Gillard in the US
 

Has anyone else heard Julia Gillard's speech in the US? I'm so ashamed to be a temporary resident amid her electorate. She sounded so redneck, almost mentally challenged.

'You have a friend in Orstraaaaaylia. And moites ploy strooooight....' - why do Aussie politicians briefly enjoying a foray on the world stage feel the need to use such crass simplistic language?

I'm led to believe vulgarity doesn't characterise the whole of the country so is that really the most appropriate speech she could have made?!!

Additionally, I think it's just incredible that she urged the states to continue with financial reform to stimulate their economy. Australia only avoided the contagion in the banks as the country was heavily protectionist with massively restrictive rules and taxes on derivative trading - no reason for a moral high ground - just forced all their trading desks to set up in Singapore pushing out a whole industry. Avoiding the banking collapse was fortuitous - certainly wasn't insight.

Re: Gillard in the US
 

I can't stand how she shed a tear again. I think she's a total fake. I also think she sounds more bogan than the average bogan. EEEEW. Where's Mr Rudd, the Prime Minister I voted for? Last I saw he was cleaning up after the floods. (Soapbox being put away for today now.) :)

Re: Gillard in the US
 

"don't be intimidated by China" WTF! That's a bit rich coming from the PM of Australia.

She's an effin idiot.

Re: Gillard in the US
 

The whole point of the trip was to go over their and kiss US arse. Thats exactly what she did and they lapped it up. Yanks love that shit. So in that sense it was mission accomplished.

Re: Gillard in the US
 

yeah I heard that bit, got the feeling they were sniggering at her, especially when she was giving them advice on how to run their economy.

Re: Gillard in the US
 

She is a fkwit,she will take oz into Libya behind the brits,dumb fks:thumbdown:

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I couldn't even bear to watch it all, so nauseatingly embarrassing......

Re: Gillard in the US
 

Yep, she's a tool

If Australia avoided recession because we don't have a derivative trading industry then that's great. These morons, so loved in London and New York, have caused untold misery for so many people

You're welcome to them

Re: Gillard in the US
 

Totally cringeworthy, an utter embarrassment really.

Re: Gillard in the US
 

Fortunately they'll all think she's a cockney and is the PM of England. :lol:

Re: Gillard in the US
 

I wasn't embarrassed. The speech did the job it was meant to, just as John Howard spoke, if their aussie accents grate on you and you live in Oz, tough, you better get used to it.

Re: Gillard in the US
 

Since most of the US representatives will go home after their standing ovations pleased that the country attached to Bavaria is on their side I wouldn't get too excited about Australia's ties with the US :sneaky:

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Never a truer word spoken, if ya gonna kiss arse, make sure it's an arse worth kissing

Re: Gillard in the US
 

But you're seeing and hearing her from your perspective. To the Yanks, she sounds like she sounds, they don't know that she apparently sounds like a bogan (if they even know what a bogan is). They listen to sanctimonious drivel all the time, they can't tell the difference between real and make believe. I used to shudder when Blair did an international suck up, however, the pollies and residents of those countries used to accept it and think he was something special. They will probably do the same with her. She's no better or worse than 99% of the worlds politicians.

Have to say, her voice doesn't worry me but maybe I just switch off and don't listen. :lol:

Re: Gillard in the US
 

Looks like Gillard has been plagiarising U2's Bono in her speech...

Re: Gillard in the US
 

Re: Gillard in the US
 

PM of Austria more like it.

Re: Gillard in the US
 

I've not heard the speech. I was just making light of the complaints. I have no problem with her accent or her earlobes. So I have nothing to get used to.

Re: Gillard in the US
 

I wasn't embarassed either - she was playing to her audience, I just don't like her

Re: Gillard in the US
 

There's always one that digs out the old 'get used to it' imperative isn't there. I think if Henry Kissinger had come out with the speech Ms Gillard delivered he would have gone down in history as a simpleton. It just portrayed Australia so badly. Where is Kevin? He could actually speak at least two languages rather than struggle with one.

Re: Gillard in the US
 

washington post states that there was a very low turn out for her, and they had to bring in staffers to make the place look full :eek:

Re: Gillard in the US
 

No. :p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p

Re: Gillard in the US
 

Have you listened to Kissinger? I struggle to understand him far more than Gillard. No offence but you're not seeing and hearing her from the view point of the rest of the world.

Re: Gillard in the US
 

Sad fact is that Australia isn't the world player it thinks it is, not yet anyway. The Yanks are getting friendly because they see a possibility of pissing on us and telling us it's raining.

It's what the yanks do, they have a 'special relationship' with whoever they can exploit

cynic pill kicking in nicely:D

Re: Gillard in the US
 

Just when they need some cannon fodder for Libya.

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Indeedy:thumbup:

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But i don,t like you , that holds the same importance.......:thumbup:MM

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Actually I think its because they want greater access to Australian port facilities for the Pacfic Fleet. They will be making it abundantly clear to China that they run this part of the Pacific... and that it will be staying that way.

Re: Gillard in the US
 

It wasn't the best speech in the world.

But playing to American sentiment was quite a good idea and the 2001 Firefighter clearly resonated - this is precisely what will win over American hearts and minds..

Her afterdinner speech apparently got worse as she got tired...

I don't think that Australia sees itself as a world player. To be honest, they can't really win - they are either acused of having an inferiority complex or having a superiority complex whatever they do.

I see them as being a very close 'mate' of the UK and the UK due to past history and cultural ties - in a way many other countries will never be -but also a distant 'cousin' due to geographical location and a smaller economy.

Re: Gillard in the US
 

Probably her speech writers didn't have any material to pinch from rock bands... :lol:

Re: Gillard in the US
 

Just heard her on the radio saying she thinks the yanks can do anything they set their minds to, and that Australia will stand sholder to shoulder with them against their enemies. The chinese being in Obamas thoughts obviously, hence placement of a US military on Aussie shores

I wonder what this'll do for the coal and iron ore trade, has the states committed to buy what the Chinese won't? Just seems to be a dodgy path she's treading

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The States can't afford it when the Chinese call in their debts.

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there'll be one loser in this, Aus. How can you be economically linked with one lot, and militarily linked with a country that's at odds with them?

She's dancing with the devil

Re: Gillard in the US
 

She's hedging...

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Major bit of hedging, she should have started small eg PNG vs NZ :D

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They actually stood up to clap her as she sucked up to them.

What a complete amateur, policies rushed in and not thought through properly and wrong.

She forgets that US is ultimatley going to be another Greece due to massive debt ,bond debt and stimulus spending.

Oz pollies so backward compared to UK, and they ain't that great either.

Re: Gillard in the US
 

She's just as slimey as Blair and Brown

Re: Gillard in the US
 

>>They actually stood up to clap her as she sucked up to them.<<

That means nothing - it's the American way. They stand up to applaud even mediocre performances, and then there's nothing left for something exceptional.

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They even clap for pilots who manage to land a plane without crashing. :D

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They loved it

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/wash...congress-.html