"Australia has always had to do these types of things in the past to keep a major player happy to secure safe trading. When you are surrounded by ocean unless you have the ability to secure your own shipping you have to bend over and take it by someone that has the power to to do it for you."
No ----------- Australia has 'thought' it had to do these types of things
NZ didn't -------- and, it looks pretty good from here - they gave the bird to the US decades ago - yet, they are still in ANZUS
they still eat, they still trade and except for some Aussie idiots with automatic weapons - they still have one of the most peaceful and desirable countries in the world
there is just no need to race off to 'coalitions of the willing' within minutes - getting on the phone to US presidents as John Howard did - and, went to the wrong war for the wrong reasons -
if you said - na, mate - can't handle it this month - Melbourne cup is on - the US would forget it within hours - such is their attention span
what are they going to do? walk out of Pine Gap? walk out of Nth Australia?
We are the only friend they have got in the area besides Thailand
