Politics Is Australia becoming too obsessed with US political culture?

Aug 14, 2011
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That's ok though, let them be ignorant and naive. It's not like they change how our system of government operates.

I'd prefer people were supplied with news not opinion. Our education system cant be relied in, the role of Fed/State is not understood (see the bushfires & Covid 19) & the news around it is presented with strong political overtones.
 
Apr 1, 2011
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Please explain what you mean mate. Thats a serious accusation against our country.
lol, lucky our country doesn't post on BigFooty then.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians make up 3% of the total Australian population, but 29% of the adult prison population. 15 times more likely to be imprisoned than non-indigenous people.
 

andrewmillman

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lol, lucky our country doesn't post on BigFooty then.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians make up 3% of the total Australian population, but 29% of the adult prison population. 15 times more likely to be imprisoned than non-indigenous people.
Im aware of those sorts of disappointing statistics.
But what do you think explains them?
 
Aug 14, 2011
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lol, lucky our country doesn't post on BigFooty then.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians make up 3% of the total Australian population, but 29% of the adult prison population. 15 times more likely to be imprisoned than non-indigenous people.

Yes. The indigenous folk in the US are ......

Lets hope Ken Wyatt can make a difference & gets the support needed.
 
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Im aware of those sorts of disappointing statistics.
But what do you think explains them?
I'm far from an expert, but this site appears to give a decent overview:

 

Bomberboyokay

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I reckon Australia's had an obsession with US culture since WW2 - movies, music, TV etc. Not sure if it's good, bad or indifferent.

The "left vs right" thing is much more worrying. It's almost like some recent development in the way humans socialise and communicate has reduced our complex, multi-dimensional thoughts and beliefs into one-dimensional shouting at the anyone who disagrees.

I'd really like to get back to detailed discussion, listening, agreeing on some things, disagreeing on others, and above all else, connecting and coming to a consensus, but I've run out of characters.

Not sure how much "left vs right" is imported. Australians are (probably because of the internet) more aware of how much the Liberal Party is assholing them than in say 1996. People who insist on not seeing things as "left vs right" tend to advocate unpopular right wing policies and feel the need to misrepresent themselves. Power Raid is one such poster. Taylor. Seeds depending on how well his workplace machinations are going.
 
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Aug 14, 2011
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Not sure how much "left vs right" is imported. Australians are (probably because of the internet) more aware of how much the Liberal Party is assholing them than in say 1996. People who insist on not seeing things through "left vs right" tend to be advocating unpopular right wing policies and feel a need to misrepresent themselves.

More the idea people need to be one or the other, its for numnuts ... e.g you didnt mention the other mobs ability to hold your mob (whatever) to account is disgraceful.
Trot our your excuses for others not following you Issy style.

Both sides of politics get a go, being rejected says it all.
The last thing we need is Trump or Clinton, that circus has little to offer Aus.
 
Sep 22, 2011
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It’s because, as the so called lambasted leader of ‘Democracy’ ‘freedom of speech’ ‘Bill of Rights’ that the USA continue to embarrass themselves and justify their actions as free.
There’s no cooperation with Governers and the Federal government, for example, on an issue that politics should have no part in. Instead of uniting together, just as a democracy should (after all it is the people’s vote, their leader) its instead a mud slinging match whilst thousands die.

In contrast, Australia has done the exact opposite. PM has backed away from overriding state government’s orders, as he has no constitutional right, as well as managed to have mostly Labor Premiers in cooperation over this non-political issue. It is after all the people they have to look after. It’s amazing that Australia are doing this, when mostly their political views were established after UK and USA’s democratic ideals. Cases are low, people respect the order - even when they disagree it’s been too long, or too forceful.

USA? Racism somehow has come back from a 28-3 deficit (American reference) and overtaken COVID. A country that should be free from bias, free from discrimination is a laughing stock in those areas. That’s why it’s interesting.

Combat that with a President that neither accepts nor facilitate change whilst promoting dangerous liberation against Democratics, all for his popularity. A man, a ‘leader’ that simply does not gives a crap. It’s unfathomable. But that’s USA. The land of the ‘brave’, and land of the ‘free’.
 
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I suppose you could argue it's an easy sell. American politics mirrors their entertainment, and the media is all paid for over there, ergo it has to sell itself and isn't going to be a mere recitation of the facts. It's much easier to sell a narrative.

Australians look at their politics and see heroes, villains, and wonder why our politics is full of old blokes talking about employment rates and debt. Then you've got the fact that Abbott successfully ran American style soundbite simple campaigns in which the difference between the parties became not policy but a them us thing. People responded to the simple, and they wanted the same circus that reality television provides.
 

DAlembert

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No is the quick answer. We are a very young country and in the past 50 yrs have gone from a piddling 11 million to approx 25 Million. We followed English culture mainly into the 70s..ie Benny Hill On the Buses etc. Then the shift to American shows began. We went all the way with LBJ and got our news from 7 or 9 maybe 10 the ABC was for crusty old types who hated ads. Most of the political talk was conducted amongst mates with a beer and a gasper or two at your local pub. And then for some reason journalists who reported the news decided they wanted to be the news and give us their opinions on all and sundry and this picked up pace through the 80s and 90's ...things continued to pick up pace with the internet. And now everyone with access decides on sites like this to give us their cut and paste opinions. All this F%$#%$#en noise. Well of course we can ignore most of it and I do. I do not know who decided that journalists were important but what a clusterF$%k. The long answer is that some on this site with their anti-american bias bombard the place with cut and paste articles and tell us it is all true as with some others I am very sceptical.
 
Aug 14, 2011
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I suppose you could argue it's an easy sell. American politics mirrors their entertainment, and the media is all paid for over there, ergo it has to sell itself and isn't going to be a mere recitation of the facts. It's much easier to sell a narrative.

Australians look at their politics and see heroes, villains, and wonder why our politics is full of old blokes talking about employment rates and debt. Then you've got the fact that Abbott successfully ran American style soundbite simple campaigns in which the difference between the parties became not policy but a them us thing. People responded to the simple, and they wanted the same circus that reality television provides.

The problem is the soundbite continues & the media love it - watching press conferences over the national cabinet process clearly identified those looking for a soundbite versus those questioning the thinking/policy.
 

Herne Hill Hammer

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I reckon Australia's had an obsession with US culture since WW2 - movies, music, TV etc. Not sure if it's good, bad or indifferent

Correct but I actually think the world is turning away from them in that regard.

What do they offer? Nothing.

Trump is the media go to guy for handling COVID-19, why? The USA is a disaster and even more so atm with the protests / riots. The world is watching and no longer envying them but pitying them.

Having Trump in charge is just accelerating what was already happening.

The world's doing well atm, one superpower is a laughing stock and the other repulses me.
 
Aug 14, 2011
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Correct but I actually think the world is turning away from them in that regard.

What do they offer? Nothing.

Trump is the media go to guy for handling COVID-19, why? The USA is a disaster and even more so atm with the protests / riots. The world is watching and no longer envying them but pitying them.

Having Trump in charge is just accelerating what was already happening.

The world's doing well atm, one superpower is a laughing stock and the other repulses me.

Politics yes, culture no. :(
 

Bomberboyokay

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Correct but I actually think the world is turning away from them in that regard.

What do they offer? Nothing.

Trump is the media go to guy for handling COVID-19, why? The USA is a disaster and even more so atm with the protests / riots. The world is watching and no longer envying them but pitying them.

Having Trump in charge is just accelerating what was already happening.

The world's doing well atm, one superpower is a laughing stock and the other repulses me.

American TV and film will stay big. Hard to see China pulling off making that stuff seem cool and all.
 
Sep 22, 2011
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Correct but I actually think the world is turning away from them in that regard.

What do they offer? Nothing.

Trump is the media go to guy for handling COVID-19, why? The USA is a disaster and even more so atm with the protests / riots. The world is watching and no longer envying them but pitying them.

Having Trump in charge is just accelerating what was already happening.

The world's doing well atm, one superpower is a laughing stock and the other repulses me.
Exactly. Their exports is hardly enticing.
Their car industry has failed to progress and GM, Ford, Chevrolet have all died/gone into administration due to their over reliance on high powered v8 petrol engines. Whereas Japan started from a scrap heap and laughed at to the world’s best.
What else do USA have to offer? Too expensive to be made for shipping overseas.
China control the market. Simple.
 

Leeda

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That may change once the dust settles from this mess.
we are not absolutely different and nor are we the same... duh!! Take that in a rather nice way..
we are more likely to hate and screw the same people the same way..Take that in the way where we are all right....

and we are always knowing the same way to push the buttons..
recognising that from sea to sea.. land to land.. we are all alike the US.. more than we know...
 

DAlembert

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American TV and film will stay big. Hard to see China pulling off making that stuff seem cool and all.
Maybe for you..but Netflix gives you access to TV series made in UK, Turkey, South Korea, Mexico and German these shows are generally very well acted and good fun to watch...have watched Chinese TV and also very good. SBS also has some really good stuff and nothing to do with USA. Not saying US stuff is no good but as in music there is a lot of different stuff out there.
 

Bomberboyokay

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Maybe for you..but Netflix gives you access to TV series made in UK, Turkey, South Korea, Mexico and German these shows are generally very well acted and good fun to watch...have watched Chinese TV and also very good. SBS also has some really good stuff and nothing to do with USA. Not saying US stuff is no good but as in music there is a lot of different stuff out there.

What Chinese TV shows and films would you recommend?
 
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