
American strategy, military spending and collective defence in the Indo-Pacific - dlcmh
https://www.ussc.edu.au/analysis/averting-crisis-american-strategy-military-spending-and-collective-defence-in-the-indo-pacific
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simonblack
None of the 9 points in the 'Australia should' list mention the Australian
economy at all.

Australia is in a 'lose-lose' situation. If it goes wholeheartedly with the
US, it loses the 30% of its economy that makes China its greatest trade
partner. If it goes wholeheartedly with China, it loses out financially and
security-wise (and very likely, plus sanctions) without the US's backing.

At some point or other, and very soon, Australia will have to choose whether
it is on America's side or on China's side.

In the long run, Australia would be much better off to choose the ascendant
China. But racially and ideologically, it will choose the US and join the
general collapse of the West.

It's all arithmetic. Figures don't lie the way you want them to. Two plus two
always equals four. China _alone_ has a greater manufacturing capacity and a
greater number of men of military age than the _whole_ of the West ('Five
Eyes' plus Europe).

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boomboomsubban
From the start,it's crazy to work under the assumption that we should have
total control over the Indo-Pacific, but this just gets ridiculous.

After bemoaning how they only had two super huge budget increases since 2012,
they move on to how the pesky democracy gets in the way of US strategic
influence. How dare the Republicans not have complete unity over Trump's
recommended plan, and the Democrats can't do anything when half their party
wants lower military spending.

How do you write such an analysis without once mentioning our ongoing military
operation in Yemen's Indian Ocean?

It's surprising the recommendations don't appear to include a coup.

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dlcmh
Tried to access [https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/us-would-lose-any-war-
fou...](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/us-would-lose-any-war-fought-in-
the-pacific-with-china-7j90bjs5b) but it’s paywalled. Then stumbled onto this
edu.au report based on googling around a couple of key terms.

