"...is it Australia's traditional thumbing-the-nose at authority,"

Follow Up-

It seems that people are really taking The Lowy Institute for International Policys poll seriously. The Anti-Bush crowd as well as Islamic pundits are chortling with mirth and glee over thier findings that most (57%) Australians find that the Bush Administrations foreign policy is as much of a threat as Islamic fundamentalism. People have been quick to point to the American Presidents low popularity rating as a key factor as to why most Australians polled placed the U.S. close to the bottom of their list of favored allies. But most amazingly, all this is being said and re-said as though Americans actually care what they think.
They want to "thumb-the-nose at authority"? Perhaps they should start with taking the matter up with Great Britain, to whom they still owe Ultimate Alliegiance, and stop taking out their collective national frustration at having a total lack of global authorty on those who do.
The Poll states they feel they should not be in Iraq? Very well, then recall their massive force of 300 troops. I'm sure the United States will muddle along somehow.