Garry

I agree with you about the European Common Market (I think that was its name at the time) and the way it shut our countries’ exports out from traditional markets – it hurt both countries’ primary producers severely at the time. It wasn’t a deliberate act against us, it made economic sense to the UK and Europe at the time and we were both only small part players.

With the recent trade agreement between Aus and the US, how has this been received in NZ? (apart from your earlier reference to Australian businesses trying to shut Kiwi exporters out?) Will it affect NZ exports of primary products to the US and Australia, (and any other markets)? How does a small western nation like NZ compete on world markets, as you must with your small domestic market, which I imagine is insufficient to support many enterprises?

Regards

Wombat

Garry

Thanks for the response. You have obviously taken a much greater interest in the goings on behind the Rugby World Cup than me, I had no idea of the backroom shennanigans that went on. Still don’t give a stuff for the sport though!

If your comments regarding NZ manufacturers using Oz as a back door to access the US market is correct, then yes, those comments by Australian manufacturers are churlish. Our two countries don’t need that sort of animosity between us.

Regarding the Boer War, yes, Australians were present in reasonably significant numbers. Remember Harry “Breaker” Morant? Although a member of an Australian unit, he was actually British by birth. I wouldn’t have a clue what the ratio of Aussies to Kiwis was during the Boer war, but we were there.

My point about Britain owing the debt to Australia was fuelled by the refusal of Thatcher’s government to acknowledge that Australian servicemen were subjected to nuclear testing in Australia during the 50’s, before the side-effects of exposure to radiation became more widely known and understood. Many of our people subsequently developed and died from radiation induced diseases, principally cancer, but when they sought compensation from the UK Government, they were told to jump. That is certainly one thing to which Kiwi servicemen were not subjected, and was certainly not intended to denigrate NZ’s contribution in two world wars. (Actually, if our servicemen had a gripe with anybody, it was probably stupid bl**dy Bob Menzies, for allowing Britain to explode its nuclear weapons on Australian soil in the first place!)

As I mentioned previously, my old man was a pom, and when I made the statement regarding Britain’s debt to Australia, even he didn’t argue. My point was (and it could apply equally to New Zealand) that our military support was pledged from the same day that Britain declared war on Germany on both occasions – I am sure we declared war within 24 hours of Britain doing so. This meant that our military personnel were involved in two wars for a total of 11 years, when this country was directly under threat for less than four. Britain’s thanks years later was “get stuffed.” I realise though, that such a view may not be indicative of the general feeling of the British for Australians, it was just the view of the current UK government at the time.

Regarding knowledge of where countries lie on the earth, I do feel that countries as large as Australia should be reasonably well identified – smaller, less well known African and European nations (Andorra for example) could be overlooked by many.

Regards

Wombat

Arthur

Judging by the news this morning, it doesn’t matter where you live, Osama’s mates are gonna getcha!

They seem to have turned their attention to their own people, with bomb attacks in Iraq and shootings in Pakistan. The simple fact with this scum is that they have declared war on the world and nowhere is safe, I just happen to believe that certain places are much safer than others, and believe that Australia is about as safe as it gets. The fact that Germany and France didn’t participate in the activity in Iraq makes them no safer in my book than Australia. Hmmm, Belgium shares borders with France and Germany, so how safe do they feel there?

Regards

Wombat

Originally posted by GarryB

Still the way you aussies stuck us in the back over the rugby world cup hosting BS it seems you have more in common with them than with your cobbers over the ditch…

Garry

I don’t really have a clue what you are referring to as I couldn’t give a stuff about Rugby, but if somebody over here did something that got up your nose, don’t assume that we all took part in doing so or supported it.

The rivalry between Oz and NZ should remain on the sporting field – there is too much in common between our nations to spoil that.

I don’t necessarily support our relentless search for America’s blessing – I would much prefer that we stood on our own two feet and asserted our independence. BUT, and its a big “but”, there is always the chance that we may need the US’s support again sometime in the future and it is a comfort to know that they would be prepared to acknowledge our alliegances of the past.

Unlike the UK, which, in my opinion, owes far more to Australia than it can ever repay,owing to our contribution to two world wars, one of which we never needed to be involved in, and the other, where we were engaged in war for nearly seven years, but really only needed to be for under four. (Bet that starts some fur flying – and my father was English, so this isn’t pom-bashing)
The only thanks we got from the UK was to be used as a bomb testing area for nuclear weapons in the 1950’s, and total denial of any recompense for servicemen and women who were exposed to the radiation as part of the tests. Thanks very much, Mrs. Thatcher.

The point was made that most yanks wouldn’t know where any country was apart from their own, which may be true. Pity for them.

Flood – just how much do YOU know about Australia and Australians? I have noted from your incredibly numerous posts that you are particularly strong in putting your opinions across. I realise that you used plenty of smilies at the end of your post regarding us sounding like them, so you may have just been leg-pulling. I can’t tell.

Regards

Wombat

Jeanske

That’s a real insult – we Aussies sound absolutely nothing like the yanks…I’m really p***ed off now! We have worked at our dialect for over 200 years, only to be told we sound like yanks??? Back to recognition school for you, my lad!

Flood

Us, cultured???

Or did you mean the yanks?

I must admit we haven’t done ourselves any favours overseas with our own depiction of ourselves as uncouth yobbo’s abroad. Barry McKenzie has a lot to answer for.

Regards

Wombat

Now, now children. You have all forgotten the real offender here…Germaine Greer!!

As for being uncertain because you are tops on the American list, I’d much rather be there than tops on Osama’s list.

From all the mail I’ve seen over the past couple of years, I get the feeling that Australians are far more tolerant, or far less antagonistic, towards the yanks than Europeans and Brits (I separated the poms because I don’t know that they like to be considered as Europeans.)

Whilst there are obviously many out here who do dislike Americans, our national bonds are pretty strong, particularly since WWII. Whilst I would love to believe that we were strong enough to stand alone if international conflict broke out again, the sad fact is that we are not, and probably won’t be for many many years, if ever. We need a strong ally and I would rather be a good pal of the strongest nation on earth than the weakest.

Just my thoughts for the night, as summer draws to a temperate end, with just 90 minutes to go.

Regards

Wombat:o