Yesterday, I was at my local sportsgound bowling cricket balls when I got into conversation with a another old curmudgeon. We had a conversation which veered from the abundance of sportsgrounds in Perth compared with other Australian cities to the joys of finally having a Labor Government. He had been born in Keir Hardie country a long time ago. Yes, That was Glasgow.
We talked about secession and how Western Australia was almost a different country to the rest of Australia.
He then developed an idea which has me thinking about my place in the world.
I have always been comfortable with Perth being so far from anywhere. Bali is closer to Perth than Adelaide. There is a huge sparsely populated stretch of land between Perth and any other major settled area in Australia.
My chance-met mate started talking about Morrison’s (remember him?) major war of words with China. How that relationship is becoming more and more difficult and how even our new PM may not be able to sort out that particular problem. That China was looking to have control over as much of the Pacific and Indian Oceans as possible. While India and Indonesia may be a little large to simply take over, Australia is very much a gnat compared with the China fly-swatter.
We Aussies may look on our resource sales to China as a conversation between equals yet there will always be a sense in the background that if we do not give them what they want, they simply need to take it from us.
Then came the words which continue to concern me.
If China wants to make a real point with Australia. The sort we cannot refuse, they have the perfect way!
Not the method Russia has taken with the Ukraine where everything Ukranian is being destroyed.
Perth is so remote from the rest of the world, so far from everything China wants from Australia, that one simple little nuclear bomb on top of Perth would damage nothing China wants! The fallout will not damage any major assets and the people China want to talk with will still be in their comfortable Sydney, Melbourne or Canberra offices.
Just that one small nuclear weapon would certainly get the attention of our leaders.
And the thought of it is disturbing what used to be my fairly comfortable 3am thoughts!
****** Also see – https://archiearchive.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/china-vs-united-states-why-australia-will-lose/ – from 2012) *******
Ærchies Archive - Digital Detritus 