Agree. So it's sort of like "stand up or shut up", if you really think they're such a threat, then do something about it, otherwise stop yer whinin' and get to

Agree. So it's sort of like "stand up or shut up", if you really think they're such a threat, then do something about it, otherwise stop yer whinin' and get to building something great together, or at least get along. Unless we decided, "hey we did British colonialism, maybe we can try Chinese colonialism?" I don't think people would go for that tho. It's an interesting possibility tho. Why would they invade? Maybe: too many people, need more space; need more resources; they want to "enslave us". I don't think any of these are that likely. Australia would make a shit colony: they'd constantly be plotting to rebel, too lazy to do real work, too demanding. It wouldn't work. The Chinese need workers? They have better at home. They need space? They still have lots undeveloped at home ("ghost cities", c'mon.) The Chinese might be able to take a portion of land for like a trophy luxury resort (or more practically resources) but honestly would they really want to? Most of the country is pretty inhospitable. Best place would be like Gold Coast, but why bother when they can just buy apartments (or mines)? So it's basically a fanciful delusion. Are we really "all that", do we really have so much that other people want that they are going to invade? I think we flatter ourselves, it's a vanity, and that's probably the point of it. Although, if we are concerned about invasion I think Indonesia (too many people, not enough land, strategically makes sense, little cultural overlap), or Japan (unresolved wartime trauma of stymied imperialist/nationalist ambitions, always simmering below the surface of the "ultra cute manga tech and industrial powerhouse" now in decline) are the actual threats, if there are any threats at all. Indonesia probably twice as likely due to ideological/religious vulnerability and proximity, and I don't think Japan really has any great passion for our country in particular. But saying Indonesia is a military threat to Australia has no currency in public discourse at this time, it's all "China China China". Why is that, I wonder? I don't believe we just "slavishly follow" US narrative warfare on the issue. I think there must be something bigger driving it. It could be that it just plays so well domestically, and a democracy is always happy to purchase emotive issues to distract from substantial failures, but I think there has to be something else, that goes even beyond ancient racism, or current jealousy at their rapid development. I don't really understand it...maybe the issues have less legs than I think and will eventually die out of their own accord, but I don't think so...and I don't think I clearly understand right now what makes these China-scare narratives so popular.