Doc, you really need to bone up on Aussie culture, politics, etc.

Sure Australia has had some racial issues, but these days Australia is one of the most racially tolerant nations on Earth and embraces anyone who migrates here, swears their allegiance and becomes an Australian Citizen.  Australia is one of the most, if not the most racially and culturally diverse nations in the World... and yeah (see above), we do sing with one voice, irrespective of politics, because I am, we are Australian.

What Kitty said is far from being racist... she was applauding/congratulating the choice.

As for not having an Aboriginal PM...YET, we have had Aboriginal Senators (eg: Sen Neville Bonner) and MP's, serving and elected by both the Aboriginal and white community.  Furthermore, we have politicians at both State and Federal levels who are of Asian Heritage, Italian and Greek Heritage, etc, etc. Yeah, everyone who is an Australian Citizen has the opportunity to represent their State/country... not just those who were born and bred here.

Sure Australia has its problems and it's far from being perfect, but it really pisses me off when someone attacks/accuses it of racism when they've never so much as put a toenail on its soil to see for themselves if it's true or false.  And when you accuse Kitty (someone you've never met) of "Aussie racism" for her innocent, non-racist "cool" comment regarding Barack Obama, it's going too far.  I DO know Kitty, and believe me, I can 100% guarantee that she is NOT racist, so an apology IS in order.

Absolutely... I'm a true Queenslander when it comes to knocking off the blues... hehe... 3 series wins in a row now...the 4th Maroon clean sweep next year.

Yeah, I wondered if you were related to Shane... I watched Scott a fair bit when he ran around with the Brisbane Broncos. Oh, and my daughter went to school with Johnny Thurston at Sunnybank High

The missus and I get pretty rowdy watching the Broncs (I once worked with Allan Langer and know several Broncs back to the days of King Wally) and the Cowboys....they're our fave NRL sides.  Gold Coast Titans as well now, my step-grandson plays in their junior ranks.

Yup, miss you too... and will do, Shaunna will love that.

Yea, we heard those excuses here for a long time as well.  Seems that perhaps they dont have the opportunity since they were cut out of the loop.

Ken, right now, from where I'm sitting, it's your greatest weakness... a divided and fragmented nation bickering over politics, the elelection and result thereof.

And that's been my point throughout... why I can't understand this political fragmentation of a nation (I ain't supporting Obama) when its guts up in trouble over banks belly-up, wars and people losing their homes and jobs, largely as a result of Banks/Wall Street/corporate greed 

Irrespective of politics, we in Australia are as one and don't need to rally around to get it together when tragedy strikes.  We're always together as one, as a nation,  and the support is instant no matter what.... regardless of ones political beliefs/affiliations.  That is our strength, and one the US could learn from...being as one.

It's not forgotten... couldn't be and never will be.  But as with any war, there are victors but everyone still loses, something.

Neville Bonner, Australia's first Aboriginal Senator,  was first elected in 1972....36 years ago, not almost 20

Anyhow, there's no point you and I discussing this any further... you read what you wanted to and saw shit between the lines, and now I'm beginning to taste the sour grapes as well....

.....so I'm out of this and the other political threads, heading to Joke Central/Blank of Borg, etc.

Yep, the media always tells us it is another Great Depression.  Of course that is quite far from the truth.  Our horrible unemployment is 6.5% which is a whopping 1.5 percent over what is usually consider full employment. The government thinks this could go up to 7.5%.  In the GReat Depression it was 32%.

Do we face serious challenges to get back on the track of growth etc?  Certainly.  IN fact, I would imagine that many in the middle class will not be able to buy that third iPod this year!  I am not trying to minimize the struggling that is going on over the morttgage crisis etc, but rather put in a bit of perspective.   We will fix it up and move forward.  4.5% have defaulted on mortgages.  The flip side of that is that 95.5 % our paying their mortgages on time. We have only had 2 quarters of negative growth and much of the rest of the world could wish that was their case.

The elections have dramatized everything to a fever pitch as politicians always do.  I doubt that spending $700B on a bailout afe=ter a one week deliberation would happen in a non election year.  Just my opinion.  I am not in denial about the serious issues facing us, but I am also do not think it is the end of the world and we must all think as one to save a sinking ship.  If we all thought as one, it would not be the USA.

That's a pretty ignorant thing to say, though in this thread it's not out of the ordinary.

Edward Brooke, the first black post reconstruction senator was elected back in 66.  Since then we have had lots of senators, representatives (and before 1966 for those). And now a few governors who are black.  Still just talking the talk.  BTW - Brooke was republican.

Personal attacks?  Might want to point them out.  Or are you referring to the attacks on Palin whose only crime was to be a conservative running for a high office?

Aside from being a hypocrite , a liar ... ?

That's your opinion about why it hasn't been locked.  This was my blog post on JU, and for over 900 posts it has been fairly civil.  It's interesting how the left claims the thread should be locked and then in different threads make comments that we lock threads.

Now THAT truly shows the "American way" doesn't it? YOU'RE safe, YOU'RE kids are safe, and YOU/YOURS aren't starving...but it's okay for OTHER people/families to be starving and unsafe.

MY kid was over in Iraq fighting until April, and I did not feel so very safe then, my friend. My doctor had to put me on some pretty powerful medication until his tour was over, and I'd STILL feel "unsafe" what with the way the stop loss program works, but his tour of duty messed his skeletal system up enough that he's on the list just waiting for medical discharges, while the rest of his troup is preparing to deploy again.

I find it interesting what different people define as "safe."  Are "we" safe as long as the majority of us are just one paycheck away from bankruptcy?  Are we "safe" when those of us who are privileged enough to have health care can't afford the copays and deductibles so we don't get our necessary health maintenance?  (and that's IF we're privileged to have health care...a lot of us DON'T).  So there you are, feeling safe and nourished in your home, and that's because you're biggest fear was foreign terrorists, when the next typhoid Mary may be walking around, uninsured, unvaccinated, just waiting to cough on you're kids in their class room.

As for George Bush, I wouldn't mind sitting down and having a beer with him either...but I wouldn't want ANY of my drinking buddies to become president of the country!  I want somebody whose intelligence intimidates me to be in charge of my country...I want somebody who I respect and fear, not someone I LIKE!  I want someone who seems like the type who plays chess, not clears brush.

The Palin thread got locked.  I realize such choices are subjective and there has been degrees of both tolerance and civility in this thread and lot's of activity but.... there's been plenty of senseless actions as well in this thread.  I also think if one of the ordinary members had started this thread it would have very likely been locked.  My subjective evaluation of it.

I totally agree with you on this, Island Dog, it HAS been fairly civil (and I'm leftist...well, that's what I claim, in reality I'm an anarchist, but that's because I work from home and only leave the house when most people are sleeping or working).

I have a couple of boards I post at that are run by people in my profession (medical transcription), and the politics board they has deteriorated into nothing but name calling and partisan crap talking of the other posters.  This thread has been a breath of fresh air for me.