US Influence
JUSTINA: Do you know who the leader of the Australian Labor Party is?
STUDENT: No.
STUDENT: Ahh no, not yet.
JUSTINA: Do you know who the Australian Opposition leader is?
STUDENT: Um not really.
JUSTINA: What about this guy?
STUDENT: Um not sure who he is.
JUSTINA: Do you know who’s running for president in the US elections?
STUDENT: Donald Trump I think.
STUDENT: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
JUSTINA: Do you know what the two political parties are in the US?
STUDENT: The Democrats and the Republicans.
It seems like we Aussies know a fair bit about US politics.
JUSTINA: Do you know who this is?
STUDENT: Donald Trump.
STUDENT: Donald Trump. Yeah, too easy.
Maybe even more than we do about Australian politics.
JUSTINA: Who is this guy?
STUDENT: I forgot his name.
STUDENT: Peter Malinauskas?
JUSTINA: So, why?
Well, there’s no denying that US politics are well, colourful.
DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I’m Looking for a job. I’ve always wanted to work at McDonalds.
That’s got a bit to do with the fact that voting is voluntary which means the candidates have to work hard to get voters’ attention. Then there’s the fact that US culture is all around us, from the internet.
DONALD TRUMP: I’m looking for a job and I’ve always wanted to work at McDonalds.
To movies and TV shows.
But the influence of the US goes way beyond its ability to entertain. See the US is considered to be the world’s superpower. It has the world’s biggest economy and is one of the richest countries in the world. The US dollar is the global currency, which means it’s used for international trade. And the US has the most powerful miliary, with bases in more than 160 countries. Not to mention a whole bunch of nuclear weapons. All this means, what happens in the US can have big impact on the rest of the world, including Australia.
PROFESSOR WESLEY WIDMAIER, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, ANU: The outcome of the American elections are incredibly important for the global economy, for our security here in the region, and just how Australian politicians and Australian society evolves.
So, how did America get so influential and powerful? Well, let’s go back in time a bit. Oh, that’s too far back. There we go. America’s rise to superpower status started around World War Two. The US was one of the few countries that came out of the war with a strong economy and military. And it used that strength to try to influence other countries. They created the United Nations and loaned a lot of money to countries devastated by the war. And as rivalry grew with another growing superpower, the Soviet Union the US grew its own military and established NATO, the world’s most powerful military alliance. It also became Australia’s most important military ally.
Over the years the US has played a huge role in world politics. It’s led conflicts, helped to broker peace deals, and kept some tensions between rival countries at bay. And right now, it’s playing a major role in some major conflicts with its weapons and financial support. Which is why many experts say this election is so important. The US political candidates also have some pretty different ideas about the role that the US should play in world affairs.
KAMALA HARRIS, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Trump on the other hand, threatened to abandon NATO. He encouraged Putin to invade our allies. I will stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO Allies.
DONALD TRUMP: I said no no, you have to understand, you don’t pay your bills you get no protection.
In fact, the US political candidates have some pretty different ideas about a lot of things.
DONALD TRUMP: She’s the only one that doesn’t know it. Low IQ, she’s a low IQ individual.
KAMALA HARRIS: We know what Donald Trump wants. He wants unchecked power
And experts say that could affect other countries.
PROFESSOR WESLEY WIDMAIER: I think some Australian politicians might look at Trump’s divisive rhetoric and his desire to excite people, and if he wins, they might mimic that too.
JUSTINA: And with just a week to go before the election, you’ll be seeing a lot more of these two, whether you want to or not.
STUDENT: I think they’re going to put up an even match and it’s gonna be like a pretty close election.
STUDENT: I think they’re gonna do the American thing.
STUDENT: Go Donald Trump.
STUDENT: I don’t really have an opinion on that topic
STUDENT: I reckon I’m going for Kamala Harris.