US ties with Oz `embarassing` - Blanchett
CATE Blanchett says Australia should free its “embarrassing” relationship with the United States.
The Oscar-winning actress says Australia is too closely tied to the US and has made a mistake by isolating itself from its Asian neighbours. %26quot;Whoever gets in (at the Federal election) will have to deal with this climate of paranoia,%26quot; she told London’s Guardian newspaper. %26quot;We’re so in America’s back pocket it’s embarrassing. %26quot;We have to claim our individualism, but also reconnect to the world in a better way. %26quot;We’ve really isolated ourselves from Asia. %26quot;I think that’s politically and culturally very foolish. %26quot;The problem with Australia is that it’s uranium and coal-rich, so whoever gets in needs to be really responsible.%26quot; Blanchett was in London this week for the premiere of her latest film, Elizabeth: The Gold Age. She and playwright husband Andrew Upton are due to take over as artistic directors at the Sydney Theatre Company in January. Blanchett said she hoped her new theatre role would last beyond the three-year contract she and Upton signed. %26quot;You can’t really achieve anything in three years,%26quot; she said. - AAP
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