Question for our Aussie bretheren...

[Duckguy]

Hey,

At the risk of sounding like a complete idiot, I'd like to know what y'all think and know about your prime minister, John Howard. Speaking for myself, but I suspect it applies to many other Americans here...I know the name but little about what your country thinks of him and what his political views are. I assume he's generally conservative, but I'd like the low down. What's good and bad? Who might be better, or who was worse?

Let's face it, I'd bet dollars to dog rockets that 7 out of 10 Americans can't name your P.M., but he's a staunch supporter of many U.S. policies...for better or worse. Of course, that country just north of us just got a new P.M. and I'd bet nearly 9 of 10 don't know the name Stephen Harper. And all I know is the name :-P .

So educate my myopic Yankee ass please! And while you are at it, I'd like to know why the rest of the world for the most part takes issue with many U.S. policies, but generally speaking it seems Australia is nearly always "with" us...

Like most threads I post on this will probably crash and burn but perhaps it will become interesting.

Thanks! Josh

[El Presidente]

John Howard is celebrating his 10th year as Prime Minister. The second longest stint as leader in this country's history.

He is both astute and shrewd. He has an excellent grip on public opinion and generally knows what buttons to push. Even when he goes contra public opinion, he positions himself as a man who does what is right as opposed to what is popular. He wins public opinion either way.

He is generally respected, even by his enemies. He has steered the economy through 10 years of solid economic growth and is both ultra conservative and a free market economist/advocate.

Latest opinion polls see him as preferred Prime Minister by close to 55% of the population. Albeit the quality of the opposition is poor particularly at this time.

Most Australians would like to see our troops home from IRAQ now. However, Howard plays on the "Never leave a mate behind" Australian ethos and invariably is not scarred by the war politically. He is smart but has been the beneficiary of no Aussie military combat losses to date.

He plays close to the US yet also close to China (our regions new powerhouse). We have a close economic history with Japan (no friend of China) ...and he plays close to Japan successfully at the same time.

I wouldn't want to play poker with him.

[Ben]

» So educate my myopic Yankee ass please! And while you are at it, I'd like

» to know why the rest of the world for the most part takes issue with many

» U.S. policies, but generally speaking it seems Australia is nearly always

» "with" us...

Yes indeed even before 'All the way with LBJ' we've lent our helping hand (such as it is) to American Military efforts all over the wide World. At first it was payback for saving our butts during WW2 but now it's a different more selfish reason, Insurance. Putting it frankly our Military over the last few decades has been gutted to the point of complete irrelevance. Lets put it this way there are more Cops in New York City alone than the entire personnel roster of our Army, Navy & yes Air Force combined... Words fail... Yet we live on the doorstep of the largest Muslim state in the World Indonesia whom do not like us very much and never have. In the unlikely event they decided to come we'd basically be ****ed. For what it's worth we want to have the Sheriff on our side.

[mgillett]

The Indonesians have to get through a few thousand kms of dust before they reach us at least!

I reckon Johnny has had it pretty good as far as opposition quality goes over the years. I don't think anybody has been up to the task as much as him. Economically, I could not fault his and Costello's leadership over the past 10 years and wonder whether a Beasley led government would have done as well given that Labour have not got a great track record (economically speaking).

[Ken Gargett]

i´d reckon 99 out of 100 americans couldn´t name our pm but most aussies know bugger all about america.

i remember when i lived in DC and was working for a law firm there, one of the guys i lived with - a dentist - was of the view that ww11 started in 1941 and surprised to hear we were in vietnam.

one of the lawyers (who was more than attractive enough that i could forgive her anything) was stunned when i mentioned this - i was assuming that americans were aware that we were in vietnam. she looked at me and, i swear this is true and remember that this is one of the country´s elite lawyers in major international firm, asked which side we were on. like i said, she could be forgiven.

[Ben]

They would've been even more amazed Ken if they heard that in our Province we were WINNING the war. Westmoreland himself admitted as much.

[Duckguy]

Thanks for all the replies thus far. I had thought a bit about your Islamic neighbors, but that does put it in perspective. Thanks very much!

Josh

[Ben]

Incidently Josh, is Condi's trip out here getting any coverage in the States at all? She seems to be having a whale of a time, smiling a lot, giving meaningless answers to inane questions, getting the names of our elected officials wrong etc. She's in Melbourne now handing out Medals at the Commonwealth Games which seems odd to me, but a junket is a junket I guess.

She popped in on the boys of the USS Port Royal yesterday for lunch, I'm sure they would've preferred Ms February.

But I suppose it isn't everyday the Secretary of State drops in.

[JMH]

I heard that she was out at sydney uni yesterday, and copped quite a bit of flack when trying to give a speech. Wish I'd known so I could've gone along ;-)

[Duckguy]

I can only speak for myself, and I honestly dont watch the news like I should, but I was not aware she was even in Austrailia.

» Incidently Josh, is Condi's trip out here getting any coverage in the

» States at all? She seems to be having a whale of a time, smiling a lot,

» giving meaningless answers to inane questions, getting the names of our

» elected officials wrong etc. She's in Melbourne now handing out Medals at

» the Commonwealth Games which seems odd to me, but a junket is a junket I

» guess.

»

» She popped in on the boys of the USS Port Royal yesterday for lunch, I'm

» sure they would've preferred Ms February.

» But I suppose it isn't everyday the Secretary of State drops in.

[strayvector]

Great thread! An excellent way to learn about our brothers south of the equator. I've always wanted to visit and one of these day, the kids will be old enough to last 26 hours on a plane.

[bgoodz]

I remember the Aussies quite well in Viet Nam, great group of guys and we got on quite well...and you had your own little section of beach in DaNang. As did the ROKs ( South Koreans...mean little MoFo's)