Malcolm needs to send a message
Let’s cut straight to the quick …
Donald Trump’s disrespect for Australia deserves global backlash. Apologies from the US on the President’s behalf are well-received, but not enough. Malcolm Turnbull, who is often given grief for being spineless, has conducted himself admirably. And it’s not just the reports that he stood up for Australia and the Australian people, it’s the fact that, although there has obviously been a diplomatic meltdown between Australia and the US, Mr Turnbull has remained diplomatic. He is finally acting like a leader. Hats off to Malcolm.
Donald Trump has spat in the face of the Australian troops who have fought, and died, by America’s side. We have walked into battle as US allies where no other country has dared. Right or wrong, we have had the US’s back. Ask the US soldiers who have fought alongside Aussie diggers. They’ll tell you how brave and professional our soldiers are. They’ll tell you how many US lives have been saved by our soldiers. As stated by MSNBC commentator, Lawrence O'Donnell:
"while having no idea that Australia has stood by us like no other ally, marched into battle with us where no other ally would go, including Vietnam, something Donald Trump would have known if he had served in Vietnam and heard those men beside him with those Australian accents, men who saved the lives of American troops".
A New York Times report revealed that, four times, Mr Trump avoided serving in the Vietnam War, including a medical deferment for bone spurs in his heels. He’s pretty brave over the phone, isn’t he? Brave enough to dishonour an agreement made between two countries; brave enough to break a deal made with the former President; brave enough to beat down Barack via Twitter; brave enough to disrespect one of the US longest, staunchest allies from the security of his Oval Office, but not brave enough to fight alongside them in the trenches when he was called for duty.
Malcolm Turnbull should send a message to the US, withdraw our troops from all overseas military engagements, admit the refugees from Nauru and Manus Island, put our long-standing alliance on hold and quit hanging our hat on the US hat rack. The way Donald Trump is acting, by all accounts, the US will be at war with Iraq and China in the near future. The country will be fighting with its closest neighbour, Mexico, and will lose all global respectability in no time.
Maybe then Donald Trump will see how much he needs Australia. Then he’ll see what it means to honour an agreement. Maybe then Australian politicians will see that we don’t really need the US.
Clearly, Trump’s disrespect has made me angry. What do you think of Donald Trump’s actions? Is there hope for a resolution? Has this damaged diplomatic relations between Australia and the US? What should be Malcolm Turnbull’s next move? Is it time that Australia cuts ties?
Talking about America, when my husband and I went to visit a sick friend, we were in the UK and wanted to fly to Boston. It was explained to us if we flew out of Dublin we could go through American Immigration at Shannon. This is what the planes do leaving Dublin for Boston Airport.
They do a short flight to Shannon. There we met with some big burly American Immigration Ladies.
One asked my husband if either of us had been to the USA before, yes my husband replied, when she asked he thought and said 1956. Well the look on her face! She tried very hard not to smile.
Once that was over the flight took off again, we landed at Boston Airport and within 45 minutes we were in our hotel room!