Tuesday 6 November 2018

Defending Australia


I live in Canada, as readers know, and I see things from a perspective that is Canada-centric, though I try to avoid it. I seldom consider what is happening to Australia. There is an interesting article at https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/australia-must-double-defence-spending-to-address-worsening-strategic-outlook/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Weekly%20The%20Strategist&utm_content=Weekly%20The%20Strategist+CID_a0a76a6340fb5960060c974b4fae6ee9&utm_source=CampaignMonitor&utm_term=Australia%20must%20double%20defence%20spending%20to%20address%20worsening%20strategic%20outlook explaining a perceived need for Australia to double its defense spending. Thus far Australia has relied heavily on its pact with the USA for assistance, but Australians have a memory of Britain failing to defend Singapore in 1942. A shock to the nation. Perhaps almost a racial memory. Australia has a big coastline to defend, and a concern for the ability of growing economies to the north developing the means to attack.

Thursday 1 November 2018

New American Civil War?


The war that was hardest on the USA was the Civil War. Great pain resulted, and perhaps it is a national memory of it that scares people into thinking another civil war is on its way. An article at https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/06/27/civil-war-likely-voters-say-rasmussen-poll/740731002/ reports that 31% of American adults think a civil war will occur within five years. That’s surprising to me as a Canadian. I doubt that even 1/100 of one percent of Canadians expect a civil war here. 31%?  Wow. I think they are wrong. As mentioned in yesterday’s post, a European civil war seems far more likely, albeit not in 5 years, yet soon enough that I wouldn’t recommend major illiquid investments on the continent.