It is good to see that Adam Smith at The Inquiring Mind is feeling better. He looks today at an article about Robert Zoellick, World Bank head, by an Australian.
Adam asks some difficult questions.
Zoellick, like many in veterans of the Reagan Administration (and a few New Zealanders), find New Zealand challenging. There we were were in WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam fighting alongside. We share a similar interest in democracy, free speech and human rights. Yet we stiffed the US big time in the 1980s. Some have not forgotten.
Gratefully, Bush jr. has allowed the relationship to graduate and return to more of a normal state, but have a look at the timing. When did Zoellick move on? You will find an almost exact match. One of the reason why NZ does not have an FTA with the US but Australia does, is to do with our friend Zoellick. Unfortunately in the Reagan years Bobby was an arms negotiator. He was very worried about the spread of the New Zealand disease. He might also have felt personally let down. we were not just seen as friends - we were close family. He never got over it. Australia in contrast - Labour and Coalition, never let Bobby down.
