Comments by "Tony Wilson" (@tonywilson4713) on "East Asia, After America || Peter Zeihan" video.

AUSTRALIAN HERE - Calling Australia America's Deputy is not quite accurate. The correct term that the rest of the Asians use is "America's Little Bitch!" We just call ourselves the 51st State but apparently that upsets the Puerto Ricans. Here's a couple of points that Peter doesn't mention with respect to the region and the countries he talks about. 1) There are 2 CRITICAL American bases in Australia that few people talk about. There's Wikipedia pages for both. - There's the Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt at Northwest Cape and its used to talk to the US Submarines operating in the Indian Ocean so for all that stuff going on in the Red Sea with Iran and Houthis all of the comms to the submarines in the area is done via this station. - There's Pine Gap in Central Australia that is the primary ground station for American Satellites watching Russia, the Middle East, Pakistan, India, China and most of Asia. Its what I'd call a "Zero Strike" target rather than a First Strike target because BEFORE tries a first strike this place needs to be dealt with because other wise America will see your first strike coming. 2) Besides 4 small Aircraft carriers the Japanese have 6 large destroyers (over 9,000t) and 29 smaller destroyers (5,000-7,000t). The 6 larger destroyers are similar size to the American Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Of the 6 larger destroyers the 2 Maya-class (Maya & Haguro) carry the AMERICAN MADE SM-3 anti-ballistic missile. The SM-3 is a major upgrade to the RIM-161 family of surface to air missiles. The main difference is the SM-3 is an anti-ballistic missile capable of intercepting missiles at greater than 100km of altitude. They have much greater range and their speeds are greater than Mach 8 with the latest Block IIA capable of Mach 13.2. For perspective the SR-71 went Mach 3.3 and Hypersonic is regarded as greater than Mach 5. Both Maya and Haguro have successfully hit targets at over 100km altitude during their commissioning. All those details are on Wikipedia. 3) BOTH Japan and Korea import large amounts of food and raw materials from Australia. Most of the food comes out of Australia's East Coast as does the coking coal for steel production. HOWEVER all of the iron ore comes out of Australia's West coast along with significant amounts of other raw materials and goes via the South China Sea. Go and have a look at WHERE China has been setting up bases in the South China Sea. The Spratly Islands are a long way from China and China has NO history of being on the Spratly's like they do with the Paracel Islands. So WHY ARE THEY THERE? Peter has often spoken about the 7 gaps the Russians want to control for their security. Look at map of where the Spratly Islands are they are not just a long way down near the Southern edge of the South China Sea but they are at a narrow point between the Philippines and Vietnam. So these bases are in a strategic position where multiple countries could interfere with trade. Basically if you want to put a toll gate on the entrance to the South China sea the Spratly Islands are the location to do it. This is one of the main reasons Australia wants (or needs) nuclear powered submarines. The South China Sea is where a lot of our critical Exports go. Its a long way from our main naval bases and nuclear powered submarines are significantly faster than conventional powered subs and don't need to surface every day or 2.
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@Cincy32 To back up what you've said my brother and his family went to to Vietnam for a holiday years ago and came back telling everyone just how much we misunderstood their situation. The Vietnamese dislike of the Chinese goes back centuries. They might not like America (and with good reason) but the Chinese thing is huge. AFTER the end of the Vietnam War the Chinese actually invaded Vietnam in the first of several conflicts. In the west we don't hear much about this because what we do hear is from the American view. The Chinese don't talk about it much because the Vietnamese stomped on them. Its all wrapped up in the Sino-Soviet split. the Soviets backed the Viets and the Chinese backed the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and Viets and Cambodians were already at war. So rather than being a Capitalist West versus Eastern Communist conflict it was a Commie versus Commie conflict. Its just one of the things we don't hear much about. Its like asking a Dallas Cowboys fan if they care who wins a game between the New York Giants and New York Jets.
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Great points but Americans don't like to discuss them much. Bottom line is the country that has promoted itself as the great leader in "Freedom and Democracy" has denied all of the people of those territories there basic democratic rights. None of those people have any representatives with voting in congress or have any senators and they do not vote on the president. Puerto Rico has a population of almost 3.3 Million and that's more than the populations of Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware, Montana, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, Hawaii, West Virginia, Idaho, Nebraska, New Mexico, Kansas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Nevada, Iowa, Utah. Each of those states gets 2 Senators and at least 1 and as many as 4 House of Representatives. The combined population of North Dakota, South Dakota, Alaska and Wyoming is less than 3 million people and yet they get 8 Senators and 1 representative each in the House. While Puerto Rico, just like DC and a few of the territories gets 1 representative in the House who can't vote. By Population alone Puerto Rico should get 2 Senators and 4 House Reps. USVI, Mariana, Guam and American Samoa and DC has a combined population of just over 1 million and Each of them get 1 House Rep who can't vote. Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Delaware each have less than 1 million people and each of them get 2 Senators and a House Rep who can vote. And if you want the more satirical view of this look up the YouTube channel juice media for the Honest Government ad on Puerto Rico.
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@emceeboogieboots1608 My brother called us the 51st state every chance he had. On being aligned with America has kept us safe for 70+ years. Yes we have had to go to the occasional war but security is never free. I don't think Australians think we are better than Americans on a person by person basis but most of the Western World is better than America on things like labor standards, gun control and superannuation. On education and Healthcare its a split decision because for those Americans who get both they get fantastic in both. But for the majority of the US population we beat them by several miles. Its actually the greatest risk there is with America at the moment - the cultural divide. Eventually they are going to work out that the real divide is NOT between Left & Right which America actually does NOT have. American has Diet-Lite Right and Hard Core Right. The real divide in America is the Rich and the Rest. Right now its easier to go from being a millionaire to billionaire than it is to becoming a millionaire in the first place. They've geared the economic system in favor of those with money and they keep everyone else trapped in a fictitious culture war hoping they don't wake up. As George Carlin famously said "It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe in it." The saddest thing is Australia is so hell bent on following the American lead we are in serious danger of ending up like them. We have seriously well funded think tanks and lobbyists here pushing damn hard to do EXACTLY what America has done.
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@emceeboogieboots1608 Absolutely correct. Politics has become even more tribal than sports and a whole lot more vicious. Its not an American thing either. Its being played out all across Europe. Brexit being the most notable case.
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See the lengthy comment for Peter the second point covers something in addition to the F35s and P-8 you mention - both of which are great points to raise.
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@nagasako7 Do you by chance watch the YT channel Sub Brief? Its hosted by an Ex-USN Sonar operator and his vids on various ship & sub types is very good. In recent months he has also done a couple of videos on the state of US Shipyards. Regarding the contracts for US Drydocks he described them as criminal. FYI - I'm Australian and believe we are being ripped off on the Virginia-class deal and for several reasons. 1) The costs are utterly ridiculous. 2) We are paying Several billion to upgrade Hutting Ingles shipyard in Maine which is BULLSHlT. 3) Most of all we simply can't use them because they have a massive crew size and our navy can barley operate subs with 1/2 the crew size now.
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See the lengthy comment I left - the 3rd item covers part of where they fit.
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@emceeboogieboots1608 I have heard that "51st State" line for over 50 years. Maybe not in those exact words but its there. Remember when we had that seat on the UN Security council and basically the entire UN called us America's second vote. Even when we were trying to get that seat the criticism from many was that all we'd do is be America's second vote.
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Australian here - go see my longer comment. I clarify that point.
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@awf6554 Thanks.
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@awf6554 Have you seen the cost of the submarines. There's no limits being set their. And there weren't limits on how many F35s we could have. So what limits are you talking about.
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@awf6554 I'm Australian but went to college in America. I was there in 1985 when the David Lange said "NO Nuclear anything" to America and caused a huge stir. The Yanks blew a fuse over it. They were incensed that NZ had the audacity to say NO. More than a few of them asked me (and very bluntly) Who TF these people are to say No to America. It actually freaked them out. Whenever I replied something like "Its New Zealand. Its their country and they get to decide what happens in their country." It only freaked the Yanks out more. They really couldn't handle an ally saying "NO." So I'd say NZ has had far more separation from America than Oz has had.
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