'll physically invade.

It may be that, in a generation or three, we might need to worry about Indonesian incursions. But even then the contest would be about technology not raw numbers.

The world has moved on from the wars of the mid-20th century. Perhaps you should too.

mhaze,
Glad you brought up “South Irian” I’d forgotten about it.
All wars come down to the ‘poor bloody infantry’ finishing off the job. Just as it will in the current conflicts and future ones.
Your conceptions of training are about on a par with your other attempts at humour.

China doesn't need to invade; they have missiles that can hit Hobart from China.

ttbn,
Then learn Chinese

Is Mise

Why? You reckon we'll survive the missiles?

ttbn,
Of course, people are surviving wherever missiles are used

Dear Indyvidual,

In this particular case, I rather follow the original Australian spirit:

«Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong.
"You'll never catch me alive!" said he
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong:
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me."»

When living in a decent country, I am naturally happy to serve on my own terms and according to my own circumstances and abilities.

But, presently hypothetically, should a country endorse slavery and forcibly send children to helplessly be bullied, tortured and broken for no crime other than being born and reaching the age of 18 in relative health - then that country does not deserve to survive.

I would never serve such a monster but rather die. Such a repugnant country ought to be destroyed rather than protected and I won't shed a tear if it is taken over by China, since anyway life under that regime could not be any worse.

And BTW, given your expressed views, I believe you should select an OLO nick-name that better represents what you stand for, so rather than the misleading "Indyvidual", how about for example, choosing "PatrioticRobot"?

"PatrioticRobot"?
Yuyutsu,
Somehow i get the feeling that you're unsure about the meaning of Patriotic !

Dear Issy, (The great correcter)

There is no language called "Chinese", its Cantonese or Mandarin, therefore ttbn can't learn Chinese.

After all that, we need to remind ourselves that Tony Abbott has no more say in what does or does not happen in Australia than any one of us does. His day is well gone. Nothing will be done about Australia's defence. There will be a mad scramble at the last minute when it will too late. Australia is as unprepared as it was before WW11.

Australia is as unprepared as it was before WW11.
ttbn,
Have faith, the tattooed, multi-coloured hair, rivet-adorned Woke will sell the Nation rather than stand up for it & keep us save & very miserable ! Ask the Ukrainians !

Of more immediate concern about security and protection is the news that there are NO control orders on the terrorist molls Albanese brought into Australia; and our dithering federal cops are still dithering about it. What is Albanese doing to get them moving? Nothing. He just makes Australia less safe, then moves on to his next stupid act.

"Seriously. The fact is that we need to fear Chinese militarism, not because they might occupy the MCG but because a Chinese victory in the final contest with the West would fundamental change the rules by which the world operates and almost all those changes would be detrimental to Australia's economic well-being and liberties."

It's inevitable.
China will become the global leader in everything.
By 2030 they will have 15 times as many STEM graduates as the US.

The rules you are talking about are the 'Rules-based-order' not international law.
This whole western idea of screwing over your adversaries to stay on top ISN'T GOING TO LAST.
The multipolar world order is already here.

What do you think will happen when Saudi Arabia says ta-ta to the Petrodollar and hello to BRICS?

And wars are still fought like that.
Do you think Ukraine can afford a 1 million dollar missile from Ratheon to try and shoot down swarms of Geranium-2 drones that cost a hundredth of the cost of the missile used to defend against it?
Do you think the west even has enough air defense to defend against this?
They don't.

Take out the electrical grid as they have done in Ukraine and Europe is looking at a migrant crisis 5 times as bad as the one the US created in Syria.
- To add to the 4 to 10 times increase in energy prices they are now paying for US LNG instead of Russian pipeline gas.
Europe will be lucky to survive the coming few years.

And fyi, the reason why they're talking about conscription is because no-one wants to join the defense forces anymore.
- And why would they, political correctness, immigration and identity politics has destroyed any semblance of this country actually being 'Australian'.

Who wants to be lead into battle by a woke trans man that wears a dress anyway?
- I'd rather just move to Russia or China and be done with it.

China will become the global leader in everything.
Armchair Critic,
They are already & I for one am glad that it's not the other mob who, instead of being a leader desire to be the oppressor !
The Chinese have something much of the rest of the World hasn't & will understand even less. Culture & Pride !

AC,

"The rules you are talking about are the 'Rules-based-order' not international law."

No. The rules I'm talking about are those concerning international trade and the bias toward peace. Australia is not only a large trading nation but is utterly reliant on international trade. We need free and fair trade to import all sorts of things including oil and most manufactured goods. We need free and fair trade to export our minerals to pay for all the stuff we import.

The current world order favours trading nations. One nation has taken on the task of making the sea-lanes open and safe. The US, and only the US, is able to do that. No other nation including your new white knight, China, is able to protect the international sea-lanes, even if they wanted to, which they don't. A break-down in the safety and surety of international trade would be a disaster for nations such as Australia.

On top of that, the current system allows for easy, safe and secure international payments systems with a high degree of certainty. While part of that is the fact that the world has one reserve currency, that's only part of it. But a world with no or multiple reserve currencies would be a world where international trade would become far more problematic.

These are all practical issues. Additionally, a world where the global hegemon favoured autarchy over liberty would be one where our freedoms would be constantly under threat both internally and externally.

We need the current system which favours international trade and relative self-determination to continue and that's why we ought to be prepared to fight for it - not because of some hair-brained notion that the yellow hordes are at the door-step.

AC wrote "It's inevitable. China will become the global leader in everything."

Nothing in the future is inevitable. Since I became politically aware back in the 1970's I've been told by the same type of people as AC that its inevitable that the Soviets would take over form the US (1970s), that Japan would (late 1980s), that Europe would (1990s) and, now, that China will. All wrong.

China is already in decline. AC thinks that the number of STEM graduates is important (and of course he falls for the fake Chinese numbers on this). But that isn't important. What is important is the use of those brains and how much freedom that have to innovate.. China doesn't innovate.

They had to steal the vaccine data to make one that worked. After trying to become a chip powerhouse for 30 years they still can't make high end chips which is one reason why they want Taiwan and why the recent US ban on chip exports to China is so dangerous for them.

China's population is already in decline and the decline will accelerate. Their economic model is unravelling even as their leadership shows they are more concerned about maintaining power than addressing those problems.

The concern about China is that they may seek to tear down the system as they perceive that their moment has passed. Just as they did with the virus, allowing it to spread internationally to share the pain.

Just as AC was so wrong about the Ukrainian war (it wasn't that long ago he was predicting the imminent fall of Odessa) those who barrack against the west are constantly wrong. I think a large part of the reason for that is that they misunderstand the west's adversaries and fail to see their downside, constantly falling for the propaganda from 'the other'.

There are those here who opposed "Covid lockdowns" yet are happy to have the government take control of young peoples lives completely for say 2 years. If Labor had a brain explosion and did introduce national service, see the howls protest if they said; "National service will cover all welfare recipients, including those on aged welfare". Oh! the pain for some.

Surveys during the Vietnam War on conscription found elderly women were most in favour, followed by elderly men. The least in favour were young men aged 20 or younger. I wonder why.

It would be great if there was a government run
initiative on TV to help older people use computers.
In addition to that it would be great of young people
who volunteer to and help the oldies set up technology
and teach them to use it properly. it's vital today to
have some technology in everyday life.

If you're not computer literate you are excluded from modern
life and thereby disenfranchised.

When my parents were in their 80s, I decided to teach them how to use email and the fundamentals of Facebook so that they could be more integrated into the goings on of their grandkids and other family members.

But the technology was beyond them. It was alien to their way of thinking and they couldn't absorb it. Whereas I could teach my 2yr old grandson the fundamentals of using a mouse and have him proficient within a few minutes, even after 6 months effort it remained a mystery to my parents.

And not just them. When others in their retirement village heard that I was giving training they formed a study group. Overall we had 15 people join but of that only three 'got it'.

And that was just mouse usage. Typing was another problem entirely, even for those women who'd been pool-typists in their day.

In the end, I reached the conclusion that we needed to by-pass all that technology and move to voice recognition. So I introduced the group to the wonders of Siri and Alexa and taught them how to use voice commands to communicate with the technology and through it with their family. That was far more successful although it still took a long time to get them to ask the technology appropriate questions and frame commands in ways the technology would understand.

Still, it was a partial success.

mhaze,

You did well.

At least you tried.

It is vital to have some technology for everyday life and
it is bad that those big, rich tech giants haven't started
something for older people. I'm still new to a lot of
technology, but I'm not bad.

I still feel that there's fun to be had.

Dear "Indyvidual",

Xi Jinping announced that Hong Kong will be ruled by patriots.

Patriotism means "my country, right or wrong" - especially "wrong".

You seem to attach positive connotations to patriotism, so go for it then, show us your true colours.

Why call yourself "Indyvidual" when you despise individualism, when you believe that everyone alive on this continent should obey your orders, that it is not OK for people to live their lives peacefully without having a relationship with your government?

You believe that it is OK to forcibly take children away from whatever they are happily doing in their lives, instead to suffer for your own purposes: they could perhaps be studying in university, or working in health-care, helping in their parent's business or keeping their farm going, they could be monks and sages silently devoting their life to prayer and meditation, or they could be outstanding musicians with a promising international career, whatever - you feel that it is fine for you and your gang which you call "nation" to trample over them, shatter their lives and send these innocent souls to camps where they are forced to live helplessly among ruffians and punished further for not following your orders. You believe that it is OK to round them up, hunt them down if they try to escape the buses that would take them away, OK even to shoot them if they resist their arrest. OK even to separate young parents from their babies and these babies from their parents... thereby creating a new "lost-generation".

Well China and Russia do all that already, but at least they are honest, at least they don't pretend that it is "for our benefit".

---

Dear Foxy,

«If you're not computer literate you are excluded from modern
life and thereby disenfranchised.»

Indeed, but there are also older people who remember the good days before computers and disagree with their proliferation and usage even while they would technically be able to use them if they wanted.

"Surveys during the Vietnam War on conscription found elderly women were most in favour, followed by elderly men. The least in favour were young men aged 20 or younger. I wonder why."

Yes Paul, that rings true.

As I recall, in the 1966 election, which was effectively a referendum on participating in Vietnam, female support for the coalition was much greater than male support. Indeed, overall males voted for the ALP and therefore against the war while women, overall, voted for the coalition and therefore the war. The coalition won handsomely.

In general, through the 20th century both here and in Britain, women have supported the war party which is less surprising given who actually fights the war.

As you say, those who weren't likely to have to fight supported conscription and the war (at least in 1966, less so in 1969). This included the elderly and women

My bet is that they didn't do any surveys BEFORE that war ! As always, everything is done AFTER with the benefit of hindsight just as it is being done these days !

Why not do a survey NOW & tell them that the War with China is imminent ? My guess is the surveys would drastically differ !

Yuyutsu,
Your protestations ring hollow; you posted previously that you could never live in a country that allowed conscription, Australian law allows the introduction of conscription yet you are apparently still here.
Why is that?

Indy,

As usual you are talking from a point of ignorance; "My bet is that they didn't do any surveys BEFORE that war ! As always, everything is done AFTER with the benefit of hindsight just as it is being done these days!" Those surveys were done, and as mhaze said the most supportive of the war were older women, and the least younger men.

In the war in Ukraine, the Russians target residential buildings purposely, no military value at all, the reason being, when war is far away and not effecting one directly, a person is likely to be supportive of the war effort, but when the bombs lob in their backyard it becomes a different story. In Vietnam one mistake America made was to "burn villages" on the suspicion that peasants were supporting the Viet Cong. They may have been, but under duress in many cases, they had no choice. That policy alienated Vietnamese peasants to the point where they would freely support the Viet Cong.

Paul1405,
That's from your indoctrination-saturated pseudo-academic perspective ! Irrelevant dribble !
Start looking at such issues from the viewpoint of everyday people trying to make ends meet including those dreaded multinationals who're only providing what people demand !
The Past is choc-a-bloc with the rotten fruits of ideology !
Your kind of ideology !

"My bet is that they didn't do any surveys BEFORE that war !"

You'd lose the bet. Surveys have been done in a somewhat scientific manner since WW1. The surveys I referred to were done before, after and during the 1966 Federal election which, as I said, was effectively a referendum on the war and our participation in it.

Retrospectively hoping that things were as you'd like them to have been is living in a fool's paradise.

Surveys have been done in a somewhat scientific manner since WW1.
mHaze,
Sure, within the confines of Universities & Party headquarters ! I can't make out any changes to today's surveys except that they're online but still sorted by a select few with impunity !

mhaze,
If surveys were to be taken note of for the good of the Nation instead of just the coffers of Political Parties then surveys & polls would be meaningful. As it stands they're just a waste of time, money & good will !
I'm all for a Referendum on issues that affect us all ! The callous Elites & their stubborn as a mule supporters are only using surveys & polls to gauge the degree of corruption they can get away with !

Is Mise,
What the law allows and what political reality allows are two very different things.

Nobody is going to invade Australia. Our armed forces are primarily a deterrent. It's very unlikely they'll actually fight in any wars except as part of an international effort to enforce UN resolutions.

____________________________________________________________________________

Paul,
>There is no language called "Chinese"
FALSE
There is a written language called "Chinese"

____________________________________________________________________________

ttbn,
>In August of this year, there were 487,700 people on the dole. That is a bloody disgrace,
The lowest proportion of the workforce in almost half a century and you think it's a bloody disgrace? Why?
And without people on the dole, where do you suggest businesses recruit from?

>The jobs employers can't get workers for are unskilled jobs in hospitality, tourism,
>aged care etc: the sort of work Australian bludgers think is below them - but good
>enough for Africans and Asians who are pleased to have any sort of job in a place
>like Australia.
You seem to regard that as a bad thing, but I put it to you that it's actually a good thing! Why should Aussies be forced into work they think it below them when they're capable of so much more?

Why should Aussies be forced into work they think it below them when they're capable of so much more?
Aidan,
If that's so, why don't they prove their worth by getting jobs & prove their prowess & capability ?
There isn't an employer in this Nation that wouldn't take them in instantly !

"The callous Elites & their stubborn as a mule supporters are only using surveys & polls to gauge the degree of corruption they can get away with !"

I find it endlessly amusing that there is this subset of people who, failing to understand a process, assume it must therefore be corrupt. Ignorance amplified.

The surveys I mentioned were just finding out the voting patterns after the election. How anyone could be so ill-informed as to think that's corrupt is beyond belief.

How anyone could be so ill-informed as to think that's corrupt is beyond belief.
mhaze,
Hahaha, funny but don't give up up your day job to become a comedian !

failing to understand a process
mhaze,
It's that very process that's the cause of most of the problems in society, it always has been & will be so until we manage to get enough thinking people to educate more people so we can rid ourselves of the scourge that are the incompetent control freaks !
The only thing your 'process' achieves is perpetuating status quo of mismanagement & disunity ! Thinking people can see what your 'process' is doing but because of the pseudo-Democracy farce people are tying their own hands thus disabling the whole Nation from rectifying this utterly flawed "process' !

"Why should Aussies be forced into work they think it below them when they're capable of so much more?", asks Aidan.

They aren't being forced or they would be working; and if they are so "capable", why aren't they working? What are these capabilities that are apparently not needed by employers? Have these people chosen qualifications not wanted in Australia?

If you are not working you either don't want to work, or you don't have what is needed to work. Perhaps their are just too many people in Australia and not enough jobs? That's not what employers are saying; and governments want to bring in more immigrants.

So what is the answer, Aidan? You are always disagreeing with with everything and everyone, but you never come up with solutions. You are just a naysayer, matey.

"The rules I'm talking about are those concerning international trade and the bias toward peace. Australia is not only a large trading nation but is utterly reliant on international trade."

Why do you think China built the Belt and Road Initiative.
Tourism?

What do you think the US can compete with China for goods we import?

"China is already in decline. AC thinks that the number of STEM graduates is important (and of course he falls for the fake Chinese numbers on this). But that isn't important. What is important is the use of those brains and how much freedom that have to innovate.. China doesn't innovate."

Really, that's why they have their own space station and the US is stealing THEIR space technology.
China Just Won the Space Race Against America...NASA is in Shock!
http://youtu.be/2GhXk5X6mvQ

When you cut off China force them into a corner and try to contain them you effectively give China only one option, innovate and survive. By trying to contain China the US government is weakening itself and at the same time strengthening China the U.S is literally forcing China to become smarter faster and work even harder to make up for
these shortcomings.

The US is like a drowning man.
Desperate to stay afloat and stay on top, they are literally grabbing onto other nations and dragging them down with them.

Look at the UK look at Europe, Ukraine, everything they touch
So desperate they will bomb their allies gas pipelines and force them to commit economic suicide on their entire nations.

And you guys want to draw a line in the sand over Taiwan, like it's not technically already a recognised part of China, and that we have entered into a defensive pact with US, and they start and prolong conflicts because they can sell weapons as one of their nations biggest exports?

The whole things stupid.

There is no language called "Chinese"
FALSE
There is a written language called "Chinese"

Not sure Aidan, the written language in China has its origins in Mandarin. But its "technical" only as even Cantonese speakers can read traditional Chinese.

The whole things stupid.
Armchair Critic,
Well, the West's side anyway !