Battleland

Doubts Down Under

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Former (1975-1983) Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser isn’t pleased with the tiny, but growing, U.S. military presence on the island that some dare call a continent:

Over 20 years now we have given the impression of doing that which America wants. We seem to believe that our security can be best assured if we do what we can to win brownie points with the United States. This is a mistaken assumption. No country can really win brownie points with great powers. Great powers follow their own national interests and we should follow ours…If an attempt to contain China through military means leads to hostilities between China and the United States, the outcome would be highly uncertain. We know China could sustain massive casualties and would still fight, the United States could not.  If they couldn’t win in Vietnam, if they couldn’t win in Iraq, and they can’t win in Afghanistan, how could they possibly win against China…

Tie me kangaroo down, sport.