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Maybe in Jesus land, but not in the northeast or the west coast. We don't worship Jesus as much here. And I know many wealthy people and their Sunday ritual involves brunch with champagne. Ive never lived in jesusland. I've lived in California, Michigan, the NYC area and now New England. You would not make the above comment if you ever lived in the states were I've lived. And I don't believe everyone on the dole here is a bludger; I've volunteered at too many soup kitchens to know this. Do some abuse the system yes of course, but many were just impacted by the high unemployment which started in 2008
What - when the Northeast is the headquarters of the Boston Movement (Kip McKean's radical offshoot of the CoC), and New York the Watchtower?
California is also the headquarters of numerous pentecostal and evangelistic movements.
Australia is very conservative by comparison as far as religion goes, even in country areas.
Recent examples such as Hillsong in Sydney being the exception (Sydney's Northwest so-called bible belt area) - but they are ridiculed and not accepted as mainstream.
What - when the Northeast is the headquarters of the Boston Movement (Kip McKean's radical offshoot of the CoC), and New York the Watchtower?
California is also the headquarters of numerous pentecostal and evangelistic movements.
Australia is very conservative by comparison as far as religion goes, even in country areas.
Recent examples such as Hillsong in Sydney being the exception (Sydney's Northwest so-called bible belt area) - but they are ridiculed and not accepted as mainstream.
There are Jesus freaks everywhere but there are greater concentrations in Jsesusland. Besides, watchtower moved out of Brooklyn.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MsAnnThrope
It's not just the concealed weapon issue...basically my concern is the "cult of the individual" that rules America. By this I mean that an individual's rights are rated more highly than the rights of the community as a whole.
Guns are for killing things and have no place in a safe society IMO.
America puts an individual's right to bear arms above the wish for a safer society.
Americans also don't care about their poor. You can see it on every thread that talks about welfare or their medical system. We have a concern for the underdog in Australia, hence medicare and centrelink.
It's just something I wish was different...I'm sure most Americans are wonderful. It's a cultural difference which is not necessarily "wrong" just profoundly different. For example, Tennessee firefighters are refusing to put out housefires if people haven't paid their state taxes...this would NEVER happen in Australia - for one, our country firefighters are unpaid . We have an undercurrent of mateship that runs very, very deep - we don't like to see others suffer. Americans seem to genuinely not care.
JUST MY OPINION....NOT "TROLLING"
You're right. Americans are obsessed with personal 'rights' to a scary degree - to a much greater extent than even Australia or the UK, where most people understand that sacrificing some of these so-called 'rights' will lead to a better society for all. The flip-side is that in America, there's a huge importance placed on 'personal responsibility', so that's why it's so easy to justify capital punishment, and blame their poor for their own predicament.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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I think it's a pointless exercise trying to compare which of the two is 'more' conservative or liberal. These are hot-button words the media uses to stir up controversy and further polarize opinion. They are also relative terms, and apply directly to the socio-political histories and climates of each nation.
That's debatable, especially with the political hysteria over boat people that the conservatives have only been too happy to take advantage of to gain votes, and the disparity between aboriginal people and the rest of the population.
Most cities in the US do, except for jesus land. I'm not arguing that Australia is as conservative as Texas, but is about where the US west and east coast are politically, which is still more conservative that most of the developed world.
Which is more to do with circumstances than ideology, most Australians are cityslickers who really don't have much of a need or interest in guns and don't know them beyond what they see in movies. It's not an issue cityslickers get passionate about, although Australians in the outback do, but they're a minority.
And that there is no obstacle in the the constitution to gun control.
Gay marriage is a very controversial issue in Australian politics, and one of the most talked about issues. In 2004, the conservative John Howard government changed the federal marriage act to define marriage as between a man and a women, the Labor party after the victory in 2007, introduced civil unions but was unwilling to go as far as changing the marriage act and the issue remains controversial. The argument is that civil unions are not marriage and that gay people deserve the equality and dignity of marriage, and those against argue to protect the tradition of marriage for religious reasons. Because of the importance of bogan (aka, redneck) swing voters, neither major party is for gay marriage, however the issue is constantly brought up, as both sides on the debate are very passionate about it.
But it is true is it not that, under existing civil union law, gays in Austrailia are treated with equal rights when it comes to taxes, inheritance rights, public services and a host of other rights they do not have in the United States?
I think the moderator misunderstood the humour thing and locked the thread about Americans and Aussies, so maybe not all Aussies get that sarcasm?
Quote:
Originally Posted by minibrings
Nah..Vichel is Aussie, Arte got too rowdy on that one
Vich's a good egg
you're both on the money. Except if you're gonna make outlandish and ridiculous statements, don't be surprised when someone responds
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruin Rick
But it is true is it not that, under existing civil union law, gays in Austrailia are treated with equal rights when it comes to taxes, inheritance rights, public services and a host of other rights they do not have in the United States?
a same sex relationship is recognised by the government in terms of centrelink (welfare) and family assistance as well as taxes etc
It seems like the only Australians moving to the U.S. these days are actors - Anthony LaPaglia and his brother Jonathan, Poppy Montgomery and Simon Baker. Only Baker retains his "Uhstrayun" accent off-camera.
Cost of living is reasonable in some areas, this is true. But, there is good reason for that. For someone to actually invest a lot of time and money to immigrate, then move to a place like Nebraska, or South Dakota, they would be absolutely miserable. These areas have nothing; and people there are about as sophisticated as a can of cat food. The vast majority of people want to live on a coast, or in or near a major metro areas, usually in a "blue" state, rather than a "red" state. Thus, the lifestyle and COL are often drastically different. The majority of the U.S. does have four seasons, with plenty of snow. If you are accustomed to mild climate, the change would be drastic. Yes, unemployment rates do change, but in all honesty, the unemployment rate here has been horrible for a long time.
Oh please. Just because you watched a movie with a cowboy or someone in a seed corn hat doesn't mean you know squat about the great plains.
I'm a native Nebraskan, and I grew up on a ranch here. My husband is an attorney and I'm a small business owner with a graduate degree. People are hardworking and unpretentious here, but to say we're unsophisticated is a joke. Warren Buffet is a native Nebraskan--do you think he's a hick? We have over 2000 golf courses in a state of less than 2 million people. My husband and boys spend their weekends golfing, or boating on one of the many beautiful local lakes, when they're not helping aunts and uncles or grandparents on the farm. We own a small play farm/ranch with a lovely old farmhouse, a horse barn, pasture ground, an orchard and a pond where we can fish for the price you'd pay to own a one bedroom apartment in NYC. Right now Nebraska has 3.67% unemployment, compared with numbers more than double that in the rest of the country.
We have the best of both worlds--we live in the country in a beautiful place, but we're just a short drive from a Big 10 University city that pulls in people from all over the world, and that has great shopping and college and semi-pro sports. Major touring companies bring us the same broadway shows and events that you see in every other major city in the US. We have the #2 zoo in the world in Omaha, art museums, theater, a growing music scene, quality restaurants, you name it. When we want to visit somewhere else, we go on vacation. On a personal level, we have family in Europe, and we go every 3 or 4 years. Most of our friends travel too. Public transportation stinks out here, but that's really the only negative, unless you can't live without the ocean.
The cowboys are out in the western part of the state--and surprise surprise--I know plenty of them with college degrees and a heavily stamped passport too. There's a reason why lots of people out here can't stand east coasters--you're ego maniacs who know squat about any place but your own back yard.
I'd love to live in Australia for a short stint again--perhaps a year or two. I was an exchange student there for a year when I was very young, and I fell in love with it. I've been back for a few visits, but it would be nice to settle in and stay awhile. It's a beautiful country. Your cost of living might be higher, but I think your quality of life is too. It's more laid back.
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. We have an undercurrent of mateship that runs very, very deep - we don't like to see others suffer. Americans seem to genuinely not care.
