XPost: uk.d-i-y   
   From: rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com   
      
   newshound  wrote   
   > 72y33 wrote   
      
   >>> I believe so.   
      
   >>> They are most useful to destroy incoming naval craft  - the chinese dont   
   >>> want to bomb Taiwan, or Australia - they want to annex it.   
      
   >> There is no possibility of China annexing Australia.   
      
   >> Even the USA doesn’t have what it takes to do that.   
      
   >>>> I was more intrigued by the idea of nuclear powered container ships.   
      
   >>> Indeed.   
      
   > I am sure the *point* of the new deal is that the Astute-like subs will   
   > give Australia very much better intelligence capability on Chinese   
   > activities in the South China Sea and elsewhere.   
      
   There is no point in us having stupidly expensive subs for that.   
      
   The US is quite capable of proving that intelligence with what they already   
   have.   
      
   > Undoubtedly the information will be shared completely with the USA and the   
   > UK.   
      
   Sure, but the USA doesn’t need it, they already have vastly better sources   
   of that.   
      
   > It also means Australia and its regional friends will have more   
   > credibility in protesting about Chinese activities to the UN,   
      
   That’s bullshit too.   
      
   > thus giving expansionist Chinese more diplomatic headaches.   
      
   They don’t give a damn about what anyone thinks about   
   what they are doing there, or about the Uyghurs either.   
      
   And those subs are a stupidly expensive way to do that anyway.   
   FAR better things to spend that sort of money on.   
      
   > It's a bit like Teddy Roosevelt's "Speak softly and carry a big stick".   
      
   It isn't a big stick in our case. It isn't even a twig.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)