[Kabar-indonesia] NYTimes: Sydney Chosen for Center on U.S. Studies

[Joyo3]

The New York Times
November 16, 2006

Australia Picks Sydney for Center on U.S. Studies

By RAYMOND BONNER

SYDNEY, Australia, Nov. 15 -- Australia’s prime minister,
John Howard, is so troubled by Australians’ dislike of the
United States that his conservative government has
contributed $19 million to the establishment of a United
States Studies Center, under the umbrella of the American
Australian Association.

A prominent Australian, who has played a role in setting up
the center but did not wish to be identified, asked, "What
other government in the world is helping the United States
to sell itself?"

It is hardly news that the United States’ image in the world
is tarnished, but Australia would seem to be one of the last
places it would need burnishing. On the surface, Australia
often seems like another California: beautiful beaches,
laid-back lifestyle, even two cities that are parallels to
San Francisco (Melbourne) and Los Angeles (Sydney).

The country is predominately Christian, its politics are
dominated by two parties, Liberal (Republican) and Labor
(Democrat), and rural Australia is more conservative than
the big cities. Australian soldiers have fought side by side
with Americans in every major war since World War I.

At a gala dinner on Tuesday, the association said the center
would be housed at Sydney University, which beat out the
University of Melbourne in a stiff competition. In addition
to considerable prestige, it is expected to bring in $50
million or more in grants and contributions. Rupert Murdoch
and his News Corporation are among the benefactors, along
with the Dow Chemical Company, Pratt Industries and Merck.

"Australians must resist and reject the facile, reflexive,
unthinking anti-Americanism that has gripped much of
Europe," Mr. Murdoch, an Australian-American, said in his
keynote address at the association’s dinner. "Australian
sentiment is thankfully nowhere near Europe’s level of
hostility, but it could get there. And it mustn’t."

Mr. Murdoch and others began to pursue the idea of the
center after being appalled by the results of an opinion
poll of 1,000 randomly selected Australians in March 2005,
by the Lowy Institute for International Policy, an
international research organization here. The poll found
that only 58 percent had a positive view of America, which
was 10 percentage points lower than the results for China
and behind France, the United Nations and Papua New Guinea.

The respondents were evenly divided over whether America or
Islamic fundamentalism presented the greatest threat to the
world.

"I am well aware that the Iraq war was and is unpopular
among many Australians," Mr. Murdoch said. "And I am well
aware that not every Australian sees the current American
administration in a favorable light." But, he noted, "wars
end," and "administrations come and go," so Australians must
think long-term.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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