There are many things about the present state of the world that mystify me – the violence, the hypocrisy, the ludicrous conflation of support for the Palestinian people and an Independent Palestinian nation and antisemitism. As Zack Polanski, leader of the English Green Party, opines “conflating Antisemitism with criticism of the Israeli government is dangerous”. But, still we hear that a march in support of Palestine is antisemitic and Zack Polanski himself is attacked and labelled as antisemitic by both the Labour and Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel notwithstanding that Zack is Jewish!
But, as 2026 begins, perhaps the most bewildering phenomenon is the insanity that is the President of the United States threating the annexation/invasion/military takeover of Greenland. The whole thing might be vaguely funny but for the fact that the nutbar who sprouts this nonsense and utters these threats (to his allies mind) controls the largest and most lethal militia in the world. He is, in reality, the ultimate stand over man and thug.
What is even more bewildering and extraordinary (though completely to be expected) is the silence, the absence of response by “leaders” of the Western World. There is no standing up to it. There is no isolation of the United States, no sanctions, no rebuke. Just meek nonsense.
Here are a few examples:
Katy Gallagher “When it comes to the sovereignty of Greenland, it’s a matter for Denmark and Greenland”
Penny Wong “The future of Greenland is a matter for Denmark and the people of Greenland” (and that was after the question was actually asked of Anothy Albanese and the best answer he could manage was “The Australian Government’s position, the Foreign Minister can outline..”. He couldn’t even give an answer himself.
Noticing a consistent, scripted message? If nothing else, Labor is good at repeated mantras that mean and say nothing
But it is not just Australia that seems incapable of telling the satsuma baby to change his nappy and stop throwing his toys out of his cot (and god knows there is no filter within the US or media). The same, consistent meaningless emanates from “Sir” Keir Starmer: “Our position on Greenland is very clear – it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes”
They are all much more upset and vocal about the threat of tariffs and the impact that will have on “free trade”.
“Free trade” is, interestingly, connected with the whole Greenland debacle as one of the two reasons given for why the United States “must and will” possess Greenland is its abundance of “rare earth minerals”. But the United States need not possess Greenland to have them. They could just have Denmark meekly roll over and hand effective control over such minerals to the United States, like an obedient puppy. As Australia did in October 2025 with the Framework for Securing Supply Agreement signed by Albanese and Trump. That sees Australia’s minerals (3.5% of world reserves as opposed to Greenland’s 1.3%) committed to be supplied to the United States.
And why are these minerals important? Because the country in the world with the most is China (who almost exclusively has the present capacity to refine them) and because the minerals are fundamental to “next generation military and commercial tech”. Nothing is more important to the robber baron United States than building stuff to kill people and blow things up.
And who owns the two companies that mine these minerals in Australia (Alcoa and Arafura respectively)? The US and Gina Rinehart.
You may, like me, have been asking yourself what any of this has to do with “Love Actually”?
Let me tell you.
The thing that makes me angry about it all is that the English PM, played by Hugh Grant in “Love Actually”, is a better PM than our own or England’s.
I am not much of a fan of Romcoms or Christmas movies (though I do love James Stewart’s “it’s a Wonderful Life”). I’ll admit that the script of “Love Actually” is rather clever, but the delivery is a little too saccharine for me. I do like the Rowan Atkison scene and Alan Rickman’s character and acting (he was a genius and he was a wonderful ghost in “Truly, Madly, Deeply” (yes, I know I said I don’t like romcoms but I recall the film fondly both for Rickman’s ghost “Jamie” and his cohort of ghost friends and as I’d seen the film when I had bunked off work for an afternoon and so it has a “guilty pleasure” reminiscence about it) and fantastically grumpy Hilly Kristal in “CBGB”). And the relationship between the fluffers was cute and funny….ok, I know far too much about it to have not seen it a few times.
Now, you’ll remember that Hugh Grant played the English PM (and I refuse to refer to my country of birth as the United Kingdom as the Scots, Welsh and Irish predominantly have a different view of “unity”). That’s part of what irritates me about the film as it followed “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Notting Hill” and the performances were verging on repetitive and non-distinguishable. But I digress.
Why I think of “Love Actually” is the by reference to the limp, sophistry and appeasement that emanated from our “leaders”.
You may recall that in Love Actually the US President (played by the talented Billy Bob Thonton and, perhaps, a little too like the present incumbent of that office – though in truth Bill Bob’s portrayal of POTUS is a far more attractive and articulate than the present real thing) visits for dialogue with the newly elected English PM. There are problems and tensions (not the least of which is both leaders salivating over Natalie).
After the meetings have been held and the US President has bullied Hugh Grant’s character into some “agreements”, there is then a press conference with both leaders. It is Hugh Grant’s response that comes to mind when I hear the simpering bullshit of our leaders in response to the satsuma baby. This is the scene:
PRESS PERSON: Mr President, has it been a good visit?
PRESIDENT: Very satisfactory indeed. We got what we came for, and our special relationship is still very special.
PRESS PERSON: Prime Minister?
PM: I love that word “relationship”. Covers all manner of sins, doesn’t it? I fear that this has become a bad relationship. A relationship based on the President taking what he wants and casually ignoring all those things that really matter to, erm… Britain. We may be a small country but we’re a great one, too. The country of Shakespeare, Churchill, the Beatles, Sean Connery, Harry Potter. David Beckham’s right foot, David Beckham’s left foot, come to that. And a friend who bullies us is no longer a friend. And since bullies only respond to strength, from now onward, I will be prepared to be much stronger. And the President should be prepared for that.
Now, that’s diplomatic but clear. I’d go for that. I’d even go for something more to the point and verging upon vulgar, something like “Yer, we’re done. There’s the door. Pack your shit and get out”.
What would be wonderful is if we in Australia could realise that the United States is not our friend. As the Special AKA sang “If you have a racist friend, now is the time, now is the time for your friendship to end”. And like any good breakup, we should tell them to take their stuff and leave. No more Pine Gap, no more uranium sales, no more rare earth minerals, no more military base in the NT, no more AUKUS. A big “GET A PINEAPPLE UP YOU”!
But it’s not just the satsuma baby. With him, it’s that his rampant egotism makes him more socially disinhibited (I mean who else would expose their pathetic egocentricity by sending a message to the Norwegian PM “Considering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Prize for having stopped 8 wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace”), This is a man who needs help and who should not be around sharp objects let alone able to control (through others of course, as his bone spurs would stop him doing it himself) lethal weapons. But it’s the whole clown car, bin fire of his and other western governments that are the problem (as well as the people who vote for them).
One might expect our leaders to act like authorative parents in dealing with a naughty toddler, a toddler not just throwing his toys but smashing things and hurting people. But what do we get? We get folk like Angus Taylor saying “he talks a lot”. He does! How about telling him to shut his mouth and stop talking shit? This is the same man who said that the coalition would “take him on”. Presumably that would be in the same cloying, appeasing way that Chamberlain took on the Chancellor?
Isn’t it time we spoke up in opposition? Isn’t it time we isolated these clowns and distanced ourselves from them? Perhaps it is time to say, “we just can’t be your friend anymore”. After all, the behaviour is just like the 8-year-old in the playground punching other kids and taking their lunch money.
Penny Wong said that we should call our friends out. But when it’s the US or Israel we don’t. We use very tempered language like “it is not ideal” and “we have reminded them of their obligations”. Why not act? No military co-operation, no military contracts, no trade deals.
From August 2024 to July 2025, 24 people were remanded in prison in connection with a break in at Israeli death merchants Elbit systems Filton, England site for allegedly causing £1 million worth of damage. They are still there and some have, until last week, been on hunger strike (don’t read about that in the Murdoch press, do you?). In July and August 2025, 5 more people were remanded to prison in connection with a separate break-in at RAF Brize Norton, in which two Voyager aircraft, used for surveillance flights over Gaza to aid the Israeli military, were sprayed with paint. Those actions get a response. But, when Israel breeches the “ceasefires” with Gaza and Lebanon on a daily basis or the US kills 52 Cubans and Venezuelans or bombs Iran, Syria, Nigeria, etc? Not a word of criticism.
The law, domestic and international, is a tool. It is wielded as those in power wish. And it is selectively enforced.
But let me end positively, with the opening scene of “Love Actually” narrated by Hugh Grant as the English PM (and I can’t believe that I am doing it – but it is a passage that is somewhat touching and true).
Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the Arrivals Gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion’s starting makes out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. Seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it’s not particularly dignified, or newsworthy – but it’s always there – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. Before the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate and revenge – they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around.
Now, make a choice of whether you follow the advice of Bill Nighy’s character Billy Mack who says “Let’s get pissed and watch porn” or stay sober and write to your member of parliament and urge them to act.
Disclaimer: to the extent that anyone may seek to suggest that the above represents a communication requiring authorisation under Section 321D of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, the above is authored by and authorised by Joe Harman on behalf of Joe Harman.
