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Re: Image comments for Orange is the new Red
Posted by: samiam
Date: 17/03/2017 12:05PM
You're not on an American site. We didn't all vote (or not).

How do Australian citizens feel about Trump being rude and obnoxious to their Prime Minister during their first phone call?

Firstly, no one in Australia gets two flying fucks about being nice to the Prime Minister of Australia. We don’t need red carpet, we don’t need sucking up and we don’t need hugs or awkward hand holding or kisses.

There is more at stake here than etiquette.

Australia and the US have a lot of things they work together on. I know most Americans don’t know shit about the Australian US relationship; they just know there are a lot of Australian actors working in Hollywood, and Australia is a nice place Oprah went to once.

But currently, Australia has the closest military and security relationship with the US. Many people do not believe that, but it is true. Yes, closer than Canada. Yes, closer than the UK. NOFORN means US only, but recently Australia has been able to overturn areas of NOFORN. When it comes to US-Australia partnerships, there are no bounds.

Australia and the US really have been joint powers in at least South East Asia ever since Australia took in an American refugee called Douglas MacArthur, who fled to Australia after the US Army and US Navy was defeated in the Philippines.

The US has elected a President who is putting together an administration which the world is very worried about. I know the US media is focusing on his domestic popularity, but it’s the international repercussions that has everyone nervous. The US relationship with Australia is hypercritical to peace and stability in Asia.

So there was hope in Asia, that Australia, through its unique relationship, which transcends politics, transcends presidents, would be able to still find a functional relationship at some level that would still work. Australia would become a conduit to the US for intel, strategy, diplomacy, and effectively, power.

That bond was paid in blood. It wasn’t a freebie.

That no longer appears to be the case. Right now Trump is fighting with his own administration about things like the Refugee swap deal. It’s quite clear he hates it. It’s quite clear that people working for him are worried or this story would not have leaked out of the White House. Think about it. The person who leaked this story is either listening in on the call or in the room when the call happened. We are not talking about a cleaner or a clerk.

But it also appears for countries like Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, China, etc. Australia is going to have significant issues being that conduit.

So yeah, I feel pissed off that after all the history here is a country trying to help the US in the region and he hangs up after 25 minutes of ranting.

It’s not like Turnbull and Trump should have a fair bit in common. Turnbull is worth at least a quarter of a billion bucks. He is the leader of the conservative party in Australia. Australia has had a tougher stance on immigration and migrants than Trump could dream of. Australia invented being tough on borders.

Australian and the US leaders usually have overtly good relationships. Even when they are on the opposite sides of politics and terrible things have happened.

I hope Americans realise that their current leader is undermining their global position, their relationship with allies and is generally being an arsehole. That’s not coming from some namby pamby left wing, liberal agenda conspiracy.

Try the article in Forbes magazine from the guy who owns Fox News.

Murdoch Sons Against Immigration Ban, Despite Father's Trump Ties
[www.forbes.com]

So how do I feel? Pissed off. Because you’re not letting us help you. You’re not even taking our calls.

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