OnPoint by Keith Ng

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OnPoint: Google to Embargo China

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  • chris,

    Tom, the armies came, disguised as finger puppets. mugs and soft toys, their generals were cheap prices, their prisoners your income. This is the 21st century, this is the main brunt of Chinese foreign policy.

    It is New Zealand and not China that is still engaging in that older fashioned form of foreign policy i.e. armies killing Afghans or whoever's up this US President's term, your paranoia seems largely rigidly ensconced within this conceptual framework.

    if we have to bow to some big guy I would rather bow to tha age old wisdom of China than the rabid rightiousness of America.

    I concur Steve.

    Mawkland • Since Jan 2010 • 1302 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    China seems to be the bogeyman of choice. If anyone suggests that Indonesia has the desire to invade anywhere I will slap them

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Even if New Zealand Defence were to lose the plot and blow a couple of billion on a combat wing of fighter bombers, we couldn't hold back any country with an aircraft carrier, or Australia.

    I believe it is time to reprise this advertisement.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • David Hood,

    No, you don't _Understand_. The Chinese imported goods are the beachhead. When the command is given, they will Transform into fighting robots. The problem is that with the destruction of the American automotive industry there will be very few freedom loving transforming robots to stand against them.

    Dunedin • Since May 2007 • 1445 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    The problem is that with the destruction of the American automotive industry there will be very few freedom loving transforming robots to stand against them.

    You mean all the Japanese imports won't join together to form one freedom-loving super-robot? You're destroying my childhood dreams here!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    If anyone suggests that Indonesia has the desire to invade anywhere I will slap them

    Whaaa...you mean the whole Australian defence stance of the past fifty years has been based on a lie?

    I'd get Greg Sheridan onto you if you don't take that back.

    But, I suspect Tom's too late. The Chinese have already invaded.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    I was thinking of it more as a marketing strategy - distracting people with the pony to stop them asking questions about how I solved the fusion problem. Everyone likes ponies. Just ask Craig.

    A scientist and cunning! You're working for the Chinese aren't you? I can see your slanty eyes now.

    WARNING Will Robinson, there is a Chinaman behind the potting shed! whirrrrr... bleep.

    Someone get this man a beer.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    ... but I think 15,000,000 exporters will start to get irritated when a prospective customer Googles "Chinese mobile phone supplier" and gets no hits...

    If a prospective customer has any clue at all they'll likely use Ali Baba.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Keith Ng,

    Ah, goddamnit. I leave for lunch and ww-friggin-3 breaks out.

    I'll join in as soon as I scoff down my L&P and pork dumplings... er, I mean fush an' chups. Barbequed fush and chups. With sauce. Lots and lots of sauce. Mmm, I love that Watties tomato sauce.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    Oh dear, good old PublicAddress, eh? Dissenting POV's welcome, as long as they don't actually dissent from the prevailing orthodoxy...

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Whaaa...you mean the whole Australian defence stance of the past fifty years has been based on a lie?

    It helps to have 'unspecified' threats. That way you can spend billions and billions on hardware without having to justify who you would ever have to use it against.

    Australia is about to launch into spending AUD$36 billion on long range missile submarines. "The biggest and most complex non-nuclear submarine ever built on this planet". And that's before the cost overruns. Since they don't have nuclear weapons, I have no idea what the point of such machines is, but that's their problem...

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • Sam F,

    It was all confided to me once over a dinner of New Zealand lamb in farthest Manchuria.

    Those Chinese tuna trawlers, the ones sailing so innocently around our EEZ, secretly contain powerful laser drills and immense engines and towchains. Even now they have almost finished cutting this country free from the continental shelf, after which the South Island will be towed forcibly northwest past PNG to be used as a readymade miltary land-bridge for the invasion of Taiwan.

    I cannot confirm or deny the involvement of fighting super-robots but it would be a nice touch.

    /feverdream

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Oh dear, good old PublicAddress, eh? Dissenting POV's welcome, as long as they don't actually dissent from the prevailing orthodoxy...

    Tom, you've made very bold claims. If you were to give links in your original piece to evidence, then we could discuss that evidence.

    There is reason to be concerned with the tenor of China's aid program, because it is directed at nationalist ends. But this is no more or less a reason to be concerned than with the politicisation of the US foreign aid. And it is still the United States which has military bases spread across the Pacific, whereas China has absolutely none.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • SteveH,

    if we have to bow to some big guy I would rather bow to tha age old wisdom of China than the rabid rightiousness of America.

    Really? This discussion is taking place because the Chinese government (allegedly) hacked the gmail accounts of political activists yet you think they'd be better overlords than the US?

    Since Sep 2009 • 444 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    A scientist and cunning! You're working for the Chinese aren't you? I can see your slanty eyes now.

    In that case, do you think I could persuade them to give me some funding? Then, once they invade, they'd have a populace prepared to welcome them and a couple of manuscripts ready for publication, which seems like a bargain to me.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Even now they have almost finished cutting this country free from the continental shelf, after which the South Island will be towed forcibly northwest past PNG to be used as a readymade miltary land-bridge for the invasion of Taiwan.

    So... better weather then?

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    This discussion is taking place because the Chinese government (allegedly) hacked the gmail accounts of political activists yet you think they'd be better overlords than the US?

    Because the FBI would never do such a thing, right?

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    I for one welcome our Chinese overlords.

    Oh dear, good old PublicAddress, eh? Dissenting POV's welcome, as long as they don't actually dissent from the prevailing orthodoxy...

    Or aren't ridicolous, crude, stupid and racist, yes. You reminded me that in Milan when Dad was a lad somebody had changed the standard Lord's prayer thusly

    O Gesù d'amor acces
    A Milan gh'è rivà tuti i cines
    O mio caro buon Gesù
    A Milan li vorum pù

    Jesu mine, of love aflame,
    Milan's been taken over by the Chinese
    Jesu mine, whom I adore,
    We don't want them here no more

    Plus ça change, etc.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    Oh dear, good old PublicAddress, eh? Dissenting POV's welcome, as long as they don't actually dissent from the prevailing orthodoxy...

    What George said. If you want to present a dissenting argument, then present one.

    And yes, I foolishly got drawn into this, but it is hard to provide a counter argument of substance when the starting point is so lacking in credible references. 'The Death Star response', as it shall now be called (sorry, presumptuous?) seems about right.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Really? This discussion is taking place because the Chinese government (allegedly) hacked the gmail accounts of political activists yet you think they'd be better overlords than the US?

    Yeah, my bad. I thought maybe invading peoples countries, locking people up in countries that don't adhere to the west's concept of basic human rights just to torture them, imposing their concept of "Democracy" (read corporate larceny) on countries trying to escape the fear of death squads run by tyrants in the pay of multinational greed heads? Was a tad worse than looking at your mail.
    Hurrumph'
    Thank you Kyle for suggesting someone get me a beer.
    ;-)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Sam F,

    So... better weather then?

    Well, the Chinese ski commandos will probably get a nice downhill run straight off the Alps into Taipei - it might get a bit melty after that, unless they drag it north into cooler latitudes in time, in which case they'll probably get another wicked ski season on their way into Tokyo.

    Imperialism as xtreme sport. We might even be able to flog them some merino on the way through.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    'The Death Star response', as it shall now be called (sorry, presumptuous?) seems about right.

    Between this and making Emma's top... 15 or whatever it was... I feel I need an engraved plaque. Better not have 'Made in China' on it though!

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    And yes, I foolishly got drawn into this, but it is hard to provide a counter argument of substance when the starting point is so lacking in credible references. 'The Death Star response', as it shall now be called (sorry, presumptuous?) seems about right.

    Given that all the actual arguments have drawn a repitition of the accusation that we just don't want to debate controversial things, I think the 'Death Star' (or perhaps the 'Reverse Maui'?) response is pretty much the only option.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    It helps to have 'unspecified' threats. That way you can spend billions and billions on hardware without having to justify who you would ever have to use it against.

    And yet in the 1970s Australia was quite open about the threat from Indonesia (on one hand, and on the other handing them Timor Timur), using the threat as the lever to open the door to the massive funding needed for that string of mostly useless bases across the north.

    The fact that Indonesia then, as now, can't find it in themselves to get the traffic lights working, let alone drag a million men and women, plus equipment across thousands of miles of desert seems to have eluded the planners.

    I have no idea what the point of such machines is, but that's their problem...

    They have some history of buying utterly pointless military toys, but I guess it's their money.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    the 'Reverse Maui'

    If that isn't a surfing maneuvre, it should be.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

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