A number of academics and journalists are beginning to think critically about China. This contrasts with the cargo cult attitude of the former prime minister who did so much to make Australia a part of Asia with his massive Asian immigration programme – John Howard. Don’t ban Chinese political donations he says (The Australian, September 12, 2016, p. 4) even though “we are living in this quite unique situation where we’re dealing with an authoritarian communist country which has a dominant economic influence in this country.”
That, in my opinion, is just incoherent. An authoritarian communist country is something to be feared, by definition! The Liberals have clearly forgotten the meaning of the word “liberalism.”