Key ally

Every country, no matter how small or remote, that has some kind of military agreement with America, is a “key ally” to reporters and editors writing about international or political affairs. This is more dramatic than describing the country as tiny or sleepy, which is reserved for travel writers. Thus, when former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown (he served three years of the unfinished term of Ted Kennedy) was nominated by President Trump as his ambassador to New Zealand, the Boston Globe, Apr. 22, 2017, reported: “If confirmed, Brown, who served 35 years in the Army National Guard, would take an ambassadorship to a key US ally. New Zealand for decades has collaborated with the United States as part of the so-called Five Eyes alliance, which also includes Canada, Great Britain, and Australia.”

New Zealand is a fascinating nation, with spectacular scenery, has a population of 4.6 million, which is less than that of Massachusetts, is known by cooks worldwide for its terrific lamb cuts, gets so many tourists from China, Europe and the USA there’s a hotel room shortage, and is about as far from Washington as one can get and still remain on earth. It’s comforting to learn New Zealand is a key ally in the Five Eyes alliance, which Globe readers obviously know is vital to our security, and that a retired National Guard lawyer is our ambassador.