DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Up to 2,500 Marines could be based in Australia

**KellyMP** · 11-18-2011, 12:57 AM

True, which they would also have without staging a MEU on Australian soil, requiring all of the land-based supporting infrastructure which is extensively costly and absolutely contingent by nature. Spratley's, South China Sea, all of that jazz isn't our fight. Our only tie into that area is the entangling alliance we've established with Taiwan, which is becoming less and less relevant as China becomes a more open, global society. While they're not really there yet, which direction do we anticipate a move of this nature would push them? Are we really that anxious to enter yet another Cold War?

In the first place, the Marine Corps is NOT really a separate service, so wherever you sent the US Navy, the US Marine Corps is sure to follow.

In the second place, the Australians know just how to deal with us from their previous experience. They are providing us a Naval Base and other installations sufficient for the MEU you talk about, and the Crews of the ships and the Overhead that will call the Base Home for the duration. They will be at Darwin, which is on the North Shore, and – given we left behind some well-constructed bases there when we were there in 2002, and before that between 1941 and 1945 — I am willing to bet that we are being returned to those self-same installations we used before.

In the third place, I’m willing to bet that one lesson we learned from the USS Cole is that we don’t send the Navy anywhere without the physical security necessary to make it safe to dock the ships and secure the bases. The Marines can provide that security.

In the fourth place, we have been in a quiet “Cold War” with China for a very long time, and they have been taking much of our Heavy Industry as well as much of the rest of our Manufacturing, and have been selling us the finished products while refusing to respond in kind. If that means that we are now heating up the war, then that is their fault. Can we help it that their provocative actions leave their neighbors sitting at the door with their rifles drawn because they have reason not to trust them? I would prefer to protect the nations that ask for our protection, and help those who need just a little more help to supplement their own. The Chinese need to understand that they have yet proven to the rest of the world that they are trust worthy, and the Koreans are even worse but on a smaller scale.

As for Taiwan, they are the exception that proves the rule. When Mainland China is willing to accept Taiwan into the fold as a separate government within China – the exact option that Hong Kong got - then I will say that maybe China is waking up to the realities of the world.

11-18-2011, 12:57 AM	#14
KellyMP Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 446 Senior Member	True, which they would also have without staging a MEU on Australian soil, requiring all of the land-based supporting infrastructure which is extensively costly and absolutely contingent by nature. Spratley's, South China Sea, all of that jazz isn't our fight. Our only tie into that area is the entangling alliance we've established with Taiwan, which is becoming less and less relevant as China becomes a more open, global society. While they're not really there yet, which direction do we anticipate a move of this nature would push them? Are we really that anxious to enter yet another Cold War? In the first place, the Marine Corps is NOT really a separate service, so wherever you sent the US Navy, the US Marine Corps is sure to follow. In the second place, the Australians know just how to deal with us from their previous experience. They are providing us a Naval Base and other installations sufficient for the MEU you talk about, and the Crews of the ships and the Overhead that will call the Base Home for the duration. They will be at Darwin, which is on the North Shore, and – given we left behind some well-constructed bases there when we were there in 2002, and before that between 1941 and 1945 — I am willing to bet that we are being returned to those self-same installations we used before. In the third place, I’m willing to bet that one lesson we learned from the USS Cole is that we don’t send the Navy anywhere without the physical security necessary to make it safe to dock the ships and secure the bases. The Marines can provide that security. In the fourth place, we have been in a quiet “Cold War” with China for a very long time, and they have been taking much of our Heavy Industry as well as much of the rest of our Manufacturing, and have been selling us the finished products while refusing to respond in kind. If that means that we are now heating up the war, then that is their fault. Can we help it that their provocative actions leave their neighbors sitting at the door with their rifles drawn because they have reason not to trust them? I would prefer to protect the nations that ask for our protection, and help those who need just a little more help to supplement their own. The Chinese need to understand that they have yet proven to the rest of the world that they are trust worthy, and the Koreans are even worse but on a smaller scale. As for Taiwan, they are the exception that proves the rule. When Mainland China is willing to accept Taiwan into the fold as a separate government within China – the exact option that Hong Kong got - then I will say that maybe China is waking up to the realities of the world.
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