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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"Obama has made a big mistake about Australia"
Sydney Morning Herald commentary
Australia is not like the United States
In his very fine speech this morning, full of sorrow and frustration, President Obama made a mistake: Australia is not like the United States. We decided not to be.
We decided to grow up instead and become a more reasonable, rational society that explicitly values human life and prefers to think the best of people, rather than the worst.
The US is too immature a society to be allowed to play with guns. It has never shed its Wild West mythology. Americans still use their courts to kill people, which sends a message in its own way. Read The New Yorker's account of the Rodricus Crawford case and see a state that thinks taking a life is a no big deal. It's a country that values property more than life.
Unlike the US, we collectively decided to have a decent social safety net, the concept of a living wage and make good education freely available. Most of us are wary of those with extreme views of any kind. Inherent scepticism about church and state turns out to be not such a bad thing.
We decided to grow up instead and become a more reasonable, rational society that explicitly values human life and prefers to think the best of people, rather than the worst.
The US is too immature a society to be allowed to play with guns. It has never shed its Wild West mythology. Americans still use their courts to kill people, which sends a message in its own way. Read The New Yorker's account of the Rodricus Crawford case and see a state that thinks taking a life is a no big deal. It's a country that values property more than life.
Unlike the US, we collectively decided to have a decent social safety net, the concept of a living wage and make good education freely available. Most of us are wary of those with extreme views of any kind. Inherent scepticism about church and state turns out to be not such a bad thing.
http://m.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/president-obama-was-wrong-australia-is-not-like-the-us-20151002-gjztja.html
As an aussie, I'd say, what a load of patronising smug crap. Australia's last PM won an election on a three word slogan, "stop the boats", the island equivalent of Trump's Wall. Ask the refugees living in concentration camps how much Australia 'values human life'. Glass house stuff.
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"Obama has made a big mistake about Australia" (Original Post)
denem
Oct 2015
OP
I saw the speech and took it as he was complimenting Australia and saying we should be like them
patricia92243
Oct 2015
#2
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)1. Not to mention, as the president was speaking,
Austrailia had a multiple shooting. Bad timing.
patricia92243
(12,592 posts)2. I saw the speech and took it as he was complimenting Australia and saying we should be like them
and other civilized countries who control their guns.
denem
(11,045 posts)3. I disagree. m
Last edited Fri Oct 2, 2015, 02:48 PM - Edit history (2)
This was was nauseating commentary. The heart of the 'compliment' is that Australia and the United Kingdom are English speaking democracies. What about the EU? Germany? Thanks, but no thanks