Brothers in arms – dire diplomacy

Rather than pandering to fragile egos, she might have sought to stiffen US resolve. Their foreign policy in the Middle East is in tatters. Despite considerable intelligence resources they failed to predict the current upheavals and have no policy in place to handle such a crisis. If the interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan were to make the world a better place, why the hesitation over Libya?

It would be safer to assume that those interventions were all about the US after 9/11. If we allow that the conduct of US foreign policy and diplomacy is all about furthering and protecting the US national interest, what was Gillard on about?

The US needs a safe and stable base in the south in its developing rivalry with China. They will smooch us to that end. Do we want to be that base? If we do it is incumbent that we extract concessions that are in our national interest such getting the ban lifted on the export of the F22A in order that Australia might purchase sufficient of the fighters to bridge the gap before the F35 comes on stream. We might seek compensation for the early and untoward demise of the Manoora and Kanimbla sold as rust buckets in a shonky deal.

A little bit more restraint and real national pride on the world stage might enhance Australia more than the performance we have just witnessed from Julia in the US; her "All the way" will not win us a seat on the Security Council. We will be seen as just another US vote.