Australia's Strategy, or Why We Fight

[Aussie]

But then, I have no children to worry about, and I could die any time. So the fate you stand to suffer from your own stupidity is not really a personal concern for me.

To adopt a favourite expression of your mate NOIQ, the pornographer, around here:

"Cry some more, AnimalMother."

What do you want to debate? That Australia is an island? I'll take the affirmative.

[Super Nova]

What do you want to debate? That Australia is an island? I'll take the affirmative.

I'll take the negative.

I will argue that Australia is a continent.

I will argue that Tasmania is a large Island with a couple of smaller ones.

You lose... next debate.

[IQS.RLOW]

But then, I have no children to worry about, and I could die any time. So the fate you stand to suffer from your own stupidity is not really a personal concern for me.

To adopt a favourite expression of your mate NOIQ, the pornographer, around here:

"Cry some more, AnimalMother."

What do you want to debate? That Australia is an island? I'll take the affirmative.

Get your own material, sausage wallet

[Super Nova]

-------------- IS -----------------

[mantra]

It's a bit sad that nobody wants to talk about the vitally important issue of Australia's strategic security.

Well, worse than sad - more like terrifying.

But then, I have no children to worry about, and I could die any time. So the fate you stand to suffer from your own stupidity is not really a personal concern for me.

Still, I can't help being sad about the opportunities wasted.

What's your take on the article AM? Australia hasn't been overly interested in starting wars, but has been dragged into them by the US and UK - obviously in exchange for trade favours - or so it's meant to appear. The writer of the article thinks this is our strategy, but it isn't.

After the invasion of Iraq - Howard signed us up to an FTA with the US - we buy more from them than they do from us and as a consequence have become indebted to them according to our trade figures. Australia being a young country has always been manipulated and it looks like our pattern is set.

Has anyone noticed the offseason fruit from the US which is being dumped in our supermarkets? The fruit can be compared to the prawns from Taiwan in terms of quality. Old and rubbery. Check the labels before you buy anything.

[boxy]

We have a huge,resource rich, country, that is sparsely populated, and without allies and a stable global economy we would be much more vulnerable, and (along with most of the world) much worse off economically.

Not all of our involvement in conflict has gone to plan, but I would say, overall, the world is better off from our involvement in the past century, than without.

[IQS.RLOW]

We have a huge,resource rich, country, that is sparsely populated, and without allies and a stable global economy we would be much more vulnerable, and (along with most of the world) much worse off economically.

Not all of our involvement in conflict has gone to plan, but I would say, overall, the world is better off from our involvement in the past century, than without.

Appeasement monkeys seem to think that lovey dovey talk and flowery statements mean that conflict can be avoided.

It's a shame that morons can't realize the real reasons why war is waged

[AiA in Atlanta]

Sea lanes closed, no trade. Without trade there is no wealth.

[AiA in Atlanta]

YAWN. He's a Yank. Writing a book. About Australia without being born here, going to school here, growing up here.

An odd attitude. So, if a British historian writes about the USA we should ignore him?

[AnimalMother]

What's your take on the article AM?

My take is that it seems to be a very accurate analysis of our strategic needs. It provides a sound rationale for the reason we have always tried to ally ourselves with the world's dominant naval power - first Britain, then the US.

Australia hasn't been overly interested in starting wars, but has been dragged into them by the US and UK - obviously in exchange for trade favours - or so it's meant to appear. The writer of the article thinks this is our strategy, but it isn't.

Why do you think it isn't? Do you believe we just go to war at random? The pattern seems pretty consistent.

If, as you say, our trade agreements with the US haven't been all that great - maybe that's because it was never about trade in the first place? For a long time, our most beneficial trade has been with Japan and South East Asia. But our military alignments have been with the US and Britain, from whom we don't get much money.

Maybe that's because strategically, we try to be friends with the country that has the most powerful Navy.