Topical 22/11/22

Mexico is probably not the place to live if you are a journalist. This year to October was the deadliest on record for journalists in Mexico – at least 13 were murdered, a quarter of the world total and equal to journalists’ deaths in the Ukraine war zone. There is a degree of lawlessness in Mexico. Some 100,000 people are listed as ‘missing’, including a famous case of 43 student teachers who were ‘disappeared’ en masse in 2014. It seems the students’ deaths were linked to a government, drug cartel and local police combo. Australia has for years been accused of ‘sleepwalking towards disaster’ in terms of the country’s unpreparedness for war, so it’s reassuring to see that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has firmly committed to modernising and strengthening our defences in the modern era. This includes offensive as well as defensive missiles, drones and cyber warfare capabilities. Is this necessary? China’s military busy-ness might offer a clue. According to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, China built more vessels for its navy than India, Japan, Australia, France and the UK combined between 2017 and 2019 and has added more, including aircraft carriers since. And dictator Xi has advised his country to ‘prepare for war.’