Trump’s tariffs show he sees Australia as a US freeloader

Like almost all other nations, Australia watches the development of Trump foreign policy with bemusement, befuddlement and bewilderment. It believes it knows what Donald Trump is doing or wants to achieve. But it has no special insights into Trump’s thinking, nor that of his inner circle of advisers, few of whom have close experience in military or foreign policy. Nor has Australia any levers to pull or any pressures it can bring to bear. Some might think that the nuclear submarine project, which involves substantial transfers of money to the US, could be such a pressure. From the US point…