Superexpert Alison Broinowski believes that Australia should have been all Swiss and neutral during the recent unpleasantness, just like the Asian countries. Alan R. M. Jones points out that Broinowski is, er, misinformed. And that she's a goddamn raving snob who thinks working class beer drinkers invite terror.
Posted by Tim Blair at June 19, 2003 02:24 AM | TrackBackI notice that that rag, the SMH had a huge banner extolling Ms Broinowskis' 'expert claims, on their web edition.
Whilst breathlessly extolling nothing really new, other than an advertisement, surprise surprise, for her next book, the SMH surely can find better issues to push than this.
Posted by: nic at June 19, 2003 10:41 AMCrean also waxed lyrical on Australia being too close to the use, should be aligned with the `U.N.', and furthermore, the alliance with the U.S. undermines Australia's involvement with Asia and `deepening ties' with Asia.
Lost on Simey boy, as well as Brionowski, weakening the links with the US does not improve nor reduce Australian's links with Asiatic neighbours. One should say, the count , the focus is , commerce and strategic interests,perhaps the crime is white anglo country.
To turn things around, Asians don't confuse anglos with commerce. Communist party HQ in Beijing might erupt into party mode joy if Australia were to traduce its links to America, particularly in view of its regional ambitions - to further them isolating the US and having the US withdraw from Asia is a major strategic goal.
Beijing is jittery, having supported North Korea, it is faced with the fact, North Korea is dangerous. Supporting North Korea and the `re-unification' putsch, in order to realise regional aims, and to force the U.S. off the peninsular and out of the region altogether, has, happily, unravelled.
And, as Tim pointed out, relations with Japan , Indonesia, Taiwan and others, are altogether different as also the position of each of those countries towards the U.S. , as also reflected in their support for Gulf WarII.
Japan itself is under political pressure from Beijing , over Sakhalin Island. Does anyone remember units of Chinese armed forces excerising on what is after all, Japanese territory? Next, there is the imminent military threat posed by North Korea.
As for Muslim Islamo-fascists, the puerile moronic notion Brionowski holds is simply not worth commenting on except for the stupidity of the argument. If Australia were to be neutral, and by this that would seem to require some degree of severance of military alliance,then the Islamo-fascist-terrorists would show out to be really decent chappies after all.Needless to say, Indonesia can't afford to have that band of murdering thugs loose in its country either.
Lastly, solid commerce with Asian countries doesn't rest on becoming Asiatic. It really is only the freedom to engage in commerce, and freedom of contracts which counts.And not whether we Australians are allied to the U.S., nor that Australia rests on very English traditions - Hong Kong is a very, very good example.
In other words, reducing the alliance with the U.S. has no bearing on exchange as such.The alliance is critical , however, to balancing and countering Bejings political ambitions for the region, yes, inclusive of Australia - that is no secret, and to facing that regime of outright savages of North Korea.
Crean shows very, very, poor judgment on such matters, a major defect given the core responsibilities of government, as he also did on Gulf War II. But that is consistent of the ALP: after all, to give the bankrupt communards of Sweden some money, a certain ALP defence minister did buy the Kock-ups submarine.
"Gridlock of prejudice" indeed! Is there no cliche she will leave unturned? What about "poor white trash of Asia"?
I also notice she likes to throw around Asian words like "kafir", presumably to show her expertise. Here's another: "khon ngo" (Thai for jackass).
Posted by: Rob at June 19, 2003 01:47 PMA very pointed observation , Rob,; inverse snobbery on her part.It has the additional merit of: it shows she is a liar; has anyone noticed she is anything but a white kafir too. Perhaps she shoe-polishes her skin each morning a deep shade of Brown, ever since her schooldays, in the hope no-one would detect what lies beneath the camouflage.
Posted by: d at June 19, 2003 04:32 PMd, I hope you're not going to call her a nigger!
Posted by: Rob at June 19, 2003 05:29 PMMe, no, never, Rob,but I've crossed my fingers just in case.
Posted by: d at June 19, 2003 07:02 PM
Me, no, never, Rob, but I've crossed the fingers just in case.