It's not me, it's you - Australians ready to break up with Trump's America
(australiainstitute.org.au)
AustraliaA new poll conducted for The Australia Institute reveals that more than half of Australian voters believe Donald Trump is a greater threat to global security than Russian President Vladimir Putin or Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The YouGov poll of 1502 people found more than more than twice as many (59%) Australians now believe Australia’s interests are better served by a more independent foreign policy rather than a closer alliance with the United States (23%). Just one in eight (13%) Australians believe the US is a “very reliable” security ally.
The poll shows a further erosion of confidence in the US under President Trump. A year ago, a similar poll found that 31% of Australians believed Trump was a greater threat to world peace than Putin (27%) and Xi (27%).
Now, 52% feel that Trump is a bigger threat than Putin (17%) and Xi (16%).
Key findings:
More One Nation voters (35%) believe Trump is a bigger threat to world peace than Putin (18%), and about the same number think Xi is the biggest threat (32%).
One third (33%) of Australians now believe the AUKUS security agreement is not in Australia’s best interests.
68% of Australians, including 53% of One Nation voters, oppose Australia’s involvement in the US and Israel’s war on Iran.
One third (33%) of Australians now believe the AUKUS security agreement is not in Australia’s best interests.
What? Why is that so low? It never was in our best interests! The deal meant the only submarines we were getting were up the arse, but at least we had the privilege of paying billions of dollars for them!
The poll shows a further erosion of confidence in the US under President Trump. A year ago, a similar poll found that 31% of Australians believed Trump was a greater threat to world peace than Putin (27%) and Xi (27%).
That's gonna annoy the regressive media and warhawks in Canberra. They've been trying and trying and trying to stoke China as the Big Bad for ages. The Immediate Threat! Why We Need to Stay With America, Our Strongest, Bestest Ally!
In reality, China is our biggest trading partner (2025 ABS China: $325.8b total trade; Exports $195.6b, Imports $130.2b). They'll get more from us through business arrangements and trade than any sort of invasion (and it happens to work out pretty well for us, too). Additionally, China hasn't invaded any western countries ... ever!
Ev-er!
I'm not painting them as paragons, but they're far from the Oh, God Hide Under The Bed Threat to Democracy the western warmongers (whose primary goal is making money from weapons manufacturing/sales) make them out to be.
After Trump is gone, what makes him possible (and inevitable) will remain.
There's a lot of money behind Trump, and when he is gone, those resources will continue to be put to use.
This is not even a USA problem, if only! it's international.
Yes, I think the focus on "Trump's America" is a bit short-sighted.
Thats not necessarily true.
Its a common pattern of authoritarianism - oligarchs supporting despots in exchange for tax concessions and contracts et cetera.
The system doesn't readily adjust to the next leader. All that money and support doesn't necessarily just flow to the next in line. Especially because most despots ensure that there isn't anyone emerging as a potential replacement.
What can happen, is that people who have been keeping secrets or using their influence in exchange for money or favour stop doing that, and everyone within reach of the top job starts climbing all over everyone else. It could be an absolute bloodbath.
They should have polled how many people think Trump is a pedo... That number better be 100%
Australia, it's time to defederate from the US.
As someone living in the US I can assure you Trump absolutely is, he is out of his mind and the power structures around him are letting him do basically whatever he wants.
AUKUS isn't in our best interest as it involves a very unreliable partner
Interesting numbers on the One Nation voters there, I'd have expected them to be ride or die Trumpers. Good to hear some of them have some comprehension of reality. Some.. They were still the highest percentage of responders that supported Trump & the US across all questions.
Seems to be quite consistent with the theory that they are yet to form a reliable voting bloc. The largest, or at least the most vocal, in their confederation seems to be MAGA-influenced racists, but there are all kinds of things that draw people to an anti-establishment protest party which is probably part of the reason they have suffered from infighting in the past.
That's interesting. I hadn't thought of ON in that way. The supporters may in fact be very splintered in policy and priorities, and just voting ON as the alternative.
Another aspect is that ON is a nebulous party with not much solid in the way of policy in the first place, let alone ideology. It's clearly syncretic, and I won't even call it populism because some clearly comes from niche interest groups (SovCit/"Freedom" movement, energy lobby, etc.). Their policy pages on their site have some pages with decent detail while others are the vaguest things I've seen from a party, or completely bizarre (like "Aim to slash electricity bills by 20% immediately." on Reduce Cost of Living).
From an informed voter perspective, I really should go and check out their info.
But......
