To my mind what has made the Labor party a laughing stock on the issue of illegal boat arrivals has not just been their wilful blindness to the realities of the situation, but their political cowardice which has held them captive to the far left open-doorists who would believe every manufactured sob story told by the water borne mendicants who have been arriving in ever increasing numbers during Labor’s tenure in the lodge. It is only now that they seem to be finding the courage to to do what they should have been doing form the start, namely insist that those mendicants should make a convincing case to demonstrate that they meet the criteria of an “asylum seeker”.
Labor are to be applauded for finally finding the courage to quickly deport some of the latest chancers from Sri Lanka:
Asylum seekers …. new ‘turn-back’ provision / Pic: Daniel Wilkins Source: The Sunday Telegraph
But Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has now approved the use of stricter assessment of whether asylum seekers claims actually trigger Australia’s international obligations, following a spike in arrivals from Sri Lanka.
“As with the particular case of those people returned to Sri Lanka last week, there are powers available to the government to return people where they do not engage Australia’s international obligations and, when appropriate, we certainly intend to use them,” Mr Bowen said.
The virtual turn-back policy gives effect to the demands by the Coalition but does not risk lives at sea by simply turning boats back. Instead, people would be returned by plane in cases where their claims were not deemed credible.
Figures obtained by The Daily Telegraph reveal the government has been successful in slowing the number of asylum seekers from Iran and Afghanistan, however, the number of Sri Lankan arrivals has spiked recently – jumping since the end of May when under 400 arrived, to more than 1200 in October.
Mr Bowen confirmed last night that 26 new arrivals from Sri Lanka had been refused entry and were aboard a special flight back.
“The single adult males, who arrived by boat at Christmas Island and Cocos Islands earlier this week, were advised of their status and that they were subject to removal from Australia,” Mr Bowen said.
“They raised no issues that engaged Australia’s international obligations.
“Without a valid visa, they had no legal right to remain in Australia and were removed at the earliest opportunity.”
Four Iraqis and two Iranian men were voluntarily flown home from Nauru yesterday. p
Of course the fact that it has taken so long for their collective balls to drop on the issue is a very good reason that they should be condemned, especially for the huge cost of their ineptitude. It is also good to see that some of the mendicants sent to Nauru have gone home. Now if only Labor were to make sure that ALL asylum seekers who arrive without invitation were denied permanent residency then we might solve the problem. because its permanent residency that draws the boats here not the need for “asylum”.
Cheers Comrades
Sadly this is an example of Labor’s Balls
Related articles
- Boat people to be sent home (dailytelegraph.com.au)
- Bowen details Sri Lankan expulsion (bigpondnews.com)
- No-advantage rule told to those on Nauru (bigpondnews.com)
- 14 Sri Lankan asylum seekers sent home (news.smh.com.au)
Iain Hall's SANDPIT 
If you really think that any Australian government is going to ‘stop the boats’ then you are away with the fairy’s. The Howard solution didn’t work, most of the Nauru transfers ended up in Australia and the evidence would suggest that the reduction in boat numbers and Howard tub thumping bravura were co-incidental occurrences as the refugees pressure and exodus from source countries reduced.
The bulk of illegals, asylum seekers, NZ runaways come into Australia by aircraft and just overstay visas anyhow.
What’s the solution? Sink the boats and drown the asylum seekers? Tow the boats back into Indonesian waters? Result: Boats that are scuttled as soon as an Oz ship appears on the horizon, or alternatively a diplomatic incident between Australia and Indonesia?
deknarf
Although I don’t dispute the final destination of those detained the fact remains that having a regime that denied permanent residency had stopped the flow of boats, those remaining in detention were a backlog.
Umm! Didn’t the detention remainders get permanent residency?
Only after Labor won office as far as I know.
Nice nick into the side pocket Iain, but it won’t wash trying to blame Labor on that one!
Well I have been following this issue since 2007 when all of the lefties were insisting that their changes would “make no difference” yet week by week a difference was obvious now we have 2k a week in arrivals…
The old adage is clearly apt here “if it ain’t broke don’t try to fix it” Labor are being rewarded for ignoring that 🙄
iain you said this,
where did you get the figure 2000 a week, liberal propaganda again
Labor’s immigration policy is a complete disaster in every shape and form; especially the ” We will remove Howard’s Pacific Solution and be more humane to refugees – even if it kills them” And so over 1000 refugees paid the ultimate price. And Labor unbelievingly lays the blame on the coalition.
360,000 children are born mostly in third world countries every day. We see the ads on TV soliciting money for the starving children in Africa -this while the mother is sorounded by a half dozen young children and a baby in her arms despite the drought that has existed there for decades.
As for taking more refugees – just how many more can we take? A million? 5 million? Keeping in mind that these refugees can bring in 3 more family members and of course the Greens would never place a cap on the numbers no matter how many came. Even if we brought in a million refugees at a huge cost to our country, that would equal maybe a week of births in the third world and what exactly would it really accomplish?
And so the refugees keep a coming and receive all their benefits including housing, this while there are 105,000 homeless of our own people in Australia. .The boat people budget has blown out by 4.5 billion dollars and now the Government want’s another 1.5 billion and this is just for starters. The government has blown the budget and is cutting back on everything from medical science to defence, which leaves it up to the US to shoulder even more of our defence burden.
Incidentally as huge iron ore deposits have just been found in Siberia and the money that Labor was counting on from the mineral boom to pay for all this will be short lived.Where will China buy iron ore from, Australia with huge costs in transportation and higher wages or Siberia, a stones throw across the border?…Hmm. a tough one!
And when these refugees enter the country it will be a minimum of 5 years before they get off welfare and get a job because most have no skills or command of English.You better get used to big tax increases and paying more for everything including the medical rebates which have just been cut. And believe me this is just the start. And our hospitals and roads and everything in between will be short changed because there just will no be enough money for all of Labor’s grand disastrous schemes, including paying for all those refugees.
The financial cost to this country in the years to come will be staggering and we will have huge unemployed underclass living in ghettoes in our cities. I won’t even mention the crime statistics of third world people in this country or the risks of having a huge young Muslim sector of our population.
And yet the many Laborites and Greens actually want open borders for their country, it’s totally insane – then again as a “racist” what do I know?
I think it’s 2000/month, so a mistake on Iains part.
Eh, Labor is shitting themselves as even their deluded minds now realise these numbers are not sustainable economically nor socially, in the medium or long term.
Rise, rise
GOLDEN DAWN.
BBBWWAAAHHHHH
Having a look at wars and unrest in the region and boat arrivals also makes some interesting comparisons, especially when aligned with the various attempts to stop asylum seekers getting on boats.
Incidentally more have come in by aircraft than have ever come by boat!
This is Iain’s blog what he says is the truth, so 2000 a week it will be, no excuses needed.
deknarf
Well I think that we have to face the simple fact that the majority of countries in the world are somewhat less than fully functional or equitabe socities and there is also the point that K man was making about how many we should or can be expected to take. The UN Convention was never envisioned as a defacto mass immigration instrument
I tend to think that such claims are wrong because they assume that someone over staying a tourist visa is the same as some one who wants permanent residency the former is likely to go home evenully but the latter won’t
1. The point I was making is that the number of arrivals is primarily driven by the level of unrest and number of refugees not necessarily by the policies in place.
2. If that’s so then the ABS is lying to us, and
3. They’re not just coming on planes for a holiday they are coming for permanent residence, eventually. Don’t see too many reports of deports of illegals from this country.
Of course the the 30 billion dollars it is costing Australian taxpayers, based on expert analysis to fight “American Wars” in Afghanistan and Iraq, does not help in stopping the flow of refugees from these countries, and the same lot whinge about 25 million spent on a seat on the UN Security Council, ——what can I say—– “All The Way With The Americanisation O f The United States Of Australiaa.”
deknarf
Well that is the old “its all push factors” argument isn’t it? That may explain why people want to leave their homes but it does not explain why they would want to spend the money and effort to come here rather than any other destination and its clear that the sort of migration outcomes that we make available has a huge influence on that decision. and the fact that Labor made things seem far brighter for mendicants than was the case under the Howard regime can not be under estimated.
Not a matter of the ABS lying but of how the stats are considered
And many get no further than the airport, when their story is questioned.
Surprise, surprise. Rabid Richard Ryan with another foam flecked attack on his Great Satan.
“Of course the the 30 billion dollars it is costing Australian taxpayers, based on expert analysis to fight “American Wars” in Afghanistan and Iraq,”
30 billion dollars fighting American wars? What our resident American hater Richard Ryan here is quoting an article from “The Age” sister publication to “Pravda” and “The Green Left Weekly”
“AS THE world commemorates the 10-year anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Australia’s bill for fighting terrorism edges towards $30 billion, and local analysts are questioning whether we are getting value for money.
The $30 billion figure is an estimate, based on expert analysis of Australian spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the rivers of cash poured into police and intelligence agencies, and other security measures since the September 11 attacks on the US.”
Now note that Ryan in typical Lefty fashion has included the “rivers of cash ” for ASIO which has successfully prevented terrorist attacks in Australia in this figure.Also note that he refers to the war as “American wars”
So let’s forget the 88 Australians killed in Bali and those Australians killed in 9/11 it’s as if al-Quida and world terrorism has nothing to do with us or the rest of the western world.It’s all just America!
What Ryan and his comrades haven’t figured out yet is why even the Left in the Labor Party support the US. Well the reason genius, is because we cannot fight our way of a paper bag. As I have posted before. There are more mechanics in the U.S.Army alone than we have personel in our entire ADF of 57,000. Our navy is in shambles with ships that can’t sail, and we have just one submarine operational. If Australia had to pony up the money to give us even a very modest defence force it would be a hell of a lot more that a lousy $30 billion.
Meanwhile your little internet terrorist pal Assange is doing everything he can to undermine the actual country, and your Great Satan that guarantees our security. Incidentally how many posts have you sent condemning him or that traitor Hicks? It’s all just America isn’t it?
Seems to me Redboy you would be happier living in Cuba than “The United States of Australiaa” but then on second thought he Cubans are trying to escape to your Great Satan America.Maybe that tells you something,but with your pathetic American hating mind-set, probably not.
Good I got a bite! Shalom.
PS.Bradley Manning—sends his regards.
and kman—–lay off the viagra! It don’t agree with you.
You heard it here first: American Empire——-BANKRUPT!
The Iraq War generated about a million extra refugees, and the Afghan War about the same (possibly more depending on where you get your estimates from). Anyone who really cares about the refugee problem should put their primary focus onto not starting wars.
The recent Muslim Brotherhood uprising in Syria, Libya and Egypt will no doubt result in persecution of Christians and even more refugees as these people attempt to escape Sharia Law imposed on them. Yet it is US government policy to provide arms for these uprisings… seriously WTF?
“Our navy is in shambles with ships that can’t sail, and we have just one submarine operational. If Australia had to pony up the money to give us even a very modest defence force it would be a hell of a lot more that a lousy $30 billion.”
When push comes to shove in a tight spot the only person you can really depend on is yourself. We may get assistance from the US, but we may not. Of course we don’t want to piss them off unnecessarily but standing around with begging bowl held out won’t get respect and it won’t work for us either.
Regarding the US base near Darwin, we should offer an equal size naval base to China and charge both parties very substantial lease fees on the land. Lease that is, never sell your land to foreigners. We should also beef up our own defence force and strictly use it for defence. The Iraq War was not defence.
You heard it here first here -or maybe not, .Richard Ryan idiot!
And what the f**k does Bradley Manning have to do with anything? Oh of course, he is another traitor,which obviously makes him a hero to Richard Ryan.You really are a loser sport!
“When push comes to shove in a tight spot the only person you can really depend on is yourself. We may get assistance from the US, but we may not.”
And why wouldn’t we? America put over one million troops through Oz in WWII and we are still allies.
“The only person we can depend on is yourself” Not in our case as we don’t have anything to depend with.
And we are not standing around begging-we alrewady have the ANZUS Treaty.
As for beefing up our defence force. You obviously did not read my previous post through or you would have seen we can’t “beef up” our defence force because we don’t have the personnel or the money, the blow out cost of asylum seekers were the final straw . Hell we cant even find enough sailors to man our 6 subs.Of course that’s not a real problem now as only one of them was operational last time I looked.
As for offering a base near Darwin to the Chinese -Please tell me you are jesting as this is something that could only come from those loony leftists who frequent this blog.
The only reason we are in Afghanistan and Iraq——is to curry favour with the Americans, don’t give us that bull-shit about democracy, as it was with the “American War” in Vietnam —-Iraq and Vietnam both invasions based on a lie. America does not speak for me—end of story. Shalom.
NO FOREIGN TROOPS ON
AUSTRALIAN SOIL:
That would have worked well in WW2.
Keep running up the debt, degrading our defence forces and importing people from 3rd world countries who come here for our welfare state.
That’s the way to build a strong economy and a strong country for the future.
All the way with Labor I say.
No Foreign Troops On Muslim Lands Also.
What make Muslims so special Richard?
The big surplus during the Howard Regime—–what did they do with the money—–Plunged Australia into the Iraqi war—-as Howard danced to the beat of America’s war tom-toms.
AS for Bali, the Bali I saw included the ugly Australian on the beach at Kuta, with his or her superior attitude; the sex tourist; the racist; and the tight visitor haggling to drive down the price of some item by 10 cent—– I predicted someone is surly going to get done here to myself—–people were talking—the safety valve blew with lots of deaths. Not much has changed, from what I have seen last year, Aussies a bit quieter maybe.
Well it is the fastest growing religion—–Islam. So what does that tell us?
Why on earth do you continue to live here if you hate this country and its culture so much Richard?
With regard to Islam why does the “growth rate” do it for you ?
kman do you have any rational basis for your dislike of a perfectly normal open market leasing operation that would bring both money and jobs to Australia? You just don’t like Chinese or something?
Tel
while I like and admire the beauty of our venomous snakes I don’t think that I want one living in our house….
Give it up Ian this character is an old world Communist plain and simple.He has a visceral hatred of the US and he is so stupid he delights in the thought of an America in financial trouble.with this gem right out of The Daily Worker” “You heard it here first: American Empire——-BANKRUPT!”
What this genius doesn’t realise the disastrous effects that would have on the entire world,because the US feeds and funds more third world countries that the rest of the world put together, and that includes 25% of the UN budget.Oh and many of those poor countries are Muslim, and the US even supplies food to Communist North Korea.
Richard the Red has six posts almost all in a row and he hasn’t said anything interesting or intelligent.By his feverish posting I believe he has flushed down too much Vodka or he is having a nervous breakdown. Personally I think this character is a raving lunatic spouting gibberish, and I for one will not waste any time with in the future.
And as for his “America does not speak for me” I am positive it doesn’t because any enemy of America is a friend of Richard the Red.
And Tel, Ian put it better than I could. Incidentally you are a young person aren’t you?
He might be, “kman”. But he sounds like an intelligent one. So he’s one up on you there. As for Richard Ryan, I take him even less seriously than I take you. The day he starts posting more than “death to America” one liners, I might reconsider.
Have you found a reference for that Assange quote-that-isn’t-a-quote?
Unlike ye hybrid bloggers, who use a screen name—–what do ye fear? Another little one-liner for ye lot. ” The worse country to be poor in is America” Arnold Toynbee. Shalom, Richard Ryan.
Well that’s it for me.
Rant away leftoids and don’t forget to turn off the lights when you are finished!
Well Put Kman 😉
1 If you had the chance to get anywhere in the world where would you go?
2. Ahh! The lies, damned lies and statistics argument – the numbers are the numbers they don’d admit of interpretation.
3. And awful lot do!
None of you have explained in any rational terms what exactly it is about China that makes them unsuitable for making a deal with. They are nominally Communist, and I see that this offends you but I suggest that you look just a bit deeper — the US economy is equally centrally planned as what the Chinese economy is (or very close to it). At least the Chinese are moving away from Communism (admittedly slowly), while the US moves in the opposite direction.
You might argue that China is not Democratic, and that is very much a problem for your average Chinese citizen, but hardly a concern for Australians because we aren’t going to be offered a vote there under any conditions. A deal is a deal and a dollar is a dollar, so if you guys profess to hate Communism so much, why do you have such a big problem with Capitalism then? A true Capitalist would regard Chinese money to be as good as any other money. I suspect you just use Capitalism as a cover for blind prejudice.
You quote some French philosopher (a waffler at that) but I guess I missed the bit where anyone presented a rational argument. Plenty of emotive appeal, plenty of empty assertion, but no actual basis: “a hatred of the very idea of America not as a geographic region but as a region of the soul,” so what does that mean exactly? Someone trying hard to sound profound? Which region of the soul? How do I go about measuring soul-regions exactly?
Maybe you think that if we just prostrate ourselves to someone thoroughly enough they are guaranteed to appreciate it and feel the urge to reciprocate? Well we tried that in World War I when we send our finest to die for the British Empire and strangely enough England hasn’t rushed to pay back the debt (maybe next year huh? but I doubt it). The heart of Americanism is self interest, even the Communists are self interested over there (they won’t tell you as much, but it is out of self interest that they tell lies). If you are so pro-American as you pretend then perhaps consider your own interests rather than just bending over for them every time — only what they expect of you.
I ask you again, have you any rational basis not to take China’s money?
I just remembered the title of this post is “lacks testicular fortitude”… how apt!
I’m enjoying your work on this blog, Tel. Admittedly dealing with intellectual juveniles like “kman” isn’t too difficult. He’s just a pastiche of pro-American cliches and aphorisms. His view on America is so imbalanced that in reality he sounds like a mirror image of Richard Ryan (only he writes more).
You’re right about China. We all know that China remains a place where the state exerts enormous power over life and liberty. Yet neo-cons have jumped on the Chinese gravy train without any regard to their high minded political principles. Murdoch, who spouts all kind of nonsense about freedom of the press, was happy to sell out journalistic independence to get Sky into the Chinese market. The 500 million plus iDevices are made in Chinese factories by overworked and underpaid labourers who commit suicide at 12 times the Western average. “kman” probably lies in bed at night stroking himself silly to the idea that the US is the vanguard of democracy, liberalism and free market capitalism. Strange then that the US government and its major corporations have kissed up to one of the most illiberal power economies in history.
There is much to admire about the US and its leadership in the world. But we shouldn’t lose sight that at the end of the day, America acts in its own interests. It always has done.
Tel
They are a totalitarian state in the first instance Tel and they have dreams of global hegemony and the projection of their revolution to places like Australia as well. The Yanks may be lots of things but most importantly they are our proven friends and allies.
While this is true to some extent and a valid argument for allowing some investment from the Chinese in economic ventures in this country what you are suggesting is that we allow then to have a military presence on our soil which is a fish of another species entirely. Now I ask you a simple question; imagine you have a room for rent in your house would you be comfortable having a tenant in their playing with an AK47? because taht is what it boils down to here.
The Far left just love to hate the Yanks, its almost a religious conviction, or an article of faith to do so but when the alternatives (like the Chinese) are no more morally or politically virtuous it becomes something of an empty berlief.
What you fail to appreciate is that within my lifetime Aussies considered themselves to be British and the thought of not jumping into help “Mother England” was almost entirely absent. We still have very strong cultural ties to both the UK and to the US and many of us see that connection as something of value rather than as a burden. Its that shared culture and our common language that makes us far more comfortable with the notion of US troops on our soil than Chinese and frankly no amount of cash would make a Red Army presence on our soil acceptable.
I ask you again, have you any rational basis not to take China’s money?
Thanks Ian for that great post to Tel. That should clear it up for him.-
And Tel, the only reason I am replying on this thread is to make you aware of the outright fantasies and fabrications that may warp your view on the real world.
That nasty little Commie Brian, has posted a couple of completely absurd statements, and as I refuse to deal with him directly why don’t you Tel ask him to name one – yep just one country on this planet that doesn’t “act in its own interests”? He can’t do it because every country acts their own interests as does America. The thing is America shares her wealth and technology with the world.
So go ahead Tel ask him – name just one country?
And Tel note the classy tone of a commie “kman” probably lies in bed at night stroking himself silly to the idea that the US is the vanguard of democracy, liberalism and free market capitalism.”
Two points here Tel.
1. The stroking inn bed thing. You see Tel, what Brian is doing is projecting his guilt because he feels a little ashamed about doing it himself,maybe his mother caught when he was little. – so he moves his guilt and shame to someone else.
2. “the idea that the US is the vanguard of democracy, liberalism and free market capitalism”
Now this statement is so stupid, I would have to put it down to the most idiotic thing ever published on this blog.
And here’s why…
The United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for following their respective visions instead of asserting “narrow American interests” in a speech today on U.S. foreign policy.
In remarks at the liberal Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., Rubio sketched the advances made globally since the end of World War II as a result of America’s leadership.
That vision and will helped other nation’s attain liberty, kept trade routes open, supported “the expansion of free market capitalism that accelerated the growth of the global economy,” he said, “and we did it without coveting other countries’ territories or seizing their assets or robbing them of their opportunities.”
“The purpose of the institutions we established, from the United Nations to the World Bank and the IMF was to spread peace and prosperity, not to assert narrow American interests,” said Sen. Rubio.
Forming the U.N. the World bank,and the IMF.
The Marshall Plan.
Philippine Independence – turning the Philippines into a modern, democratic, independent country
MacArthur Constitution – rebuilding Japan on a democratic framework
Berlin Airlift – preventing Communist takeover of Berlin
Korean War – preventing Communist takeover of South Korea
Taiwan Strait Crises – preventing Communist takeover of Taiwan
Truman Doctrine – preventing Communist takeover of Greece and Turkey
Cold War – defeating the Soviet Union.
US intervention in Yugoslavia and Kosovo.
Saving Mexico from economic collapse (in 1995).
And this is just some of the work America has done for the good of the world.
After WWII, America did not send her former enemies people to “camps’ or try to exterminate a whole race of people. Instead America after having lost tens of thousands of sons and daughters killed by Germans and Japanese, she brought food, money and defended Germany and the rest of Europe from the brutal advancing Soviet Armies.
And of course there was the Berlin Airlift and the Marshall Plan and as I said America opened up her huge markets to Germany and Japan at great cost to her own industries.
And let’s not forget, for more than 50 years US Aid has fed approximately 3 billion people in 150 countries and that includes just about all socialist countries and America’s enemies in the Middle East and North Korea . And of course the World bank is bankrolled mostly by the US and 25 % ot the anti American UN budget is also ponied up by the USA. And let’s not forget the cost of $100 billion p/a for defending the socialist countries of Europe. And in 2009, U.S. bank lending to Europe totaled $1.5 trillion.
So much for “silly to the idea that the US is the vanguard of democracy, liberalism and free market”
Now Tel, The Fly will not be happy to hear this because he will do anything to smear America and he willo come back with another stupid comment from “green Left Weekly” even though almost everything he uses is American invented, including drugs that have undoubtedly already saved his miserable commie life.
So there ist is Tel Just disregard anything and everything this character posts because it’s garbage. You have to give it to the Reds who try to blame America for all the worlds sins, while pushing their agenda of socialist failures as the way to go. Geez -why can’t some people learn anything from history?
The Jockey Damien Oliver is the David Hicks of horse racing, snigger snigger——-riding Americain today in the Cup.
What “revolution”? The Chinese Revolution for all intents and purposes ended in the late 1970s. China has been transforming into an oligarchical managed capitalist state ever since. And what evidence do you have that China wants to export this “revolution” that no longer exists? Who has China invaded or annexed in the last 10 or 20 years? Chinese foreign policy ambitions are reasonably sedate given its military power/numbers.
And the far Right just love to interpret any criticism or adverse commentary on the US as “America hating”. Our friends they may be, but the US is far from perfect and certainly not above criticism. Babbling cheerleaders for the US like “kman” have no perspective, anyone who dares question or criticise the US is a “commie” who reads “Green Left Weekly”. That’s the measure of his intellectual position.
So you don’t want Chinese troops on our soil because they don’t speak English? Frankly I’m opposed to any foreign bases here, full stop. In the unlikely event of a US-China conflict it would make us more of a target than we already are. An American base won’t serve as a deterrent; it didn’t in 1942 and it won’t in 2012 or beyond.
Sedate or not their foreign policy is all about raising the place of the people’s republic in the global pecking order and I see no reason why we should help them in those ambitions.because we would not derive any benefit for doing so.
Well I have spent seven years debating with the minions of the far left on this and other blogs and I stand by my observations about the religiosity of the American hating that they get up to. Usually Its the USA and Israel that are the top of their hate list until there is a natural disaster at which point they seem to expect the USA to drop everything and save the day.
Its not about deterrents Brian and in a post cold war world I think that the prospect of either China or the US duking it out is rather remote, really its a rather moot point because the way that warfare methodology is going “remote control” with the use of drones we are going to see lees boots on the ground and more Hellfire missiles up the jacksies of our enemies.
Do you think the $50+ billion of iron ore, bauxite, coal and crude oil we export to China each year doesn’t “help them in those ambitions” or benefit us?
The same could be said of the far right, like your mate “kman”. Chanting that someone is “anti American” or “communist” is just a cheap ploy to shut down debate or valid criticism of the US. The same as calling someone “anti Semitic” because they criticise the policies of Israel. The only real “America hater” I’ve seen on this blog is Richard Ryan and I suspect he’s taking the piss a lot of the time.
Oh I agree that a China/US war is most unlikely. They are both too busy with economic priorities, not geopolitical priorities. An Iran-Israel or India-Pakistan war is much more likely. But the situation could easily change over a few years, maybe even less. What if hardliners took over in China and decided to reclaim Taiwan? You are kidding yourself if you think that in the event of such a war that Australia wouldn’t be a target for Chinese missiles, especially if it housed US bases or troops.
And somehow the suicides by workers in China are the fault of the US. Never mind that these peasants, thanks to the American consumer have jobs and are earning relatively good money as opposed to dropping dead of exhaustion in the rice fields or mines under former Chinese Government leaders.
The thing about the left Tel is that make absurd claims re America, and then any riposte which actually disproves their absurd claim is either ignored, rebuked for being too long, or the personal attacks begin because that is the way these useful idiots of the West operate.
I would like any of the usual four American bashers who frequent this blog to name just one country that has done a fraction of the good for the world that the US has done. So name away you America haters, list your champion/s country that has actually contributed in the past 50 years anywhere near the amount of aid and technology to make the world a better place than America has done.
Now Tel watch the excuses and the weenie attempts to change the subject.
And someone with medical experience, please do something to help Richard Ryan before he gags on his own spittle.
Ian, China’s growing assertiveness in the Asia Pacific is apparent as China is developing aircraft carriers which will allow her naval force to project air power worldwide. And China has launched its largest amphibious dock landing warship, the 19,000 metric ton Jinggangshan. The 689-foot-long warship can carry 1,000 soldiers, helicopters, armoured fighting vehicles, boats and landing craft. ” (Another sign that China is not developing ships just for defence.)
“China’s recent attempt to virtually enforce maritime exclusion zones in the South China Sea, East China Sea and the Yellow Sea forms a very disturbing precedent. It has obvious implications for the substantial contributions’ to contingencies freedom of navigation on the high seas. This obviously worries the USA and it equally has implications for India.”… China Daily.
“”The Peoples Republic of China is now on the verge of launching a blue water navy which eventually will become a very serious threat to the naval forces of the United States and its friends in the Asia-Pacific region, with devastating consequences for free trade and the very existence of independent nations in the area”…..inatoday.
More than half of Australia’s traded goods have to sail thorough the South China Sea. When China begins to interfere as they have with other nations, ships bound for Australia laden with oil and trade goods, we obviously will always have to back down to this increasingly aggressive Communist nation now flexing it’s huge military muscles. Ditto when China with it’s 1.5 billion and exploding numbers of people and over – tilled fields will have no choice to begin fishing in the territorial waters of other nations – including ours.
And as China does not recognise our claim to our Australian Antarctic Territory, the Chinese “scientists” who have already scoped this area out under the guise of “scientific research” (60 Minutes), will begin to drill for oil and minerals in these pristine waters. So who will we call on for help? Certainly not the corrupt and useless UN which only ever accomplishes anything when the United States actually does 95 % of the work, or NATO which can’t even mount a minimum bombing campaign in Libya for two weeks without US support. NATO is so weak the U.S. has to station some 80,000 troops there and spends $100 billion a year on the defence of Europe.
So a war could happen at any time and unlike the Soviets who understood MAD, the Chinese have a more fatalistic view of life,and one Chinese General in particular has been pushing for war with the U.S.
And China can change it’s government overnight as we has seen through coups in the past, and who knows what any new leader would be capable of? The inscrutable Chinese thing.
As I have posted previously we have absolutely no military defence against China with it’s nuclear weapons and massive air force etc. at all,. and as the US, and only the US is providing that defence for us,,the very least we can do is make any of bases available to them and anyone who disagrees with that has a very limited understanding of how things actually work in the real hard dark world.