nomadpete

I guess that's better than the original promise - of probably no subs at all

US vs Iran. So much winning!

As for the oppressive law prohibiting smoking near other people, well I can speak as an ex smoker. I gave up smoking just before such laws were made. I gave up because I realised it was harmful, also I noticed it sometimes bothered some people. Creating a law was not what changed my behaviour. However, human nature has a habit of creating strong herd acceptance of social behaviour, and that prevented many people from behaving responsibly. The law was necessary to change the mob. But smoking itself has not been banned. I am free to smoke, so long as I basically don't bother other people by doing it.

I don't think Onetrack was calling it 'opressive'. He pointed out that there was no need to create a law, for instance, to prevent free availability to purchase explosives. I cannot recall any reports of neighbours blowing up anything in their backyard, can you? Do you fear that your neighbour would do that if he/she could? Our society has become less social as it becomes more crowded. The old social norms that encouraged individuals to be more considerate, have faded. But our basic freedoms are not, in my opinion, being oppressed.

Tread carefully, OME. Thar be rabbit 'oles all about you.

Wille, what you are saying is that we must continue to get involved in the US conflicts as we have done in the past, in the hope that they MIGHT come to our aid in the highly unlikely event of us being invaded. The US has not historically behaved in the way that NATO (for instance) has a binding defense agreement to come to the aid of invaded members. Meanwhile we have repeatedly rushed to the aid of US involvrment in other wars. But none of those were cases of US being invaded. Do they owe us anything? I wouldn't count on it. I do not believe the US would do a great deal to help us if we really needed help. The US once said they would help Ukraine if Russia threatened it. Look how that turned out.

And we don't need to pretend to buy non existent submarines, for that.

Vassal? No, I think Australia has never shaken itself free from colonialism. Used to be a colony of the 'old country', now we are a colony of USA.

We are fortunate in our relativly isolated geographical location. However, we collectively accept law being used to suppress whistleblowers, and accept subservience to powers such as the USofA. We should be outraged but unfortunataly our collective apathy dilutes our ethics. My own apathy has diluted my own anger to the point that I couldn't be bothered writing a nastygram to a polly any more.

Just when I think the US can't get any worse, someone manages to show me another example of how networking works....

Birds of a feather?

Have they asked Gina or Clive?

There are 3 lows coming at us (in the south). Unusual, they are close together and bode for some active weather.

Hey Marty, I'm bringing by kayak for a bit of whitewater fun!

That's just your algorithm working for you.