Aussie Wikileak Cable

[boxy]

Once again, a deeply unsurprising cable, about the Australian govt's responce to increased Chinese influence in the region.

The Federal Government is refusing to comment on revelations that Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd suggested force may be needed if China could not be successfully integrated into the international community.

According to a US diplomatic cable released by the WikiLeaks website, Mr Rudd made the comments during a conversation with US secretary of state Hillary Clinton in March last year, while he was still prime minister.

The document is the first to be released by WikiLeaks with a significant mention of Australia.

According to the confidential cable, Ms Clinton asked for Mr Rudd's advice on dealing with the growing power of China, asking him: "How do you deal toughly with your banker?"

He responded by saying he was a "brutal realist on China".

He said China should be integrated into the international community but that countries should be prepared to "deploy force if everything goes wrong".

Mr Rudd told Ms Clinton that Australia's intelligence community keeps a close eye on China's military modernisation.

He said the focus on naval capability in the Defence White Paper, released just weeks after their meeting, was a response to China's growing ability to project force.

The leaked document also says Mr Rudd suggested to Chinese leaders that they consider some sort of autonomy deal with the Dalai Lama.

The cable says Mr Rudd believed Chinese leaders were "paranoid" about Tibet and "sub-rational and deeply emotional" about Taiwan.

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[Outlaw Yogi]

Read almost the same article about 1/2 hour ago, except the lead in was about UFOs.

EDIT ADDITION - Y'know all these dingbats getting around Dharamsala with their "Free Tibet" T-shirts that make their tits look bigger? ... Well I love asking them why they support slavery/surfdom?

As much as I would despise the Chinese admin's draconian and secretive social climate, and the 1 party elitism, if I were Chinese, I still say credit where credit is due. At least they abolished slavery/surfdom in Tibet.

[Outlaw Yogi]

Julian Assange answers your questions
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/20 ... -wikileaks

Fwoggie

I'll start the ball rolling with a question. You're an Australian passport holder - would you want return to your own country or is this now out of the question due to potentially being arrested on arrival for releasing cables relating to Australian diplomats and polices?

Julian Assange:

I am an Australian citizen and I miss my country a great deal. However, during the last weeks the Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard, and the attorney general, Robert McClelland, have made it clear that not only is my return is impossible but that they are actively working to assist the United States government in its attacks on myself and our people. This brings into question what does it mean to be an Australian citizen - does that mean anything at all? Or are we all to be treated like David Hicks at the first possible opportunity merely so that Australian politicians and diplomats can be invited to the best US embassy cocktail parties.

More Q & A @ link above, and
Reproduced @
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/12/03-1

[mantra]

I am an Australian citizen and I miss my country a great deal. However, during the last weeks the Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard, and the attorney general, Robert McClelland, have made it clear that not only is my return is impossible but that they are actively working to assist the United States government in its attacks on myself and our people. This brings into question what does it mean to be an Australian citizen - does that mean anything at all? Or are we all to be treated like David Hicks at the first possible opportunity merely so that Australian politicians and diplomats can be invited to the best US embassy cocktail parties.

Unfortunately the government doesn't have a choice. They can't condone his actions for diplomatic reasons. I suppose a comparison can be made with Hicks. Howard didn't want to upset the US - neither does Gillard.

He will probably remain in exile for the remainder of his life - unless the Greens ever win government, which is highly unlikely.

Assange should have used a nom de plume.

[TheDoctor]

Once again, a deeply unsurprising cable [...]

Main stream media and the plebs who read their trash have found the cable leaks unsurprising. Baa baa white sheep, is that a dream weaver spinning the wool over your eyes? It must be, because the serious people of letters have been both surprised by new information and vindicated in their views that now have historical and contemporary evidence as support.

[boxy]

So they had their views vindicated... yet were surprised.

Serious people of letters, you say

[TheDoctor]

I see common sense and common logic escape you. When using 'and', it does not then translate in English to 'yet', it still means and will always mean 'and'. So when I say that those who think were surprised by the new information 'and' vindicated in their views which are now evidenced, I am saying two separate things. Maybe I should have put them into two different sentences for you. "Those who think have been surprised by the new information. Also, those who think have had views upon which they speculate, evidenced as sound views and not mere speculation."

Let's look at it from another angle then. If the cables are unsurprising, why the all the hoopla?

[boxy]

Is English your second language?

To claim "vindication", implies that the result is expected... or more accurately, predicted. So you're trying to claim that the people of letters (I'm assuming you're not including yourself in that category ) are feeling that their predictions are being "vindicated" by these cables... yet (yes, YET) they are surprised that their predictions are being vidicated.

Please.