foreign PM

[tyler06]

can we have JOHN HOWARD from australia . has P.M

[jonnythebosh]

Top idea, if only.

[matt66]

Pity Steve Irwin has gone
he could surely have grappled with all the mess left behind by Blair

Has he gone yet...Blair that is

[Zen]

No different to Bliar...............
The strengthening of political and economic ties between Australia and the United States has been one of the defining aspects of John Howard's 10 years in power.

While the relationship has always been solid -- as evidenced by the post-World War II ANZUS alliance -- under Howard the two nations have become almost inseparable allies on key international issues.

This can be no more clearly seen by Australia's decision to steadfastly support the Bush administration in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq and the commitment of troops to that action as one of the few members of the "coalition of the willin

[tyler06]

ZEN when has BLAIR put britain first

[jonnythebosh]

At least Bush and Howard look after their countries interests first and don't treat their populations with contempt like that crteature Blair Zen.

[Lonnie]

I'm with you tyler, get a petion going, and i'll sign.

[jno]

Howard and Blair were the most slavish American allies in rushing into Iraq. Send them both off to hunt for WMDs until they find one.

[jonnythebosh]

jno, i detect from this and other postings that you are not a fan of America. If so post a question about peoples views about America instead of boring everyone to death with the same anti US jibes in every thread.
Like it or not they are the superpower and will be for the forseeable future.
I suppose you would prefer it if the USSR was still up there with them, you know, the ones who murdered millions of their own and any other countries citizens they annexed.

[jump79]

No, maybe you should consider emigrating there?

Oh and jno is right. Why is it that whenever someone mentions facts around here, they get labelled "loony lefties" or "anti-US" or "anti-west" etc.?
Howard is known to be a close ally of Bush (along with shoe-licker Blair) and so, Australia has almost identical stances as US, as far as foreign policies go.

Personally, I think getting someone like Howard here would be like replacing one flimsy, little poodle for another.

[Lonnie]

Howard may be a close ally of Bush, thats really immaterial on this thread, he looks out for his own country, which is what Tyler is on about, and Blair is selling this country out.

[jump79]

In terms of immigration, yes.

Getting involved in foreign affairs (ie- Iraq) -just because the US is (and so putting their own citizens at risk), no.

[jno]

you are entirely mistaken, johnnythebosh; I love America and have visited it every year for the past 25 years; so I know something about it. My observation is merely that Howard is as much a poodle of a foreign power as Blair is, and for the same reason (sucking up to the big boys); so what's the point of changing one for the other? Both, to me, are selling their countrymen out.

(One possible difference: as far as I can tell, when Australian troops are sent overseas, they go somewhere they won't be shot at. Is that good?)

[jedimistress]

NO. He is another of Bushes poodles. He surprised many Australians by taking them to war.

[Trojanfarce]

It always suprises me to see how many people are prepared to view Blair as Bush's lapdog or call Britain the U.S's "trained monkey" (no direct quote from anyone on here). Personally, I can't abide Blair and firmly believe that he and his evil cow of a wife have sold us out for as much money as they can possibly make, but this constant braying of how we kowtow to America denigrates us all as a nation.
In my view, when you have an alliance, there will always be one or more parties who have more to offer, more wealth, more resource, etc and so you have a party that will be seen as being the stronger. It's the same here, America IS that stronger ally and we do need them (I expect there to be howls of derision at this but it's my belief), more so than we need Europe, who, lets face it, we can barely communicate with due to language barriers.
Perhaps people would be happier for us to ally ourselves with, say, Burkina Faso which would allow us to call upon them to do our dirty work, when we decided to go and liberate Eire (for example)
Howard as our PM? he'd probably only get beaten down by the Cherie Blairs of this country

[jonnythebosh]

Thats exactly what i am considering jump79.
I am mentioing facts as regards to TB not doing anything for this country and the vast majority of its population.
I am constantly accused of being paranoid, reactionary etc by people on AB so it works both ways.
As i said, Howard stands up for Australia and doesn't allow the rest of the world to dump its excess their and then try to smear people who protest as racist, its called looking after your countries best interests.
You raving leftie.

[jump79]

Yes, but by blindly following America, Australia is setting itself up as a future terrorist target, don't you think? When the politics they are involved in has absolutely nothing to do with them (they don't even get any oil out of it, like USA).

Oh and good luck emigrating to Australia. I hear they welcome immigrants with open arms... no, wait they don't, sorry.
You numpty.

[jno]

I think Australia is already a terrorist target - that's almost certainly what the Bali bombings were about, as Bali is a popular Australlan resort (as Egypt is for Brits). As for not allowing the rest of the world to dump excess people there... well, there seems to be no shortage of whingeing Poms and racist South Africans moving in. It's just the dark-skinned ones they don't like, a fine distinction also noticeable in Britain.

But I don't see how people can both (a) praise Blair for joining in American wars and (b) say he should put his own country first.