Why Australia is the next big thing

[Doctor]

I seriously doubt an Obama victory is going to happen, the Jeremiah Wright issue is not going away. In fact Mr. Wright recently opened up his mouth. Obama lost Ohio and Pennsylvania, two states that are as Apple pie American as they come. The Austrian oak could help McCain win California too.

Jeremiah Wright won't be in the news come November. You forget how quickly American politics turns on a dime. California will probably go about 66-33 in favor of Obama... the Governator ("Austrian oak"?) is pretty unpopular here in California... maybe 45% approval ratings for Arnold and 25% approval for Dubya.

Ohio and Penn. went for Clinton, sure, and that makes sense. but that doesn't mean they'll go for McCain. They've both been hit particularly hard by GOP economic policies, and Obama will exploit those holes in the fall. The wildly popular Governor of Ohio is a Democrat who just might end up on Obama's ticket.

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[Doctor]

Here's the last electoral survey map done by Survey USA, our most accurate pollsters over here. This is from March, and not too much has changed in the polls between Obama and McCain since then except in the couple of days after a big "controversy". One thing to note is that in Iowa and New Hampshire, the only states to see them up close for an extended period, both favor Obama by margins of 60-40 or greater. Iowa and New Hampshire are about as "apple pie" as you can get as well.

Isn't it interesting that Obama can even lose a couple of traditionally Democratic states (like New Jersey) but still win the Presidency this year?

 

[deleted21609]

You people should think more and believe media bs less.
China ranks 92nd amongst countries in GDP per capita. Yes, they grow quickly as a % because they have such a low starting point, and yes, they are a large total economy because they have so many people. We can agree that they play a large role in the world economy and will continue too, but it is in no way comperable to the US EU Australia etc.

Australia is a fine country and I would imagine a great place to live, but it will never be significant on the world stage. It is large, but that's mostly sparsely inhabited desert, and its population is small. I don't think this affects the day to day lives of Australians, but lets not pretend is is anything other than what it is.


The US isn't about to be eclipsed by anyone, especially not the EU. If anyone can find data on ownership of companies in different countries, I think you wold see my point. I'll look for the data. Also, everyone makes a huge deal of the credit issues currently going on in the US (and abroad for that matter), but even in the worst case, if all the loans default, the account for a tiny % market cap for most of the companies involved, much less a significant portion of the US economy as a whole. People like to talk the stock market up and down, but the economy keeps on trucking.

 

[deleted21609]

This doesn't really have anything to do with your poll, but I think it's interesting to point out the falacy of red states and blue states.

 

[Doctor]

student.ie....

I hate to tell you this, but land can't vote. Only people can! Should votes in the Richmond suburbs of Virginia (all those Republican counties with a total population of 600,000) count more than the D.C. suburbs of Virginia (one giant Democratic county, Fairfax, with a population of over 1,000,000)? Of course not... but your map shows a huge red swathe where those 600,000 are and only a tiny blue dot where the 1,000,000 live. Thus, your map only means something to hard-core Limbaugh types with IQs of 40. The reason that red states / blue states DO mean something is that electoral voting is done by state... so while counties are utterly meaningless, states are everything.

BTW, thanks for making this thread too wide for anyone's monitor now. Couldn't you have found a smaller one? haha.

Your economic comments above are about right though.... recessions come and go, but the US will always be a significant player on the world stage, at least until everyone reading this has died.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Here's the last electoral survey map done by Survey USA, our most accurate pollsters over here. This is from March, and not too much has changed in the polls between Obama and McCain since then except in the couple of days after a big "controversy". One thing to note is that in Iowa and New Hampshire, the only states to see them up close for an extended period, both favor Obama by margins of 60-40 or greater. Iowa and New Hampshire are about as "apple pie" as you can get as well.

Isn't it interesting that Obama can even lose a couple of traditionally Democratic states (like New Jersey) but still win the Presidency this year?

What about Hilary vs. McCain?

Seriously Irish student, get off the Guinness, globalization is changing everything. China might have a lower standard of living but that is moot because they have 1.2 Billion people, add in India and you have 40 percent of the world entering the modern economy. Much of the cause of increasing prices for food and fuel have been driven by both countries' rapid growth. The US way of life is dependent upon cheap oil, which is now getting extremely expensive. The Dollar is also in a very bad position, its dependent upon the perception of overseas investors and is going to share the stage with the Euro. The Iraq War was all about the petrodollar and defending it.

McCain is not Irish American, he's of Scottish descent.

 

[Doctor]

Hillary beats McCain too, but her map was the more traditional one we're used to seeing. She sacrifices states like Virginia and Iowa for states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

And the perception of investors about the dollar has almost entirely to do with the Republican budget deficit. When there was a Democrat in office, the budget was balanced and the dollar was at an all-time high. How soon we forget.

Petrodollar, blah blah. No one cares about stuff like that in the real world... that's more for conspiracy theorists. I had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Tesla Roadster the other day. It's an American made (right here in Silicon Valley) sub-$100,000 sports car that does 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. You know what else?

It doesn't use any oil or gas. At all. Fully electric, so it runs off whatever is in the grid. Nuclear, solar, wind, (clean) coal, whatever you want. Did I mention 0-60 in 3.9 seconds? I don't think America will miss oil as much as you think after the abrasive transition period that the whole world will have to go through. It does look like the US will be at the forefront of non-oil technology however. That Tesla sure beats the hell out of the Prius.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Abrasive transition period??? LOL.

I am familiar with the Tesla. I am also familiar with the biodiesel vehicles that run on ethanol. I believe most automobiles in Brazil run on ethanol, as that nation is the biggest producer of ethanol. Electric cars will be able to make an impact if they become affordable. Only a small percent of the US population can afford a $100,000 vehicle.

Some countries are actually going to benefit handsomely off of the coming oil crisis. Most are going to enter a very difficult transition phase.

 

[Doctor]

Not a fan of ethanol or biodiesel. Fully electric is the wave of the future. Food needs to be kept as food, not burned up for car fuel! That just creates food price inflation, which doesn't benefit anyone.

Those cars in Brazil run off like 80% gasoline/oil and 20% ethanol. They don't have near enough ethanol to run cars off of that entirely. As for $100,000 cars, that's not the price of an electric car. That's the price of an electric car that does 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. Check out the Chevy Volt... that's a fully electric car that costs less than a Prius.

If the Chevy Volt is any indication, it won't be that hard for the US to get rid of oil fairly soon. Hopefully the other countries can catch up.

Ethanol = fad
Electricity = forever

 

[JoeNamaMD]

What will produce the electricity? Obviously oil is running out, nuclear is an alternative but even uranium will run out if it is heavily consumed. What will be the main production source. Solar?? Hydro?? Wind??

 

[Doctor]

Check out the Chevy Volt... that's a fully electric car that costs less than a Prius.

Actually I have to correct myself... the expected price of the Chevrolet Volt has now risen above the cost of a Prius. But at least it won't use any gas or oil at all, rather than just doubling the MPG like the Prius.

It will be nice seeing all these Californians driving American cars for the first time in 20 years when the Volt comes out! As it is today, my apartment building's garage is like 50% Priuses and 50% BMW/Mercedes/Audi.

 

[Doctor]

What will produce the electricity? Obviously oil is running out, nuclear is an alternative but even uranium will run out if it is heavily consumed.

The US, Russia, India, Australia, and China have 500 year supplies of coal each... and "clean coal" technologies are getting better all the time. Unfortunately, unless solar and wind technologies catch up to it, this will create a large economic divide between these countries (all the coal) versus all other countries (very little coal).

The irony of coal is that it is a fossil fuel with nearly limitless supplies in the countries that have lots of it. When the oil is gone, the US (and Australia) might be a massive exporter instead of importer due to everyone wanting our coal. But more likely I think, there will be some new-fangled solar technology taking over the world by then.

The US has 30% of the world's coal reserves and only 5% of its population.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Australia has been using clean coal technology for a while, the Australians have been trying to get the Chinese to adopt it as well.

Australia's tiny population used to be seen as a drawback but these days with the world becoming more and more crowded, its actually now a major attraction factor. A lot of Asian and European immigrants like the fact that the country has a lot of space. Per capita the average Australian has a large carbon footprint. In terms of other resources, Australia uses more water per capita than any other country.

I used to live in the Bay Area until 2005, Australia is a lot like California but maybe 40 years back in time, in terms of population and crowding, not a real issue in Oz.

In the Northeast, in cities such as New York and Philadelphia most people use public transportation which already reduces energy consumption. Public transport in the rest of the US is not as common. I remember even BART didn't take you as many places as the New York MTA network.

Australia is already a top exporter of coal and other raw materials, China is becoming the biggest customer, hence the reason Oz is called "Lucky", its a country with virtually no modern industry but has a high standard of living.

BMW/Benz/Audi, no Lexus or Acuras? I always thought Japanese luxury cars were more reliable and offer better overall value but thats just me.

If I am not mistaken Africa is supposed to have substantial resources, its probably the reason the Europeans the Chinese are becoming so involved on that continent, almost to the point of recolonization.

 

[deleted21609]

student.ie....

I hate to tell you this, but land can't vote. Only people can! Should votes in the Richmond suburbs of Virginia (all those Republican counties with a total population of 600,000) count more than the D.C. suburbs of Virginia (one giant Democratic county, Fairfax, with a population of over 1,000,000)? Of course not... but your map shows a huge red swathe where those 600,000 are and only a tiny blue dot where the 1,000,000 live. Thus, your map only means something to hard-core Limbaugh types with IQs of 40. The reason that red states / blue states DO mean something is that electoral voting is done by state... so while counties are utterly meaningless, states are everything.

Way to point out the obvious. BTW, there is little if any correlation between IQ an party affiliation. Your comment about 40 IQs is just ignorant.
There is a lot of talk about red states and blue states, but it is just wrong. Sure electoral college voting is divided by state, but individual voting is definitely not divided by state. That's what I pointed out with that map. If you just want to go on and on about population density, go right ahead, but it has nothing to do with my point.

For the sake of talking about Australia, what's the impact of increasing immigration on Australian unity, sense of community, etc.?

 

[shan564]

Way to point out the obvious. BTW, there is little if any correlation between IQ an party affiliation. Your comment about 40 IQs is just ignorant.

You missed his point... he was trying to say that only an idiot would think that control over the most counties is meaningful.

 

[Doctor]

You missed his point... he was trying to say that only an idiot would think that control over the most counties is meaningful.

Exactly.

 

[Doctor]

I used to live in the Bay Area until 2005, Australia is a lot like California but maybe 40 years back in time, in terms of population and crowding, not a real issue in Oz.

While that's an issue in California, it's not an issue in most of the US. Took a road trip from SF to Yellowstone and was shocked at all that beautiful country out there in Idaho and Montana that hardly anyone lives on yet.

In the Northeast, in cities such as New York and Philadelphia most people use public transportation which already reduces energy consumption. Public transport in the rest of the US is not as common. I remember even BART didn't take you as many places as the New York MTA network.

True enough. When I lived in NYC, I went everywhere on the MTA and PATH subways. Philly isn't anything like that though, more like the BART and its sporadic ridership. I believe Washington DC and Boston are somewhere in between.

Australia is already a top exporter of coal and other raw materials, China is becoming the biggest customer, hence the reason Oz is called "Lucky", its a country with virtually no modern industry but has a high standard of living.

China has a lot of coal itself, 3rd in the world after the US and Russia. What do they need yours for? I guess 1.3 billion people will do that to you.

BMW/Benz/Audi, no Lexus or Acuras? I always thought Japanese luxury cars were more reliable and offer better overall value but thats just me.

There are some, but not many. I'm surprised as well... I thought people in the Bay Area were supposed to be smarter about cars! American cars have mostly caught up to Japanese cars now in reliability, but not quite. The European brands are still far behind... Volkswagen is apparently the world's least reliable car company (as expected, Toyota is most reliable).

If I am not mistaken Africa is supposed to have substantial resources, its probably the reason the Europeans the Chinese are becoming so involved on that continent, almost to the point of recolonization.

Not too much coal there... not sure what resources you're talking about but sounds like an interesting story. Actually looking at Wikipedia it seems South Africa has 5.4% of the world's supply but the rest of Africa on that list (just Zimbabwe) adds up to 0.1%. So it must be some other resource. And by that list it looks like the USA has "only" 27.1% of the world's supply of coal... but that's still almost twice as much as any other country has. Europe (outside of Ukraine if you consider that Europe) looks like it is really hurting for coal, so for their sake hopefully some economical form of renewable energy is discovered that revolutionizes modern power generation.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

True Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, etc, are beautiful places, they are also landlocked. There are also a lot of religious loonies in those areas too which ruins everything. I think people like to live near the ocean or some kind of waterway. Most cities in Europe are near rivers like Paris, London, and Frankfurt. Most major Asian and US cities are near oceans as in Hong Kong, Mumbai, Sydney, NYC, etc.

I have to say with regards to Obama the Wright issue is a double standard. McCain got an endorsement from John Hagee who is a psychopath, Hagee happens to have strong links with George W Bush.

The Asians and Europeans have a fascination with Africa for land. Neither have much of it, although Europe is nowhere near as crowded as Asia. Most of China though is uninhabited.

 

[deleted21609]

You missed his point... he was trying to say that only an idiot would think that control over the most counties is meaningful.

His point is impossible to miss. I just disagree about what's "meaningful". Anyway, this is tiresome.

Good luck to everyone going to or already in Australia!

 

[Doctor]

His point is impossible to miss. I just disagree about what's "meaningful".

You and Rush Limbaugh.

 

[shan564]

His point is impossible to miss. I just disagree about what's "meaningful".

Yeah, I don't see any reasonable reason why the total number of counties is meaningful. A democratic society is about the people, not the land. The highly populated (and more educated) areas are much more blue than the other areas.

But anyway, this isn't a political forum, so we should probably be careful not to start getting angry at each other. Good luck to everybody in the application process...

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Maybe they should get rid of the Electoral College system? Imagine that, Bush would have never made it to the White House. That system was in place during a very different time in America. Even after the Florida recount, he still lost the General Election.

 

[deleted21609]

Yeah, I don't see any reasonable reason why the total number of counties is meaningful. A democratic society is about the people, not the land. The highly populated (and more educated) areas are much more blue than the other areas.

But anyway, this isn't a political forum, so we should probably be careful not to start getting angry at each other. Good luck to everybody in the application process...

My point wasn't that most counties are red. My point was that almost all states are both red and blue. The electoral college results and news reporters give the wrong impression that different regions are much more different than they really are. For example, "blue state" California had 44% vote for Bush and "red state" Georgia voted 41% for Kerry. Everyone knows that electoral votes determine the election, but they make the differences look greater than the reality.

Australia doesn't really allow you to just stay there and work long term does it? From what I heard, they welcome low level, low pay docs from abroad for 2 years or something, but not long term stays with advancement to consultant level.

 

[shan564]

My point wasn't that most counties are red. My point was that almost all states are both red and blue. The electoral college results and news reporters give the wrong impression that different regions are much more different than they really are. For example, "blue state" California had 44% vote for Bush and "red state" Georgia voted 41% for Kerry. Everyone knows that electoral votes determine the election, but they make the differences look greater than the reality.

Australia doesn't really allow you to just stay there and work long term does it? From what I heard, they welcome low level, low pay docs from abroad for 2 years or something, but not long term stays with advancement to consultant level.

Oh, then that's different. I think we all misinterpreted what you were trying to say, which is why we made the mistaken assumption that you're a Limbaugh-ite.

The purpose of the electoral college has been obsolete for over a century. The only reason it's there now is because nobody feels like changing it.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

My point wasn't that most counties are red. My point was that almost all states are both red and blue. The electoral college results and news reporters give the wrong impression that different regions are much more different than they really are. For example, "blue state" California had 44% vote for Bush and "red state" Georgia voted 41% for Kerry. Everyone knows that electoral votes determine the election, but they make the differences look greater than the reality.

Australia doesn't really allow you to just stay there and work long term does it? From what I heard, they welcome low level, low pay docs from abroad for 2 years or something, but not long term stays with advancement to consultant level.

Doctors who are allowed to stay in Australia are mostly international students. If you are an international student in an Australian medical school there are no real issues with staying. Almost all the people I am graduating with who want to stay can stay in the country. I have compared the prospects of Australian physicians in contrast to the US, even when estimating a potential fall in the value of the Aussie vs. the Greenback, Aussie doctors make a good living.

There are a lot of doctors from third world countries coming to Australia and for the most part they are only allowed temporary registration.

Those numbers that Shan mentioned for specialists are salaries for public doctors, private practice physicians make a lot more than that. In fact many doctors in the public system do some private work as well, so doctors are well compensated in Oz.

 

[shan564]

Hi Can somebody please clarify ,

- while doing fellowship in hospital in sydney in Obg gyn ,how much does one make after 2 or 3rd year ..fellowship is of 4 1/2 yr

- after completion of fellowship of royal college what wages does one usually get ...if one is eligible to become consultant

- is royal college of oz...education recognised in US for employemtn purpose

plz update me with my queries

Cross-posting the same thing in multiple threads is very annoying. People won't help you if you act like that.

 

[b333b]

hey i just read several threads about australia and i wanted to learn more about it. i read that drs there make almost as much as in usa? but they have longer vacations,etc. this sounds good if you are a general surgeon, but in specialties like radiology american drs can also take long vacations?

but really what im curious about is the qol, why do you say that australia is better to live in? im originally from east europe and i dont know too much about it. is the major appeal that australia has no winter? i like winter... and americans can also get a summer home in the caribs,etc. as far as women are concerned, i think europe is much better than either.

 

[shan564]

There are a lot of reasons... I wrote about it much more comprehensively here:

http://www.globallyrational.com/2008/04/03/australia-the-next-big-thing/

 

[b333b]

There are a lot of reasons... I wrote about it much more comprehensively here:

http://www.globallyrational.com/2008/04/03/australia-the-next-big-thing/

thanks. i think your reasons are very cliche. you noted that both US and EU have a strong economy. but then you listed reasons why usa has stronger economy than EU. basically the reasons you listed indicate that in usa it's easier to become rich for a 1st or 2nd generation immigrant by going into a field like medicine. in EU you either have to be an inventor/enterpreneur or old money.
all those reasons that you listed for australia seem good for some 3rd world immigrants. sure they can get a better min. wage job or a better chance of education,etc. but the australians pay for that... and i certainly do not care if australia is ranked highly on some democracy index or press freedom lol. i would live in russia if i could own a house on the Rublevka Highway.

 

[shan564]

The purpose isn't to talk about how everybody in Australia is better off than anybody in the US... that would be ridiculous. The point is to say that they are on an upward average trend. Sure, you can get a nice house on the Rublevka if you were in Russia, but it's not common. You have to look at the overall trends to get an idea of how well a country's political and social trends are doing as a whole (instead of just looking at the individuals).

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Uh, things are changing around the world, given the current situation, a further devaluation of the US Dollar would definitely mean the average person in many other countries would be better off than the average American. If the Dollar lost another 50 percent of its value, its per capita GDP rank would fall beneath the top 20 nations. Some Gulf nations recently announced they were removing their peg from the Dollar this year. Saudi Arabia is planning to do just that next year. Watch out Greenback, its on a long term trend down.

Europe has a large Muslim immigrant population, for the most part not well integrated, but they seem to live pretty well, and many them don't plan on leaving. Trust me I have been to many places there. While Europeans have tightened immigration its nowhere near as difficult to migrate there compared to the US. Think about what has been happening in the US, 9-11, Bush and the Patriot Act, if I was of Arab or Muslim origin, I would rather live in Europe than the US. From what I have seen, Muslims in Europe seem to live pretty well. The level of interaction they have is actually more than what Blacks and Hispanics have with Whites in the US.

I also found another interesting tidbit about the status of the American Dollar, US Treasuries now trade at 16 basis points while German bonds trade at 15, it effectively means that the US Treasuries are more risky than German Bonds, this is big news, its the first time this has happened since the World War 2 era when some people thought that the Nazis might win World War 2.

All that immigrant success stories are based on one thing, MONEY.

 

[redshifteffect]

thanks. i think your reasons are very cliche. you noted that both US and EU have a strong economy. but then you listed reasons why usa has stronger economy than EU. basically the reasons you listed indicate that in usa it's easier to become rich for a 1st or 2nd generation immigrant by going into a field like medicine. in EU you either have to be an inventor/enterpreneur or old money.
all those reasons that you listed for australia seem good for some 3rd world immigrants. sure they can get a better min. wage job or a better chance of education,etc. but the australians pay for that... and i certainly do not care if australia is ranked highly on some democracy index or press freedom lol. i would live in russia if i could own a house on the Rublevka Highway.

Actually that makes a huge difference. Every summer that I occasionally went back to Canada and tried to find a job to pay off part of my debt, I was lucky if I could find a mimimum wage job that paid $6-8/hour. Even those are so competitive now that you actually have to have either some experience or connections to work at your run of the mill minimum wage job (like Mcdonalds).

Even then you aren't safe at those jobs. For example if you don't make your burgers in under 40 seconds or whatever your job security is at risk.

Compare that to programs like HECS for local Australians vs. OSAP (student loans that we have in Canada) where you are expected to pay interest on top of your loan, and you have to start paying 6 months after you graduate, regardless of whether or not you have a job.

I won't even get into the fact that most jobs in Australia are no where near as demanding then in Canada/US and that there is a much greater emphasis on lifestyle.

Either way you slice it these kinds of benefits aren't good for just "3rd world immigrants" but for everyone.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

I heard the minimum wage in Western Europe is somewhere around $16US, mostly because of the strong Euro, but in much of Europe that much compensation would be enough for someone to survive.

 

[cfdavid]

Israel will NEVER allow Iran to complete a nuclear warhead...the size of Israel's balls cannot be measured with standard orchiometry beads.

This is such a naive, irresponsible statement that it's hard to find words......

Israel has become a tyrannical state. An apartheid and racist state. This is fact, especially when considering their laws, continued settlement building on confiscated Palestinian land, and the human rights abused perpetrated by Israeli's and the IDF against Palestinian civilians.

It's real easy to be the regions "tough guy" when you're highly subsidized by the U.S. Take a look at their war machine. It's mostly American supplied.

Considering the huge political clout of Jewish Americans (read AIPAC), it's no wonder why Americans have been lambasted into believing that Israel is our "greatest friend and ally". How often do we hear that repeated by our politicians and news media? So often that we forget to apply EBT (Evidence Based Thinking) to the crap we are bombarded with almost daily.

Dude, you really need some education.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

This is such a naive, irresponsible statement that it's hard to find words......

Israel has become a tyrannical state. An apartheid and racist state. This is fact, especially when considering their laws, continued settlement building on confiscated Palestinian land, and the human rights abused perpetrated by Israeli's and the IDF against Palestinian civilians.

It's real easy to be the regions "tough guy" when you're highly subsidized by the U.S. Take a look at their war machine. It's mostly American supplied.

Considering the huge political clout of Jewish Americans (read AIPAC), it's no wonder why Americans have been lambasted into believing that Israel is our "greatest friend and ally". How often do we hear that repeated by our politicians and news media? So often that we forget to apply EBT (Evidence Based Thinking) to the crap we are bombarded with almost daily.

Dude, you really need some education.

Huh?? This thread is about Australia, not US-Israel relations. Australia is over 10,000 miles away from either country. And Australia's region of significance is South East and East Asia.

 

[shan564]

This is such a naive, irresponsible statement that it's hard to find words......

Israel has become a tyrannical state. An apartheid and racist state. This is fact, especially when considering their laws, continued settlement building on confiscated Palestinian land, and the human rights abused perpetrated by Israeli's and the IDF against Palestinian civilians.

It's real easy to be the regions "tough guy" when you're highly subsidized by the U.S. Take a look at their war machine. It's mostly American supplied.

Considering the huge political clout of Jewish Americans (read AIPAC), it's no wonder why Americans have been lambasted into believing that Israel is our "greatest friend and ally". How often do we hear that repeated by our politicians and news media? So often that we forget to apply EBT (Evidence Based Thinking) to the crap we are bombarded with almost daily.

Dude, you really need some education.

I like the word "apartheid" for this purpose. Coincidentally, the US felt the same way about South Africa (vs. Mandela's people) during apartheid as they do about Israel (vs. Palestinians) now:

http://www.globallyrational.com/200...ace-prize-winner-is-on-the-us-terrorist-list/

 

[cfdavid]

Huh?? This thread is about Australia, not US-Israel relations. Australia is over 10,000 miles away from either country. And Australia's region of significance is South East and East Asia.

I was responding to a comment. Didn't mean to hijack the thread. Couldn't let such an uneducated response go unchallenged.

 

[cfdavid]

I like the word "apartheid" for this purpose. Coincidentally, the US felt the same way about South Africa (vs. Mandela's people) during apartheid as they do about Israel (vs. Palestinians) now:

http://www.globallyrational.com/200...ace-prize-winner-is-on-the-us-terrorist-list/

I realize Mandela's a terrorist. Not new information to those that call themselves informed. I'm just pointing to the double standard. We came down pretty hard against the apartheid gov't in S.A., yet Israel can do no wrong in the U.S. The differnece is that during the 80's, S.A. dual citizens didn't hold the political and media power that Jewish Americans hold in the U.S. Whatever.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

I was responding to a comment. Didn't mean to hijack the thread. Couldn't let such an uneducated response go unchallenged.

My response uneducated?? Oh yeah it makes perfect sense to talk about US-Israel relations on a thread about Australia's rise to global prominence.
Stick to the topic.

Australia is a great country, maybe will not become a superpower in our lifetimes, but still a great place. Next Superpower candidates from now until 2050 are China and the European Union, a strong bet on the EU if Obama becomes the next President, he seems want introduce a more isolationist foreign policy, leaving Europe to interfere in the Mideast. Obama wants to talk to the thug Ahmadenijad and the EU wants "regime change".

 

[shan564]

My response uneducated?? Oh yeah it makes perfect sense to talk about US-Israel relations on a thread about Australia's rise to global prominence.
Stick to the topic.

He wasn't talking about your response; he was talking about the comment that he was originally responding to.

 

[shan564]

I realize Mandela's a terrorist. Not new information to those that call themselves informed. I'm just pointing to the double standard. We came down pretty hard against the apartheid gov't in S.A., yet Israel can do no wrong in the U.S. The differnece is that during the 80's, S.A. dual citizens didn't hold the political and media power that Jewish Americans hold in the U.S. Whatever.

I wasn't being sarcastic, I was agreeing with you. Israel is invincible in the US... and "apartheid" is a good word to describe it.

 

[cfdavid]

I wasn't being sarcastic, I was agreeing with you. Israel is invincible in the US... and "apartheid" is a good word to describe it.

Oh, sorry. It's just that not many Americans are aware of these things, yet the entire world seems to get it.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Its also a fallacy to assume that if something applies to the USA it automatically applies to any other English speaking Western nation. Quiznos and Taco Bell are popular fast food places in the US, they both failed miserably in Australia. I think though there are a couple of Taco Bells still left in Sydney. KFC nearly kicked the bucket in Oz too, now they make most of their money selling different types of Fried Chicken Sandwiches.

 

[Dr.Millisevert]

Quiznos and Taco Bell are popular fast food places in the US, they both failed miserably in Australia. I think though there are a couple of Taco Bells still left in Sydney.

I've never seen a taco bell in Syd. I thought they were already out of the picture a few years ago. I know there is a quiznos in world tower (or was). but at friggen 14 bucks per sub.. you can count me out.

Wendy's is pretty popular in New Zealand. ha

 

[JoeNamaMD]

I've never seen a taco bell in Syd. I thought they were already out of the picture a few years ago. I know there is a quiznos in world tower (or was). but at friggen 14 bucks per sub.. you can count me out.

Wendy's is pretty popular in New Zealand. ha

Quiznos is ridiculously expensive. Subway is somewhat in between in price. A lot of franchisees are trying to sue Quiznos for the money they lost in franchising. Subway though has done extremely well in Oz. Quiznos in the US is shady too.

Actually Taco Bell closed its Sydney stores in 2003. They had opened some stores in 1999.

Not everything translates well. I wonder if Hong Kong Disneyland will succeed, EuroDisney is now doing okay but nearly failed in its first decade.

NEC sells laptop notebooks in Oz, but left the US market nearly ten years ago. I used to love their products.