There’s an understandable inclination at first blush to see the US presidential election outcome as auguring difficult times ahead on the global stage. President-elect Donald Trump’s iconoclastic rhetoric on Ukraine, Gaza, Taiwan, tariffs and more in the lead-up to the election, coupled with his transactional approach to business, alliances and international institutions, and of making America great again, appear to be zero-sum propositions for which the world is bracing for impact.
Australia is a bit of an outlier on this on a range of fronts. Public statements have invariably emphasised shared values but it is enduring overlapping interests that will feature more prominently now.
