For those who may not be aware (or for those of you who aren't news-addicts like I am, which I assume covers most of you), Kevin Rudd was attending a NATO function in Bucharest and generally hob-nobbing it with other international political figures when he caught sight of George Bush and made the gesture before casually walking over and talking to him. The News Corp website had a handy photo montage:
This casual gesture has more than one Australian politician kicking up dust, most notably the Opposition leader Brendan Nelson and the ubiquitous Greens leader Bob Brown. Mr Nelson said something about the gesture being 'inappropriate', and appears to be arguing that Rudd is one person when he thinks he is being filmed and another when he is not. For me this argument doesn't hold much weight. Kevin Rudd has worked hard to shed his 'Dr Death' image and adopt the bright, friendly 'Kevin from Queensland' persona, and I think that the casual, laid back acknowledgement of a friend (which could be interpreted as a tongue in cheek reference to Australia's undeniably (and unavoidably) close relationship with the US) is in line with Kevin Rudd's new character. Of course I can forgive Mr Nelson, seeing as it would be odd for an Opposition leader to stay silent when the mainstream media begin ragging on the Prime Minister.
I have less sympathy for Bob Brown's comments. Mr Brown once again pulled out the tired, uninspired anti-American rhetoric that he and his ilk have become infamous for. In Mr Brown's eyes, being a larrikin and easy-going are apparently 'belittling' to Australia. According to Mr Brown it takes a 'seasoned maturity to ensure Australia is never second-rated in the international arena', with the underlying message being that in making a playful gesture Kevin Rudd is somehow in danger of showing that Australia still sees itself as 'the 51st state of the US'. My advice to Bob Brown is to seriously consider what it means to be a confident country on the world stage. If the larrikin country can't be even the least bit relaxed because we are so afraid of what the rest of the world thinks about us, what does that say about us as a nation?
Let me point out the following:
1. The function in question was not a serious policy meeting, but rather a casual meet and greet.
2. Kevin Rudd appeared at ease with the US President at all times. It looked to me like Mr Rudd chose to make the gesture, rather than feeling under some obligation to do so.
3. It was a casual (if not playful) gesture; this level of familiarity is the mark of equals, not subordinates. If Australia really did see itself as 'the 51st state of the US', Kevin Rudd probably would not have had the balls to snap off a mock-salute. I know none of the 50 actual US state governors would have.
I therefore suggest that Bob Brown and the news media finish up their little hissy fit, and as quickly as possible. Nobody else seems to care about what gestures the Australian prime minister does or does not make, and in kicking up a massive fuss about this we risk looking like a little kid who is so desperate to hang with the big boys that he keeps trying too hard to fit in. If you're going to criticise the PM, and I believe that there are good reasons to (snubbing our largest trading partner, perhaps?), then for God's sake criticise him for something that is actually an issue.
Then again, it is nice to know that in a rapidly changing world there is still certainty in two things: that the news media is still voracious as ever in its race to the bottom, and that Bob Brown is equally stupid no matter which side of politics he is criticising.
2 comments:
I do not agree with your analysis of the gesture.
"It was a casual (if not playful) gesture; this level of familiarity is the mark of equals, not subordinates. If Australia really did see itself as 'the 51st state of the US', Kevin Rudd probably would not have had the balls to snap off a mock-salute. I know none of the 50 actual US state governors would have."
You do not know what those governors would have done.
The gesture is casual but also playful in my opinion. I think he jokes about his being considered subordinate to Amerika/Bush. That does not mean he is affirming his subordination nor is he denying it. He makes a joke about it. It releases tension and puts the issue to rest. Good move for a Aussie politician I think.
BTW I don't know anything about Aussie politics.
You're right. I didn't check with Arnie and his 49 associates before writing the article. My bad.
But seriously though, the point that I was trying to make is that Rudd's salute was an act between one leader and another, not between a ruler and a vassal. You assume that he was joking about his being considered subordinate to Bush, but I doubt that was what he had in his mind (if he was particularly thinking about anything at the time). If he had done it at a press conference with all the cameras watching, perhaps you could read that intention into it.
The problem is that the Australian media has read a lot into it (more than I think is warranted by the gesture itself), and my argument was that a) the analysis is probably wrong, and b) it is uncalled for and unproductive (if the aim is to improve Australia's international profile).
That being said though, thanks for stopping by the blog. I'll take a squiz of yours when I get the chance. Good luck with your pHD!
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