Looking for an external perspective of Australia

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Hi PF members,

One thought on my mind of late is what Australia looks like externally - especially from an American viewpoint.

I know there is also a 'grass is greener' concept where I may be seeing living in the USA as far better than living in Australia and I was just wondering what Australia looks like externally - especially by Americans.

Why Americans?

I adore the American constitution - that it was made for the people and with the mindset that government can not be trusted. We have nothing like this in Australia. This is as far as I know unique compared to the rest of the world. American's from what I'm aware (well, at least a significant portion) value their freedom over perceived safety and see safety as much if not more a personal responsibility than a government one where in the rest of the western world it appears as though this is opposite.

Internally from my own perspective I have concerns that we're slowly seeing our rights dissolve and our government becoming detached from the people. Slowly our firearm are constantly being attacked. On a separate note (because it is strictly forbidden to ever use firearms with self defense here) - we have very little self defense rights to a point where it's basically nil. No castle law here. Hurt someone who's broken and entered your own house and you are essentially guilty until proven innocent. (The onus is on you to prove your innocents, and largely at the mercy of whatever prosecutor and judge combination you get).

Laws continue to be introduced that infringe on our free speech, and it appears that our governments are becoming more aggressive against law abiding citizens whilst turning a blind eye to major crime. As mentioned gunlaws are constantly targeted at the law abiding whilst ignoring criminals. Non firearm related - Doing as little as 2mph over the speed limit in a 60mph zone will now get you a fine for around $145USD. Get caught dealing drugs and you can get off with less than that! (I've seen this from Aussie police shows on TV).

More importantly - we have no bill of rights. Our country wasn't formed on mistrust of our government so our constitution isn't built with the mindset to keep the people free from the government. And while I see many people disprove of what our government is doing or the direction we're headed - people seem powerless to change the government's direction. We have some political parties that have started up to try and stop this but fear, apathy and selfishness seem to keep the majority of Australian's voting for one of the two major parties that both have us headed down the same road.

So, while I loved growing up in Australia I wonder at times if it's becoming a different country and think that an external perspective may shed a different viewpoint to what I'm seeing internally.

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate that we still have many great things here. We have a relatively safe nation compared to others (at present that is - I'm not convinced this will remain). We have a relatively good balanced health care. (There's of course room for improvement but don't let people fool you in saying that wretched Obamacare system you have is what we currently have here Australia). I can park my car on the side of the road in rural areas and have a sleep without fear of being attacked. But internally - I see that we are a nation of apathy. People don't seem to care about where Australia's going as long as it doesn't affect them.

So - from an American viewpoint - would you mind sharing your thoughts on Australia and Australians? Have you had much of an interaction with us? Have you observed our country headed in any particular direction from an external viewpoint that concerns you and if so to what point?

[pooty]

First thing that comes to mind

In 1978, at the age of 28, Charles was exposed to watersports in New York during a visit to the Mineshaft bar.[3] Returning to Australia, Charles realised at the Signal Bar in Sydney how he could incorporate his newly discovered interest in watersports into the bar which lacked special facilities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troughman

[Joe in PNG]

I'm an American who works in PNG, and spends a few weeks each year in Cairns, so my view may not be super external. Lots of rambling ahead.

First, official Aussies that I've dealt with seem to be a bit less officious than others I've dealt with. I've not seen that Petty Tyrant thing some small officials have. They're more willing to work with you- but there's definately some firm 'noes' to be encountered. Especially where Quarantine is involved.

Second, most Aussies tend to be fairly forthright, honest, and friendly- and fond of friendly insults. There's also a bit more respect for tradies that's lacking in American culture- a person in the US who didn't get a degree is seen as somehow deficient, as if working a trade is a booby prize for stupid people.

Third, as an occasional user of your health care system, I'm glad that private doctors & ect are available, and often cheaper than the same services in the US. Then again, most of the US services expect your insurance company to pick up the cost and charge you accordingly.

Fourth, Qantas is a far better airline than pretty much all the US carriers. See the point about petty tyrants above.

Finally (until I can think of some more stuff), Australia is seen by the ignorant as a place full of deadly things that want to kill you- sharks, snakes, spiders, koalas, and so on. Which is funny, as Florida has the same scary things (sharks, snakes, spiders, crocs, jellyfish), plus a few more besides (bears, panthers, Florida Man, yankee drivers, ect)

[Stephanie B]

I've never been, but my dad flew there on a business trip in the '80s. I asked him what he thought of it. He thought a minute, then said: "It's a hell of a long way to fly to get to southern California."

I doubt if he had any time to do much in the way of tourist stuff, though.

[LittleLebowski]

I really liked Perth and Brisbane. I felt like the Aussies appreciated Americana servicemen more than Americans and I really liked the Australian women and vice versa. It’s too bad that Australia is an anti gun, PC commonwealth country

[Robinson]

A lot of Americans probably get their impression of Australia from dumb movies and beer commercials, so are ignorant about what the country is really like.

The American Constitution and specifically the Bill of Rights is certainly unique and provides protections against governmental over-reach, at least in theory. In practice, those protections are being threatened more and more all the time by politicians and sectors of society that are increasingly willing to sacrifice freedom for perceived security. Who knows how long the rights of Americans will be actually protected by the Constitution in a practical sense -- hopefully as long as the Republic stands. That is why the makeup of the Supreme Court is deemed so important here -- the Court is obligated to rule according to Constitutional bounds. At least that is what is supposed to happen.

[Zincwarrior]

From movies it looks like a sort of hillbilly deathworld, so pretty much West Texas with a different accent and less guns.

[HCountyGuy]

I’ve always had some draw to Australia, despite not having been yet. My wife got to go on a student ambassador thing in her youth and she loved it.

In regards to government practices, I watch places like Australia and the UK because the anti-gunners hold them up as the beacons of civilization because they have super-strict firearms laws. However, as you’ve noted, they have some other draconian ideologies that seem to have come about in the aftermath. Things like the idea that violence committed in the act of self-defense is abhorrent. Those countries’ willingness to be ultra-PC has turned them in to quite the models of government overreach, especially considering how they’ll jail you for daring speak against their progressivism.

It boggles my mind that people who rant and rave about our freedoms want us to adopt similar practices to basically toss away those freedoms. I’ve come to observe those that support that line of thought are elitists in the sense that your freedoms are only good if it supports their worldview. They obviously missed the point of our country’s historical fights against such tyrannical behavior. So naturally they want to restrict others who don’t share their beliefs (so much for tolerance and diversity).



Off-topic: Women with Aussie accents are hot!

[Joe in PNG]

I have noticed that most Aussies I encounter are generally anti-gun when the subject comes up.

I've also noticed that most of the ones I've talked to are pro-Trump. As in making a point of bringing him up.

[Jim Watson]

All I know about Australia is what I read in 'Tramp Royale', Heinlein ca 1954. The Antipodes Tourist Industry had not been invented and he found Australia just bloody awful (and New Zealand worse.)

Things are better now, I had a coworker who went to Australia on holiday and had as his main ambition saving up enough to go back for longer. Unfortunately, he did not live to make the trip.

What are Australian demographics? Do they have the unassimilated minorities that are problematic in Western Europe and the USA? Or have the Moslems not been encouraged in their activities as has been reported?