I mean it makes a lot of sense for us to become a neutral state.
We follow the US but our biggest trading partner is China.
We are surrounded by Asian nations yet our political alliance is with the west.
We are a nation bound by multicultural with 52% of Aussie with a parent boring overseas.
We have natural resources everyone wants.
Why wouldn't us be better if we became a neutral state???
We are surrounded by Asian nations yet our political alliance is with the west
Mainly because we have western values in Australia lol.
Most relatively new arrivals from many different countries like it here and it’s the whole reason they moved. From Europe, Asia, Africa.
Personally, I hold to our origins. My allegiance runs deeper than US. I see US as a big brother, a bit of a bully, a bit rebellious, but I put up with them for the sake of the motherland.
But I take the point, making Australia multicultural means most have no affinity with our roots.
We're not multicultural, that hasn't worked. We're multiethnic and that's not really working too.
It appears to going fine for everybody but xenophobes.
Nope
Although we love to wax lyrical about how we seemingly invented bravery and "mateship", in reality our status as a military power is negligible and we'd be run over very quickly if say China decided to invade and we didn't have allies. Therefore the strategic alliance with the US, as obviously imperfect as it is, offers protection and will make any potential aggressor think twice.
I'd love to be neutral if this was realistic, but sadly I don't think it is. Our lifestyle and resources will always look attractive to others.
The world is overpopulated.As is Australia. ( Climate extremes are also the new norm) So that lifestyle preservation thing is fading fast, as our country gets more bums on seats where our water,roads housing,infrastructure buckle..As for resources we are being pillaged.A lot of that by our 'allies'
But ironically we'd be screwed if China stopped buying iron ore tomorrow.Lifestyles included. The goons in Canberra think we can put more cows in a barren paddock. And that's before we fix the fences and mend the dam,plug the trough,cut the hay.
When you distil the way we deal with trade, we basically import statistics and export potable water via the billions litres we wash rocks with.
China cant invade, their equipment is crap.
Basically everything they have military wise is soviet or russian in origin. Just like Putin has found out how fake their reliability and quality of his military, well the same mentality of fakeness and corruption also exists in China, so you can be sure their crap would fail.
There are plenty of examples of the media of chinese warships just catching fire and sinking.
Winner the Pooh knows this and at least he is smart enough to not temp fate and let the world see how crap his sstuff is.
It's difficult to invade the Swiss due to its mountainous terrain, Australia is quite easy to invade. Swiss military isn't tiny when compared to the area it has to defend. Australian military is tiny compared to the territory that needs to be defended, and that doesn't include maritime territory.
Being allies with a military superpower like the US is a huge advantage for us.
Some 150K ready to pick up Arms within 24 Hours, All access to Switzerland mined and destroyed within 24 Hours, All money from foreign countries Frozen,
Australia is quite easy to invade.
It's never easy to invade an island nation.
But I do agree our allies are essential to our defense and the US is as good as it comes.
America did it. Comprehensively.And continues to do so.
They just didn't need to displace us physically to subsume our identity and control our destiny.
From the gross commercial exploitation, the cultural suffocation, the 100% political loyalty to whatever mad fkr they elect
We are not under their wing, we are under their thumb.
Do you think AUKUS was an Aussie brain fart? In exchange for a permanent ballooning debt, we get (must accept) no hardware for decades (We 'might' get a few worn out second hand subs earlier, and the waste is ours to deal with. )and pseudo military occupation in most states,bases everywhere,ports etc,military hardware and personnel everywhere. Seen and unseen. And what's more a direct access to our govt in total secrecy, and a seat at the defence table any time they want, for as far as the eye can see.And a whole lot more If that's not owned I don't know what is.
B52's parked up, but even though we signed a non nuke agreement we are not allowed to know what weapons they carry.
It's an anti-democratic disgrace that the public is in so deep without a right of reply.
Face the facts, most Australians are idiots. They open their mouths and dont understand or try and actually research a topic properly. Reading crap on some random forum or website is not research.
You and me dont have the understanding of selecting hospital equipment for surgery, you just dont, and guess what you also dont have a clue about military matters.
Leave that to the experts, they make mistakes, but the publics selection would be even worse.
@CowFrogHorse: A lot of Australians seem to feel the need to have an opinion on a matter especially so when little is known about it…
@SmoothCactus: @Smooth
So what if they do ?
Should they also have an opinion on selecting fire fighting equipment ?
Where would that take us ?
Like i said before it would be a complete waste of money and efort to prepare any maaterial for the public to read, and even if we had a very detail package, wht then ?
Have a vote ?
Would you also want the public to have a vote for who shoul d be a brain surgeon for our hospitals or shoudl we leave that to the current system ?
We have millions of Australians buying fake medicine on the internet that has absolutely ZERO medical proof it does anything.
I know which is the smart choice and its not the public.
The US relations in military matters hasn't changed since AUKUS, do you think the US hasn't had a seat at the defence table since the 90s?
Direct government access in secrecy? Do you think there's no oversight for decisions ever made anywhere just because you don't know about it and we don't have clearance for it? They've also again been doing things in secrecy far before this.
Theyre not storing bombers in foreign bases with live nuclear weapons in them. The Americans have had B2 Bombers able to drop nukes anywhere on the planet with zero refueling mid air since the 80s.
There are military bases with nuclear ICBMs if that's what was meant but those countries know what they have.
Either way there are a lot of logical answers to some of the concerns you have if you look into them.
Thousands of people in expert fields with varying opinions, beliefs and approaches to defence within the military and hundreds in government came to conclude that AUKUS was in Australia's interests and was worth the costs of it versus the risks - and they make sense if you look into them.
@SmoothCactus: Smooth:
Agreed with your statment.
Whether you like America and its politics, its a matter of what are the options. Do we pick to make a deal and partnership with america, or do we make a deal with people like Putin or Winnie the Pooh ?
Its really a non choice, morons who think there is another choice just dont have a clue about anything.
Life is dificult, we need hospitals we need police and fire servies and also need the military, they help us when we are in trouble in many diferent ways. This is what being an adult means, you contribute money for things that you like and things that you dont, beause you appreciate the need to be ready for good times and bad.
It is easy to invade an island nation when it's military is tiny when comparing to land area. In this respect Australia's military is tiny, compared to say Taiwan. Even the "island fortress" of Singapore got dominated by the Japs in WW2.
The Japanese didn't attack Singapore via the sea. They descended through the Malayan Peninsula and attacked from the north.
Surrendering Singapore was a mistake, the japs were actually outnumbered and the british didnt even try and fight.
Secondly singapore was only prepared with guns facing the sea. The preparation of it for defense was a complete truckup.
I think Australia should base it's economy less on immigrants, but more on skills.
Economy?
Global unemployment will explode in the next 5 years as AI ramps up. A recession is almost inevitable, if not depression.
There's more & more ppl every minute, and that means agriculture is being impacted by populations requiring land for development, and climate extremes are kicking in. Govts know all this and still feed the capitalist furnace with more 'customers'.
We are playing chicken with our own stupidity.
All those "international" students, keep UNIs afloat, flood the job-Market, reducing all salaries, and that reduces spending, which in turn reduces the economy.
Yes, increases demand for Infrastructure, homes, and food.
For now Australia has a growing issue with people having a roof over their heads, also here is having something to eat. Electricity and Gas as expensive as gold soon, and nobody has taken on the streets yet. Very docile Australians indeed.
We are a living Big Yellow Taxi
cameldownunder:
All those "international" students, keep UNIs afloa
cow: Says who ?
Bulldust.
Really because Australian tax payers just paid $3B for the tram for the UNI at randwick.
Is that smart ?
How much did the UNI pay out of that ?
Then they turn around and charge Australians to get a spot.
cow: Says who ?
Bulldust.
International education is worth $26.6* billion to the Australian economy.
Just google "international students contribute to australian economy"
So, suck on that.
The global economy is a disaster for Australia and everyone here.
THere is no prize for competing in a race like that were the standards for workers are considerably lower. Who wants to compete against China and others like that, where they work for 1/10 in conditions that are unacceptable for health & safety and all that.
Stop believing that bulldust that the global economy is good for Australia, because its not.
The biggest issues in Australia are
All of these have become worse for all Ausralians because of too many immigrants and internationals coming to Australia.
Australian universities were founded and paid for by our parents and those before. They shoudl be firstly for Australians ONLY. They shouldnt be sold to international students in preference to Australians. If those greedy manager types want to sell university places to non Australians on the international market, let them start their own universities and dont ask for gov grants.
Take the tram line to Randwick. tax payers pay billions for that so the uni could sell spots to intl students.. THis is madness we paid billions so the uni can sell spots to non australians.
Thts just one example where Autralians have been shafted and in the end only get the bill for billions and receive nothing of any positive benefit.
Upvoted, but economists will tell you this won't work as personal taxes are too high which deter skilled workers from working here.
Norway has the best tax structures for resources but in Australia the mining companies pays little taxes in comparison as mining-funded policy thinktanks are allowed to influence our laws and tax policy.
Yes, that might be a big issue. Switzerland is capable of attracting rich people ( and their money ) with low taxes, which then reduces the taxes in general. The low general taxes in turn attract companies that want to have their HQ in Switzerland, so that their Rich Management is not bled dry by the governments. Unfortunately Australia is a very socialist country, hands out money to the "Less Lucky" ( A.K.A Dodgers ) in shape of various handouts. And that money needs to come from somewhere…..
THE PINKOS ARE HERE!
The best thing Australia has going for it is its democratic-socialist history and strong labour movement that made it a great place to live and work for the best part of a century.
Now we are becoming uber capitalist/anti-fair like America. Where the rich eat the poor and profit from their misery. (oxycontin, mcdonalds, insecure work, homelessness, lower taxes for the rich, higher taxes for the working class, shrinkflation, no information without advertising, no news without profit, charity before social welfare programs, trailer park nightmares, drug addled and meaningless)
This.
Our current immigration system is not working.
forever clueless follow u.s. pet
We are surrounded by Asian nations yet our political alliance is with the west.
Your argument is too simplistic. We are indeed surrounded by Asian nations, but our political alliances are with LIKE-MINDED nations, rather than 'the West'. We align with 'the West' because of their values, but also other nations in Asia with similar values.
Examples: South Korea, Japan. Similar liberal democratic nations that value rule of law and free speech etc. It's all about values, rather than us being in the Asia Pacific region. Add in Taiwan.
Incidentally they are also aligned with 'the West' / US.
Your argument is too simplistic. We are indeed surrounded by Asian nations, but our political alliances are with LIKE-MINDED nations, rather than 'the West'. We align with 'the West' because of their values, but also other nations in Asia with similar values.
Exactly.
" Similar liberal democratic nations that value rule of law and free speech etc."
Unless it applies to the USA,Israel or their allies apparently.
Assanges free speech exposed the hypocrisy, and how's he doing?
What would happen if the shoe was on the other foot and we threw away the key for a US citizen in this way?
It's also perverse of Starya & the USA,UK to argue this is a strategic alliance when it does not involve our closest and most militarily capable neighbours.That hasn't gone unnoticed by them and it does not auger well.
While we all pontificate about this shit the $$$ could and should have been used to address the greater threat of climate change. Because FFS it isn't and won't be taking any prisoners. At this rate it will win the real existential battle, while we burn money we don't have,to build our shiny new toys, we'll never get to finish, let alone use.
@Pro: A lot of people died because of what Assange and his mates did.
It was not responsible to name western spies in countries like Russia and Chinese and more. THat act only helped the arseholes of the world.
You are a fool if you think freespeech in thaat respect is more important than cultivated spy networks thata help the western countries we belong too.
Its more imporant we have those spies than Assanger makes a speech that gets no where but helps the Putin and Winnie.
I suspect that a lot of Chinese users here - and I suspect we have a lot here - will vote for Neutral, which makes sense if you think about it from their perspective.
Many leave China for a better life in Australia, away from restrictions in our beautiful country, yet do not want to completely alienate China (maybe due to their Chinese education / propaganda / upbringing - "CCP is the best for China") and do not want to completely follow the West / US in demonising China.
What about a third option:
They are in Asia Pacific like us… yet somehow are able to balance diplomacy with China and the US.
If we were better at diplomacy, we could be "neutral like Singapore". i.e. absolutely militarily aligned with the West, but have a good working relationship with "the enemy".
I'm very poor diplomatically and would probably start a war on my first day if I was in charge, but I feel we present ourselves as a soft touch and nations like China have no respect for us. Or maybe we stick our face in where it doesn't belong and cause offence. Whatever, we don't seem to do it well.
I think we do alright!
In the end it's all about money I think, which is why we (and everyone else) continue to have a working relationship with 'the enemy', i.e. the cash cow. And they know it, which is why they use economic 'warfare' with many other countries, even if it's 'unofficial'.
China is by far Australia's biggest trading partner, how do they not have respect for Australia?
What has China done that is aggressive to Australia?
China Resents Australia that Australia is allowing so many Chinese nationals to escape the claws of china
@caramellokoala: Some trading partners have disagreements and decide to tax things to protect national interest.
How does this impact everyday Australians? Maybe Australian's could actually benefit from cheaper prices. I sure did when lobsters were cheaper as chips.
Instead Australian goods get sold at extraordinary amounts and we pay out the nose.
Also you realise life is about relationships, you obviously aren't in business. You can't poke and prod your biggest customer and NOT expect the same courtesy back. Business doesn't happen that way, nor do friendships or anything else that matters.
Tariffs isn't really aggression FYI, it's all business so where's the real aggression? Who did they threaten? Who died? Who got bombed? Who got sanctioned?
try google if you're not informed. Lasers at air force, sonar(?) at divers, trade wars on various exports are a few recent examples.
You need to read your history books.
Look up century of humiliation, china is very sore about how they were humliated (their words) by the Europeans and Japanese doing the colony thing and taking their land.
I am very bad at diplomacy too, and I start a war with my wife and kids almost daily.
NZ is pseudo neutral. Won't allow US warships into port. Didn't side with Australia's COVID enquiry "demand" (and benefited from increased trade at our expense).
Accepted UN rule on French Govt terrorist attack on marine vessel in Auckland harbour - which repatriated the agents back to their homeland. Partially withdrew from the 4 ears alliance after detecting US was spying on their own citizens.
So all in all , NZ has all the socially cohesive smarts, while we brag about cricket,beer drinking and our elected reps fellating the US war machine? Oy,oy,oy.
Some might call their smarts stupid stunts that dont actually help the country.
Im sure importing thousands of people who cant read or write is going to end well - just ask Sweden.
Why don't you take the same sense with every nation that has immigrants in Australia?
You paint China as some evil country with propaganda, lmao if Chinese were treated SO poorly in China, why would they not be against China?
The irony in your post is too funny. Pick a side. Maybe stop assuming Chinese people are so dumb that they gobble up propaganda like the west does :)
They did go against China, in 1989 students and the people peacefully asked for democracy and the CCP answered with 7.62mm.
And main battle tanks.
It's amazing you think that lowly of chinese people that you assume they all collectively suffer from memory loss lmao.
Thanks for exposing your stance.
or are you not allowed to talk about 1989?
Yeh China isnt evil, they only shoot you if you dare to say the wrong thing.
Then again if you think china is so great why dont you go live there?
Singapore doesn’t have natural resources.
They have to import water and food.
Australia will be invaded if we have no allies. Countries that want our resources would prefer we have no allies to help defend our land. There is no way we can win a war with only the ADF. We need strong military allies to avoid being small pickings.
Which resource rich countries have been invaded lately?
Israel
Ukraine
We have hospitals because sometimes bad stuff happens to people. Its called insurance. Same for the fire service and police.
The military is another example sometimes you have to pay for things you dont like or want because its better than not being ready at all when bad shit happens.
WIth your logic we shouldnt have hospitals fire services, police or lots of other costly things.
You really havent thought this through.
@CowFrogHorse: Lol insurance?
Are the hospital you speak about for the wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan?
Last I looked, we were supporting the stealing of resources in two resource rich countries.
The mind works in funny ways :)
Neutral State Like Switzerland
Switzerland is made up of Swiss people.
They are hell different to Australians.
Neither good nor bad. Hell different.
Just that fact to explain "Swiss neutrality".
Not keen on paying hundreds of billions to the US Military Industrial Complex via aukus nuke subs or other future Defence projects known for cost blowouts, when a fraction of those hundreds of billions would immediately fix the loss of free Australian healthcare, lack of affordable housing, rising HECS debt and our cost of living crisis.
In addition to the loss of Defence sovereignty by tying our Defence battalions to a war mongering US, there is also the prospect of Australia becoming a modern colony of US/UK alliance with King Biden (and possibly Trump) in charge.
If you want us to go 'neutral' and solely provide for our own defense, without relying on any allies.
It is going to cost way more to properly defend a country the size of Australia. You could probably 10x our current defense spending and it still wont be enough.
Exactly.
The single biggest military deterrent we have in Australia is the good number of US-run sites & installations hosting US missiles, armaments and satellite/spy arrays.
China would be hounding our borders and trying it on militarily speaking in an absolute milisecond, if we tried to go "neutral". Our natural resources would secure an entire GDP worth of income for anyone who invaded us and actually competently utilized our natural resources for energy, food & material production.
Exactly. And we'd definitely need conscription - and I wonder how many new Australians would stick around if their children had to do that.
I'd vote for subscription in a heartbeat, but the kiddies would want to WFH
You are joking man, everyone knows there wont be such thing as neutrality. I wish there was. But because world is so interconnected nowadays, one country cannot simply side with one and other at same time (during the times of war). Just look at Australia's relationship with China (such a double sided face changing everytime there's change in government)
Australia is never gonna get out of the rabbit hole of AUKUS, 5 eyes etc as far as I can imagine it. Let alone when the heck is Australia gonna have full democracy ?? (and remove king of england as head of state??).
Also IDK why but Australia also seemingly will be going ahead in future to fund wars overseas first than solve domestic issues (like unemployment, inflation etc.), all thanks to the USA claiming its the superpower, and wants to dictate world what to do.
Bloody hell bring on a french revolution here for like employment, inflation, rental crisis, housing affordabliity crisis first, 😂
There is no possibility we could defend ourselves without allies.
We would need an independent nuclear deterrent to even consider this.
Multiple drone subs and ICBM's spread across the northern coast. Cheap deterrent - hell, we can build them today with our own knowhow.
There is no cheap deterrent that can protect Australia.
"Aussie with a parent boring overseas"
That's rude to talk about my parents like that…
It will never happen, and I'm not sure it should happen. There are pros and cons, and different frameworks… We shouldn't be at war with anyone but turning a blind eye to whatever our partners do is also problematic. This already happens as we turn a blind eye to most bad things and atrocities that either US or China do. Australia is not necessarily neutral but it's quite diplomatic having China as the main trading partner at the same time that we follow US on general geopolitics.
Yes, precisely… Probably a big mistake to depend on your "enemy". Also a big mistake nearly everyone having the same X (could be any) country as the main trading partner, or everyone depending on this country for essentially everything that is manufactured "because it's cheaper" - at the same time that everyone hypocritically criticises X's exploitation of work force, etc.
Ah yes, Switzerland. Can choose to be neutral because they are effectively defended by the countries around them who don't take the piss and front up with defence and geopolitics. Meanwhile they are happy to take money from criminals while they freeload on the west. I don't want to be anything like Switzerland. Well, I'd take some of their landscape.
Interesting that you put so much emphasis on trade, resources and what would make us 'better off'.
Shouldn't we be forming our alliances based on our joint values? E.g. Belief in democracy, procedural justice, civil rights, equality before the law.
US is anything but the above you just mentioned
Yet their still 1000% better than China or any Islamic country.
You never been to China and in need of a reality check
@Aerith-Waifu: China's current humanitarian record on justice, civil liberties, the law, personal rights and equality: https://2017-2021.state.gov/ccpabuses/
Documented human rights abuses include coercive population control methods, forced labor, arbitrary detention in internment camps, torture, physical and sexual abuse, mass surveillance, family separation, and repression of cultural and religious expression.
Their overthrow of Hong Kong: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/china…
Pro-democracy activists were arbitrarily arrested and detained. In January, authorities arrested 53 politicians for “subversion” for their involvement in a July 2020 public opinion poll. In September, three members of the group Student Politicism were arrested for “conspiracy to incite subversion” for delivering snacks to imprisoned protesters. Ordinary people were arrested for public defiance, such as for displaying flags bearing the banned 2019 protest slogan, “Reclaim Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times.” At time of writing, over 150 people had been arrested for violating the draconian National Security Law (NSL) since it was imposed on June 30, 2020. Some NSL suspects held in custody were mistreated.
Their treatment of ethnic minorities and anyone heard verbally disagreeing with any Communist policy: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/china…
Abuses committed included mass arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances, mass surveillance, cultural and religious persecution, separation of families, forced returns to China, forced labor, rape, sexual violence and violations of reproductive rights.
Their abuse of the people of the country they invaded and now currently illegally occupy, Tibet: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/china…
Authorities in Tibetan areas continue to severely restrict freedoms of religion, expression, movement, and assembly. They also fail to address popular concerns about mining and land grabs by local officials, which often involve intimidation and unlawful use of force by security forces.
Following a November 2020 announcement tightening controls on online communications that “undermine national unity,” there was a surge of reported detentions of Tibetans in 2021 for alleged online offenses. In particular, Tibetans who communicated with people outside China were harassed and punished, regardless of the content of their communications.
The government stepped up coercive assimilationist policies. Chinese language classes were already compulsory for schoolteachers, local officials, and vocational trainees. In July, authorities announced that kindergartens in ethnic minority areas must use Chinese as a medium of instruction. In August, President Xi emphasized the subordination of minority identities to a single national identity at the national “Ethnic Work” conference.
Authorities’ heightened surveillance and intimidation at all levels, from online to neighborhoods to schools, and have rendered protests—such as those over the downgrading of minority language in Inner Mongolia in 2020—virtually impossible in Tibetan areas.
Their complete absence of any freedom of speech or expression: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/china…
Authorities harassed, detained, or prosecuted numerous people for their online posts and private chat messages critical of the government, bringing trumped-up charges of “spreading rumors,” “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” and “insulting the country’s leaders.” A 2021 Wall Street Journal report found that 58 Chinese users were punished with prison sentences between six months and four years since 2017 for their posts on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube—all platforms banned in China.
An increasing number of people were punished for speeches deemed “unpatriotic.” In February, at least seven people were detained for comments in relation to the border clash with Indian troops. In March, the government passed a provision stipulating that slandering “heroes and martyrs” could be punished with up to three years in prison. Former journalist Qiu Ziming was sentenced to an eight-month prison term for suggesting the real death toll of Chinese soldiers in the clash was higher than the official figure. Authorities continued to suppress online content not in line with “core socialist values.”
The lack of any rights for girls and women, including abortion or the ability to press domestic abuse charges against partners: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/china…
Women’s rights issues continued to face online censorship. In April, dozens of social media accounts run by women’s rights activists, including those of prominent feminists Xiao Meili and Liang Xiaomen, were abruptly shut down after they were attacked and reported by nationalistic trolls online.
In June, the Chinese government announced that it would further relax the country’s birth quotas from two to three children after the previous strict “one-child” policy led to a demographic crisis—and human trafficking. Many women expressed concerns that without measures to increase access to equitable parental leave and caregiving, the policy change could further exacerbate gender inequality. Human Rights Watch research shows that the two-child policy, in effect from 2016 to 2021, had worsened workplace gender discrimination.
In September, the State Council, China’s cabinet, in its “Chinese Women’s Development Guidelines” for 2021-2030, identified “reducing non-medically necessary abortions” as a step toward women’s development. Many expressed concerns that the Chinese government could further restrict reproductive rights.
I mean, honestly, what sort of rock have you been living under to be thinking China's a better place to live than the US ?
Comedy gold
My comment?
Yep. If you think since Trump any of that
" Belief in democracy, procedural justice, civil rights, equality before the law."
is for real, or a shared value set, you must have slept through the whole era>
WE may 'aspire' to those values, or like the Yanks, claim we possess them, but we all know that depends entirely on whether you are in the privileged cohort, or a blind believer.
So thanks for the laughs.
@Protractor: You've jumped straight to the worst example you can give (Trump), but more broadly I would argue that Australia and the US (along with other key allies like the UK and New Zealand) are broadly aligned in our belief systems. At least more aligned regarding how society / the world should operate than we are with countries like China, Russia, Iran on the items that I have listed.
Are you suggesting that China / Russia are a better representation of Democracy than the US / UK?
@Alderson: Nope, I'm suggesting none of the values & stabilises you claim are shared are admissible any more, because Trump broke America. Well TBF is was screwed when the NRA subsumed the Republican Party, but now those values are effectively extinct. Trump has more in common with fascist leaders and Putin himself, so ask yourself the same serious question, not me.
NZ blows us away these days as far as a nation to compare with.Let's see if that lasts with the new govt over there, or whether they too capitulate to the vocal RWNJ bully boy minority.
Trump is not the worst example , he is America. It's heart and soul.As I have pointed out, they inherit a train wreck whether he is elected again or not.He's done more harm to the country socially and democratically than Russia & China could dream of. I sometimes wonder if Trump was hypnotised by Putin, to destroy America, because frankly, he's halfway there.
We are a Western nation at the bottom of Asia. We are not an Asian country.
Our main ally is the US and has been since 1942 when they came our aid in an hour of extreme peril.
China is our main trading partner but will never be our ally - we are totally incompatible politically.
We are not strong enough to be neutral - we need allies. Australia, since inception, has always operated in alliances.
We are not multicultural - that's a myth. Multiculturalism has largely failed in the West and we are dealing with this right now. We are multiethnic though. All immigrants should be required to assimilate. If they can't, or won't, assimilate, they should leave or be forced to leave.
Yes, we have massive resources - which we sell to whoever wants to buy them. We don't need alliances to do that, it's just international trade.
We are not multicultural?! What breakfast you took this morning
'What breakfast you took this morning'
It's 'what breakfast did you eat this morning'.
We most definitely are not. Multiculturalism has failed.
We are multiethnic. Different ethnicities in Australia tend to stick to themselves - they live and interact, largely, among their own. Many do not, or cannot, integrate and assimilate. That's not multiculturalism.
The fact that we as a nation not always respect and deal well with multiculturalism doesn't mean we are not multicultural.
I think in general people do assimilate. Some can't or choose not to but most Asians, Middle Easterns, and Latinos integrate relatively well here, and to the "Western" influence for the good and bad.
"All immigrants should be required to assimilate. If they can't, or won't, assimilate, they should leave or be forced to leave." - That's awfully stupid.
@this is us: this: All immigrants should be required to assimilate. If they can't, or won't, assimilate, they should leave or be forced to leave." - That's awfully stupid.
cow: WHY ?
Its wrong that certain people dont have their communities labeled in English and speak English. Its also unsafe, because if theres a medical or sinuilar emergency bad things happen when people cant communicate. Its also wrong when they cant read street signs in English, and that makes it unsafe for everyone else.
White bread,obviously
Switzerland is the gold standard of a neutral country, but they only get to be neutral through three things: geography, military preparation, and the self interests of all countries that deal with them.
We don't have the luxury of being global bankers to the rich, powerful, and corrupt. We have the advantage of geography and the fact that no one can just drive into our country, but our coastline is impossible to defend. And would invaders really like to have our coal, iron ore, gold, uranium, and lithium reserves? Yes, they really would.
We don't get to be neutral.
Australia cant be neutral cause of the money the Chinese bring into this country. Who else is gonna buy our coal and houses?
Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan. 80% of India's coal imports come from Australia. During the recent CCP ban in our coal, exports hardly skipped a beat. Without the CCP buying our iron ore on the other hand would make a massive hit to our economy.
If we were neutral, it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference to our resource exports.
Pretty typical point of view from a newer Australian.
No real concept of our geo-political history.
Plus, Democracy is worth fighting for.
OP's entire post sounds like a communist party talking point.
China is the future of what ?
Working 70 hours weeks, working until you drop dead ?