FWIS3

So about this ..

I actually don't give a shit how Trump treats Turnbull, because when it comes to border policy, Turnbull is just as bad. This is one policy area that Australia should genuinely be ASHAMED of.

We utilize "offshore processing" for refugees that come here by boat. If captured, they are sent to an island, in conditions so shitty that the UN had to step in some time ago. Subsequently we made a deal to send 1250 of these people to the United States.

So it is HILARIOUS that anyone would get upset. OF COURSE this deal should be scrutinised. Australia needs to do its part to help refugees.

The USA clearly doesn't give a shit about refugees anymore, but WE ALREADY DIDN'T .. so to complain would be the pot calling the kettle black.

For anyone wondering, our government is kinda shitty, and definitely conservative, and when it comes to border policy, is just as bad as Trump. But they are far more sane in all other departments. For example, the conservatives don't try and completely dismantle our socialised medical system as soon as they get in power! It is a measure of how batshit crazy Trump is that I have any vaguely positive things to say about our government.

Yep.

Those crazy Muslims are throwing their children into the water!!! OMG!!! They are EVIL!!!

Some Australian policies are just embarrassing. This particular one is an example.

You put your refugees on a shitty island. We put our refugees in detention facilities, and it sometimes takes years for them to get processed. One guy died of cancer while waiting.

I have to partially withdraw a statement I made above.

Our border policy isn't quite as bad, because we don't do all this travel-ban bullshit on people coming from "Muslim" nations.

We're just shitty when it comes to refugees.

I feel like it's a combination of Australia getting upset because they realize they can't be quite as smug about American government, and Trump scrutinizing the deal for all the wrong reasons.

On a broader level, what concerns me is why the hell make an international incident out of something that is about as tame as it should get. What's gonna happen if there really is a problem with someone who isn't our most staunch ally?

Rommie wrote:I feel like it's a combination of Australia getting upset because they realize they can't be quite as smug about American government

I don't know anyone feeling smug. More like horrified, and wondering which war we're going to get dragged into this time.

squ1d wrote:

Rommie wrote:I feel like it's a combination of Australia getting upset because they realize they can't be quite as smug about American government

I don't know anyone feeling smug. More like horrified, and wondering which war we're going to get dragged into this time.

Apologies, I may be projecting my Canadian surroundings a bit much here. Where I find it interesting that they've clearly got their own unsavory undercurrent (re: mosque shooting this week), but there's definitely some denial and smugness going on about American politics despite that.

I try and think of American <-> Canadian relations in terms of Australia <-> NZ, there's always plenty of smugness there

Seriously though, the USA is a superpower. It's hard to feel smug when a FUCKING LUNATIC is holding the "football".

Never before have I felt so glad to not have children.

It occurred there was one thing about this situation that irked me though. Who conducts diplomacy with a world leader, and then tweets about it negatively? What the fuck? It's like he doesn't know everyone is reading. Eventually world leaders will learn not to tell him anything or even talk to him.

Rommie wrote:

squ1d wrote:

Rommie wrote:I feel like it's a combination of Australia getting upset because they realize they can't be quite as smug about American government

I don't know anyone feeling smug. More like horrified, and wondering which war we're going to get dragged into this time.

Apologies, I may be projecting my Canadian surroundings a bit much here. Where I find it interesting that they've clearly got their own unsavory undercurrent (re: mosque shooting this week), but there's definitely some denial and smugness going on about American politics despite that.

But is that new? I picked up that vibe when I was dating someone from those parts. Of course, they were a PK, so it may have just been that.

squ1d wrote:It occurred there was one thing about this situation that irked me though. Who conducts diplomacy with a world leader, and then tweets about it negatively? What the fuck? It's like he doesn't know everyone is reading. Eventually world leaders will learn not to tell him anything or even talk to him.

Reality politics. It's been heading that way for a while now.
Trump is the pinnacle of the process. He is a narcissist, for him, he wants the attention because he craves it. He desires to be worshiped for what in his mind is his "awesomeness". It's not like he doesn't know everyone is reading. He does it because of that. When people stop communicating with him, he will blame them.

squ1d wrote:Never before have I felt so glad to not have children.

squ1d wrote:It occurred there was one thing about this situation that irked me though. Who conducts diplomacy with a world leader, and then tweets about it negatively? What the fuck? It's like he doesn't know everyone is reading. Eventually world leaders will learn not to tell him anything or even talk to him.

Good point.

"Reality politics" as opposed to "realpolitik"? Because this is definitely not the latter.

Tarragon wrote:

Rommie wrote:

squ1d wrote:

Rommie wrote:I feel like it's a combination of Australia getting upset because they realize they can't be quite as smug about American government

I don't know anyone feeling smug. More like horrified, and wondering which war we're going to get dragged into this time.

Apologies, I may be projecting my Canadian surroundings a bit much here. Where I find it interesting that they've clearly got their own unsavory undercurrent (re: mosque shooting this week), but there's definitely some denial and smugness going on about American politics despite that.

But is that new? I picked up that vibe when I was dating someone from those parts. Of course, they were a PK, so it may have just been that.

It's not new, but me living in Canada is.

Rommie wrote:

Tarragon wrote:But is that new? I picked up that vibe when I was dating someone from those parts. Of course, they were a PK, so it may have just been that.

It's not new, but me living in Canada is.

I thought about staying and making it work. Not a bad person all around, but the Canadian flag wasn't the red one I was seeing. Now, with Trump in office, part of me wishes I had stayed.