Dangerous AlLIES?

This book of Malcolm Fraser's is one that every thinking Australian should read, especially now with Donald Trump running the political show in the USA.

Malcolm Fraser at the 2014
Byron Bay Writers Festival

With China and America two of Australia's biggest allies, a war between these two nations would be very bad news for our nation indeed.
Book review: Dangerous Allies by Malcolm Fraser

To be honest I never would have read this book if I hadn't of run into Malcolm at the Byron Bay Writers Festival in 2014.
I was never a fan of Malcolm Fraser, the politician, or his old political party.
I've always tended to swing towards the Labor Party, not that I always voted that way.
For my American friends the Labor Party would be somewhat equivalent to the Democrats in their policies. 

Malcolm passed away in March, 2015 and I have to say that this book is a fitting legacy.
He not only argues why the current strategic alliance is bad news for Australia should America and China go to war (which is starting to look like a very real possibility under Trump), but he explains how we got dragged into the Vietnam war and how that war started, which I found a bit of an eye opener.
He also explains the danger of a war starting between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands dispute, or Diaoyu Islands dispute and how China really is the rightful owner of these islands anyway, but America sides with the Japanese over this issue, even if they pretend to be neutral on the island issue.

He also talks about the Japanese atrocities in China around 1937 referred to as the Rape of Nanking and how the Japanese tend to wipe that episode out of their history books and just why the Chinese people protest every year when a Japanese politician goes to the disputed islands to lay a wreath for Japanese fallen soldiers.
Sorry, but as much as I like Japanese culture and its modern-day citizens, I'm with the Chinese on that one. 
Fraser also explains the China/Taiwan dispute and how they both see themselves as being one China and that there will probably never be military conflict over this issue unless America sticks its nose into the dispute provoking a war.

Malcolm Fraser in the signing
tent next to Richard Clapton

Fraser also explains why this is happening in the South China Sea at the moment and why the Americans are probably to blame for the escalation just as much as the Chinese.

Chinese development in Indian Ocean raising concern of possible militarisation among major players
I won't be moving anywhere near the city of Darwin anytime soon with all this playing out in the region, in fact it may be a good time to move to New Zealand until all this blows over.

And as much as Malcolm Fraser's suggestions in 'Dangerous Allies' make a whole lot of sense when it comes to our relationship between America and China, I can't see Australia ever having the balls to tell the Americans that we want out of the strategic alliance with them.
And if war does break out between China and The States I'm sure I'll hear the voice of Malcolm Fraser from beyond saying, "I told you so".

My Highlight of the Byron Bay Writers Festival 2014

You can hear the talk Malcolm Fraser gave at the Byron Bay Writer's Festival about his book by clicking on this link and listening to the audio podcast there at the site -

Malcolm Fraser: in conversation with Kerry O’Brien

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing

Let's hope some sanity prevails for once in this insane world.