OT: Current Affairs and Politics

[bazza]

Pointless having a public holiday on 23 April and then another one 2 days later....

we should ditch Anzac Day as it makes our British rulers look bad

 

[Bandwagon]

My point is every Australia Day now has become a divisive day for this country that is getting worse every year.

For mine that's only because certain sections of the media want to play culture wars for clicks, because outrage sells.

And the general sentiment is your made to feel guilty for celebrating the day.

Man I just don't get that, sure there are folks who might want you to feel bad about it, but I really think that's a small ( albeit often loud ) minority. Most folk who don't like the day would just like you to think about why, you clearly understand that given your ambivalence to the date, for mine that's enough.

Celebrate, don't celebrate, your completely free to do either without guilt.

 

[bazza]

..cause inevitably we'll end up with people cracking the shits because at dawn on the morning of "Unification Day" on January 1, there will be hundreds of pissed backpackers and locals sleeping off hangovers at beaches across the city and it'll be deemed "disrespectful" and around and around the outrage will go again...

nothing seems to be more "Australian" at the moment than expressing how outraged you are at something that has no impact on you at all. Based on that January 1 looks like a winner

 

[bazza]

Man I just don't get that, sure there are folks who might want you to feel bad about it, but I really think that's a small ( albeit often loud ) minority. Most folk who don't like the day would just like you to think about why, you clearly understand that given your ambivalence to the date, for mine that's enough.

Celebrate, don't celebrate, your completely free to do either without guilt.

It is a bit like "you can't say <insert racist term here> anymore"
you can freely say whatever you want - just that someone might call you out on it

 

[Suitman]

That's my point. Nobody seems to have a clue on what day is best to represent that "unification day". So why make it January 1 when we're already celebrating New Year's Day? Better to make it September 1 and find justification somewhere/somehow...cause inevitably we'll end up with people cracking the shits because at dawn on the morning of "Unification Day" on January 1, there will be hundreds of pissed backpackers and locals sleeping off hangovers at beaches across the city and it'll be deemed "disrespectful" and around and around the outrage will go again...

WTF do backpackers have to do with this decision?
Why couldn't Jan 1st be both? It would actually take on more significance as a day of celebration and unification.
Anyway, I also said that it was just a suggestion.
I actually think it's a better date than anything you are clutching for so you can have another day off work.
Now that is insensitive to want one just for that reason.
And you said that, not me.

 

[Bandwagon]

The fact that a reigning President can pretty much "pardon" anyone he likes tells us all what a f**ked system the Yanks have.
I just got off the phone to a brother of mine who was raging about this and thinks that if we become a republic, that we'll have the same laws.
FMD.
No matter how much explaining I do, one just cannot help the uneducated.

The King, or indeed the GG acting in his place has the same power, it's just not frequently used, and accepted practice is not to pardon "mates".

This what happens when leaders of democracies loose sight of their conventions, I've said it before, so much that we take for granted in our democracy is governed by convention, not law. It's why leaders not following the conventions is serious shit.

 

[Bandwagon]

You have to either live in a town with no electricity or internet to not be effected by what's splattered all over the web...

Why does any particular dumb shit you read have to affect you?

 

[Bandwagon]

I actually think it's a better date than anything you are clutching for so you can have another day off work.

I truly think this is an important consideration. I enjoy the day off, I wouldn't want to lose it

 

[Eelogical]

Re your first point. Yes it has and yes it is.

Your second point is on you. You don't have to feel guilty if you believe in the day.

Your third point is valid. This is what shits me about this country at times. We allow debates like this to go on forever, yet there is a really simple solution. And that is, to just find a day that would re-unite us all. Surely, it can't be that hard.
I don't know what day that would be, but my simpleton view would be to pick a January 1st in any year soon, call it Australia United Day. A New Year and a new beginning.
How about Jan 1st 2028? 250 years after colonisation?
I dunno, just thinking out aloud.

No such day exists. We've become such a divided country that this would become impossible to please everyone. There's money to be made out of this and always will be.

 

[Suitman]

I truly think this is an important consideration. I enjoy the day off, I wouldn't want to lose it

Ok then.
Make Jan 2nd a holiday as well if everyone is so precious about a day off work.
I'm sure it'd be easily done.

 

[Eelogical]

It’s all a complete nothing burger.

Sounds like you're going Green.

 

[Bandwagon]

Ok then.
Make Jan 2nd a holiday as well if everyone is so precious about a day off work.
I'm sure it'd be easily done.

I'd be down with any day.

Doing it would be simples.

Copping the flack for doing it would be the reason no merkin in politics is even thinking about it.

 

[Bandwagon]

It’s all a complete nothing burger.

I think it's kinda a toasted bun, bit of sauce, not much else, maybe a pickle?

 

[Eelogical]

We should do what other former English colonies do and celebrate the day that we became independent from Britain

Since we don't want to do that we should just celebrate on April 23rd which is St George's day (England patron saint)

We should just spin a bottle.

 

[Incorrect]

WTF do backpackers have to do with this decision?
Why couldn't Jan 1st be both? It would actually take on more significance as a day of celebration and unification.
Anyway, I also said that it was just a suggestion.
I actually think it's a better date than anything you are clutching for so you can have another day off work.
Now that is insensitive to want one just for that reason.
And you said that, not me.

Yeah I get that it was just a suggestion from you. I am asserting it is a poor one given it's New Year's Day. Given the pomp and ceremony that would likely be required to commemorate such a day, I will say it again, some people will have their noses out of joint because there will be revellers from the night before out and about on the town, the streets will be full of litter, vomit and whatever else people leave behind them and detractors will point to for disrespecting the date.... And rightly so....

Keep it separate, pick some other day, there's 350-odd others an argument could be made for.

 

[Suitman]

No such day exists. We've become such a divided country that this would become impossible to please everyone. There's money to be made out of this and always will be.

A day WILL exist.
And, whatever day is decided, it won't ever please everyone.

What saddens me the most though, (and yes, I'm going off on a tangent) (and could somewhat be accused of being a Leftie) is that here we all are sitting on our phones or computers arguing over what day our National Day should be, while Ukrainians are wondering whether there will be enough power to heat their houses tonight, or be able to feed their children while forever worrying whether drones or ICBM's might strike their village.
This is the entitlement that shits me.
We ARE the Lucky Country. Surely we can sort out our small problems considering we actually live in peace.

Rant over.

 

[Incorrect]

Why does any particular dumb shit you read have to affect you?

You just have a way with words I guess....

 

[Bandwagon]

You just have a way with words I guess....

Rent free bro?

 

[Incorrect]

Rent free bro?

How bitingly original....

 

[Bandwagon]

How bitingly original....

.......and accurate.

Sucks for you eh?