I hope not. I personally believe Iran's government will be reformed/changed (either one) by Iranian people before any attacks (based on my interactions with green movement people and many other Iranians inside and outside Iran).
"External Forces"? Like who? The Saudis? Islamist terrorists not affiliated with any nation? With random, unlikely, and evidenceless predictions such as those, you might as well predict Elvis will come back from the dead and produce a platinum album in the next five years.
DON'T THINK I'LL EVER AGREE WITH YOU IN FULL Our government has these policies that are probably very similar policies to Republicans - Gun control after a gun buyback scheme instituted after a massacre which means our murder rate is 1 quarter of yours. - Generous welfare for the less fortunate with no time limits. It allows aged pensioners to survive comfortably and the out of work to put food in their mouth without having food stamps. - Free government health for all. I just came home from a government hospital after visiting my 88 yr old mother-in-law. She was admitted a few days ago and after scans revealed a mass on her brain will undergo brain surgery in a couple of days. Free. I just love what you regard as socialism. - A compulsory superannuation scheme that means almost all workers will retire in a very much desired wealth position. I can tell you that I have multiple overseas holidays each year because of compulsory super after my very early retirement. - Companies pay 30% tax, miners will pay additional tax next financial year. - The highest earners pay more tax than the less fortunate who most likely pay none. - Great support for families with baby bonuses, family benefits, paid maternity leave. - About to be introduced is Carbon Tax that will force the highest polluting companies in Australia to pay more tax in an effort to force them on the cleaner energy path. The less fortunate taxpayers will be compensated for the expected .7% increase in inflation with higher welfare, personal tax changes, blah, blah. Are these all Republican policies too or are they too far right? I'm pleased to say that I have a brain and I am not a member of any party, I vote according to a party's record and do not blindly follow whatever a particular party says and does.
You should give it a try. I'm always right. To your responses/excuses for Australia's right of Republican position on the issues of immigration and war mongering, I'm glad to see you can admit it. You are doing better than Bushranger on that front. To your attempts to define/demonstrate Australia's left of Republican positions on a variety of other issues, let me start off by pointing out Australia is an island nation with a land mass the size of the USA but only 6% of our population. In fact Australia's population that is only 2/3 that of California. Australia's population is also not ethnically diverse, due to it's immigration policies, and the "White Australia" policy it kept in place for 3/4 of the last century. Why point out these differences? Because carefully controlled immigration and elimination of cultural diversity are cornerstones for the success of socialistic policies. Hell, look at Norway. They even purged the Irish ( who really likes the Irish anyway). Granted, your geography like that of Norway, makes immigration enforcement a lot less expensive, but it still takes a population and a culture that is willing to say "Hit the bricks you filthy wog. Come back when you are white and have money". So to your points: LoL. I was actually in Melbourne shortly after Port Arthur happened. I recall saying something like, "Massacre... you call that a Massacre?" in my best Crocodile Dundee voice. Anyway, Australia is still part of the commonwealth. We managed to get rid of the Brits with guns, and there is no going back, nor do most Americans want to. Right. Socialistic policies, and Australia is very good at them. Several of the "Drunken Aussie wobbos" I hung out with would do their travels on the dole, receiving their government check while they trafficked marijuana through south east Asia(1 of those guys is still sitting in a jail cell on Sumatra). Again, your immigration policies are a precursor to this. No controlled immigration, no functioning socialistic policies. FYI, the US also provides free healthcare and welfare to the indigent and poor, though it is no where near the quality functioning system that Australia has in place. Now here you just seem clueless on US policies. US corporate tax rate is 38%, and California heaps on another 9%. The highest marginal tax rate for high earners is 35% (paid on the money that has already been taxed at the corporate level at 38%), with another 9% paid to the great State of California. Low income earners, on the other hand, can avoid taxes all together with a few write offs(children), and receive a $4800 tax refund in spite of the fact they didn't pay any taxes in the first place. If anything, our tax system is far more progressive than the system you describe for Australia. All this also ignores the culture of Australia which is strongly aligned with that of the US, and more specifically that of the Republicans. A culture of independence, entrepreneurship, and self determination. You need to quit living in denial.
Hey dude, I explained Australia's policies to keep you informed, I don't care what the US policies are on the same deals - they are your business. I don't care if you label our current policies as socialist, liberal, labor, republican, democrat - they are what they are. This discussion started because you made a comment about Iraq. You have now followed it up with this comment "LoL. I was actually in Melbourne shortly after Port Arthur happened. I recall saying something like, "Massacre... you call that a Massacre?" in my best Crocodile Dundee voice. Anyway, Australia is still part of the commonwealth. We managed to get rid of the Brits with guns, and there is no going back, nor do most Americans want to. " Completely obnoxious statement, showing a complete lack of compassion and feeling towards your fellow man. An insult to all Australians and to the survivors of the massacre and the families of the people who were killed. You truly are a germy, filthy little turd who displays no human characteristics. You deserve to complete your life in a basement surrounded by TV sets spewing shit and playing video games where you can shoot people at will. You are not fit to walk on this earth.
Now you are talking like a TRUE relativist. Now you just need to complete the circle and declare that you don't give a rats ass about what we do in Iraq. Do that, and I'll completely ignore your inability to address even a single fact I presented tying Aussie culture to Republican philosophy. Yawn. Remind me to never bring you a mirror again. Apparently you don't like what you see. I personally don't have a problem with it. Australia is one of the greatest nations on this planet, in my opinion. I toy with the idea of moving to Byron bay one day. I think I'd fit right in.
And yet somehow I'm certain that wont keep you from staying. I think the word you meant to use, but didn't want to, was Seppo. Its a piece of Aussie slang I've come to embrace over the last 20 years. I'm fairly certain it came into existence for the simple fact that Australia is one of the few places on the planet an American accent can get you laid. In that spirit, I wear the nickname as a badge of honor. If you ever make it to Nias, check out the community table in the two story bungalos directly in front of the break. There you will find carved in large, deep, bold lettering, the words "Team Seppo Rules", courtesy of yours truly.
I hope as I age that I don't feel a compulson to stroll down memory lane.I would not wish to be guilty of boring everybody with tales of my misspent youth.
Never used the word or heard of the word so it may not be in common usage. However a quick search reveals its meaning "Slang for Americans - as septic tank rhymes with yank, but Americans are also full of shit like septic tanks" Or an alternative description "What Aussies and Poms call inhabitants of the USA. The majority of them have incredibly low intelligance are are obese." But as I said, never heard it used.
LoL, Well I don't think he's that bad though Australia's worst shooting attrocity was a bad choice to pick on, admittingly I have heard a few jokes here about that tragedy, as we do, so he's not beyond the pale either IMHO. I'm sure you will 'appreciate' him once you understand his purpose for being here. For a start, how boring if we all agreed here, it's not like we're REALLY going to change the world in here is it? This is the place we discuss thoughts about politics and religion to prepare our arguments. Simply a testing ground for throwing around ideas before taking them into the world. Even if he's coming from a paid perspective, he still has 'different' ideas to add to the table, and for that I appreciate his being... there. (cough) After initially getting angry at his anti-people, pro corporate, anti-truth stances myself (your arguments mirror mine so far so it's like watching myself when I started in here), I now look at him like he's a parking officer (who incidentally Aussies hate), who's just doing his job, surely noone actually believes his rhetoric lol. I think attack his mostly ridiculous stances rather than they guy/girl itself, it sets a better tone whilst allowing you to get your EXCELLENT points across as well as you do. I do agree there would likely be a very fairly small % of Aussies that would make him welcome, but most Aussies would love for the people that do think like that would leave here too. Seriously, I think we all need someone with his attitude in society as it's good to hear all sides (including both extremes) of an argument, and he does serve that purpose well. I don't think he's going to get much actual traction across his country, no matter what he says, so accept & enjoy is where I am with that now. (see, I do care for ya Obamanation, please don't move here though ).
Ok Bushranger, I'm off to Bali in a few weeks so I'll invite showy and he can bring his trouble and strife and billy lids and we can catch some waves together and chew the fat out the back.
Fair dinkum, the blokes would love the break and the sheilas will be like a possum up a gumtree insteada sittin round like a stunned mullet! Yuse should do a banger on the barby at the billabong, bring Jimmy, he does a good damper, makes a mean dead horse and plays his didjeridoo. Don't forget loo paper for the dunny, was a right dingo's breakfast last time I heard.
An Aussie surfer who has never heard the word Seppo? More evidence you are truth/reality challenged. Seppo is so commonplace in surf culture, especially Aussie surf culture, it is commonly used in mainstream magazines. It is as common as Wog is in general Aussie culture, another derogatory term for foreigners of a certain skin color. Again, so mainstream, the movie The Wog Boy, grossed 11 million dollars, enough to warrant the sequel, Wog Boy 2: Kings of Mykonos. I suppose for Americans to pull off something similar, we would have to make a movie called "The Beaner Boy" [US derogatory slang term for Mexicans], and follow it up with something entitled "Beaner Boy 2: Kings of Tiajuana". We don't have such movies in America though. Thanks to the politically correct[PC] left, (Democrats), those types of nicknames are considered too insensitive to be used commercially. Lawsuits take the profit out of it. Its yet another way Australians align more with traditional American values. I much prefer a world where its OK for you to call me a Seppo, and its OK for me to call you a Vickie or an Ocker. Clint Eastwood did a great job subtly complaining about it in Gran Torino. Anyway, your original personal insult, and your Urban Dictionary expanded definition of Seppo were both welcome. You essentially put up a big neon sign that said, "I have no facts to back my arguments, so I'm switching to insults". @Bushranger: While I appreciate the attempt at Australian solidarity, it seems pretty obvious that BoBo doesn't agree with your (and Dear Kevy's) stance on Australian immigrant incarceration and deportation. You are clearly to the left of BoBo, at least on that issue. At least with you, I can appreciate your admission that you haven't fully thought through your positions on these issues (I believe you used the words "I know I'm a nutter"). BoBo seems to be convinced of his reasoning without any evidence, and sometimes in spite of it. Regarding moving to Oz, I would do it in a heartbeat if I could talk my wife and kids into it. Unfortunately, after a decade in Central America, she can't even be talked into Europe. She seems to be convinced there is no place like America, no matter how nice I tell her Australia is. I've spent a fair amount of time there and have a few friends in Coffs Harbor, Sydney, Melbourne(Rosebud actually), as well as a few at Margaret River. I have no doubt there are plenty of Australians who share your political ideology, just none of the people I met . Once you spend some time in San Francisco, liberal Byron Bay starts to feel a lot like Texas.
Nar, problem with that is we now have what you people had 30 years ago. If people like you come here we end up in the same mess as you are over there and that wouldn't be good. Our idea is keeping you there and learning from the error of your ways. Sure, come here for holidays, leave all your money & go home. You're welcome. Much better for Australia that way.
30 years ago, Ron Reagan was winning the cold war by stockpiling nuclear weapons. I'm pretty sure you aren't where we were 30 years ago, though bringing people like me in would help you get there . If Australia's residency laws are setup at all similar to most other nations, there is probably a net worth requirement, an income requirement, and a crime free past requirement. Generally speaking, people who meet the criteria are considered an asset, not a liability to the country.