Politics is a dirty word

A handful of businesses will benefit from Government handouts designed to turn Australia into a major arms dealer – selling weapons all over the world. Brisbane-based company, NIOA, has branched out from the commercial gun market into military and law enforcement, supplying Australian and New Zealand police with 70,000 Glock pistols and providing the military with automatic grenade launchers, Assault rifles and ammunition. Armor Australia manufactures lightweight vehicle armour, Marand makes armoured reconnaissance vehicles. Thales Australia makes Bushmaster troop carriers. Austal and W &E Platt are also likely to benefit as will overseas businesses with branches here – like BAE Systems, Supacat and Saab.

India’s decision to build 200 Hawker Hunter jets instead of spending billions on state-of-the-art fighters should be an eye-opener for many Governments. The jets are only a platform to deliver weapons within striking distance of an enemy. It’s only when the enemy is on the other side of the world that speed is important. The Hawkter Huntere is capable of carrying the latest air-to air missiles and other ordnance. For a relatively close attack, the Hawker Hunter is perfect and cost effective. Using Similar logic, Nuclear powered submarines are a high cost option. Diesel-electric submarines in electric stealth mode are virtually undetectable compared with nuclear subs which need noisy water pumps to prevent reactor meltdowns. The only real value in a nuclear powered sub, is the ability to travel submerged for many thousands of kilometres to reach a target.

The Indian Govenment is taking steps to reign in its military spending by building a new version of the classic British Hawker Hunter fighter jet for its airforce. The new jets, named Langoor will solve India's fighter shortage with the minimum of cost and risk, while embracing the national 'Made in India' initiative. Top military brass have recognised that not all attack aircraft need to be super fast and the Indian airforce already has advanced and costly Russian and European fighters.Various missiles, including sidewinders can be carried by the Hawker Hunter just as effectively as much more expensive aircraft. It plans to build at least 200 Langoors to bolster its attack capabilities.

China is reported to have deployed at least 200 of its J20 stealth fighters. The first few entered service last March. The plane, is a twin-engine multi-role fighter that can reach speeds of 2,100 kilometres an hour. It has also deployed the first of its J31 stealth fighters. Both aircraft types use a refined version of ‘vectored thrust’ pioneered by the UK's Hawker Siddeley group. The moveable exhaust thrust makes the planes highly manoeuvrable.

The US Government shutdown as a result of no agreement over budget allocations was an inevitable result of the Trump presidency. But what does it mean? American troops will still tramp around the world killing people and politicians will still be paid to sit and twiddle their thumbs. Who will notice any difference?

The US navy is in turmoil over revelations that its personnel are not properly trained. The commanding officers of two US Navy destroyers involved in deadly collisions last year in the Pacific Ocean face courts-martial and could be charged with negligent homicide over the deaths of 17 sailors. Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, commander of US naval forces in the eastern Pacific has already been sacked. The commanding officer of the USS John S. McCain guided missile destroyer, which collided with a merchant ship near Singapore in August, faces possible charges of dereliction of duty, hazarding a vessel and negligent homicide. The commanding officer and three other officers on the USS Fitzgerald guided missile destroyer, which collided with a Philippine container ship in June, also face possible charges including dereliction of duty, hazarding a vessel and negligent homicide.

The United States is funding a 30,000 man Kurdish terrorist squad on the Syrian border with Turkey. For some years America has provided money and weapons to the PKK Kurdish terrorists in spite of its rhetoric against terror groups. Its double-standards go back many years. US money helped to bolster the IRA in the 1950's and 60s, so the current action is no real surprise. Naturally the Turkish Government is incensed by the announcement and is likely to mobilise forces to meet the threat.

The 1.5 million residents of Hawaii were sent into a panic when authorities sent text messages warning of a missile attack. Everyone immediately assumed that North Korea had launched missiles. But the warning was false and demonstrated the fundamental weakness of the US alert system.

Democracies throughout the world have been beset by political unrest. The United States is united in name only and there has been much discontent since the last Presidential election. Britain is going through turmoil which has not been lessened by the decision to leave the European Union. Italy has been in political chaos since the monarchy was banned in 1946. Australian voters are unable to differentiate between major political parties so there has been a Government with a pitiful majority in Parliament. Perhaps it’s time for anarchists to take over. Democracy can be criticized as: economically inefficient, politically unrealistic, dysfunctional, morally corrupt or a suboptimal form of Government. Important figures associated with anti-democratic thought include Martin Heidegger, Hubert Lagardelle, Charles Maurras, Friedrich Nietzsche, Plato, Aristotle, Carl Schmitt, Josiah Warren, Hans-Hermann Hoppe and Oswald Spengler. In the UK, the Anarchist Action Network is made up of autono...

Retired Major General Jim Molan was right when he cast doubt on US willingness or ability to defend Australia in the event of conflict. Successive Australian Governments have rushed to assist America in its thuggist activities around the world, but no one should have any illusion that the US, under the presidency of Donald Trump(or any future president) will do anything to help Australia. Trump has demonstrated his attitude to the world. His jingoistic and misplaced attitude to America's military strength leaves little room to believe that the US is a capable or reliable ally. We would do better to foster closer relationships with our neighbours, including China.