We had a breakthrough last night. No one in our house fell out of bed last night. No one cried at 3:30am. We actually managed 8 continuous hours of uninterrupted sleep. The world seems to be a better place today.

Just enough time for a bit of a rant. The unlinkable SCMP has an article following remarks by Singapore's Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong, that Australia will only be accepted in the region when half its population is Asian. He's following on from that noted philosopher Mahathir who described Australia as "some sort of transplant from another region".

The article continues: Among Asian countries, negative perceptions of Australia have been fuelled by Canberra's intervention in East Timor in 1999, its hardline treatment of asylum seekers, and its robust support for the United States-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

US President George W. Bush caused embarrassment for Australia last week, when he praised the country for acting as a "sheriff" to the US in the Asian region.

Australia tends to get itself into a lather over things like this. I'm not really sure why. The reality is Australia is not part of Asia. It is not part of America. It is not even part of Europe. It is a country unique geopolitically, being a country of Anglo-Saxon heritage but placed in the bottom of Asia and the Pacific Rim (or the top, depending on your point of view). Australia trades and is politically engaged with Asia, just like it is with the US, with Europe and the like. Our biggest security threats are from Asia, especially South East Asia. But is this a part of the world Australia really wants to be a part of? ASEAN proudly counts Mynamar as a member without any comment. Asia is a nebulous concept, much like the idea of Europe, even despite Europe being much more developed in integrating and being a united continent.

These are just groupings. They mean nothing. They have no impact on the world. Sure Asia nations have much in common; they also have plenty that divides them. Just because they are all next to each other means little in economic or political terms.

If there are negative perceptions in Asia because we helped East Timor, then tough. If the rest of Asia disagrees with the asylum policy, tough. If the rest Asia doesn't like Australia supporting the war in Afghanistan, Iraq or elsewhere, tough. This is what Australia, democratically, has chosen to do.

Instead of getting all hot and bothered about what these Asian "statesmen" have to say about Australia in Asia, the country should get on with being itself. Australia suffers an insecurity and inferiority complex. The Queen of the UK is still the head of state, the Union Jack is still part of the flag. While in some ways Australia is an advanced country, in many others it has growing up to do. It needs to feel secure in its own identity and stop worrying what anyone else thinks. This is what the US (with support of some other nations, including Australia) in its war on terror and Iraq. When it comes to the crunch a country needs to say what it believes in and then believe in it. The policies causing the "negative perceptions" of Australia in Asia are policies of a democratic country asserting its place in the world.

Better get used to it.