CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
The cold trade war between Australia and the US has escalated today, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese considers sending a message to the the volatile White House and hitting Americans where it hurts.
Can America survive without the infectious groove of the Bee Gees?
How long will the world superpower last without the hearing the pitch perfect falsetto of Barry Gibbs – a sound that pioneered and perfected in the seaside Queensland suburb of Redcliffe.
After a week of hurt feelings and frenzied headlines, Prime Minister Albanese has been urged by both colleagues and rivals to consider applying reciprocal tariffs on the US, in retaliation against those placed on steel and aluminium.
While both Albo and Penny Wong are known for playing a steady hand, the question is whether a calm and collected approach to diplomacy is the most effective way to engage with US President Donald Trump.
Governments worldwide and global markets are still treading water after Trump began slapping tariffs and trade barriers on all major exporters to the US. It appears all but confirmed that Australia will not receive a highly anticipated exemption from, after weeks of White House.
These tariffs would not necessarily tank the Australian economy, as our government has worked diligently to diversify our export markets since the war-hawk era of Scott Morrison landed us on China’s naughty list.
And while it seems that relations have thawed with our powerful Asian neighbours, Australian diplomats are working tirelessly to avoid the symbolism of being disrespected by Trump’s America – sighting the very real implications it could have for the $360 billion dollar AUKUS partnership that Scott Morrison also signed us up for.
Whatever Albanese’s next move is – it needs to be cunning and subtle.
Which is why threatening a 20% tariff on all Redcliffe disco might be the right message to send. Especially considering that the majority of US citizens, who still dance and sing along to the Bee Gees four decades after their rise to global superstardom, assumed that this band was American to begin with.
Well the Australian government has big news for the US. They aren’t. They were British-born Ten Pound Poms who moved to Queensland Dolphin country as kids. And they are our secret weapon in this war against America’s imperialist populism. This is not about intimidation. This is about stayin’ alive. We will take a stand against Donald Trump’s jive talkin’
