Australian-Indonesian relations have always had their ebb and flow - East Timor, the boat people, and the Bali Bombings are only the latest things to rock the relationship.
And I'm pretty sure they knew we're spying on them (or tried to) - and I'd put my money that they were spying on us as well.
The mock outrage is amusing, but unless you've been living under a rock, you'd know that nation states do these sorts of antics all the time.
People like Assange and Snowden seem to love rocking the boat, and causing trouble - but spying and diplomacy have been a part of state relations from before cuneiform writing.
Quite frankly, I'd much rather professional diplomats play these sorts of games, and we get to live in relative peace, than the outright carnage, war and bloodshet that characterised the thousands of years before this.
Quite frankly, I'd much rather professional diplomats play these sorts of games, and we get to live in relative peace, than the outright carnage, war and bloodshet that characterised the thousands of years before this.
Huh? So the causal difference between the peace we now enjoy and the carnage the world used to endure is that there is now more spying?
I would say they have a duty to spy on Indonesia. Out of all the countries in the region that Australia has to contend with (a huge land mass, sparsely populated, full of mineral wealth), Indonesia is probably the least predictable. Indonesia is very close to the western side of Australia and has a population of 246 million(!).
I'd say Malaysia, myself, with their growing radical Muslim extremists, and the instability caused by the institutionalised racist attitudes to Chinese and other "non-native" Malays.
You could argue that Indonesia has a muslim radical problem as well, but at least the govt recognises it as a problem. Indonesia seems to be trying to become more democratic and neutral in religious matters, whereas I'm not sure Malaysia has the same degree of commitment or willpower.
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Yeah, I'm not exactly sure how this is news.
Australian-Indonesian relations have always had their ebb and flow - East Timor, the boat people, and the Bali Bombings are only the latest things to rock the relationship.
And I'm pretty sure they knew we're spying on them (or tried to) - and I'd put my money that they were spying on us as well.
The mock outrage is amusing, but unless you've been living under a rock, you'd know that nation states do these sorts of antics all the time.
People like Assange and Snowden seem to love rocking the boat, and causing trouble - but spying and diplomacy have been a part of state relations from before cuneiform writing.
Quite frankly, I'd much rather professional diplomats play these sorts of games, and we get to live in relative peace, than the outright carnage, war and bloodshet that characterised the thousands of years before this.
Huh? So the causal difference between the peace we now enjoy and the carnage the world used to endure is that there is now more spying?
I would say they have a duty to spy on Indonesia. Out of all the countries in the region that Australia has to contend with (a huge land mass, sparsely populated, full of mineral wealth), Indonesia is probably the least predictable. Indonesia is very close to the western side of Australia and has a population of 246 million(!).
I'd say Malaysia, myself, with their growing radical Muslim extremists, and the instability caused by the institutionalised racist attitudes to Chinese and other "non-native" Malays.
You could argue that Indonesia has a muslim radical problem as well, but at least the govt recognises it as a problem. Indonesia seems to be trying to become more democratic and neutral in religious matters, whereas I'm not sure Malaysia has the same degree of commitment or willpower.