JessFR
Bluelight Crew
I hear you. But affordable universal health care, quality education, affordable housing and community cohesion can also be seen as principles. Quite good ones that don’t often result in mass shooting deaths, runaway crime, a giant underclass, and a lot of unrestrained fuckwits with megaphones.
I agree. But I'd submit it doesn't have to be one or the other.
There are things I hate about America and things I hate about Australia, and things I love about both.
And I wouldn't say any of it strikes me as shit that is mutually exclusive, I see no reason either country couldn't have all of the good and none of the bad.
America could have saner health care systems, a less punitive justice system. Australia could get rid of its insane rules of self defense that make pepper spray or body armor illegal. Australia could have American style freedom of speech (not that most Australians seem to even want it). American style rights such as a right to a lawyer, etc.
The only insane part of America I can't see being fixable realistically is the gun issue. Because it needs a referendum to do it legally, and the level of consensus required and how hard it would be to negotiate makes fixing it virtually impossible.
In summery, there's a lot I love about Australia. I'd even go so far as to say that on basic measures of livability, Australia is pretty much the objectively better place to live.
That however does not make my complaints about what I don't like about Australia untrue. I hate that there's such a limited freedom of speech. I hate that there isn't a right to legal representation. I hate that you can't even carry fucking pepper spray to defend yourself yet I've seen soooo many guns in the hands of criminals. And most of all I hate hearing Australians defend it out of some misguided fear of americanization or some shit.
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