American thinking of moving to Australia. some questions.

I know. Is the "Australian Football League" located in Victoria?

 

I call then like I see them.

 

Melbourne is a delightful, elegant city, very European with its boulevards and parklands. In all seriousness, it is very enjoyable. If a visitor came to Australia and eschewed Melbourne for Sydney they would be missing out on a very different city which affords a very different view of Australia. Sydney reminds me of a cross between New York and LA but Melbourne is London and Paris in attitude.

 

I had the pleasure of living in Melbourne for two years.

I have lived in London for six years and been to Paris over a dozen times.

All true.

 

Thought I would add my two cents.

Despite Makkede's attempts to make us all look like redneck, racist losers, there are many sophisticated and admirable things about Australians.

First of all, and most importantly, the majority of us recognise the role that society and government has played in the oppression of the indigenous peoples of Australia, and how they are in the desperate and dreadful position they are in because we put them there. Many Aboriginal Australians live in worse than third world conditions, and this is unacceptable. To state that they pop up in suburbia when they want a government hand-out is ignorant at best, and incredibly racist and bigoted at worst.

Educated Australians do not watch either Home and Away or Neighbours. And I suggest you adopt neither if you move here. They are enough to melt your brain. I agree about Kath & Kim, though.

We do love a barbeque and it's a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, playing backyard cricket and getting some sun. The majority of Australians actually do live near a beach - the greater part of our population are coastal suburban dwellers - and not everybody surfs. There is more to the beach than this.

Property in Perth is rated at some of the most expensive in the world - topping New York at last assessment. Because of the mining boom in Western Australia, hardly anyone can afford to live here. The cost of living in Perth is higher than any other state in Australia - food, property, you name it. It's ridiculous. The city itself is magic though - clean, fresh, beautiful. Western Australia sadly is the most conservative, provincial and racist state in Australia. It's one of the things that makes me sad because we have a lovely, beautiful state (physically) that at the moment seems to be full of dickheads.

Most Australians are disgusted by the culture of racism, self-interest and all of the other ugly conservative traits encouraged and endorsed by the Howard government and proved it by voting him out in such an overwhelming landslide at our last federal election that he lost his own seat, which has only happened once before in the history of our nation.

We have a rich music scene (especially in Victoria) and our film industry isn't doing too badly either.

We are a fair-minded, friendly, laid-back and outgoing people, who welcome tourists and strangers and soon will be treating immigrants with more fairness, respect and kindness than was endorsed by the Howard regime. We have a multicultural society and most of us are proud of that, and wish for it to stay that way.

We do like a beer, I have to admit, and we make some good beer here, that's for sure. We also make some of the finest wine in the world, too, which perhaps not many of you know.

As OneThunder has rightly pointed out, we have more dangerous native animals than any other country in the world. We are home to six out of the top ten most dangerous snakes, the most deadly spider in the world and the most deadly sea creature.

The best beaches in Australia are in Western Australia. Endless white, soft sand, stunning horizons and clean, safe oceans.

We do have rivalries - and yeah we all just hate Victoria. LOL. Not really - Melbourne is my favourite city in Australia, I'd live there in a second and plan to when Poppy is older. Sydney is magnificent to look at, Perth is peaceful and big and open and clean, Brisbane is full of weirdos but there is some great country in Queensland, Tassie similarly has amazing country, as does South Australia although Adelaide is reported to be the most boring place on earth. I've not been to the Northern Territory although I'd really love to. Canberra has some of the best restaurants in Australia (it'd want to - there's nothing else there).

Diuretic's assessment of Melbourne vs Sydney is spot on. I still love visiting Sydney though - great place to visit. Melbourne and Perth, great places to live.

Spanky, the AFL started out as the VFL and started in Victoria before it became a national sport. The Grand Final every year is still held in Melbourne, even if two interstate teams are playing. This will change eventually, but for now I suppose you could say that the AFL has its heart in Melbourne, and eight of the sixteen clubs in the league are Victorian.

I am very proud of this country and of being Australian. It's been a long time since I could say that, but our new Prime Minister has done a lot already to bring back the qualities I have always admired in Australians, and to help us forget the legacy of our former Prime Monster.

 

Nice post.

You have a lot to be proud about.

And there is not one day when I do not thank this country for letting me come here. (Even if I need to poke fun of Australia Fair, that too is an Australian tradition.)

WA does have the best beaches I have ever seen in the world, and I have seen a good part of the world.

But more importantly most Australians, when the chips are down, have the biggest hearts in the world, most WILL stand by a mate in a time of trouble.

I will post more insults about Australia, but in reality I have nothing but deep respect and gratitide for this country that I feel lucky to live in.

 

How many people of color have been your Prime Minister?

 

Good point.

America is far ahead of the race curve than most of the world, let alone Australia.

The largest black middle class in the world, in the world, is in America.

There are more black millionares in the world in America than anywhere else, including Africa.

There is a larger percent of black people in the US Congress than in any European democracy.

Truth is a (*)(*)(*)(*)(*).

 

You might want to educate yourself about the Eureka stockade one of the major defining moments in Australian mulitcultural history.

 

Hey girl, I think I did a rather good job!

Yes, but why are they living like this? They could intergrate and get jobs and be like the rest of us. There is no reason why they should be living in third world conditions in this day and age.

Oh well. We agree, we disagree. Can't have em all, right?

I can't believe you don't watch a good Aussie soapie. That is just criminal.

Well thank God for that. At least I am not the only one who dislikes that pathetic excuse for a show...and OMG the American version? As much as I hate the Aussie version, it's a lot better than the Yanks attempt at it.

 

None...as far as I know. But we did have a female, no wait, I was going to say we had a female PM but Joan Kirner was the Premier, wasn't she?

 

Is that a joke? Your country has massive no go ethnic slums where to have a white skin is a death sentence, your mainly white middle class live in gated communites huddled in your homes surrounded by barbed wire and guns.
The majoirty of yoiur ethnic minorities work for minimum wage where they can find work and live in abject poverty, Ive never seen so many beggars on the streets of America as I have in most 3rd world countries.

 

How many have been your President?

Would you say the same about children in Darfur? In Bolivia? There are several reasons that `integrating' and `getting jobs and being like the rest of us' are virtually impossible for our Aboriginals. Don't be deliberately ignorant, it's not becoming to you.

Makkede, for someone who is as interested and generally informed about politics as you are, you are sadly lacking when it comes to your view of Aboriginal affairs. You need to do some research. You need to talk to some people. Your ignorance in this regard does you a disservice, because your views on this subject are small-minded populist, not based in any actual fact or presented with any actual consideration.

Stop offering up this tripe - it's beneath you, it really is.

 

Do you expect the Government to help these people out? Why is it somehow impossible for them to get a job and intergrate into society? I am thinking they can do this if they chose to, they simply choose not to - like people choose to live on the streets and beg. Make a go of it and you will be rewarded.

I am not being ignorant on this, never have been. You make it seem that I am saying the opposite of what I believe, and I am not. I believe that they can intergrate, and I believe they choose not to. I don't know why, they just do.

 

No, no joke.


There is no place on Earth where black people, and other people have more opportunity, and achieve it.

The largest black middle class in the world is in America; there are more black millionaires in America than anywhere else.

America is about to elect a black President. Tell me where this happens in Europe, Australia or pretty much anywhere else.

I know the Chomsky PC thing is to blame the one place people of color have the most opportunity and praise those stratified societies that give people of color no opportunity, but profer the slogans they want to hear so as to pacify both white conscience and racist policy, but I prefer to look at results.


And of course America is by far the largest aid donor to Africa, the Bush administration being the greatest aid donor to Africa in human history. So much so even Bob Geldoph has said Bush has done more for that continent than anyone other than Nelson Mandela.

This is why America is still the number one destination for legal and illegal immigration.

Humans intrinsically know where their opportunity is.

But opportunity is not the same thing as guaranteed outcome.

Indeed, in many ways they are antithical concepts.

 

Well this disappoints me greatly, and I think shows a real lack of insight.

Answer me this - if being Aboriginal and living in third world conditions and getting `government hand-outs' is a choice that could be so easily discarded, could you list some reasons as to why anyone would choose it? Also, would you choose it? If life as an Aboriginal in this country is really so easy - would you swap your life for theirs?

If `making a go of it' was so easy (and not just for Aboriginals) wouldn't we all be millionaires, living in wealth and ease and early retirement?

 

I never said making a go of it was 'easy' - at least, I don't think I did. I don't think it is that hard to get a job, though.

Why would some people 'choose' to live on government handouts? Why do those people on the dole collect their cheques each week and sit around and do nothing? They choose to live off the government because the government allows them to. They find a way around the system.

You have to explain to me why it is so hard to be an Aborigine in this country. What is the reason why they do not seek work? Are they sick? Are they too far away from an employer? Do they lack qualifications? Do they not want to work? There has to be a reason and I haven't seen one yet, which is why I believe they can find jobs and intergrate into society.

 

that's what some people think in the US about the homeless. Being in healthcare 20+ years, I've seen the same people come and go,social workers get them hooked up with a place to live, food and even times a job. Next time I see them in the hospital. No address. homeless again. What happened? Alot of "homeless" prefer to remain that way.

 

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes, in some cases. Same as white people, I would think. Why do you not include ALL people who are on welfare in your argument? Or is it just the black people that bother you?

What is your experience and opinion based on? And how hard have you looked for your `reason'?

Now, I've answered your questions. You can answer mine.

Oh, and I have one more.

How do you know they do NOT seek work and try to better their lives?

 

I think Howard spent a little too much time in America, and that whole idea of 'self-determination' to an idiotic degree sort of rubbed off on him.

And most of that fine wine comes from South Australia, from the Barossa & Eden Valley, Adelaide Hills, Clare Valley, Fleurieu Peninsula and Limestone Coast. We put the rest to shame.

But you can't believe the rumours, I've lived here all my life and i have not died once from an attack of any of these animals!

Well, can't disagree with that. But Salman Rushdie once said that Adelaide 'was the perfect setting for a horror movie' and with good cause, Adelaide has a reputation for some of the most weird murders.

It's also Australia's porn capital, don't forget that!

 

Oh wow I DID forget that!! Lol.

Don't worry about Adelaide being boring - hey, I come from Perth. I can NOT talk on this issue.

 

Do Australians have strange mythical creatures like Nessie, Bigfoot, the Yeti, Chupacabra, etc.?

Do Australians have conspiracy theories about their own government, or the way the world works?

 

I got a friend who comes from Canberra, i always say how i'm going to road trip up there, but not necessarily for her.

Actually, that's what i like about Australia in general, we're boring, which means we're not pathetic or stupid... on the majority anyway.

 

Not that i'm aware of, it might be different, state from state.

No, we don't have any conspiracies about our own government, we know that it's working in ours and our countries best interests. We are also not scared of it turning into a dictatorship because we know that that it is not going to happen.

And we know how the world works, it is a complex web of foreign relations, trading, etc.

 

Bunyip - it lives in the River Murray, athough given the state of the river it might be looking for a home somewhere else

We do have conspiracy theories from time to time. Back in 1966 I think it was, our then PM Harold Holt, drowned while swimming at a reasonably isolated beach (probably got caught in a rip). But immediately a rumour went around that he had been spirited off in a Chinese submarine. Now this was before the internet but you know that rumour is still around today.

As for blacks and whites. Comparing African-Americans and Europeans in the States with aboriginal people and Europeans here is a big mistake. Think indigenous, not skin colour. There are many similarities in conditions between Native Americans and Australian indigenous people (remembering that indigenous people can be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders). So, if desirous of comparisons please get the classifications right.