I understand Sukrit’s concerns considering his anti-war stance. My concern is that Obama is pretty much a socialist. To what extent I don’t know, as he’s very good at presenting with a strong individualistic American flavour. When his wife is campaigning for him I think she gives an insight into his politics, and my god, that is scary.

Did anyone hear her ‘pie’ speech? It’s pretty straight forward. Most Americans don’t want a big slice of the pie, so those with too much pie need to give up a bit of their slice.

Largely correct Riley.

It’s not uncommon for Australians to reject an idea because they think it is “American”, implicitly assuming it must be bad. They watch American TV shows and movies and buy American goods with alacrity, but still think there’s not much that’s worth imitating about the country.

Most Australians believe in the right of self-defence, and they take great pride when an Australian wins an Olympic medal in shooting, but think that owning a gun for self-defence is an American idea.

Similarly, they think that being responsible for your own health care including insurance options is how it is done in America. Therefore to be avoided.

If the exact same idea is seen as originating from another country (the Netherlands, for example), it tends to receive serious consideration. It’s a shame Switzerland doesn’t have a higher profile as it would help the gun debate enormously.

The only explanation I can offer for this bizarre outlook is that Australians are obsessively interested in sport. As I’m sure you know, that overcomes any need to think too deeply.

I am wary of quotes and clips, I recently encountered a video clip of McCain appearing to agree with Obama on unconditional talks with rogue regimes and terrorists such as Hamass.

I thought he was losing all sense of reality too, until I found another which had him in the same clothing, in the same location, making the same statement, only totally different in context and with about another couple of minutes of footage in it.

I have considered moving to Aus for some time now. Actually even before I got into the liberty thing (5ish years ago). I knew people who lived there and Americans who visited and from what they told me and pictures I would see it just looks amazing. The thing is, right now I am at a point in my life where such a move is unfeasable. I have been in the process of creating a business, once the business picks up it will be much more doable. I intend to go to architecture school (a prospect which takes years of prep work here in California due to an insane 98% rejection rate) and Australia has also a more viable prospect for that as well (including the $13k per year “we tooker jab” international fees I would be paying) and what apparently seems like a much less restrictive architecture market.

A friend of mine once told me that should I become a liberty activist that I should be rather careful with how I try to come across to people, that people will just assume I am trying to Americanize Australia with ideas such as citizen gun ownership, free market health care solutions ect and because of this instantly discredit what I have to say.

The thing American libertarians have going for us is that we are already here. No need to relocate to a brand new culture (even though Socal culture and Aus culture aren’t that vastly different). The downside is that we have to put so much effort into doing things that we would not have to do in another country (ballot access, foreign policy, ect).

As for the accent. No… and if I practiced it probably wouldn’t convince a native aussie.

People – please support Ben’s campaign. It is vital to keep our momentum going.

http://lattenomics.wordpress.com/2008/05/23/another-contender-for-gippsland-by-election/