On 20/11/2008, at 12:03 AM, Wayne Eddy wrote: >> On 19/11/2008, at 6:20 PM, Wayne Eddy wrote: >>> I agree. I would have thought that Australia, New Zealand & Canada >>> would be >>> least as good if not better choices than the US & Western Europe. >> >> Maybe, unless you're born indigenous - which was the point of the >> thought experiment. Australia, for all her triumphs and successes, >> still has huge racism. And outside the major cities, pretty bold >> sexism too. >> >> It's a good place to be, but it's not there yet. >> >> Charlie. > > When you say we aren't there yet, are you saying that in the context > of the > thought experiment that you would have no hesitation in choosing the > United > States, or Portugal or Germany over Australia if given the choice?
No. I'm saying that I'm not sure I'm convinced that Oz, NZ and Canada "would be at least as good if not better" than the US or W. Europe - the point of the thought experiment is that it throws you to a place in an unpredictable position, so you have to consider the worst positions as well as the best and the mean. And having spent a large chunk of time travelling solo and self-propelled through Oz, I'd say that there are enough niches I'd be unhappy with that it's not as clear cut a die-throw as I'd like. It's a fuck-load better than 40 or even 20 years ago, but Oz has a way to go to be the egalitarian fair- go for all that she would like to portray herself to be. That's not to say I don't love this country. I do - I would not have settled here otherwise. But I'm happy to admit the warts. And having lived in a handful of countries and visited a few tens of countries, I'd say that Canada, NZ, Oz, France, the nordic countries all offer much to Random Citizen. But a place that's doing OK by its people, even well, isn't immune to critique. Charlie. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
