Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: naturalman1975

I surely hope this is not so. I cannot think of a better ally, a country more in line with the US people than Australia. Indonesia follows more of the east Asia worldview which incorporates “face saving” and the idea that pronouncement of a policy means that the policy actually works, i.e. the eradication of malaria in Papua by 2020. (I do not know what disease I’ll get from that gosh darn mosquito in 2021, but it sure won’t be malaria because the government “eliminated” malaria the previous year.) Australia has been allied with US since before WWI (I cannot think of any history of alliance prior) and we should not realign ourselves now.


10 posted on 07/12/2015 2:24:21 PM PDT by Jemian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: Jemian
Australia has been allied with US since before WWI (I cannot think of any history of alliance prior)

Australia only came into existence as a nation in 1901 and didn't start exercising an independent foreign policy until 1941 (as a dominion of the British Empire, we had independence on domestic issues, but foreign relations were still handled from London - we acquired the right to exercise an independent foreign policy in 1925, but did not take advantage of that until 1941 and our first action on doing so was to formally ally with the United States.

The first time Australian and US troops fought together, however, was on the 4th of July 1918, when four American companies were incorporated into the 4th Australian Division for the Battle of Hamel - the date was not a coincidence, the Australian commander, Lieutenant-General John Monash deliberately set the date because he thought it would help inspire the American troops he'd been given (for most of them, it was their first time in combat). The Battle was a complete victory for the allies. Corporal Thomas Pope of the 131st Regiment of the US Army was awarded the British Distinguished Conduct Medal on the recommendation of General Monash, and subsequently received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle.

14 posted on 07/12/2015 2:53:08 PM PDT by naturalman1975 ("America was under attack. Australia was immediately there to help." - John Winston Howard)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson