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Sorry, I'm deleting my question for the reason below.
Racism in Australia
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If there is any thingh like this; the one who is working so hard to migrate there with so mush money involvement, must know about this aspect also well in advance.
The one and only one reason for discussing this aspect of our life is:
many of us are not satisfied by the ways we are working and being treated by the people surrouding us everywhere; be it office, or market or you name any place.
So, my opinion is: we must discuss it because 'if it is there also, we must know it well in advance'.
Hoping for a balanced and appropriate responce
kamna
(Please don't blame anyone personally)
The one and only one reason for discussing this aspect of our life is:
many of us are not satisfied by the ways we are working and being treated by the people surrouding us everywhere; be it office, or market or you name any place.
So, my opinion is: we must discuss it because 'if it is there also, we must know it well in advance'.
Hoping for a balanced and appropriate responce
kamna
(Please don't blame anyone personally)
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We all hate Indians, Chinese and other people not sporting white skin. This includes our Indigenous Aboriginal population, who have black skin.
Heck, if you're not wrapping yourself in the Australian flag on the 26th of January you're a bloody disgrace to this country, and you should go back to whichever orifice you crawled out from.
Heck, if you're not wrapping yourself in the Australian flag on the 26th of January you're a bloody disgrace to this country, and you should go back to whichever orifice you crawled out from.
I'll try and answer what I think your original question may have been without my tounge in my cheek.
I think that even in the most tolerant country there is at least some racism. Overall Australia is quite a tolerant country, despite what certain high profile incidents might lead some to claim.
A couple of quotes from a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald by Gerard Henderson:
In Australia ethnically motivated crime is relatively low and inter-marriage between virtually all groups in our multicultural society is relatively high.
At present, there is a tendency among the intelligentsia to declare that Australia is an intolerant, even racist, society (in other words there are claims that we are but these claims do not stack up against the evidence.
So, is there racism? Yes. Is it a problem? No, not really. Sure, there are flare-ups when radio shock-jocks incite the population and a few dickheads full of booze cause a problem, but they are isolated incidents that are condemned by most people. And yes, some muslims who wear very taditional garb do attract attention, but I would suggest that it is no worse, and perhaps not as bad, as in other 'enlightened' countries.
I think that even in the most tolerant country there is at least some racism. Overall Australia is quite a tolerant country, despite what certain high profile incidents might lead some to claim.
A couple of quotes from a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald by Gerard Henderson:
In Australia ethnically motivated crime is relatively low and inter-marriage between virtually all groups in our multicultural society is relatively high.
At present, there is a tendency among the intelligentsia to declare that Australia is an intolerant, even racist, society (in other words there are claims that we are but these claims do not stack up against the evidence.
So, is there racism? Yes. Is it a problem? No, not really. Sure, there are flare-ups when radio shock-jocks incite the population and a few dickheads full of booze cause a problem, but they are isolated incidents that are condemned by most people. And yes, some muslims who wear very taditional garb do attract attention, but I would suggest that it is no worse, and perhaps not as bad, as in other 'enlightened' countries.
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As a person of Asian background having lived in New Zealand for 6 years and Australia for another 6, I can tell you that Australia is very tolerant and accepting of all cultures and beliefs.
A few times in NZ I was subjects to taunts by thuggish-looking men passing by (and once by a little kid..!), and have experienced some minor incidents in school. But since I came to Sydney I was immediately made to feel like I belonged here.
I have never even once encountered any type of racial abuse, whether in or outside the university.
I put this down to the fact that Australia has a longer history of accepting immigrants from Asia etc (since the 1970s), compared to NZ where most Asian population there have only lived there since the 1990s.
I cannot speak for other ethnic groups from experience but my perception is that the relationship between almost all ethnic groups in Australia is very harmonious.
In the light of Sheik Halaly (or whatever his name is) and his outbursts against Australians, I feel that Australians have reacted in a gentleman-like manner with the only reaction being that of the political leaders calmly condemning the remarks.
As the poster above pointed out, looking at the stories making headlines (riots in Cronulla, Pauline Hanson etc) can give a very false idea of what the vast majority of Australians are like.
A few times in NZ I was subjects to taunts by thuggish-looking men passing by (and once by a little kid..!), and have experienced some minor incidents in school. But since I came to Sydney I was immediately made to feel like I belonged here.
I have never even once encountered any type of racial abuse, whether in or outside the university.
I put this down to the fact that Australia has a longer history of accepting immigrants from Asia etc (since the 1970s), compared to NZ where most Asian population there have only lived there since the 1990s.
I cannot speak for other ethnic groups from experience but my perception is that the relationship between almost all ethnic groups in Australia is very harmonious.
In the light of Sheik Halaly (or whatever his name is) and his outbursts against Australians, I feel that Australians have reacted in a gentleman-like manner with the only reaction being that of the political leaders calmly condemning the remarks.
As the poster above pointed out, looking at the stories making headlines (riots in Cronulla, Pauline Hanson etc) can give a very false idea of what the vast majority of Australians are like.
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I actually have some asian-kiwi friends that actually moved to NZ from australia because when they started out school in sydney's northern suburbs with a poor english vocab they were picked on and felt very out of it. They said that in NZ, it was much less of a problem for them. But then, maybe the racism issues were more to do with what part of sydney/NZ they were in?
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I have a friend who is a Maori from NZ living in Brisbane, she says the racism issue is the other way around. There is a lot of racial tension in NZ compared to Australia. Sydney is a very multicultural city.
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Well, don't forget that there is the issue of illegal chinese immigrants in NZ, and as the illegal immigration of mexicans into the us shows, it usually leads to ignorant people hating on the entire ethnic community.
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Australians have a different view of racism (as you may get from some of these posts). For an ultra race issue sensitive person, Australia could be very infuriating because most Australians think playing the race card is bs. I can also note there is no affirmative action in Australia, except for the extremely tiny Aboriginal population (<2%). Australians will frequently make fun of ethnics and there are also many jokes about Australians of European descent. Australians love to make jokes and if you are sensitive about it you will hate it there and nobody will like you. If you can make fun of yourself and your race, people will warm to you and respect you (think about how Dave Chapelle does this and is liked by millions).
If you are hispanic, Australians wont even really know anything about you. I went to the best hs in the country and was basically completely oblivious to Latin America. People would assume you are asian most likely. The Asians in Australia are regarded like Canadians and South Americans are in the States. They are neighbours with a long history of immigration. While people from Asia make up <10% of the population, they are much more representative in the major cities where a med school would be. Again, like all immigrants, European, Asian, African or otherwise, you must be able to see the humor in your race and ethnicity in order to get along with Australians well.
While there is 'ethnic pride' in the US, it is a bit less so in Australia. I mean people still love their 'former' cultures, but it is not so clearly divisive as in the states. In that respect, going to Australia would open up insight into cultures (chinese, italian, greek, indian etc) that you would have much more difficulty accessing in the states (at least I have).
If you are hispanic, Australians wont even really know anything about you. I went to the best hs in the country and was basically completely oblivious to Latin America. People would assume you are asian most likely. The Asians in Australia are regarded like Canadians and South Americans are in the States. They are neighbours with a long history of immigration. While people from Asia make up <10% of the population, they are much more representative in the major cities where a med school would be. Again, like all immigrants, European, Asian, African or otherwise, you must be able to see the humor in your race and ethnicity in order to get along with Australians well.
While there is 'ethnic pride' in the US, it is a bit less so in Australia. I mean people still love their 'former' cultures, but it is not so clearly divisive as in the states. In that respect, going to Australia would open up insight into cultures (chinese, italian, greek, indian etc) that you would have much more difficulty accessing in the states (at least I have).
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Its been a few years since I have been back to Oz, though I married an Australian so it's never far from my heart. Sorry to jump in, but I am new to the forum and I will be applying to Australian Graduate-entry medicine this year. I had two Questions, #1 Does anyone know roughly how many international applicants apply to a particular school versus how many are accepted? Rough estimates welcome, I am just trying to get a feel for the competition. #2) How is the general feeling toward Americans at this point? I am not rich, I am not a Western elitess, I loathe Bush (I vote strictly Green Party) and I would like to think myself an Ozzie at heart, but alas my passport does say USA. I read some previous threads concerning this subject and it seemed a bit bleak. I am wondering if this might hurt my chances at a place? What do you think?- Joined
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Hello guys. I'm kinda new here. I'm an intern from PI. I'm planning to apply for residency/specialist training in your country. My aunt's already there and I've recently been checking websites for visa applications etc. I also have a hospital in mind already. The Royal Perth Hospital. I've seen their website. Pretty good.
Any help I'd get from you guys, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you very much!
Delano
Any help I'd get from you guys, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you very much!
Delano
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Put it this way, it is highly unlikely you will get shot at by rednecks with assault rifles. In Arizona a truck full of Mexican immigrants was attacked by a group of paramilitary style minutemen, several people were shot and KILLED and others were kidnapped. Its highly unlikely that anyone will run into this level of racism in Australia. Some British say Australia is racist, Britain is far more racist than Australia, I recall being in London and constantly hearing about race based riots and fights constantly. Cronulla wasn't really a race riot it was more of a gang war but the media won't tell you this.
Australia is more integrated than the US in many ways, its not uncommon for different groups to interact or at least attempt to interact with one another. If you check one of the college guides, it will tell you that some of the most racist universities are American Ivy League universities.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/09/us/09immig.html
Australia is more integrated than the US in many ways, its not uncommon for different groups to interact or at least attempt to interact with one another. If you check one of the college guides, it will tell you that some of the most racist universities are American Ivy League universities.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/09/us/09immig.html
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I have to say that I've travelled and have been on many parts of 5 of the 7 continents (ie except South America and Antarctica) and in Australia and New Zealand - these were the only two places I was addressed "are you Canadian?"
Is it actually having a keen ear in differentiating the Canadian types vs American types of accents or is it just making sure not to pi$$ Canadians off as there are loads of them down there? I don't know ... some one want to share their thoughts?
You might have better luck with responses if you start a new thread with this question with it's own topic rather than having it buried in a thread about racism.
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Good replies all, thread was quite well handled.
A friend who's just back from Dubbo (sp ?) was very impressed with the Australian mannerisms and people in general. Him being brown skinned never created an issue, and people on the streets were quite a merry lot, ever helpful and cheery.
I was wondering if its the same in larger cities like Sydney, Melbourne etc
A friend who's just back from Dubbo (sp ?) was very impressed with the Australian mannerisms and people in general. Him being brown skinned never created an issue, and people on the streets were quite a merry lot, ever helpful and cheery.
I was wondering if its the same in larger cities like Sydney, Melbourne etc
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At least you are trying to listen rather than assuming which many non-Aussies do. It is very much appreciated
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I AM EXTREMELY HAPPY TO SEE A BALANCED RESPONSE.
MY OPINION NOW IS "AS OF ANYWHERE ONE CAN GET ALL SORTS OF BEHAVIOUR". DEPENDING ON HIS/HER LUCK AND SURROUNDINGS.
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU
KAMNA
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I have to say that I've travelled and have been on many parts of 5 of the 7 continents (ie except South America and Antarctica) and in Australia and New Zealand - these were the only two places I was addressed "are you Canadian?"
Is it actually having a keen ear in differentiating the Canadian types vs American types of accents or is it just making sure not to pi$$ Canadians off as there are loads of them down there? I don't know ... some one want to share their thoughts?
As an American who lived there and was constantly asked, "Are you Canadian?" : I was told that this was a common question to those obviously from North America. Canadians would be insulted to be assumed to be American and Americans are too dumb to understand the context or to be insulted when asked if they were Canadian, thus it was better to assume Canadian on both parts.
So while it may be a keen ear to the difference in accent, I was always told that it was a keen insight into human nature which prompted the question.
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If you're around the city or near an academic institution, people are usually more educated and tolerant of other cultures and religions.
You will still see racism here and there but it's not malignant.
People tend to associate racism with acts of violence or verbal abuse. Many forget that beliefs like 'Chinese people are always so smart' or 'Black people are athletic' are racist in themselves even though they are positive.
I have heard many people shout 'go home to your own country' to people of non-European backgrounds at night.
Perhaps I stay out too late or go to bad areas?
If you're a visible minority in a population, you are always going to experience a level of discrimination. A caucasian person going to a Japanese night club is going to get discriminated.
It's not something you can readily measure either...
As for the Canadian versus American accent, there is such a regional difference for each accent within their respective countries that it is actually pretty foolish to ask someone whether they have a Canadian or American accent.
Someone from BC does not sound like someone from the Prairies and does not sound like somone from Ontario and does not sound like someone from Nova Scotia. Someone from Seattle does not sound like someone from Texas and does not sound like someone from New York.
You will still see racism here and there but it's not malignant.
People tend to associate racism with acts of violence or verbal abuse. Many forget that beliefs like 'Chinese people are always so smart' or 'Black people are athletic' are racist in themselves even though they are positive.
I have heard many people shout 'go home to your own country' to people of non-European backgrounds at night.
Perhaps I stay out too late or go to bad areas?
If you're a visible minority in a population, you are always going to experience a level of discrimination. A caucasian person going to a Japanese night club is going to get discriminated.
It's not something you can readily measure either...
As for the Canadian versus American accent, there is such a regional difference for each accent within their respective countries that it is actually pretty foolish to ask someone whether they have a Canadian or American accent.
Someone from BC does not sound like someone from the Prairies and does not sound like somone from Ontario and does not sound like someone from Nova Scotia. Someone from Seattle does not sound like someone from Texas and does not sound like someone from New York.
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I spent 3 years in sydney (2001-2004), and was never discriminated against. I found the locals to be very friendly, accepting and fair. I had white friends, and we got along fine. We used to insult each other all the time in every way we ould, and never once was either one of us was offended.
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hi all the guyz...
to define a country racist is far more complexthan the term itself.
i am a dentist of indian origin and have lived and travelled around many countries...
peolpe cant define a country racist
its few specs of few people angry and frustratedwith some aspect of their life have an occasional outburst against less threatning and modest person they see next on the street...thats wat people percieve as racism..
with my experiance and knowledge australia is not racist...they like to joke a lot
even on themselves...some peple percieve it as negative comments..
i have seen the UGLIEST face of racism
not in australia but in my own country..
i belong to punjabi family and we keep uncut hair and tie a long cloth(turban) around the head as a religious and traditional symbol...
its ok when we are in our state...
but on numerous occasions there were riots against our community...
cornulla was JUST NOTHING
whole states, people of my community were forced out from the homes as well as vehicles and burned with melting tyres around their necks..
thats wat is called racism
outside india we are seen as muslims and treated with suspicion
in australia i dont think so called racism is there
ucan find many turbanated people across syd doin govt jobs at par with englishmen
thats becoz of the freesoul attitude of the people here...
its a good country guys
full points to it
thanks
to define a country racist is far more complexthan the term itself.
i am a dentist of indian origin and have lived and travelled around many countries...
peolpe cant define a country racist
its few specs of few people angry and frustratedwith some aspect of their life have an occasional outburst against less threatning and modest person they see next on the street...thats wat people percieve as racism..
with my experiance and knowledge australia is not racist...they like to joke a lot
even on themselves...some peple percieve it as negative comments..
i have seen the UGLIEST face of racism
not in australia but in my own country..
i belong to punjabi family and we keep uncut hair and tie a long cloth(turban) around the head as a religious and traditional symbol...
its ok when we are in our state...
but on numerous occasions there were riots against our community...
cornulla was JUST NOTHING
whole states, people of my community were forced out from the homes as well as vehicles and burned with melting tyres around their necks..
thats wat is called racism
outside india we are seen as muslims and treated with suspicion
in australia i dont think so called racism is there
ucan find many turbanated people across syd doin govt jobs at par with englishmen
thats becoz of the freesoul attitude of the people here...
its a good country guys
full points to it
thanks
hi dentistry.rocks, hope you don't take this the wrong way but I like the word turbanated, never read turban used as an adjective before, definitely gonna incorporate it into my conversations.
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The most interesting experience I had over the past summer was in a coffee shop in Sydney, the two workers at the counter, one a Palestinian and other an Israeli were working together. From my own experience, Australia is far less racist than the United States, I have lived in both places, I am African American, so I am one person who is definitely going to run into bigotry. Even in more remote areas, I have found the people to be friendly. I live in Brisbane, which is considered to be redneck territory by Australian standards but I find more racism in San Francisco, my hometown than I have here.
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What do you call a sophisticated Australian?...
... A New Zealander.
----
Racism happens everywhere... Some places more than others... It's the society we live in.
... A New Zealander.
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Racism happens everywhere... Some places more than others... It's the society we live in.
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I don't know why Australia gets the bad rap for being racist, the movie Borat really exposed the real side of America, a very bigoted society. I remember the scene in the rodeo where a cowboy tells Borat to shave his mustache so the crowd doesn't think he's a Muslim. The movie was pretty funny and it seemed an interesting way to bash America.
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The real side of America? Uh... I don't think so.
If anything, it showed that Americans are more tolerant than people give them credit for.
Australia gets some bad rep from its 'White Australia' policy which isn't a policy in itself but a collection of policies. That being said, Americans and slavery were worse and even Canada had discriminatory/racist immigration laws as well.
Australia just isn't known too well by Americans anyways. I tell Americans that an Australian invented the multi-channel cochlear implant and they call me a liar.
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Probably worth pointing out that Australia gets a bad rap for its LONG SINCE EXPIRED "White Australia Policy".... you would hope we've all moved on in every country, since the early 1970s..............
Talking about it in the present tense seems harsh on Australia...
Talking about it in the present tense seems harsh on Australia...
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The US had Jim Crowe, and had a policy similar to white australia regarding immigration. Anyway thanks to Mahmoud Ahmadenijad, Vladmir Putin, Hugo Chavez, and OPEC America is soon to be a has been Superpower. Why? Because the OPEC nations have funded the petrodollar which allowed America to finance nearly unlimited debt, now that is coming to a close. Borat made America look racist, especially the part when he invites a black female to a dinner with a rich southern white family.
http://www.atimes.com/global-econ/DD11Dj01.html
http://www.atimes.com/global-econ/DD11Dj01.html
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I'm not being harsh. Perception isn't truth. Policies have a long lasting effect on a society. Look at apartheid and South Africa.
What about the 'Stolen Generation'?
Perhaps you weren't born in the 70s but if you still know people who were around in the 70s, that means there is someone living who was affected by those policies.
Borat didn't invite just a 'black female' to dinner. He invited a prostitute.
And by then, he had already brought a bag of his own feces to dinner and called another guest a ******. We only saw parts of the whole evening but if someone was really trying to tick off everyone at a formal dinner, wouldn't you think the normal response would be to get mad?
And that article by Henry Liu? Please. A 5 year old article written by the son of a communist party leader educated in American making money in America advocating the Asian economy and attacking America even though it is responsible for his success. How much more ironic can you get?
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okay then to be more precise in what I meant, talking about a long expired policy in the present tense is just wrong. Like saying America currently now gets a bad rap for slavery........ I'm not in any way saying that terrible terrible things didn't happen, nor that (for example) reconciliation has been achieved with Australia's indigenous people. But given that many readers of studentdoctors.net aren't going to know much about Australian politics, saying "Australia gets a bad rap for its White Australia policy" is misleading.....
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Ah. Fair enough.
It would be misleading.
But Americans think all Australians drink Fosters. I tried telling them this wasn't true and they looked at me like I was from the moon.
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lol, I don't think I've ever had fosters!
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I actually used to work in finance, and the reason why the US Dollar has been so strong is due to the fact that foreign countries particularly China, hold US Debt. They just started diversifying since last year, and the dollar has started a nose dive because of it. If the dollar continues to fall, China will repeg their yuan to gold or the euro, the likelyhood of this happening is becoming more and more real. Also the whole war on Iraq was a way to threaten OPEC from switching the oil trade to the Euro, if that happens the US can no longer finance debt, the reason it has been able to do this up until now, is because of petrodollar recyclying. Guess what, OPEC is eventually going to switch to the Euro and combined China will repeg their currency to either gold or the Euro, the damage to the US economy will be catastrophic. Gosh I didn't know Canadians were pro US ass kissers, most of the ones I knew couldn't give a damn.
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This reply really doesn't have anything to do with the topic. No offense, but it sounds like the manifestation of an nationalist inferiority complex more than anything. I won't diverge from the main topic anymore than to say that European and Asian economies are export economies, and profit (and remain stable) due to American and world economic strength and stability. These country's economies are becoming more and more global than internal. The American economy (although also reliant on world economics) relies far more than the others on internal and entrepreneurial forces. The world can't afford for the US to lose its market strength. Fortunately, because (and not despite), our diversity of people and ideas, our market is and always will be resilient and the safest for foreign investment.
And yes, there is still racism in the US, but no one is more honest and engaged in addressing and improving minority situations than we are.
Perhaps, but I'd feel even more foolish asking someone with a north american accent "Where in the world are you from?"
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Hating the US is 'fashionable' but when you look at the Canadian economy and infrastructure, could you really say that Canada would be what it is without the US?
You think the Canadians could fly their troops to Afganistan without help from its greatest ally?
Ask a Canadian what his or her favourite TV shows, movies, and books are.
China has done a good job with expanding economy gradually and avoiding the disaster which occured with the fall of the Soviet Union.
However, from a cultural perspective, I would much rather live under the oppression of America than a world dominated by China. Despite all of its flaws, America is still a culture that rewards intellectual development and hard work.
The argument that the war on Iraq was primarily for OPEC is not one I accept . Does anyone have any idea where the US gets most of its oil?
Canada.
Bloody Canada.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/...ons/company_level_imports/current/import.html
"January 2007 Import Highlights: Released on March 13, 2007
Preliminary monthly data on the origins of crude oil imports in January 2007 has been released and it shows that three countries have each exported more than 1.20 million barrels per day to the United States. Including those countries, a total of four countries exported over 1.00 million barrels per day of crude oil to the United States (see table below). The top five exporting countries accounted for 72 percent of United States crude oil imports in January while the top ten sources accounted for approximately 93 percent of all U.S. crude oil imports. The top sources of US crude oil imports for January were Canada (1.851 million barrels per day), Saudi Arabia (1.563 million barrels per day), Mexico (1.435 million barrels per day), Nigeria (1.106 million barrels per day), and Venezuela (0.955 million barrels per day). The rest of the top ten sources, in order, were Angola (0.553 million barrels per day), Algeria (0.548 million barrels per day), Iraq (0.514 million barrels per day), Ecuador (0.258 million barrels per day), and Brazil (0.204 million barrels per day). Total crude oil imports averaged 9.623 million barrels per day in January, which is an increase of 0.039 million barrels per day from December 2006.
Canada remained the largest exporter of total petroleum in January, exporting 2.446 million barrels per day to the United States, which was a slight increase from last month (2.412 thousand barrels per day). The second largest exporter of total petroleum products was Saudi Arabia with 1.566 million barrels per day."
The majority of populations in any civilization are ignorant to reality because they do not take the time to research anything. Why do you think the most garbage politicians get voted in?
On Student Doctor, I am assuming we get a subset of the population that is educated enough to be eligible to study medicine based on its general entrance requirements.
I appeciate the articles written by economists but show me an economist that could actually correctly predict the world economy in his time and you'll find that he/she was one of the few that survived a crash in the market.
As a Canadian born and raised, is that that Canadians who blindly bash America are ingrates pure and simple.
I think US gun policy is stupid.
I don't like Bush.
I don't like their foreign policy.
But I can't judge them based on a movie created with the sole intention of satirizing it.
To condemn a whole nation when one (not you - I'm talking people in genera - I do think you bring up very valid points in a very good wayl) posting on a forum hosted by a US server created by an American for its people and the benefit of other people in other nations? Isn't that the spirit of America? Sure they might not do the right thing all the time but not to acknowledge America's good side is pure bias against the country.
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For your information I AM AN AMERICAN, from San Francisco USA. I also used to work for one of the most powerful financial firms on the planet, it also published a very detailing report about how the US will soon no longer be the top economy in the world. The person who runs it just happens to be shorting the dollar as of now. Top business leaders in the US such as Warren Buffet, Alan Greenspan, and Bill Gates are very negative about their outlook for the US economy, a few words from their lips move whole markets. Asia is export driven... for now, in the future they are going to become consumers. Europeans have already become more consumer oriented, especially the strong Euro, there are boatloads of Europeans vacationing in the US because of it, Europeans find America to be dirt cheap. There is a serious weakness in the US Dollar, and I don't keep single amount of my savings in US currency, the Euro and Gold are much better, in fact I double my savings just by holding gold.
As far as the war in Iraq, it doesn't have ONE DAMN THING TO DO WITH TERRORISM OR DEMOCRACY more to do with keeping the American dollar the currency of the world, its not going to last. Did you know one of Bin Laden's relatives visited the White House after 9-11 and got very friendly with GW?? Thats because Saudi Arabia and other oil producing countries sell their oil for US Dollars, their excess dollars are reinvested into US treasures and allow the US treasury to print more money and write more debt. That is why a broke 22 year old can go to a bank and sign up for a 300,000 dollar loan to pay for medical school with only a signature and a decent credit score. This arrangement allows America to finance nearly unlimited debt, and the national debt is already over $10 Trillion. The US Dollar is basically a fiat currency and its strength is dependent on the petrodollar monopoly. Iran as well as several other OPEC countries want to change this by using the Euro as the currency of oil, when this happens the US dollar will collapse.
Safest for foreign investment??? What did you smoke??? Hong Kong for your information has underwritten more IPOS than Wall Street as of last year. New York is going to lose its status as the world financial center by 2017 surpassed by London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.
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Well this thread is about racism, I was comparing my experience of LIVING OVER 30 YEARS in the USA with the last several in Australia, and I have had mostly positive and pleasant surprises. I don't find Australia xenophobic in any way. In many ways the USA is very xenophobic especially with all the problems they are having there with terrorism and illegal immigration, the American media pumps hatred into people, its not surprising there is racism. Micheal Moore hit the bullseye in Bowling For Columbine when he talked about how the US news media is heavily responsible for brainwashing the American public, and the common target is a black male, I just happen to be black. If there is any group that might be looked down on in Oz, it might be the Lebanese but hardly, most Lebanese seem to live a fairly carefree existence in Western Sydney and certain parts of Melbourne. Arabs for sure face much harsher racism in the USA for very obvious reasons.
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Note you said in 'Western Sydney' and only 'certain parts of Melbourne'.
Sorry- I just thought it was funny. Hellloooo Cronulla riots?
But seriously, just a small drop in the pond.
Australia is cool.
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Your point is????? Western Sydney is a lot nicer than Oakland, CA or certain areas of Los Angeles. The media twisted Cronulla, the riot was sparked by a turf war between two gangs, one just happened to Lebanese and other Anglo. Most Australian Arabs live a very carefree existence, and their physical appearances remind me of Italians in NYC(Habib in Fat Pizza, Pauly I believe is Maltese who are half Arab), I have found Italians in NY/NJ to be quite hostile to African Americans, even though its popular among their youth to have a hip hop look and attitude, the Lebanese are much friendlier. I didn't realize my cab driver was Lebanese until I saw his name, he looked like Steven Spielberg.
Australia is cool... until the day China and Indonesia decide to invade the country, I have to admit that Australia is quite vulnerable to both countries, Australia's existence relied heavily on a major world power, Britain in the past, and the USA today but I wonder who is going to look after Oz when America goes into the shadows. I recall on the news hearing the Defense Minister's comments regarding "major political" changes to the world over the next 20 to 30 years. Very subtle more like World War 3, the major players being the European Union dominated by Germany, Russia, Japan, China, India, and most likely Iran. All of these countries particularly Germany, Japan, and Iran are pursuing an aggressive military expansion into nuclear arms. The first two have been anti-nuclear but the political voices are changing their tune dramatically in both nations. All this thanks to Bush who destroyed the United Nations with his unilateral policies. If only the voting machines in Florida worked properly, the world would not be headed into the very frightening fate that awaits it.
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My point is that you said the Lebanese seem to live a carefree existence and then you added a qualifier which implied that they live in a segregated community.
And then you went on a rant about countries taking over other countries. Life is rough ain't it?
I await the day China and Indonesia develop an insatiable appetite for kangeroo meat.
Frightening fate of the world? I believe there has been at least one every two decades that hits the headlines. People love sensationalism.
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Actually I don't think the Chinese or Indonesians will invade, the former already owns 25 percent of Australia's mines, why invade a country that you own? I even know Chinese students whose parents buy them homes in Australia. China is the stabilizing force for Asia much like the US used to be the stabilizing force for Europe. Yeah life is rough, but I think people who live in the European Union and in China will have better lives because of the rise of those two as major world powers. Iran might become powerful but Europe will smash it like a bug and the entire Middle East. I am already reading about an increased EU involvement in the Mideast at a time when America is packing its bags. Note that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is increasingly reaching out to the European Union for help rather than Washington. Out of this the two powers in the world will be the European Union and China which will have an alliance with India, Japan, and Russia.
The real threat that Indonesia poses is its massive population of impoverished people combined with serious political instability. Australia could be flooded with illegal immigrants much like the US is flooded with illegals today. Canada would be much better off going with Europe IMHO so would Australia. Australia like Canada uses a "Skilled Migrants' scheme, this is really a way to weed out those who would be a drag on Australian and Canadian society, thats why minority groups in both countries are not as severely marginalized as they are in the US.
Frightening fate? It sure is if you have an American or British passport, Britain and America are going to suffer a major decline over the next 20 to 30 years.
Italians and Jews in New York also live in their own communities, both groups seem to live happy and prosperous lives in NYC, as they are two of the city's most powerful and successful ethnic groups. Lebanese are similar in this manner, its mostly that Lebanese prefer to stick with their own. Italian and Jewish enclaves exist in Sydney and Melbourne too. There are a lot of good Italian restaurants on Norton Street.
The real threat that Indonesia poses is its massive population of impoverished people combined with serious political instability. Australia could be flooded with illegal immigrants much like the US is flooded with illegals today. Canada would be much better off going with Europe IMHO so would Australia. Australia like Canada uses a "Skilled Migrants' scheme, this is really a way to weed out those who would be a drag on Australian and Canadian society, thats why minority groups in both countries are not as severely marginalized as they are in the US.
Frightening fate? It sure is if you have an American or British passport, Britain and America are going to suffer a major decline over the next 20 to 30 years.
Italians and Jews in New York also live in their own communities, both groups seem to live happy and prosperous lives in NYC, as they are two of the city's most powerful and successful ethnic groups. Lebanese are similar in this manner, its mostly that Lebanese prefer to stick with their own. Italian and Jewish enclaves exist in Sydney and Melbourne too. There are a lot of good Italian restaurants on Norton Street.
