Just What is Australia Thinking, atm?

I don’t often dabble seriously in what Australia thinks about global matters. Yes, I do mention the country from time to time – I am Australian, by choice rather than birth, after all, and have in fact spent more than half my life there. But I do tend to think about global matters all or most of the time, paying little attention to personal or local issues. There is enough to do on global issues, which change from day to day, and at times change from minute to minute, without any need to focus elsewhere. I should really pay more attention to personal issues, but my life is more or less static now and there are few distractions which prevent my doing the things I like doing, at times of my own choice. Growing old does have some advantages.

But back to the story.

Australia is generally no more than a bit player on the world stage. That may ruffle a few feathers, but who cares? President Putin, when asked once by some Western (probably Aussie) reporter “Mr President, what do you think of Australia?”, replied, “I never think of Australia”. I think that illustrates just where we stand, in world opinion. From a different standpoint, I tend to think about, and read and write about Russia quite a lot and most days. Why? Well, Russia is undoubtedly at the centre of, or somehow involved in, almost everything that happens, all day, every day, these days. It is perhaps the most newsworthy nation on the planet, and has been now for many years.

China, of course shares the same sort of limelight as Russia, globally, perhaps more so for Australians, being geographically closer and sharing the same ocean bathtub. That also arises, I think, because China is the largest trading partner for my country, so we have to mostly tread gently on China’s toes so as not to antagonise too much. A lesson hard learned by the disastrous previous government, and one which has still not been fully restored. That is likely to continue as long as Australia also bends over backwards to keep in good books with the US. I will not discuss Australia’s disgusting attitude towards Russia here, fed by US/CIA lies and resulting in very warped and entirely unwarranted thinking in that direction.

I will also refrain from talking about AUKUS – a costly rabbit hole to nowhere.

So, moving along before I get diverted down any other rabbit hole, there is a current situation vis-a-vis China which is occupying military, government and media thought a lot just now. It relates to a group of Chinese naval vessels moving down and along Australian East coast and now South coast, causing more than a little consternation among those just stated groups for whom consternation is a daily pre-occupation. These Chinese ships are doing nasty things like ‘being there’ and ‘warning airlines not to overfly as they are doing live-fire exercises’. How inconvenient. Personally, I am thoroughly enjoying the whole spectacle, while it lasts, and contemplating how the Chinese feel about Australian warships trolling down the Taiwan Strait. It kind of raises a smile, don’t you think?

Anyway, the main point is, a branch of the ABC Online news facility has today produced a video interview with a journalist specialising in military affairs, Richard McGregor, for an in-depth TV news segment. And to my surprise, because I can’t stomach the normal trash and bold lies they put out on anything to do with Russia, reduced to mostly carefully worded smears for China (the best way I can describe it), this piece is remarkably good and not in any way, that I could detect, distasteful or dishonest. It seems they are trying to explain – without unduly alarming the public – some reasonable thoughts as to how we are thinking on the subject. Together with reasons for that, and also commenting on the state of our readiness for potential different outcomes of a more sinister kind. Also on future repetitions of the visit. Not only that, but how this affects our relationship with our own Big Brother guardian and protector – with thoughts on their reliability to fulfill those roles.

I think you may find the video to be most interesting part of the article below, which contains much more related news as a wrap around, I guess. I admit to not having read the full bulletin, parts of which I imagine are quite distasteful.

‘Donald Trump may upset the delicate bromance between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin’ – ABC News – Mar 2, 2025

‘Bromance?’, really? Is that the best they can come up with? Worthless dilettantes.

I have pulled out the Youtube video of the interview, in case that is all you want to see, or if you do not have access to the ABC website for some reason.

Incidentally, the Australian public, long deprived of commenting on the ABC News articles, have unanimously (as far as I can see) commented on this Youtube video with derisive sentiments towards the Aussie government. Telling, no doubt. I love it. And that has given me heart to continue doing what I do to highlight the same feelings in my blog when necessary. I guess that acts as payback for what passes as democracy here. Enjoy!

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Without a sense of the past and its meaning, without narratives that weave the events of our daily lives into patterns that touch the principles that matter, we lack the essential raw materials of thought, and so our collective reasoning processes, such as they are, spit out the same rehashed nonsolutions over and over again.
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Just What is Australia Thinking, atm?

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