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  • Weird speech makes Obama odd man out

    Cookies must be enabled. | The Australian
    In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility.

    Leibniz

  • #2
    Subscriber-only article
    “He was the most prodigious personification of all human inferiorities. He was an utterly incapable, unadapted, irresponsible, psychopathic personality, full of empty, infantile fantasies, but cursed with the keen intuition of a rat or a guttersnipe. He represented the shadow, the inferior part of everybody’s personality, in an overwhelming degree, and this was another reason why they fell for him.”

    Comment


    • #3
      Murdoch mouthpiece. I get to read it every day at work. Jokingly referred to it as a 'right wing Pravda' to a colleague. He actually spent a bit of time in the USSR & pointed out that no one who read or published Pravda actually took it seriously, so the comparison wasn't apt. Pity, used to be a semi-decent paper. You haven't missed anything.
      sigpic

      Win nervously lose tragically - Reds C C

      Comment


      • #4
        That's odd, I'm not a subscriber. Anyways, here's an excerpt

        Obama’s speech was deliberately designed to hurt Abbott. This may not have been its primary purpose, but it certainly was a significant effect. Historians of the relationship cannot cite a single similar example of a visiting president going out of his way to wound an Australian prime minister.

        The speech was bizarre in many ways and deserves proper analysis as a pointer to the divisions and dysfunction within the Obama administration, features which will only get worse as power, and a sense of responsibility, ebb away from Obama in the less than two years he still has in office.

        There was also an element of cowardice in the speech. Obama would never have given that speech at home before the congressional mid-term elections. There would have been some courage in such a speech delivered, say, in West Virginia, or Ohio, a week before the mid-terms.

        What was Obama’s purpose? Can one more celebrity orgasm really be more important to the President than maintaining his relationship with his closest ally in Asia? Was Obama preparing for his post-presidential life, as a new and improved Al Gore?

        In truth, there are much deeper divisions within the Obama administration, on Australia, and on Asian policy more generally.

        The official US attitude to Australia is always complex and consists of many parts. That is as true today as it ever was. The Pentagon loves us. As always, it is our best friend in Washington. Australians get higher level access in the Pentagon than they do in other agencies.

        Two US geographical military commands — PACOM in the Pacific and CENTCOM in the Middle East — are especially close to their Australian partners. They remain the core Australian constituency in the US government.

        The State Department is typically friendly too. That is less the case now. In Bob Carr’s Diary of a Foreign Minister, he records the Australian ambassador, Kim Beazley, in cables to Canberra *lamenting the lack of *interest in Australia that John Kerry exhibited. Beazley recalls Kerry, as a senior senator, refusing to see Kevin Rudd when Rudd visited Washington as foreign minister. Beazley also expressed the universally held view in Asia that Kerry had no real interest in Asia.

        The senior Asia official in the ger State Department is Danny Russell, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia. Russell has three problems in that role. He is not Kurt Campbell, his charismatic predecessor. Russell has no personal charisma and no personal traction in relationships. And above all, Russell has no juice with anyone of consequence in the administration, neither with Kerry, nor with Obama, or any of the other principals.

        Obama’s National Security Adviser, Susan Rice, is a remarkably abrasive woman with virtually zero background in Asia whom the Congress flatly refused to consider as a secretary of state, the position Obama wanted to put her in. She has the true religion on climate change, as do many of Obama’s domestic advisers, and in years of intermittent attendance at the Australian American Leadership Dialogue has been socialised into demonising Abbott by her friends on the Australian left.

        Evan Madeiros, the NSC’s senior Asia official, is the NSC’s version of Danny Russell.

        In his speech in Brisbane, Obama noted that many people in Asia had been sceptical about the Obama administration’s pivot to Asia. In the first Obama administration, credible officials like Hillary Clinton and Robert Gates led the pivot. But they are gone and their legacy is disappearing. Other senior US officials lament that the pivot is often seen in excessively military terms.

        The reason for this is simple. The military is the only part of the US system that really performs well in Asia. Kerry is a constant presence in the Middle East and seldom seen in Asia. Obama himself has a long record of cancelled visits to the region.
        Last edited by Parihaka; 23 Nov 14,, 21:10.
        In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility.

        Leibniz

        Comment


        • #5
          What was Obama’s purpose? Can one more celebrity orgasm really be more important to the President than maintaining his relationship with his closest ally in Asia?
          Yes, yes it is. This man is an attention-whore like all politicians, the difference is he's a "superstar" in the celebrity world.
          “He was the most prodigious personification of all human inferiorities. He was an utterly incapable, unadapted, irresponsible, psychopathic personality, full of empty, infantile fantasies, but cursed with the keen intuition of a rat or a guttersnipe. He represented the shadow, the inferior part of everybody’s personality, in an overwhelming degree, and this was another reason why they fell for him.”

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by TopHatter View Post
            Yes, yes it is. This man is an attention-whore like all politicians, the difference is he's a "superstar" in the celebrity world.
            TH,

            It is interesting that an article on a 'weird speech' connected to the G20 should omit to mention the speech given by our own PM at the opening of the conference (as opposed to a university). He took the opportunity to trumpet minor policy triumphs and bemoan his ability to pass legislation - including a specific mention of a $7 charge on doctor visits. At a gathering of the world's 20 largest economies. 'Attention whore' barely covers it. Worse, he embarrassed the new President of Indonesia and crowed about abolishing a Carbon Tax days after the Obama-Xi climate love in. This might be seen as a deliberate affront to two of the world's most powerful men. Hardly the sort of thing you expect from a host. Even usually pro-Abbott media was forced to concede it was a shocker. Obama's speech was made after this and is restrained by comparison.

            So, why does our PM's speech get the silent treatment here? It could be that the guy writing the article (Greg Sheridan) has been a close personal friend of our PM since University. When it comes to doing the bidding of his paymaster, his political allies & friends he is peerless. The quality of his analysis, one the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired.

            While it isn't relevant to this article, I take every opportunity provided to mention that Mr Sheridan was & continues to be a supporter of/apologist for former Indonesian President Soeharto and has been running interference over the genocide in East Timor for decades. When one of our great PMs recently passed away virtually the only positive thing he could find to say was that the PM in question had done nothing to stand in the way of Indonesia's invasion of E. Timor. A fairly low form of life.

            For perspective I've reproduced a transcript of Obama's 'weird anti-Abbott' speech. I'll leave it to you to decide if the analysis provided was reasonable.


            HELLO, Brisbane! It’s good to be back in Australia. I love Australia – I really do.

            The only problem with Australia is every time I come here I’ve got to sit in conference rooms and talk to politicians instead of going to the beach.

            I want to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of this land and by paying my respects to your elders, past and present.

            It is great to be here at UQ. This university is recognised as one of the world’s great institutions of science and teaching. Your research led to the vaccine that protects women and girls around the world from cervical cancer.

            Your innovations have transformed how we treat disease and how we unlock new discoveries. Your studies have warned the world about the urgent threat of climate change. In fact, last year I even tweeted one of your studies to my 31 million followers on Twitter.

            Just bragging a little bit. I don’t think that’s quite as much as Lady Gaga, but it’s pretty good. That’s still not bad.

            I thank Prime Minister Abbott and the people of Brisbane and Queensland for hosting us at the G20 Summit. This city, this part of Australia, is just stunning – “beautiful one day, and then perfect the next.” That’s what I understand.

            We travel a lot around the world. My staff was very excited for “Bris Vegas.”. When I arrived they advised I needed some XXXX. You have some?

            Part of the reason I have fond memories of Australia is I spent some time here as a boy when I was travelling between Hawaii and Indonesia, where I lived for several years.

            And when I returned three years ago as President, I had the same feelings that I remembered as a child – the warmth of the people of Australia, the sense of humour. I learned to speak a little “strine.” I’m tempted to “give it a burl.” That’s about as far as I can go actually.

            But I do want to take this opportunity to express once again the gratitude of the American people for the extraordinary alliance with Australia.

            I tell my friends and family and people that I meet that there is an incredible commonality between Australia and the United States.

            And Australia really is everything that you would want in a friend and in an ally. We’re cut from the same cloth – immigrants from an old world who built a new nation.

            We’re inspired by the same ideals of equality and opportunity – the belief everybody deserves a fair go, a fair shot.

            And we share that same spirit – that confidence and optimism – that the future is ours to make; that we don’t have to carry with us all the baggage from the past, that we can leave this world a better, safer, more just place for future generations.

            And that’s what brings me here today – the future that we can build together, here in the Asia Pacific region.

            Now, this week, I’ve travelled more than 15,000 miles – from America to China to Burma to Australia. I have no idea what time it is right now. I’m completely upside down.

            But despite that distance, we know that our world is getting smaller. One of Australia’s great writers spoke of this – a son of Brisbane and a graduate of this university, David Malouf.

            And he said, “In that shrinking of distance that is characteristic of our contemporary world, even the Pacific, largest of oceans, has become a lake.”

            And you see it here on this campus, where you welcome students from all across Asia and around the world, including a number of Americans. You go on exchanges, and we’re proud to welcome so many of you to the United States. You walk the streets of this city and you hear Chinese, Vietnamese, Bahasa Indonesia, Korean, Hindi. And in many neighbourhoods more than half the people you meet were born somewhere else. This is a global city in a globalised world.

            And I often tell young people in America that, even with today’s challenges, this is the best time in history to be alive.

            Never in the history of humanity have people lived longer, are they more likely to be healthy, more likely to be enjoying basic security.

            The world is actually much less violent today. And that’s true here in the Asia Pacific as well. Countries once ravaged by war, like South Korea and Japan, are among the world’s most advanced economies.

            From the Philippines to Indonesia, dictatorships have given way to genuine democracies. In China and across the region, hundreds of millions of people have been lifted from poverty in the span of one generation, joining a global middle class.

            Empowered by technology, you – the young people in particular of this region – are connecting and collaborating across borders and cultures like never before as you seek to build a new future. So the opportunities today are limitless. When you look at the facts, opportunities are limitless for this generation. You’re living in an extraordinary time.

            But what is also true, is that alongside this dynamism, there are genuine dangers that can undermine progress.

            And we can’t look at those problems through rose-tinted glasses. North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs – that’s a problem.

            Disputes over territory, remote islands and rocky shoals that threaten to spiral into confrontation.

            The failure to uphold universal human rights, denying justice to citizens and denying countries their full potential. Economic inequality and extreme poverty that are a recipe for instability.

            And energy demands in growing cities that also hasten trends towards a changing climate. Indeed, the same technologies that empower citizens like you also give oppressive regimes new tools to stifle dissent.

            So the question that we face is, which of these futures will define the Asia Pacific in the century to come? Do we move towards further integration, more justice, more peace? Or do we move towards disorder and conflict? Those are our choices – conflict or cooperation. Oppression or liberty.

            Here in Australia three years ago, in your parliament, I made it clear where the United States stands.

            We believe that nations and peoples have the right to live in security and peace; that an effective security order for Asia must be based – not on spheres of influence, or coercion, or intimidation where big nations bully the small – but on alliances of mutual security, international law and international norms that are upheld, and the peaceful resolution of disputes.

            We believe in open markets and trade that is fair and free – a level playing field where economies play by the same rules; where the purpose of trade is not simply to extract resources from the ground, but to build true partnerships that raise capacity and living standards in poor countries; where small business owners and entrepreneurs and innovators have the freedom to dream and create and flourish; and how well a country does is based on how well they empower their individual citizens.

            And we believe in democracy – that the only real source of legitimacy is the consent of the people; that every individual is born equal with fundamental rights, inalienable rights, and that it is the responsibility of governments to uphold these rights. This is what we stand for. That is our vision – the future America is working toward in the Asia Pacific, with allies and friends.

            Now as a Pacific power, the United States has invested our blood and treasure to advance this vision.

            When I assumed office, leaders and people across the region were expressing their desire for greater American engagement. And so as President, I decided that – given the importance of this region to American security, to American prosperity – the United States would rebalance our foreign policy and play a larger and lasting role in this region. That’s exactly what we’ve done.

            Today, our alliances, including with Australia, are stronger than they have ever been. American exports to this region have reached record levels.

            We’ve deepened our cooperation with emerging powers and regional organisations, especially in Southeast Asia. We expanded our partnerships with citizens as they’ve worked to bolster their democracies.

            And we’ve shown that – whether it’s a tsunami or an earthquake or a typhoon – when our friends are in need, America shows up. We’re there to help.

            In good times and bad, you can count on the United States of America.

            Now, there have been times when people have been sceptical of this rebalancing. They’re wondering whether America has the staying power to sustain it. And it’s true that in recent years pressing events around the world demand our attention.

            As the world’s only superpower, the United States has unique responsibilities that we gladly embrace. We’re leading the international community in the fight to destroy the terrorist group ISIL.

            We’re leading in dealing with Ebola in West Africa and in opposing Russia’s aggression against Ukraine – which is a threat to the world, as we saw in the appalling shoot-down of MH17, a tragedy that took so many innocent lives, among them your fellow citizens.

            As your ally and friend, America shares the grief of these Australian families, and we share the determination of your nation for justice and accountability. So, yes, we have a range of responsibilities. That’s the deal. It’s a burden we gladly shoulder.

            But even in each of these international efforts, some of our strongest partners are our allies and friends in this region, including Australia.

            So meeting these other challenges in the world is not a distraction from our engagement in this region, it reinforces our engagement in this region.

            Our rebalance is not only about the United States doing more in Asia, it’s also about the Asia Pacific region doing more with us around the world.

            So I’m here today to say that American leadership in the Asia Pacific will always be a fundamental focus of my foreign policy. It won’t always make the headlines.

            It won’t always be measured in the number of trips I make – although I do keep coming back.

            But day in, and day out, steadily, deliberately, we will continue to deepen our engagement using every element of American power – diplomacy, military, economic, development, the power of our values and our ideals.

            And here in the Asia Pacific, nobody has more at stake when it comes to thinking about and then acting on climate change.

            Here, a climate that increases in temperature will mean more extreme and frequent storms, more flooding, rising seas that submerge Pacific islands.

            Here in Australia, it means longer droughts, more wildfires.

            The incredible natural glory of the Great Barrier Reef is threatened. Worldwide, this past summer was the hottest on record. No nation is immune, and every nation has a responsibility to do its part.

            And you’ll recall at the beginning I said the United States and Australia has a lot in common.

            Well, one of the things we have in common is we produce a lot of carbon. Part of it’s this legacy of wide-open spaces and the frontier mentality, and this incredible abundance of resources.

            And so, historically, we have not been the most energy-efficient of nations, which means we’ve got to step up.

            We can get this done. And it is necessary for us to get it done. Because I have not had time to go to the Great Barrier Reef – and I want to come back, and I want my daughters to be able to come back, and I want them to be able to bring their daughters or sons to visit. And I want that there 50 years from now.

            Now, today, I’m announcing that the United States will take another important step.

            We are going to contribute $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund so we can help developing nations deal with climate change. But let me say, particularly again to the young people here: Combating climate change cannot be the work of governments alone.

            Citizens, especially the next generation, you have to keep raising your voices, because you deserve to live your lives in a world that is cleaner and that is healthier and that is sustainable. But that is not going to happen unless you are heard.

            It is in the nature of things that those of us who start getting grey hair are a little set in our ways, that interests are entrenched – not because people are bad people, it’s just that’s how we’ve been doing things.

            And we make investments, and companies start depending on certain energy sources, and change is uncomfortable and difficult.

            And that’s why it’s so important for the next generation to be able to step in and say, no, it doesn’t have to be this way. You have the power to imagine a new future in a way that some of the older folks don’t always have.

            And the same is true when it comes to issues of democracy and human rights. There are times where when we speak out on these issues we are told that democracy is just a Western value.

            I fundamentally disagree with that. And so here in Asia and around the world, America supports free and fair elections, because citizens must be free to choose their own leaders.

            We support freedom of assembly, and freedom of speech, and freedom of the press, a free and open internet, strong civil societies, because the voices of the people must be heard and leaders must be held accountable – even though it’s uncomfortable sometimes.

            We support strong institutions and independent judiciaries and open government, because the rule of force must give way to the rule of law.

            And in that same fashion, the United States will continue to stand up for the inherent dignity of every human being. Now, dignity begins with the most basic of needs – a life free of hunger and disease and want.

            So, yes, we’ll speak out on behalf of human rights, but we are also going to invest in the agriculture that allows farmers to feed their families and boost their incomes.

            We intend to partner with all the countries in the region to create stronger public health systems and new treatments that save lives and realise our goals of being the first AIDS-free generation.

            And again, I want to speak to young people about this. When we talk about these issues of development, when we invest in the wellbeing of people on the other side of the globe, when we stand up for freedom, including occasionally having to engage in military actions, we don’t do that just because we are charitable.

            We do that because we recognise that we are linked, and that if somebody, some child is stricken with a curable disease on the other side of the world, at some point that could have an impact on our child.

            We’ll advance human dignity by standing up for the rights of minorities, because no one’s equality should ever be denied.

            We will stand up for freedom of religion – the right of every person to practice their faith as they choose – because we are all children of God, and we are all fallible.

            And the notion that we, as a majority, or the state should tell somebody else what to believe with respect to their faith, is against our basic values.

            We will stand up for our gay and lesbian fellow citizens, because they need to be treated equally under the law.

            We will stand up for the rights and futures of our wives and daughters and partners, because I believe that the best measure of whether a nation is going to be successful is whether they are tapping the talents of their women and treating them as full participants in politics and society and the economy.

            And we’re going to continue to invest in the future of this region, and that means you, this region’s youth – all of you – your optimism, your idealism, your hopes.

            So that’s the future we can build together. That’s the commitment America is making in the Asia Pacific.

            It’s a partnership not just with nations, but with people, with you, for decades to come. Bound by the values we share, guided by the vision we seek, I am absolutely confident we can advance the security and the prosperity and the dignity of people across this region.

            And in pursuit of that future, you will have no greater friend than the United States of America.

            So thank you very much. God bless Australia. God bless America. God bless our great alliance.
            sigpic

            Win nervously lose tragically - Reds C C

            Comment


            • #7
              So how was this speech...which I cannot find controversial...offensive or off tone?

              How was it taken by the Australian people?
              “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
              Mark Twain

              Comment


              • #8
                Tony Abbott is a Luke-warmer. He's abolished the carbon tax because it's a tax with no purpose. He's shut down the green funding to the more extremist doomsayers.
                The Great Barrier Reef is not, by any measure, under threat.
                The 97% consensus paper Obama tweeted last year and referred to in his speech was a concocted and vicious attack on anyone not in lockstep with extremist climate change fanatics.
                Julie bishop had presented several papers in a briefing to your interior secretary just the day before outlining the continued good health of the Great Barrier Reef.
                As the excerpt above points out, Obama wouldn't have dared talk any of this during your last elections but instead choose to embarrass Tony Abbott, a man who despite the fundamental differences between him and your progressive establishment has bent over backwards to give your administration everything it's asked for.
                The Chinese and Indians were nuanced; Obama waffled about generalities, offered the usual insults about human rights and included material he knew to be wrong that directly insulted Abbott. Amateur hour that told not just Abbott but the rest of us that his only reason for him being there was to play to his audience at home.
                In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility.

                Leibniz

                Comment


                • #9
                  now i'm just waiting for the Australians on this board to pelt our poor Kiwi for speaking on their behalf, lol.
                  There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."- Isaac Asimov

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I'm not speaking on their behalf Eric. I'm talking international politics.
                    In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility.

                    Leibniz

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      oh, thought you were directly responding to AR.
                      There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."- Isaac Asimov

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        As a counterpoint to Obamas speech, here's Xi Jinpings open letter to New Zealanders

                        Tonight, I will begin my first visit to New Zealand as the President of the People's Republic of China, bringing with me the friendly sentiments of the Chinese people to the people of New Zealand and an ardent wish to grow the China-New Zealand friendly relations.

                        New Zealand is a shining pearl on the Pacific Ocean, a country blessed with a hardworking, courageous and warm-hearted people, a dream place of idyllic beauty, and a land of abundant resources that are much favoured in the global market. The upcoming visit will be the third time for me to set foot on this beautiful country, and I am very much looking forward to the trip.

                        Every time I come across the subject of China-New Zealand relations, two touching stories will come to my mind. In May 2008, a massive earthquake struck Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province of China. A group of lovely children in Christchurch, South Island of New Zealand decided to do something for those affected in China to overcome difficulties. In spite of the cold wind of the Southern Hemisphere which was in its winter, the children went to the street and played the violin to raise money for the quake victims. In February 2011, Christchurch was also hit by an earthquake. On hearing this unfortunate news, the international rescue team of China responded swiftly and joined rescue operations immediately, contributing their share to the search and rescue of those trapped. As shown in both stories, although China and New Zealand are separated by the vast ocean, there is strong empathy between our two peoples in times of need. This is an epitome and a vivid example of friendship between China and New Zealand.

                        Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1972, the China-New Zealand relations have made historic strides forward, and practical exchanges and co-operation in various fields have reached unprecedented breadth and depth. The two countries have set many records in China's relations with developed countries. For example, China is now the largest trading partner and source of international students for New Zealand. In particular, New Zealand is the first developed country to have signed and implemented a free trade agreement with China. From more quality and inexpensive goods and services to more jobs, from more convenient people-to-people exchanges to better study opportunities, more and more visible and tangible benefits are made available to our two countries and peoples as a result of our friendly co-operation.

                        The journey of China-New Zealand relations proves that mutual respect and equality underpin the sustained, sound and steady growth of the bilateral ties, complementarity and mutual benefit give strong boost to the rapid expansion of practical co-operation, and the pioneering spirit and the readiness to seek common ground while shelving differences provide an inexhaustible source of strength to keep the bilateral relationship at the forefront of China's relations with developed countries. The China-New Zealand relations have gone beyond the bilateral scope and set a fine example for the pursuit of successful state-to-state relations.

                        In both China and New Zealand, strong winds of reform and development are sweeping across the country. The Chinese people are striving to fulfil the Chinese dream of great national renewal, comprehensively deepening the reform and opening-up programme, and advancing the rule of law across the board. New Zealand is making efforts to enhance its international competitiveness, step up infrastructure development, increase scientific and technological innovation input, and improve the economic structure. This has brought more converging interests between China and New Zealand. Aligning our development strategies effectively, we will have the rare opportunities and broad prospects for even stronger co-operation in all fields.

                        Under the new circumstances, friendship and co-operation between China and New Zealand have taken on a new mission. To better achieve development and prosperity in both countries, we need to join hands and build a better future of China-New Zealand relations.

                        Forge a new pattern of converging interests.The two countries need to advance practical co-operation in various fields and build a strong community of common interests. We should consolidate the basis of co-operation in agriculture, husbandry and other traditional sectors, and at the same time create new bright spots of co-operation. With China's strengths in infrastructure and manufacturing and New Zealand's advantages in agricultural science and technology, IT and clean energy, the two countries have much to offer to each other and may draw upon each other's strong points. The two sides should be committed to win-win co-operation, keep the markets open and create a more friendly and level playing field for our companies to access each other's market, make investment and grow businesses.

                        Open new horizons for cultural and people-to-people exchanges.Governments of the two countries should create conditions to facilitate more people-to-people exchanges. New Zealand is a popular filming location for more and more Chinese TV and film producers. The natural beauty of its landscape and the sincerity and kindness of its people have left the Chinese audience with very fond impressions. I am sure this will attract more Chinese tourists to New Zealand. The two countries are having talks on a television co-production agreement. This agreement, once signed, will inject new vitality into the cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and New Zealand.

                        Raise co-ordination in multilateral arenas to a new level.Both China and New Zealand are participants of and contributors to the current international system, and as such, we should enhance co-operation. I wish to congratulate New Zealand on its election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2015-2016. This demonstrates the importance the international community places on New Zealand's international standing and influence. China stands ready to increase co-operation with New Zealand in the United Nations, Apec, the Pacific Islands Forum and other regional and international mechanisms to advance our common interests and work with the international community to uphold regional and global peace and stability.

                        A famous Maori adage says, "Your livelihood is in your own hands". A new journey of co-operation for China and New Zealand is about to begin, and the future of China-New Zealand relationship is in our own hands. In the upcoming visit, I am looking forward to having discussions with the New Zealand Government and people from various sectors about ways to advance our co-operation and to joint chart the course for the growth of our bilateral ties. China is ready to move forward hand in hand with New Zealand as good partners for win-win co-operation and good friends sticking together through thick and thin, and work together for an even better future of China-New Zealand relations.
                        China's president arrives to familiar surroundings - Business - NZ Herald News
                        In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility.

                        Leibniz

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Albany Rifles View Post
                          So how was this speech...which I cannot find controversial...offensive or off tone?

                          How was it taken by the Australian people?
                          It wasn't controversial in any way....unless you were a member of the more rabid sections of the right wing commentariat. The speech got a few grabs on TV - mostly the 'I like Australians and their slang' stuff. The comments on climate change were expected in light of the agreement reached with China. To the extent they got a mention it was in the light of the gape between the attitude of the 2 largest economies on earth & our government.

                          I've given you some of the context for the somewhat hysterical tone of Sheridan's article. It is 100% pure domestic politics. Essentially it is about trying to salvage the reputation of a government & PM who are in serious trouble. They are the first new government in living memory to have fallen behind in the polls within a few months of taking office, and they continue to struggle. The one area where they have done OK is foreign affairs - in particular off the back of the ISIL/Daesh terrorism scare & their handling of the Russian downing of the plane over Ukraine. Unfortunately even that has come a bit unstuck. Abbott's threat to 'shirt front' Putin made him look like a dickhead - never use words whose meaning you don't understand. Then there was the China/US climate change agreement. This was especially awkward because Abbott fought tooth & nail to keep that issue off the G20 agenda. The awkwardness was compounded when he used his introductory remarks to crow about abolishing the carbon tax, humiliate the Indonesian President and complain about not being able to pass legislation through the Senate.

                          The title of the article Pari reproduced is a direct reference to those events. Abbott's speech was referred to as 'weird' by the opposition leader and Abbott was widely described as the 'odd man out' on climate change. Essentially this article represents a flunky of the government saying 'our guy isn't the weird isolated one, he is, he is'. Sort of desperate playground stuff. Par for the course for this newspaper. A once proud conservative paper that is heading into 'Washington Times' territory at light speed (it isn't profitable either). The post script to this was a near hysterical attack by our foreign minster (about the only member of the government with any cred) on the speech. I guess they figured she was the only one people here might listen to. They didn't. This article is a part of that campaign. It in no way reflects the general attitude to Obama's speech or his visit. Abbott's poll number's didn't get the hoped for '
                          G20 bounce' and he is back to the mundane task of struggling with a fractious senate.

                          Anyway, Greg Sheridan needs something to do until the dictatorship in Sri Lanka decides to pay for his next trip there & the river of propaganda it provides. Worked last time. Maybe if he's lucky Putin will stump up for a trip. Or maybe that new guy in Egypt.
                          sigpic

                          Win nervously lose tragically - Reds C C

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                          • #14
                            Evidence of a good man in a bad system. The consciousness of this world is heading in the opposite direction the Abbott ministry is, Abbotts all male (bar one) ministry. The American president spoke directly to our yungins, who must be very confused with our gov.

                            Young people are very aware of the issues that effect them and their future, Obama gave them confidence and acknowledgement. He has embraced the leadership of the 'free' world. Obama restored some faith of mine in American leadership.

                            Abbotts hardly been sighted since.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Samuels creek View Post
                              Young people are very aware of the issues that effect them and their future, Obama gave them confidence and acknowledgement. He has embraced the leadership of the 'free' world. Obama restored some faith of mine in American leadership.
                              Obama has the leadership of the "free" world? If this is what you called leadership, then your standards are extremely low.
                              Chimo

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