Australia Connection
Hello All!
I am not so worried about who will win the US election. I mean I support Obama, but to be honest I don't think he has any love for Australia.
(I suspect he harbors a disgust of Australia for supporting Suharto, a figure Obama remembers unflatteringly for his massacres during his youthful life in Indonesia).
On the other hand, McCain usually goes out of his way to talk about his personal committment to improving the Australian alliance. In fact, I'd go so far as to say he has no closer ally in mind. No doubt his 5 1/2 years in a Hanoi POW camp with Aussie inmates made his bond quite strong,... Should something happen to McCain I see no reason why Palin would not follow on that tradition.
Yet. I have not, until today, seen a major US candidate just weeks from an election take the time to write a piece for a foreign audience.
Of course, in the Australian today.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24386491-7583,00.html
Just a couple of notes on that article...
The Great White Fleet connection is most interesting to me personally, as I gave a joint-presentation earlier this year on the fleet on the 100th anniversary this year. Most people talk about 1942 as the major shift to the US, and that was important.. but it all started back then...
Incidentally to celebrate the 100th anniversary the USS John S McCain sailed into Sydney habor. John S McCain later became admiral, as did John S McCain Junior, and of course the current John S McCain was a naval pilot.
The other thing that I think is interesting, and is pointed out by an observer 'Andrew Shearer' from lowy, is that McCain refers to the Australia US relationship as 'Critical'.... Noone I have heard in US politics to date has ever expressed it in such unequivocal terms.
So yes a generation of young people would be disappointed if Obama doesn't get in, but the consolation prize looks better here than anywhere else in the world.
Thankyou for reading my journal.
I am not so worried about who will win the US election. I mean I support Obama, but to be honest I don't think he has any love for Australia.
(I suspect he harbors a disgust of Australia for supporting Suharto, a figure Obama remembers unflatteringly for his massacres during his youthful life in Indonesia).
On the other hand, McCain usually goes out of his way to talk about his personal committment to improving the Australian alliance. In fact, I'd go so far as to say he has no closer ally in mind. No doubt his 5 1/2 years in a Hanoi POW camp with Aussie inmates made his bond quite strong,... Should something happen to McCain I see no reason why Palin would not follow on that tradition.
Yet. I have not, until today, seen a major US candidate just weeks from an election take the time to write a piece for a foreign audience.
Of course, in the Australian today.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24386491-7583,00.html
Just a couple of notes on that article...
The Great White Fleet connection is most interesting to me personally, as I gave a joint-presentation earlier this year on the fleet on the 100th anniversary this year. Most people talk about 1942 as the major shift to the US, and that was important.. but it all started back then...
Incidentally to celebrate the 100th anniversary the USS John S McCain sailed into Sydney habor. John S McCain later became admiral, as did John S McCain Junior, and of course the current John S McCain was a naval pilot.
The other thing that I think is interesting, and is pointed out by an observer 'Andrew Shearer' from lowy, is that McCain refers to the Australia US relationship as 'Critical'.... Noone I have heard in US politics to date has ever expressed it in such unequivocal terms.
So yes a generation of young people would be disappointed if Obama doesn't get in, but the consolation prize looks better here than anywhere else in the world.
Thankyou for reading my journal.