"Aww we can't do that! It'd make us too much like the yanks!"

[gemini_liberal]

Does anybody else find it quite funny that the conservatives who squawk the above mantra whenever somebody suggests a liberal reform to the country (such as removing ties to the monarchy, having our heads of state democratically elected, having a bill of rights, fixed terms etc.) and go into an irrational scare campaign, are the ones who are actually pushing through the reforms that will bring about a society that is like the worst of the US (such as many pro-corporate/pro-privatisation schemes, limiting voting rights and individual freedoms, warmongering etc.)

And the worst part is most people buy the BS. I'm sorry, this thread doesn't really have a useful point, I just wanted to vent a thing that's been bugging me for a while...

[Violet_Crumble]

1. I've heard that one so many times...

I'm guessing how they try to justify it to themselves is by plonking what they don't want changed into a basket called 'cultural stuff' and the rest into the 'we must do this so we can show our great allies in the US how it should be done properly!' basket. And things like the monarchy are the dregs of our ties to Britain, and given that many conservatives would like nothing better than to return to the days of Menzies tugging his forelock to the Queen, they're going to cling to it with all their strength...

Violet...

[Phoebe_in_Sydney]

2. Know what you mean

the same conservative types are often the ones who scream blue murder if someone calls a biscuit a cookie, get upset about a word like "guys", or mourn kids playing basketball when they should be playing cricket.

But hell, yeah, we should turn up to any war the americans have got going because "we need to keep 'em on side in case the Indonesians attack us."

[martymar64]

3. I heard that right after the Strathfield massacre

I was visiting a friend in Sydney when that happened and that was what I heard.
BTW, I love Australia and if some nice Aussie girl would marry me, I'd be on the next plane over!!!