The Serious Discussion Thread.

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Terry your Albo needs to grow a brain and some intestinal fortitude after announcing that he will firstly talk to the genocidist Netanyahu before committing Australia to recognizing a Palestinian State. Hello you drongo what do you think the tyrant is going to say, "by all means Mr Albanese, the poor repressed, occupied and starving Palestinian people deserve a free homeland of their own". Sure he will, more like, "no way as those peasant, scum of the Islamic world want to destroy Israel''.
 
Elbow Easy is no 'shirt fronter' like Abbot. He'd be wasting his time speaking to Netanyahu for sure. Likewise with Trump.
Keep your head down Albo, it's not your job to untangle the Middle East turmoil.

Having said that I was impressed with the Sydney harbour bridge estimated at 90,000 to 180,000 peaceful protesters.
Had it not rained the numbers would have been greater.
It's global news too. 👍
Naturally snide comments came from you know whom ...
 
Grier said:
Having said that I was impressed with the Sydney harbour bridge estimated at 90,000 to 180,000 peaceful protesters.
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Mate I was going to write something about that. The crowd was so big the cops had to stop the march once the throng hit North Sydney as the people just kept on pouring onto the 'coathanger'. That sure is sending a message to those tyrants how Aussies feel about the Gaza genocide. Cops stopped the Melbourne march tho. What an embarrassment that commie run state has become. Is Perth planning a march Terry.
 
Craig, Perth will have a Pro Palestinian rally on 16th August. If I can I'll go.

More and more I hear more open rhetoric against Trump that makes my own seem mild.
Likewise more rhetoric about the orchestrated Geoncide of Palestinians in Gaza. A Holocaust by many vile means on so many innocents, especially the children. Jesus wept.

All so a vile war criminal can avoid all the charges against him, despised by many Israelis even, he perpetuates the forever war that will rattle into the decades to come.

Is that four horsemen on the horizon?
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Jared Diamond wrote a Pulitzer prize winning book called "Guns, Gems and Steel" looking at the rise of civillizations, and rightly described the middle east as a great crossroads in the ancient times and on, from north to south and temperate climes east to west like the Silk road.
A crossroads not just for trade, also a mixing and often conflicts of cultures and beliefs, still to this day.
 
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Gotta give Albo a pat on the back for likely saving Aussie shipbuilder Austal from falling into foreign hands, a Sth Korean company, by offering them a massive government contract for new naval ships, all of which will be built in Aust.
 
Richie said:
Gotta give Albo a pat on the back for likely saving Aussie shipbuilder Austal from falling into foreign hands, a Sth Korean company, by offering them a massive government contract for new naval ships, all of which will be built in Aust.
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I read we're getting 3 high tech frigates from Japan for ten billion dollars. After that 7 more of those frigates will be made in Western Australia by Austal creating many jobs.

Germany was in the running for the contract too and even though the Japanese frigates are more expensive they are much superior. A good choice I reckon.
 
Grier said:
I read we're getting 3 high tech frigates from Japan for ten billion dollars. After that 7 more of those frigates will be made in Western Australia by Austal creating many jobs.

Germany was in the running for the contract too and even though the Japanese frigates are more expensive they are much superior. A good choice I reckon.
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In the late 90's I did security at the Williamstown government ship building yards for a couple weeks to cover a shortage of guards there who were either ill, or holidays and I remember how strict they were there instructing us to check all workers bags once they finished their shifts.
 
Zman said:
In the late 90's I did security at the Williamstown government ship building yards for a couple weeks to cover a shortage of guards there who were either ill, or holidays and I remember how strict they were there instructing us to check all workers bags once they finished their shifts.
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Good to hear about the strict security Zman, unlike entry to our footy games. Knives, guns and metal wands, ...

The stats for the Japanese Frigates are very good, greater range, greater armaments, more and better missiles, brilliant radar, great sonar, and underwater drones too I read between the lines? Silly not to surely get the best in only 3 or so years, unlike our Nuclear subs, if ever? So very costly too.

Also, these Frigates are so high tech they only need a small crew, about 35% of the typical crew needed for a Frigate.
Australia in recent years developed a brilliant over the horizon radar that we sold to Canada at mates rates. I'm guessing these Frigates will have that too.
The first three made in Japan will be constructed by "Mitsubishi heavy Industry". I once owned a Mitsubishi Mirage. A great little car that I handed down to my daughters who dented 3 of its 4 corners. 260k km and motor fine when I sold it for $1k, with the dents.

Acknowledging our past history with Japan, they are our powerful Pacific neighbours very much on the same page as us nowadays.
South Korea make great cars too, and have a very big Military, ... others too. Strength in unity.

The US is too fickle currently to count on I reckon, nor should they count on old allies to help them in the messes they make for themselves ...👎
 
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Grier said:
unlike our Nuclear subs, if ever? So very costly too.
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Why the emphasis on nuke powered. And why are we buying foreign ships Albanese when we have the expertise to design and build our own ships, subs and power them by either electric or hydrogen cell. We have all the raw materials we need for the batteries, just need the balls from a leader to make it happen. Then have the free world buying Aussie ships.
 
I initially thought just like you Craig, Keating and many others.
Then I read the "Pro" arguments from military experts, ... and changed my mind. I'm not being contrary, with the range and stealth factors of these nuclear subs they create a huge deterrent, which spooked the Chinese which is a good litmus test. Still, it may never happen soon but those great Japanese Frigates are spot on I reckon! So much cheaper than the Nuclear Subs and ready in 3 or years 4. Much smaller crews needed. We'll take another dozen please.

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The German option was very good it must be said.

Another poignant reason is how the "Big Bright Bond" more closely connects Australia with Japan in our region.
A worthy friendship in the face of a rising China. Again China 🇨🇳 complained about this deal like a spoilt brat having a tantrum.

Here's a good read on the subject from our "Financial Review" media:
Mateship trumps practicality in Australia’s Japan frigate deal. I liked the use of the coined word "trumps" 👍
Mateship trumps practicality in Australia’s Japan frigate deal - https://www.afr.com/world/asia/mateship-trumps-practicality-in-australia-s-japan-frigate-deal-20250805-p5mked

As a declaration of self interest I have a brilliant Japanese sister-in-law in Sydney. She was a Medical Research Scientist with our CSIRO for many decades. Cancer, Epigenetics, ... and cares wonderfully looking after my ailing eldest brother in Rozelle. I still don't like raw fish.
 
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Hi my friends, I came across this video and would like to get your views on it.

If it's not already set in English, then go to the settings (cog symbol) and select the English audio track and no subtitles.
 
looker-on said:
Hi my friends, I came across this video and would like to get your views on it.

If it's not already set in English, then go to the settings (cog symbol) and select the English audio track and no subtitles.
Click to expand...

Australia does not profess to be perfect nor do we still maintain that we are the Lucky Country, but betting we rate in the upper third of first world nations, in most aspects of life and industry. I was reading that things aint hunky dory in Germany and other European nations either. I am against the erosion of free speech here by woke bureaucrats lobbying to govts. As the hottest continent after Africa on our planet I dont think Australia's vast interior has ever been without climate change. I suspect Terry who spent time living/working in remote West Australian regions will attest to that.

Thomas have you ever read this descriptive poem of my nation by 19th century Aussie poet Dorothea Mackellar.

My Country

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror –
The wide brown land for me!
A stark white ring-barked forest
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon.
Green tangle of the brushes,
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops
And ferns the warm dark soil.
Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When sick at heart, around us,
We see the cattle die –
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady, soaking rain.
Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the Rainbow Gold,
For flood and fire and famine,
She pays us back threefold –
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze.
An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land –
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand –
Though earth holds many splendors,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.

-- Dorothea Mackellar
 
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Richie said:
Australia does not profess to be perfect or that we retain Lucky Country status, but betting we rate in the upper third of first world nations, in most aspects of living and industry. I was reading that things aint hunky dory in Germany and other European nations either. My biggest fear is the erosion of free speech in my nation created by woke lobbyists seeking govts to introduce or change legislation to favor their policies. As the hottest continent on our planet after Africa, I dont think Australia's vast interior has ever been without climate change. Thomas have you ever read this descriptive poem of my nation by 19th century Aussie poet Dorothea Mackellar.

My Country

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror –
The wide brown land for me!
A stark white ring-barked forest
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon.
Green tangle of the brushes,
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops
And ferns the warm dark soil.
Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When sick at heart, around us,
We see the cattle die –
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady, soaking rain.
Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the Rainbow Gold,
For flood and fire and famine,
She pays us back threefold –
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze.
An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land –
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand –
Though earth holds many splendors,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.

-- Dorothea Mackellar
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That's the answer I expected, Craig. As you say there're pros and cons in any country of the world.
Been thinking about what that guy and the team behind him had been up to. The only reason I can think of is distract attention away from the problems we are having and put too rosy a picture our youngsters may have about Aus (see intro) a bit into perspective.
 
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looker-on said:
Hi my friends, I came across this video and would like to get your views on it.

If it's not already set in English, then go to the settings (cog symbol) and select the English audio track and no subtitles.
Click to expand...

This guy sounds American, so dont think he can throw stones, given how his own nation is coping with the vagaries of modern living, specially now Trump is back in power.
 
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