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Military spending by country (We are 13th) Worldwide
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In two world wars they have proved themselves worthless. Yet still they think they are invincible. They celebrate like they actually helped with WW2. And have massive military parades each year. I cannot actually think of a time besides maybe the indo china war that France has been in a major conflict post WW2.
And they lost that too.
And they lost that too.
Yep they do, I have The New York Times world geography book and it states the military spending of each country. Canada spends just a little more then us in terms of real spending. We use a bigger % of our GDP though.
its to keep surplus hair stylists in employment and to deal with the national shortage in hair gel.
for more information look here
http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/u/R/french_soldierofsurrender.jpg
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- #56
How can Taiwan be a U.S ally when the U.S does not recognise it as a sovereign nation.
Your letting the personal attacks get in the way of truth Richo.
Take a panadol sport.
that wouldn't be the taiwan getting US and french weapon systems on a regular basis right?
as for attacking anyone, their population is comparable to ours and their GDP about 1/2 of australia's, while they have a substantial defence force, its a lingering hangover regarding a chinese take over and a fair wack of it is conscript or national service.
their capacity to invade another country is non existant.
their whole defence is around making china bleed should they attack.
Ludicrious.
The US have been providing Taiwan with armament and aid donations for years now, the US is one of Taiwan's major trading partiners and allies. You should know that if you're going to rant about national defense.
Infact the fact that Taiwan still has democratic elections and China has allowed it is because of US intervention.
So yes, Taiwan IS a US ally and the US would be annoyed if it recklessly started attacking one of it's major allies in the region, no doubt.
The US have been providing Taiwan with military equipment for decades now, not bad for a country who isn't even an ally.
on a technical basis, the US is not formally allied with taiwan.
However i believe the US is taiwans no.2 trading partner (ironically behind China) from about 4 or 5 years ago when it was no.1
taiwan again till about the mid 90s pretty much bought exclusively from the USA, however america's growing economic alliance with china has taiwan buy from israel and france.
It suited america to have china focussed on taiwan rather than the world at large and have an agitator on its doorstep.
However as the focus shifts to a direct US/china relationship, taiwan is a legacy of cold war politics, hence broadening its military and economic relationships.
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- #61
The US have been providing Taiwan with military equipment for decades now, not bad for a country who isn't even an ally.
Show me where the U.S recognise Taiwan as an independent country Richo ?
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- #62
You should know if you are going to rant about US Foreign policy and defence what status Taiwan is with the U.S.
From the US State department website.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35855.htm
As I said it is pretty hard to be an ally of a nation you don't recognise as a nation.
They may have paid for and received some military hardware from the U.S under the sales of defensive military equipment are also consistent with the 1982 U.S.-P.R.C. Joint Communiqué.
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Quite apart from the sheer stupidity of arguing that a nations whos defence policy is soley based on destroying an invading force can attack Australia....to suggest that the US is not an ally with Taiwain is simply nonsensical. They tread a very fine line between keeping the PRC happy and a commitment to a historical partner, yet it is quite clear a special relationship exists between Taiwain and the US.
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- #64
Firstly it is not a nation according to the US, I surprised you did not pick that up in the State dept policy document I put in the post you replied to.
Secondly I never suggested in any post that Taiwan had an intention of invading Australia.
Thirdly defence is not just about protecting your country from an invading force, it can be about protecting your nations interests in other nearby countries. Such as the case where we were deploying troops in the Soloman Islands and Taiwan had a warship in their port at that time.
Someone said they may have had the warship there as "goodwill visit"
Well that makes your opening remark look nonsensical.
If they (Taiwan) have a defence policy solely based on destroying an invading force why are they sending the warship which according to you should be solely protecting Taiwan, on a "goodwill visit" into the South Pacific?
Last time I looked Taiwan and China were in the North Pacific. And there are plenty of other ways of showing goodwill without sending a warship into someones harbor.
Were the Taiwanese thinking of deploying their own forces in the Solomons to help re-establish law and order ?
Would be the question I would like answered, and if the answer was yes.
Would that go along with Australia's interests in the Solomons, and may it also set up a precedent where South Pacific nation's would play off our offers of assistance against the Taiwanese.
Could the Taiwanese be a de-stabilizing and divisive influence in the South Pacific ?
Could their short term influence in the region lead to our long term mess to clean up in the region ?
shyte
taiwan is looking for friends.
its a nation of about 20 million people with a massive economy and high standard of living and a developing economy.
its stands next to a nation with 1.3 billion people, an army the size of its population and developing military capacity that is increasing in technological capability, a population increasing at a rate of taiwans entire population and an economy that is increasing annually but the value of taiwans GDP (slight exaggeration there) thats laying claim to it.
the solomon islands is hardly going to provide military support to taiwan, nor is taiwan interested in making enemies.
taiwan is struggling to hang on to its US markets, pouring billions into chinese investments, and is trying to develop a nudge nudge wink wink relationship with beijing.
I wouldn't be suprised if the billions flowing into china from taiwan is used to buy influence as well.
the only way taiwan poses a threat to Australia is if they declare independance and the chinese mugwamp them and the US rushes to their aid and we drawn in.
the reality is though, if china does mugwamp taiwan, we will wave goodbye and say so sad, too bad, too late and formally protest while taking out insurance against losses in our billion dollar investments in china.
so taiwan curries favour in the US and europe by spending large on a huge tactical military capacity to bleed china. taiwan does not have the capacity to fight or deploy a force for more than a few weeks, its defencive strategy is designed around cutting china hard.
America sees it as advantageous to keep taiwan prosperous, through trade, as such china has a potential enemy on its doorstep, pretty much like russia tried and failed to do with cuba in the 60s and from time to time in south america and and central america, and america returned the favour by agitating in asia, europe and north africa.
Taiwan would never do anything to insult australia for a number of reasons. the first being australia is an ally of the US and taiwan perceives or hopes that the US would provide some sort of political if not military shield against China.
With china opening its borders to trade and growth, the US reliance on taiwan is purely political with some trade, as such taiwan would be looking to extending and defending its trade zones, rather than its sphere of influence.
about the only threat from taiwan is that they improve the quality and lower the price of their products to keep ahead of china.
$$ > justice
taiwan is looking for friends.
its a nation of about 20 million people with a massive economy and high standard of living and a developing economy.
its stands next to a nation with 1.3 billion people, an army the size of its population and developing military capacity that is increasing in technological capability, a population increasing at a rate of taiwans entire population and an economy that is increasing annually but the value of taiwans GDP (slight exaggeration there) thats laying claim to it.
the solomon islands is hardly going to provide military support to taiwan, nor is taiwan interested in making enemies.
taiwan is struggling to hang on to its US markets, pouring billions into chinese investments, and is trying to develop a nudge nudge wink wink relationship with beijing.
I wouldn't be suprised if the billions flowing into china from taiwan is used to buy influence as well.
the only way taiwan poses a threat to Australia is if they declare independance and the chinese mugwamp them and the US rushes to their aid and we drawn in.
the reality is though, if china does mugwamp taiwan, we will wave goodbye and say so sad, too bad, too late and formally protest while taking out insurance against losses in our billion dollar investments in china.
so taiwan curries favour in the US and europe by spending large on a huge tactical military capacity to bleed china. taiwan does not have the capacity to fight or deploy a force for more than a few weeks, its defencive strategy is designed around cutting china hard.
America sees it as advantageous to keep taiwan prosperous, through trade, as such china has a potential enemy on its doorstep, pretty much like russia tried and failed to do with cuba in the 60s and from time to time in south america and and central america, and america returned the favour by agitating in asia, europe and north africa.
Taiwan would never do anything to insult australia for a number of reasons. the first being australia is an ally of the US and taiwan perceives or hopes that the US would provide some sort of political if not military shield against China.
With china opening its borders to trade and growth, the US reliance on taiwan is purely political with some trade, as such taiwan would be looking to extending and defending its trade zones, rather than its sphere of influence.
about the only threat from taiwan is that they improve the quality and lower the price of their products to keep ahead of china.
$$ > justice
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- #66
The Solomon islands had appointed a wanted peadophile fugitive from Australia (Julian Moti) as its Attorney General at the time.
It was making what Australia at the time would consider "a bad friend" as you put it. It was also hindering our foreign policy in implementing "RAMSI"
from
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/solomons-pm-accuses-australia-of-bullying/2007/01/22/1169330817383.html
No !
I would consider getting in our way to try to re build law and order in a nearby Pacific neighboring country.
That considering it appointed a wanted Australian child sex predator as its Attorney General.
Was at risk of going the extra yard and becoming a sovereign state safe haven for peadophiles and other criminals from Australia and elsewhere around the world looking for a home. The Solomon economy was starting to look like it was going to be based on kick backs from these crim's and their more tolerent friend of choice, Taiwan's; aid in return for some favors in the U.N.
Well they did (exerpt from abc "the world today" 20th April 2006)
from
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1619951.htm
so basically you agree that taiwan is trying to buy friends?
as for getting shirty with Australia, taiwan is definately NOT interested in p1ssing off Australia.
as for a sovereign state for paedophiles, anywhere where money and influence can be exerted, so do paedophiles congregate, as well as other criminals.
solomons is a very poor nation, where real currency can buy you just about anything.
its not that different in south america or even central america where wealthy americans and canadians visit.
heck Australians sicko's have been visiting the pacific islands and SE asia for decades.
I don't think its anything to do specifically with the solomon islands, rather the exertion of wealth and power.
crims in the solomons? hello, 3/4 of the smaller islands in indonesia are run by military gangsters where you can buy and sell anything you like as long as the military gets its slice of pie.
even sadly australia we are seeing money and power can allow people to almost anything they like with impunity.
as for foreign countries exerting power, japan, america even australia has been exerting political influence in the pacific for decades.
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- #68
Thats a non answer Dan
All it says is that you are easy with Taiwan thumping money into helping set up a lawless criminal state near Australia's border offering a safe haven for our worst lowlife to live in.
All for the sake of getting the occasional vote in their favor at the U.N.
Then they have the nerve of placing a warship in the harbor at Honiara when we are deploying our troops.
And their cancer almost spread to New Guinea where we have a tougher border to police with the Torres straight islands between them and us.
In our best interest Australian foreign policy world, Taiwan would retreat out of our South Pacific area totally, and go home or some where else.
It's getting close to the stage of firing shots across the bow of one of these unwanted Taiwanese ships. And if they dare step foot in our way on land in one of these south pacific islands including New Guinea, firing on them.
We dont want them here, or in our area.
As I said earlier and even John Howard did, they are here in our backyard for a short term gain at the expense of our long term pain.
It dont matter if we have a labor or liberal government. The message is still the same.
Taiwan is a destabilising influence in the South Pacific.
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- #71
Political fit-up job.
I am confident that once in an Australian court of law Moti will be acquitted. This is how Downer tried to punish the Solomon's for daring to try send RAMSI and the Australian diplomatic mission packing over their interference in the Solomon's sovereignty. IT was the most shabby piece of neo-colonial bullshit that I have ever witnessed in my life-time. I happen to know somebody related to Moti's defence lawyer and they are adamant that this is a politically motivated fit-up job.
Why the Moti case was thrown out of the Vanuatu courts:
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- #72
Well maybe you are to close to the case to make an unbiased opinion.
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- #73
Why dont you just say "I dont agree" dan
Without running off at the mouth with the character assasination attempt.
no I was referring to your post, not to you.
I just assume you are playing devil's advocate with regard to a taiwanese threat to Australian political influence.
now taiwanese fishing may be different matter
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- #75
no I was referring to your post, not to you.
I just assume you are playing devil's advocate with regard to a taiwanese threat to Australian political influence.
now taiwanese fishing may be different matter
thats ok
