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   AJ Sadauskas (ajsadauskas@social.vivaldi.net)'s status on Thursday, 20-Feb-2025 12:59:10 JST AJ Sadauskas

   Here's a very fundamental question about #AUKUS: https://nickcohen.substack.com/p/trumps-true-enemy-isnt-china-or-russia #auspol

   "Does anyone seriously believe that an America that won’t defend Ukraine will go to war to defend Taiwan."

   • Steve's Place repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     AJ Sadauskas (ajsadauskas@social.vivaldi.net)'s status on Thursday, 20-Feb-2025 12:59:10 JST AJ Sadauskas

     in reply to

     The whole premise of the AUKUS deal is that Australia would act as a proxy for the US and UK, should China ever invade Taiwan.

     To fill that role, Australia needed long-range submarines. Which would be purchased at Australia's expense.

     But the Trump Administration has so far shown it will side with authoritarian regimes and parties over liberal democratic governments.

     Most notably, in Ukraine and in tariff policy.

     It raises the fundamental question: Would the US come to the aid of Taiwan if it were invaded by an authoritarian state (like China)?

     If the answer is no, then fundamentally AUKUS is dead in the water.

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     AJ Sadauskas (ajsadauskas@social.vivaldi.net)'s status on Thursday, 20-Feb-2025 13:00:47 JST AJ Sadauskas

     in reply to

     • LanguageMan1

     @LanguageMan1 By "our country", I take it you mean the US?

     If so, I'm assuming you're familiar with the fact that Australia has agreed to purchase a fleet of 8 nuclear submarines at a cost of around A$368 billion: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/14/aukus-nuclear-submarines-australia-commits-substantial-funds-into-expanding-us-shipbuilding-capacity

     That's a massive amount of public money.

     And it's predicated on the fact that the US will supply the submarines as promised.

     And that the purchase is predicated on an assumption that the US will take military action if an authoritarian state (China) attacks a liberal democracy (Taiwan).

     And that the US will honour its commitments to another ally and liberal democracy (Australia).

     Given Trump's proven unwillingness to back a liberal democracy (Ukraine) against an authoritarian state (Russia), support for Taiwan in the event of sn Invasion looks less likely.

     That's a lot of uncertainty for a A$368 billion defence contract.

   • Embed this notice
     LanguageMan1 (languageman1@social.vivaldi.net)'s status on Thursday, 20-Feb-2025 13:00:48 JST LanguageMan1

     in reply to

     @ajsadauskas Besides, you can tell how a country is by how the people or government is.

     Too many of our people have been hurting for the last 2-3 years. Did our government help us? NO!!! That's why most of us voted for Trump and Republicans, and they better do something for us.

     Our people don't always go to the aid of a woman or the elderly and seldom for a man. What does that tell you?

     We have over 30,000 missing kids. What the fuck does that tell you? This country continues to get worse and worse.

     Steve's Place repeated this.