Contrarian, I couldn't agree more. To "deal with China as a client in a proper business-like manner" would be my ideal too.
But Australia has been a puppet of foreign powers from its inception, as a penal colony of England. Then back in the 1950s we allowed British nuclear testing at Maralinga, in our beautiful outback, followed by the US bases at Pine Gap, and they also have a (rotating) base at Darwin.
And when we do get a leader who shows a bit of leadership or independence, they get ousted, often by their own party machine.
But Australia is by no means alone in that - every Western country seems to be under the thumb of the Controllers (and it would be simplistic to say "the US" - the "military-industrial complex" might be closer to the truth).
Contrarian, I couldn't agree more. To "deal with China as a client in a proper business-like manner" would be my ideal too.
But Australia has been a puppet of foreign powers from its inception, as a penal colony of England. Then back in the 1950s we allowed British nuclear testing at Maralinga, in our beautiful outback, followed by the US bases at Pine Gap, and they also have a (rotating) base at Darwin.
And when we do get a leader who shows a bit of leadership or independence, they get ousted, often by their own party machine.
But Australia is by no means alone in that - every Western country seems to be under the thumb of the Controllers (and it would be simplistic to say "the US" - the "military-industrial complex" might be closer to the truth).