An expat Australian’s perspective on Kevin Rudd’s meeting with Barack Obama.

The [cultural] cringe expresses itself in many ways – parochialism, bravado, humor – but at the root of it is an often unspoken embarrassment about our place in the world order. We act indifferent to other nations’ views of us and claim that we’re “the best country on earth” (yep, it’s not just Americans who say that). Yet deep down, we’re desperate for the affirmation of powerful friends.

Go read the whole thing.