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Not just Australia, but NZ too. The US has been angling at free trade agreements with NZ and Australia for a while now. They all contain 'interesting' copyright

Not just Australia, but NZ too. The US has been angling at free trade agreements with NZ and Australia for a while now. They all contain 'interesting' copyright provisions. The sad thing is that too few people here care or know enough about global politics to even notice what's going on, let alone try to stop it. Luckily NZ is too small for anyone to care. Hopefully we get to keep our ban on software patents a little longer. Although the recently introduced "3 strikes" law (ISPs are forced to monitor your interent use, and warn you if you get caught on an MPAA honeypot torrent. 3 warnings and your internet connection is cut) is dubious. 3 strikes law: http://www.itnews.com.au/News/254485,new-zealand-passes-three-strikes-law.aspx http://www.itnews.com.au/News/254485,new-zealand-passes-thre... NZ/US FTA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand%E2%80%93United_States_relations#Proposed_Free_Trade_Agreement http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand%E2%80%93United_Stat... Interesting side note, the founder of Megaupload was hunted down in New Zealand. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/21/idUS175418489220120121 http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/21/idUS17541848922012...

rjd 15y ago
Well living in NZ my view point is America has burned it bridges already. I don't think its so much the US trying to get free trade agreements as rejecting offers or bundling toxic policies in with them. I don't think many people would disagree the future of NZ lays with China who are currently creating new free trade agreements (without military servitude or protectionist mantra attached), and NZ is becoming a destination for wealthy and middle class Asians to escape the homeland. So unless the US buck its ideas up about its foreign policies, and China continues its progression away from totalitarianism its going to loose friends fast. And by friends I mean there is huge anti-US sentiment in NZ already, its really viewed as the "bad guy" in most respects, totally corrupt, and on the point of collapse.

rjd 15y ago

Well living in NZ my view point is America has burned it bridges already. I don't think its so much the US trying to get free trade agreements as rejecting offers or bundling toxic policies in with them. I don't think many people would disagree the future of NZ lays with China who are currently creating new free trade agreements (without military servitude or protectionist mantra attached), and NZ is becoming a destination for wealthy and middle class Asians to escape the homeland. So unless the US buck its ideas up about its foreign policies, and China continues its progression away from totalitarianism its going to loose friends fast. And by friends I mean there is huge anti-US sentiment in NZ already, its really viewed as the "bad guy" in most respects, totally corrupt, and on the point of collapse.