OTI agree with you, I have also found the picture that the...

OT

I agree with you, I have also found the picture that the Chinese politician has tweeted very offensive. Frankly at one point I thought it was real until the news outlet mentioned it was fabricated. There is no doubt that this is going too far. But lets entertain the other side of the coin for a moment.

Regarding the behavior of Australian SAS soldiers in Afghanistan, these guys (in particular SAS soldiers) are supposed to be most educated, best trained and highly disciplined individuals who are able to control their thoughts and emotions in combat.

We are not some rogue terrorist state that goes into war to do whatever it wants. We are a democracy and we have to behave like it. What the SAS soldiers have done is reason for national shame, there is no two way about it. Its absolute genocide in modern history.

Frankly listening in on the interviews of some of the high ranking commanders of the Australian armed forces, I cant help but to think that they are more sorry that the news got out than they are that the soldiers did what they did.

Besides, how can they be a commander and leader in charge, in one of the most sensitive positions in the country that requires you to know absolutely everything that is happening, and yet this happens and they claim they didn't know and if they knew they would have stopped it?

Our governments reaction has been way too soft, we needed some high ranking officers fired or at least disciplined / demoted. But it doesn't happen and frankly its solely due to lack of leadership in government.


With regards to trades tensions with China, again there is no doubt that China misbehaved with regards to Corona Virus. But it was a big tactical error and massive failure of foreign policy by Scott Morrison to get involved because Trump administration pushed him to do it.

Question is, if the virus had started in the US or one of the other ally countries and as a result of some mistakes (which would have been very possible with Trump in charge) the virus spread around the would would we still want to launch an international enquiry? Or do we do that because the Chinese look and speak different?

Remember we have banned Huawei (perhaps for good reason) along with other measures we have taken against China. Then out of nowhere we get into a fight of superpowers because Trump administration has pushed Scott Morrison to do it. Why?

When there is US, European union and a vast number of individual European powerhouses who suffered far more from the virus and are strategically better placed to take on China why would Australia do it? Sheer stupidity perhaps?

How did we expect China to respond? to smile at us and say please be a bit more gentle? Did we not think that if we poke the beast in the eye it is possible it will bite us?

We are in a big trade deficit with the US, that is they export to Australia far more than Australia exports to the US. On top of that we buy their obsolete weapons, get involved in their wars and our prime minister ends up running their errand.

On the other hand, we sell a lot to China, big portion of our export comes from China and they have never threatened Australia's sovereignty.

Dont get me wrong, I am no fan of China and their treatment of civil and human rights is horrible. But we are talking about smart international diplomacy.

Out of the whole union between US, Japan and India, we are only slightly likely to benefit from Japan. Neither of the other two have anything to offer in the way of export or otherwise. We need to stop thinking the way we have been thinking IMO

end of rant