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Countries like Australia and the US act is if they're the fair enforcers for the world, when in reality, they just want to defend the status quo that benefits t

Countries like Australia and the US act is if they're the fair enforcers for the world, when in reality, they just want to defend the status quo that benefits them. They act as if they have a god given right to occupy their positions on the world stage when in reality they played far dirtier than China to get where they are. And if you're say Russia, even virtually surrounded by NATO, they're constantly being accused of being expanionalist. And the same with China. So I think it's totally OK to bring up history, because if we look at China's rise compared with the rise of Western countries, we see that China's path to supremacy has been far more peaceful.

jacques_chester 7y ago
> And if you're say Russia, even virtually surrounded by NATO, they're constantly being accused of being expanionalist. Russia invaded Ukraine.
- zaphirplane 7y ago
  Obviously invading A country is a bad thing and Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Grenada and Panama agree. However the Russians attacked to gain access to crimea without which Russia’s navy would be enclosed. As NATO expanded and surrounded Russian I’m 100% sure the question of would Russia do nothing while NATO encircles was raised, someone played dumb. Of course in a fair world Ukraine can choose to align itself with anyone and do as it choses with its land. In practice the powerful flex when they need
  - jacques_chester 7y ago
    "But everyone else does it" is playground morality.
- amaccuish 7y ago
  So we just ignore the years of NATO surrounding Russia and carrying out "training exercises" on the borders? There's this weird double standard thing where people in the West act like they can do what they want, and then flip when someone else outside of the "in" group does the same thing.
  - jacques_chester 7y ago
    > So we just ignore the years of NATO surrounding Russia and carrying out "training exercises" on the borders? Yes. Russia's excuse for taking umbrage at exercises, that it was scarred by the memory of Nazis invading under pretext of an exercise, has grown pathetic from overuse. It happened nearly a century ago and -- try this on for size -- NATO isn't Nazi Germany.
    - amaccuish 7y ago
      Yes it's not like the US has never raised similar concerns about Cuba... the US is totally fine with having Cuba next door... "BUT BUT they had missiles pointed at the US." Yes well that was over 50 years ago and Cuba isn't Nazi Germany.
BLKNSLVR 7y ago
Australia doesn't act like they're a fair enforcer in the world. Australia helps East Timor achieve independence, and then plants a bug in the East Timorese Government's offices in order to help Australia in stealing ('negotiating to their advantage' to use the political terminology) territorial claims to oil deposits in the East Timor Sea. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-09/east-timor-tears-up-oil-and-gas-treaty-with-australia/8170476 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-09/east-timor-tears-up-o... None of the superpowers, or their little hangers-on, exhibit the kind of personalities you'd save from a burning building. They probably lit the fire.

jacques_chester 7y ago

> And if you're say Russia, even virtually surrounded by NATO, they're constantly being accused of being expanionalist. Russia invaded Ukraine.

zaphirplane 7y ago
Obviously invading A country is a bad thing and Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Grenada and Panama agree. However the Russians attacked to gain access to crimea without which Russia’s navy would be enclosed. As NATO expanded and surrounded Russian I’m 100% sure the question of would Russia do nothing while NATO encircles was raised, someone played dumb. Of course in a fair world Ukraine can choose to align itself with anyone and do as it choses with its land. In practice the powerful flex when they need
- jacques_chester 7y ago
  "But everyone else does it" is playground morality.
amaccuish 7y ago
So we just ignore the years of NATO surrounding Russia and carrying out "training exercises" on the borders? There's this weird double standard thing where people in the West act like they can do what they want, and then flip when someone else outside of the "in" group does the same thing.
- jacques_chester 7y ago
  > So we just ignore the years of NATO surrounding Russia and carrying out "training exercises" on the borders? Yes. Russia's excuse for taking umbrage at exercises, that it was scarred by the memory of Nazis invading under pretext of an exercise, has grown pathetic from overuse. It happened nearly a century ago and -- try this on for size -- NATO isn't Nazi Germany.
  - amaccuish 7y ago
    Yes it's not like the US has never raised similar concerns about Cuba... the US is totally fine with having Cuba next door... "BUT BUT they had missiles pointed at the US." Yes well that was over 50 years ago and Cuba isn't Nazi Germany.

BLKNSLVR 7y ago

Australia doesn't act like they're a fair enforcer in the world. Australia helps East Timor achieve independence, and then plants a bug in the East Timorese Government's offices in order to help Australia in stealing ('negotiating to their advantage' to use the political terminology) territorial claims to oil deposits in the East Timor Sea. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-09/east-timor-tears-up-oil-and-gas-treaty-with-australia/8170476 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-09/east-timor-tears-up-o... None of the superpowers, or their little hangers-on, exhibit the kind of personalities you'd save from a burning building. They probably lit the fire.