Reading Huntington's Clash of Civilizations is daunting but it does have its lighter moments. For example, in driving home his point that culture is determinant in defining alliances, he mentions that Australia has been attempting to identify itself as an Asian nation, and it hasn't been going well for them. Why? "...culture and values are the basic obstacle to Australia's joining Asia. Clashes regularly occur over the Australian's commitment to democracy, human rights, a free press, and its protest over the violations of those rights by the governments of virtually all its neighbors. 'The real problem for Australia in the region,' a senior Australian diplomat noted, 'is not our flag, but the root social values. I suspect that you won't find any Australians who are willing to surrender any of those values to be accepted in the region.' Differences in character, style, and behavior are also pronounced. As Mahathir suggested, Asians generally pursue their goals with others in way which are subtle, indirect, modulated, and non-confrontational. Australians, in contrast, are the most direct, blunt, outspoken, some would say insensitive, people in the English-speaking world."
I would agree and I love Australians for it...