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.

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.