Indonesia needs to modernise its military hardware

JAKARTA: Indonesia has gone on a spending spree to modernise its military as a self-imposed deadline for upgrading its defence forces looms large.

At the helm of this spree: The army general turned defence minister, and now new president, Prabowo Subianto, who has been inking deals to overhaul decades-old equipment. CNA

In a world that lives with the western colonial and imperialist doctrines of wars of occupation and domination, every nation state's top priority is about national security and spending big money to buy military hardware to prepare against real and red herring threats. And with the white men pushing for wars of occupation and exploitation, and wars as a business, the need for military hardware is real and cannot be lightly ignored.

The pathetic plight of the Middle Eastern states, the African states and Latin American states said it all. When you don't have the military capability to defend yourself, be prepared to be invaded by the Americans and the white men. Ironically, the Asian or SE Asian states are buying military hardware to prepare against a fictional enemy that have not invaded any of them since time immemorial, but buying hardware from the real enemy that have historical and recent records of invading countries with fake and fabricated excuses, and are conducting wars all over the world for domination and conquest. 

China has no colonial or imperialist ambition in their relations with other states. The Americans and the white men had colonised and ruled the world and are planning to re colonise and rule the world, with actions and plans, first in the expansion of NATO to the Russian border, and now the Ukraine War, and the proud proclamation that they would destroy and take over Russia and then China. And there is the other proud disclosure of a plan to invade and take over 7 states in the Middle East and Africa, and the regular intervention and regime change in Latin America. In Africa they have many forces, in uniforms or disguised as contractors or mercenaries to destabilise the countries and could anytime dethrone the elected leaders to capture the states as part of their empires.

But Asian and Asean states chose not to see, chose to ignore the expansionist and aggressive American and western powers for world conquest and domination, and chose to believe in the mischievous fiction spread by the Americans that China is harbouring hegemonic ambition and wanted to conquer and rule the world.

Under this context, Asian and Asean countries' first choice of arms and weapon suppliers are the Americans and the West, their real enemies, with publicised intent and historical records to prove. If Asian and Asean countries are wise, there is really no need to spend or waste their limited resources to buy weapons from the Americans. There are many ways to acquire expensive American weapons and 'protection' for free.

One way is to follow the European and the Japanese/South Korean ways. Volunteered to be semi colonies of the American Empire, invite the Americans to set up military bases and facilities in their own countries. And eureka, they will have the best American weapons and soldiers in their lands to protect and defend them without spending a cent. Caveat, the opportunity cost and hidden costs can be very high. The Europeans are paying for it now, with no brain Ukraine now being destroyed for good. Anyway, the Philippines have opted for this choice and are very happy inviting the Americans to set up military bases in their country, and even getting free weapons from American allies and colonies. Marcos and his gang are working very hard to become the 51st state of the USA. 

Another option is to be the lapdog of the Americans, play the role of Mickey Mouse to provoke Americans' enemies like Russia, China, North Korea or Iran. The Americans and the West would be very happy to send free weapons as aids, or be selling weapons at special rates to them. Caveat, do not be like Taiwan, when weapons sold were not only third rate, but also have to pay for it when they became too dependent on the Americans as their protector.  And often have to pay forward in the millions or billions, without knowing when the Americans would deliver their purchase.

The pro American Arab states are in between, with the Americans willing to sell them doctored weapons, all specially designed and rigged, and identified, not to be better than what the Americans provided to the Israelis, or to be a threat to the Israelis. But to be in the position of the Arabs, the pre condition is that the country must be rich and able to pay in cash, no discount.

Another way is the Singapore way, be friendly with the Americans, and the Americans would be most happy to sell good weapons, even F35s, to Singapore, albeit, to be parked in the USA.

With a little ingenuity, and a little thinking, the Indonesians would be able to find the best way to obtain good weapons from the Americans to defend itself against the fictional enemy, China, not against 'friendly' Australia or the American Empire. Many countries are doing the same, buying weapons from their real enemy, the Americans, that wanted to dominate and rule over them, to fight China which the Americans hyped as their enemy and the enemies of these countries. Caveat, they are not in the menu of the American Dream to conquer and rule the world. A word of caution. Just don't be like the Arab countries.