On traveling. Yes, I find most people around the world more informed about geopolitics than Americans. In many cases they seem to know more of what is going on in the US than most Americans.
I also agree that Chinese have replaced Americans as the ugly tourist. In a particular Unesco site, the Unesco worker without any filter told me about his distain for Chinese tourist. A sentiment I found around the world in the multiple places I’ve travelled to.
Personally I blame Joe Biden, for allowing the Chinese to take our title as the world ugliest tourist.
1. Bunnings doesn't do the sausage sizzles - they let local charities use their car parks to run the sizzles (and I think the BBQ equipment is owned by Bunnings so they can just rock up and start operating it).
2. I heard that there are some great whisky distilleries in Tasmania. But I don't drink alcohol regularly so I can't comment.
3. I'm willing to bet that talking about sausages reminded you about the requirement to vote (or pay a fine) because this is a thing here 😉: https://democracysausage.org/
4. There were always many Asians in Australia - I had an Australian friend who grew up here in the 1970's and she told me that she's so used to have Asians around that she stared feeling at home already passing through Bangkok airport when coming back from a trip to Europe.
5. Don't forget that Australia's population is tiny (25 million), so not much is happening here and with 30% of Australians born overseas, there is a lot of international connections.
Where did America go wrong? we allowed the Democrats to dictate social policy, which included allowing riots, allowing homeless people to camp on the sidewalks, allowing defund the police, and allowing leftists like California governor Newsom legalize transgender operations without the parents approval. Not to mention that California allows you to steal up the $950 and not get charged. Same here in Oregon, crazy crime because of leftist policies, although thank God, the Supreme Court ruled that bums and hobos don’t have a right to camp on the sidewalk anymore;, when the left takes over a country or a state, everything goes to hell.
This little video was as much about you as it was about Australia, and it was very charming. I have never been to Australia but I have been to New Zealand, which is a wonderful place but boy, it’s a long flight. I was amused at your comparisons to Washington DC, where I grew up and once had a business. America (and DC in particular) has a homeless problem because they have an affordable housing problem. As you know, DC is one of the most expensive places to live in the country, but affordable housing is a national problem for a whole host of reasons too complicated to get into here. Regarding Ugly Americans, in all my travels, it is Brits, usually drunken Brits, that I have found to be most objectionable, but all countries have travelers that we might wish would just stay at home. Thanks for the fascinating post.
Maybe the difference is that Australia has a social security network, e.g. there are other avenues of intervention besides sending cops, or the fact that you don't find yourself on the street from having a serious health problem (the public health system will take care of you).
I like an expression I just heard - "America has no ceiling for how far you can climg - but also no floor for how far you can fall" (paraphrased).
I suggest there are several "faucets" for disinformation. For over 20 years, its been technological, specifically social media, and I'm very glad you are on top of this. For the last 50 years disinformation has been the philosophical fire hose of "Postmodernism". (e.g. CRT, equity and Intersectionality)
Prof RC Hicks has written books and lectures on PM. For example, YouTube has "Stephen Hicks: Why Postmodernists don’t see their own Contradictions?"
For more information Wikipedia has articles on both post modernism and Dr. Hicks.
I am at the other end of METRO’s RED line and I don’t notice crazies on DC’s METRO. NYC? Yes. I am in Australia several months of the year for work, and I disagree with your gun analysis. Your association with security personnel likely taints your data because they are not an accurate cross section of the society.
Thanks Ryan for visiting our great country. Hope to see you on west coast sometime, here we have Australian food and drinkable whiskey (my shout :)). Safe travels
On traveling. Yes, I find most people around the world more informed about geopolitics than Americans. In many cases they seem to know more of what is going on in the US than most Americans.
I also agree that Chinese have replaced Americans as the ugly tourist. In a particular Unesco site, the Unesco worker without any filter told me about his distain for Chinese tourist. A sentiment I found around the world in the multiple places I’ve travelled to.
Personally I blame Joe Biden, for allowing the Chinese to take our title as the world ugliest tourist.
1. Bunnings doesn't do the sausage sizzles - they let local charities use their car parks to run the sizzles (and I think the BBQ equipment is owned by Bunnings so they can just rock up and start operating it).
2. I heard that there are some great whisky distilleries in Tasmania. But I don't drink alcohol regularly so I can't comment.
3. I'm willing to bet that talking about sausages reminded you about the requirement to vote (or pay a fine) because this is a thing here 😉: https://democracysausage.org/
4. There were always many Asians in Australia - I had an Australian friend who grew up here in the 1970's and she told me that she's so used to have Asians around that she stared feeling at home already passing through Bangkok airport when coming back from a trip to Europe.
5. Don't forget that Australia's population is tiny (25 million), so not much is happening here and with 30% of Australians born overseas, there is a lot of international connections.
Where did America go wrong? we allowed the Democrats to dictate social policy, which included allowing riots, allowing homeless people to camp on the sidewalks, allowing defund the police, and allowing leftists like California governor Newsom legalize transgender operations without the parents approval. Not to mention that California allows you to steal up the $950 and not get charged. Same here in Oregon, crazy crime because of leftist policies, although thank God, the Supreme Court ruled that bums and hobos don’t have a right to camp on the sidewalk anymore;, when the left takes over a country or a state, everything goes to hell.
This little video was as much about you as it was about Australia, and it was very charming. I have never been to Australia but I have been to New Zealand, which is a wonderful place but boy, it’s a long flight. I was amused at your comparisons to Washington DC, where I grew up and once had a business. America (and DC in particular) has a homeless problem because they have an affordable housing problem. As you know, DC is one of the most expensive places to live in the country, but affordable housing is a national problem for a whole host of reasons too complicated to get into here. Regarding Ugly Americans, in all my travels, it is Brits, usually drunken Brits, that I have found to be most objectionable, but all countries have travelers that we might wish would just stay at home. Thanks for the fascinating post.
Sydney is also among the most expensive cities in the world (10th place according to this link - https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-city-rankings/most-expensive-cities-in-the-world)
Maybe the difference is that Australia has a social security network, e.g. there are other avenues of intervention besides sending cops, or the fact that you don't find yourself on the street from having a serious health problem (the public health system will take care of you).
I like an expression I just heard - "America has no ceiling for how far you can climg - but also no floor for how far you can fall" (paraphrased).
I enjoyed your take on Australia. You style is very relatable.
If I weren't too old I'd consider emigrating to Australia. Or New Zealand.
Wallaby waffles
I suggest there are several "faucets" for disinformation. For over 20 years, its been technological, specifically social media, and I'm very glad you are on top of this. For the last 50 years disinformation has been the philosophical fire hose of "Postmodernism". (e.g. CRT, equity and Intersectionality)
Prof RC Hicks has written books and lectures on PM. For example, YouTube has "Stephen Hicks: Why Postmodernists don’t see their own Contradictions?"
For more information Wikipedia has articles on both post modernism and Dr. Hicks.
I am at the other end of METRO’s RED line and I don’t notice crazies on DC’s METRO. NYC? Yes. I am in Australia several months of the year for work, and I disagree with your gun analysis. Your association with security personnel likely taints your data because they are not an accurate cross section of the society.
Thanks Ryan for visiting our great country. Hope to see you on west coast sometime, here we have Australian food and drinkable whiskey (my shout :)). Safe travels