Most Americans are sleepwalking. Reminds me of the effects one would see from Soma in Huxley's Brave New World.
. . . that second dose of soma had raised a quite impenetrable wall between the actual universe and their minds.
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I highly recommend the 60 Minutes Australia linked above.
First and foremost, the tone from the CCP Mouthpiece oozes belligerence. Remember the Golden Rule when listening and processing Chinese State Media, they project what they fear and they are cringe (same as it ever was).
This CCP mouthpiece threatens Australia with nuclear Armageddon because of the subs we sold then. And then he states how the world order will be if Australia bends the knee. The reward, China will not target Australian cities for destruction in a CCP invasion of Taiwan. That is not helpful if one wants to avoid war. It's raw aggression and hubris.
Second, the big worry for our allies is whether the US will go to Taiwan's aid. I have no doubt we would repel any attack on Taiwan. That is automatic. The Chinese know we have weapons they know nothing about that are specifically created for that battlespace. The risk of defense is attacks on US cities and our allies who join the Taiwanese defense. The ultimate risk is thermonuclear Armageddon.
At this moment in this dance towards armed conflict, China is the initial aggressor.