WE'RE NOT THE U.S.

Australians have to grow up and accept that we are, in fact, Australians, we are not Americans.

We have a "real" democracy, not a pretend one.

Democracy is "Government of the people: by the people: for the people.", not "Government of the people: by the people(who could be bothered enough to get out of bed to vote): for the people(who-are-usually-men-and-wealthy-enough-to-run-for-government)". Let's face it, the President of the United States arguably the most powerful person in the world - and far more powerful than any English monarch since Charles I - can quite easily be put there with less than 25% of the voters of just the United States my math isn't all that good but I think the US has about 5% of the world's population (World - 7.3 billion: US - 330 million). In Australia, I think uniquely in the world, voting is mandatory at both Federal, State and Local levels. Indeed, failure to vote is punishable by fine. Consequently, failure to register a vote, whether valid or not, is an active choice, not a passive one!

Australia's government follows the Westminister System where a "committee-style" parliament makes decisions on our behalf. The "Prime Minister" is merely the primary spokesperson, selected by our representatives from among themselves, for that parliament. The Prime Minister does NOT make decisions. It is really totally irrelevant who that person is. A Presidential system, as the US is, actually has the individual, at huge expense, directly elected by the voters. She (so infinitesimally seldom) or he (sickingly usually) then has powers which, in the modern context as compared with that of earlier, 'ablolute monarchial' times, can have far more dire, worldwide humanitarian, environmental, societal, et al. consequences than even the most decedent tyrant of the ancient, medieval, renaissance or other pre-modern ruler could even envision.

We need to stop being paranoid if government or opposition parties change their leader. It doesn't really matter. They're only doing it to gain internal qudos! And it makes good headlines keeping both them and their opponents in the public eye along with the Kardashians, the latest sportsman's sex scandal and some royal's (real or Holywood) 'baby-bump'!

I'll get out of your hair now!

Really disturbed by the current discussion about immigration. Looks like the extreme red-neck right are having a field day. "Let's not let in anyone who is not like us." By "us", thay mean 'Aussie!!!' By "Aussie", they mean roughly anglo-celtic, foul-mouthed, narrow minded, beer drinking, misogynistic, self centered, bigoted, nominal but non practicing, non-believing Christians. By "Christian", they don't know what they believe but it excludes everyone who isn't like ""us" . . . or who looks as though they aren't us in some way. Indeed, 'we' should send anyone back who happens to be here already, isn't an 'us', and who looks sideways in a different way. Some would deport indigenous Australians if they could. What right do we have, who've been here for a mere 200-ish years, to dictate who should or should not build a future for themselves, their children and their children's children, here? We have no intrinsic claim to this, or any other particular patch of the planet. Neither does anyone else. I guess the only fair thing would be to do away with our artificially created concept of nationhood and national borders. Well . . . There goes the Olympic Games. I'll get out of your hair.