Who will contain Australia - China?

As Australia under Prime Minister John Howard expands its interventionist role, justified by the war on terrorism - to remedy issues in various parts of the globe. From failed nation states of the Solomons, Papua New Guinea and resource robbing of East Timor oil. Now we will protect Japanese engineers in Iraq with 450 Australian troops to replace a departing Dutch contingent.

Australian military personnel already stationed in Iraq were our total contingent, so it was rattled off the ice cool lips of John Howard. The Prime Minister tears up yet another electoral promise. The troops go to Iraq for a minimum of one year.

Has Howard's cabinet thought about other nation's response to our colonial extensions? Its possible we are seen negatively owing to our military enforcements, at the least with frustration and resentment for our intervention outside our border. Do we know if Australia is seen by Asian neighbours, Middle Eastern States and other nations as overstepping ourselves?

Canberra offers reasons of goodwill, humanitarian objectives, justifications real or contrived such as the rescue of failed states - in spite of Canberra's prior actions that contribute to failed nation status in the Pacific. Official explanations for our military engagement in some regions could not by any stretch hold water with the locals. Initial acceptance of Australian intervention in some regions will veer off course. A changed strategic blunder, economic disparity between the colonials and the locals drives locals to erect buffers that upset Canberra's imperialism at any opportunity.

Dispatching additional military units to extend Canberra's authority at gunpoint, disposes this nation to rising flashpoints outside our influence. Explosive events mostly in the Middle East will be powerful. The escalation will be to rapid to avoid, then we will be drawn into military engagements bigger than our miniscule military resources.

If the United States (or Israel) kicks off engagment in multiple warfare fronts, under the rubrick of perceived threats by Iran or Syria, or North Korea in the case of the USA. A possibility of escalation with China's interests [or Russia] in that region will engage all of America's military forces, there will be little protection either political or economic to protect Australia and its resources prize.

Canberra absent its American military shield would display Australian Imperialism as a pretty pathetic hand. Flashpoints for broad conflict exists across multiple fronts in multilpe hemispheres. Such an erruption would be this nation's Achilles heel as an aggrieved China settled scores for our antagonistic military side show adventures alongside the Anglo/American stooges. The risk of being the third stooge is comprehensible from what I can judge. We have nothing to gain by siding with the current crazies in the White House.