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Australia says it could follow Canada in forging deeper ties with EU

independent.co.uk

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Re: Australia says it could follow Canada in forging deeper ties with EU

#91
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A big part of what makes Australia a better performing economy is maintaining high population growth rate of 1.5%, mostly through immigration. Has had implications on housing affordability, but it's great for GDP statistics. https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/aus/aus...

Per capita GDP is falling with every new migrant. I don't think it's the kind of GDP growth anyone wants to have.

This isn't really right.

GDP per capita is mostly static since a large increase pre-COVID during the explosive China growth years 2005-2020.

Most variations since are exchange rate variations more than actual changes in GPD vs population (GDP is usually denominated in USD)[1],[2]

Low GPD per capita is definitely NOT correlated with high migration, which decreased in the years GPD per population decreased[3]

If anything low migration is inversely correlated with higher GDP over the last 25 years: high immigration is correlated with higher GPD per capita - but I don't think one should draw a causal link here: the cause of GDP growth in AUstralia is generally accepted as increased raw material exports to China, and that has led to higher employment.

[1] https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD?location...

[2] https://tradingeconomics.com/australia/gdp-per-capita

[3] https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/aus/aus...

Re: Australia says it could follow Canada in forging deeper ties with EU

#92

I love Australia. Amazing country. Great people. I'd move back in an instant if given the opportunity. As an American, I always felt welcome there, but haven't been there since 2016. It'll be interesting seeing how attitudes have changed when I'm back visiting in 2028.

ill swap places with you, if you like, lol

Re: Australia says it could follow Canada in forging deeper ties with EU

#93

Can I move to Asutralia now... please

Spelling the country's name correctly is one of few prerequisites. Maybe if Australia created very strong trade ties with Taiwan, we would change the name of the country to Asustralia.

I do believe they were talking about Asutralia, not Asustralia. A common misunderstanding. Taiwan might not need to be involved.

Re: Australia says it could follow Canada in forging deeper ties with EU

#94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the American side it felt like we had more cross-pollination with Australia in the 90s than in the decades following. Disney even had a studio out there that animated some of the TV shows it aired in the US (and presumably in Australia too). Not sure what changed.

Apart from the "Crocodile Dundee" and "Men at Work" phenomena in the late 80s, there is no real cultural pollination between Australia and the US, as far as I can tell. It's too far away and there are no real reasons for Americans to visit, nor are there enough internationally notable Australian music brands, films, or products that give visibility to the country, which is one price of being a commodity producing nat…

You rely heavily on Australia for both blockbuster and character actors. If they aren’t already British or Irish or Canadian, they are likely Aussies (or New Zealanders - sometimes seems like you barely have any actors of broad ability who you haven’t imported).

Margot Robbie, Geoffrey Rush, Hugh Jackman, Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Chris Hemsworth (all three Hemsworths!), Toni Collette, Hugo Weaving, Eric Bana, Rose Byrne, Naomi Watts, Simon Baker, Judy Davis, Anthony and Jonathan LaPaglia, Poppy Montgomery, Rachel Griffiths, Miranda Otto, Portia De Rossi, Jacob Elordi… the list goes on and on and on (and includes the late Heath Ledger and Errol Flynn). These are just the easiest ones to name!

Directors: absolutely loads of them actually but notably Baz Lurhmann, Peter Weir, Bruce Beresford.

Films: Mad Max series, Gallipoli, Dead Calm, Muriel’s Wedding, Priscilla Queen of The Desert, Walkabout, Picnic At Hanging Rock, Sirens, The Piano, Rabbit Proof Fence, Lantana, Moulin Rouge, The Babadook, Daybreakers, The Great Gatsby. (Baz Lurhmann obviously ranks high here)

Again just the easiest ones.

(Also if you have never seen it: Mary & Max. Thank me later)

Also: Bluey!!!!

Now stop making me defend Australians, I’m British. There’s a rivalry to maintain here for both our sakes.

Re: Australia says it could follow Canada in forging deeper ties with EU

#95
post #12

As an Australian, I have noticed a shift personally in feeling like I identify more with "European" culture, compared to 10 years ago I felt like we were the 51st state and I felt very close with the US. This seems to be shared by others, I remember reading there was a survey that asked Australians who they felt our closest international friend was. The US was the top answer for over a decade, having stolen the crown…

This may be partially why the US dispatched the LA Rams and the SF 49ers. Even though McDonald's has hundreds of US bases in Australia, the corp lacks a rushing and passing game. I don't see the NFL being successful there, but time will tell. Interesting note, in SE Asia, I watch NFL commentators based in the UK. It's strange seeing NFL talk with a British accent. And TIL. I always thought the Hungry Jack's was a Burger King knockoff, but apparently it's actually Burger King with a different name.

Re: Australia says it could follow Canada in forging deeper ties with EU

#96
This and Canada are just kneejerk reactions against the chaos of the Trump administration. While that makes sense, my prediction is that in the short-term it won't amount to much. In the long-term, history books will write about these years as redefining the world order that's existed largely since 1945.

As for Canada, nobody really knows what associate membership means. Given that EU freedoms are reciprocal I just don't see this going anywhere. Plus there's been a free trade deal with the EU on the table for a decade that hasn't been ratified.

As for redefining the world order, that's what this war of choice in Iran will amount to. In the short-to-medium term it's going to redefine the Gulf security architecture. The refusal to restrain Israel probably means Russia will swallow the eastern chunk of Ukraine they occupy.

And of course the big winner in all of this is China who have had to do absolutely nothing.

Empires don't die overnight and they die violently. This is going to be bad but I honestly see no way the US can restore its position as the global hegemon. It's influence has peaked. And I don't believe anything will reverse that.

So I don't know what this means for Australia. It has operated essentially as an American colonial outpost since the Cold War. The geography was once much more important to cover the sky for receiving satellite communications.

Selling raw resources is ultimately untenable for an economy (IMHO) but Australia has gone down the path of turning the entire economy into a massive Ponzi scheme of housing, like almost every other developed nation. When housing is the only logical investment, it dominates capital and lending and productive output falls off a cliff, which is exactly what happened.

Re: Australia says it could follow Canada in forging deeper ties with EU

#97

I'm guessing Canada and Australia would go for an EFTA 'lite' type deal. As EFTA doesn't require a customs union it's probably the easiest to implement and build up from. I think they amended EFTA to require free movement which was a no-op as all the EFTA countries had free movement with the EU. I could see the EU agreeing to a NAFTA style workers visa if they really wanted push the freedom of movement side hence the…

canada already has CETA for EU trade and CEFTA for trade with the EFTA. it seems like "associate membership" must mean something that goes beyond just a free trade agreement, because that already exists.

Re: Australia says it could follow Canada in forging deeper ties with EU

#98
post #82

[flagged]

> Gosh if Kamala was elected, there'd still be a war in Iran, but we'd pretend it's different. Obama bombed Syria and no one cared. Are we really going to pretend the 51st state rhetoric would be the same with any Democrat in the White House? > Do we hate giving the uneducated masses a vote? No, I but I do think they've had some dogshit candidates picked for them , especially recently

Still more democracy.

And rethoric doesn't matter in international relations. It's empty posturing. When is France going to send troops to Ukraine?

Sorry pals, this is one of the failings/successes of k12. We are taught Idealism. Words don't matter.

It's wild the disconnect between people who study international relations and highly educated westerners.

Re: Australia says it could follow Canada in forging deeper ties with EU

#99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Australia's alignment with the US was a major consequence of World War 2 and the aftermath of that. Pre WW2 we were basically in lockstep with the UK. However after Singapore fell to the Japanese it became increasingly obvious that the UK could not be relied upon to defend Australia. At the time most of the elite Australian troops were fighting in North Africa (El-Alamein, Tobruk etc). and there was a genuine perceiv…

I've been thinking the silver lining of the current situation is that we'll be less inclined to send troops to aid US in their latest Middle East boondoggle, in the expectation of reciprocation in the future. In other online spaces, I've seen some conservative commenters from the US asserting that America is so powerful, the rest of the world has no choice but to go along with them, and therefore there is no need to…

The problem with deciding you're so powerful you can force everyone to follow you is you actually have to force everyone to follow you and it turns out that's super expensive and costs you a lot of power in terms of committed assets to do it.

Re: Australia says it could follow Canada in forging deeper ties with EU

#100
post #12

As an Australian, I have noticed a shift personally in feeling like I identify more with "European" culture, compared to 10 years ago I felt like we were the 51st state and I felt very close with the US. This seems to be shared by others, I remember reading there was a survey that asked Australians who they felt our closest international friend was. The US was the top answer for over a decade, having stolen the crown…

As an American, I hope you can identify strongly as an Australian. Why bother telling yourself you’re something of a European?

In any case, I hope countries form ties with Europe. Europe needs be economically stronger than it is. Better for the world, so long as they can slow their tendencies toward government control and censorship.

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