I like to keep a watch on general world events as it’s fascinating to see how things pan out and then watch all the rhetoric garbage follow in an attempt to justify or cover up certain actions.
As an Aussie, I have the “privilege” of having George Bush grace our wonderful continent as part of the APEC summit. Being a Melbournian, I am 900 kilometers away from the action. But my frustration goes out to my fellow Sydney based Aussies who have to deal with all the trappings of a city under “summit”.
The disruptions caused by this summit have been well documented. The net effects of the summit are in question as it represents the leaders of some of the poorest and most exploited people on this planet.
I almost crashed my car when I heard that China’s President, Hu Jintao, is coming with his wife and TWO kids! What the hell happened to China’s one child policy when it comes to the head honcho? In light of all the recent recalls on Chinese products, maybe China should recall their leader out of my country.
Then today I see that China has been accused of hacking computers. First German security interests were hacked with Beijing being bantered around as a prime suspect. Next we see the Pentagon hacked as well with Trojans and back doors - with a sign dangling, “Made in China”. Then they have the audacity of gathering together at a summit pretending to like each other while they secretly plot the destruction of each other.
Adding to the lovely lists of delegates is Mr Bush himself. A recent poll found that 52% of Australians see George as the worst President ever - with another 38% being undecided about how pathetic Bush is. On his way, he snuck into Iraq for a propaganda visit saying that troop build up has detered much havoc in the region.
I find this a joke as many analysts are now coming out of the wood work and openly discussing the next step the US will take in the region - the annihilation of Iran’s military.
So Mr gutless wonder, George Bush, sneaks into a country he has invaded spewing his rhetoric about how successful the US has been in the region while his cronies secretly plot the destruction of Iran. What will be the catalyst of this invasion? Another terrorist attack on US soil - aka false flag? Who knows? But 1,200 targets in Iran should be nervous tonight as they have laser guided missles pointing at them right now.
But all is good as the Asia Pacific “leaders” of the world gather in my country to discuss economic prosperity. Yeah trust money to be the only glue to gel all the world leaders.
Meanwhile a Category 5 “monster storm” is hitting Central America as we speak. My US readers. Please inform me how much news attention this devastating storm is getting in your wonderful country as it hits the “dead beats” south of your border. The “tossing of the seas” the Bible talks about as a sign of major trouble is ignored on mass as the networks feed you trash.
I’m tired of the US centric nature of so called “world news”. The masses are more inclined to watch sports or focus their attention on celebrities rather then to know what’s happening in the world.
And that’s why I am ticked tonight. This world is heading down the toilet and people don’t give a shit about anything which doesn’t affect their ability to earn money or pursue pleasure.
Tags: APEC, George Bush, Hu Jintao, China, Iraq, Iran, Monster Storm
I understand why you’re ticked, but even though the world seems like it is heading down the toilet, God is in control, and His “Will,” will prevail!
Wow that was quote the rant. I strongly agree and strongly disagree on some of it, but of course you are entitled to it!
I too had major issues with aspects of the Summit. I strongly dislike how our politicians/ leaders on both sides of the political spectrum are soft on China. 2 children- wow you are right that is infuriating.
The US bashing is hard to read LG. I know you are a great guy and love the Lord, but sometimes I feel you misunderstand many of us over here. Even when you talked about the church stuff awhile back you really were lumping us all together basically saying the Christian Church in US is going down the pot. But really there are some great people/ churches here that are truly living it out I know you know that b/c you follow a lot of US pastors. But sometimes when you are in rant mode you generalize… which i probably do to- so i’m not trying to be too harsh.
I just happen to be from here. It’s sad to read how much people don’t “get us”. No place is perfect. I personally voted for Bush. That isn’t to say I agree with everything. And you are definitely entitled to your opinion. But I don’t tend to agree with some of the Bush stuff.
Also- the 911. I know I never responded to you. Honestly just didn’t even know where to start. I don’t want to get on a point counter point about it. I can tell you are passionate about it which probably means your opinion would not change anyway.
Oh well- sad to read that stuff. But i still have a lot of respect for you.
oh yes- and hurricane is being covered. The nation that poured out tons and tons of money to help when the tsunami happened does care.
Hi Zabs. Thanks for reading and responding to my rant. Sorry if it hit a sore spot with you. APEC was a joke of a meeting and many commentators expressed the failure of the summit despite the attendees representing 57% of global output.
From Australia’s perspective, we signed a $32 billion gas deal with fanatical China as well as an agreement to export enriched uranium to the Russians. Mind you, the Chinese will be the next superpower giving you Americans a head ache and Mr Putin visited Australia after a stop over in Indonesia where he gave the most populated Muslim country in the world a fat Russian line of credit to beef up their military. Indonesia just happens to be our biggest security threat.
But yee haaa! APEC, or OPEC as gaff prone Bush called it, is all about developing the third world and focusing on climate issues. What a joke. To top it off, Bush thanked Australians for the “AUSTRIAN” troops in Iraq. I know you like Bush, but he is a bit of an idiot. Seriously.
Having said that, I think I need to put my “US” bashing into perspective a little. I don’t bash the US. I bash the politics of the US and I make fun of the stupidity, self centeredness and “all about us and screw the rest of the world” attitude that spews out of the US onto the rest of the world.
Zabs, seriously, if you were in my shoes, you would be nauseated by the crap you here day after day after day. You would see how the average American is portrayed as a very weird person. I know this is the average and there are tens of million who aren’t like that. But then again, there are tens of millions who are worse then that.
BUT, I also acknowledge the good that comes out of the country. Like you said, I do follow a lot of pastors from the US whom I love and appreciate and look up to. I acknowledge that the US is generous in helping out other countries. (But if you looked at per capita and GDP values, you guys are pretty tight - sorry).
I acknowledge the advances made in science and technology and medicine. I love the fact that the US supports (that term is a loose one) Israel in the mid east. There are many things about the US I love.
Like I said on another post. The best and worst comes out of the US. You guys represent Western society and I can’t expect anything different. My rants occasionally discuss the negatives. But the bulk of my blog is very pro US.
In terms of 911. Just give it time. The truth will be known and Bush and his cronies will be exposed. There is just too much scientific and expert data contradicting the official story and more and more “non-conspiracy theory” experts are signing up to the cause for the people to know what happened on 9.11.01
I’m just not sure what you mean by we are portrayed as very weird people? And that that is the average? All of the aussie’s here I know love America. Actually, though nice, of my previous bands (several were australians) they were probably the greediest, money loving of them all. But I have never thought or drawn a conclusion from that, that Australians are greedy.
Is it possible at all that it just sounded like it because his thick texan accent. They way texans talk australia and austria can sound very similiar… they slur a lot together and have a “twang”. Anyway, it wouldn’t surprise me. He isn’t stupid considering he did well at duke, but there is no arguing that his communication skills lack a little to be desired.
For the record- I am not happy with the APEC thing at all. I’m very let down. But I also didn’t expect much out of it. Most countries are in the back pocket of the chinese because of financial reasons.
Okay- if we are all supposedly all about us and screw the world…. what is everyone else in the world like? What makes our attitude so much different? Are you taking this idea from spending a good deal of time here or from the media? What makes you think this? How would we look differently if we looked the way the rest of the world wants us to look. These are serious questions. The US is very diverse in both perspectives, races, affinities, subculture. I’m dying to know how we as a collective country could look better to the rest of the world.
You already know how I feel about the Chinese. I think you are absolutely right that they are the next super-power. I think allegiance with them, russians, and even with the saudi’s, are scary things… It isn’t wise at all.
I want to know what makes australians so much better than the average american? Aren’t both countries originating from rebellion out of england?
9/11, I could tell you that person after person here (scientists engineers etc.) proved beyond a doubt that what was claimed could not have happened. But I”m sure you think the government paid them all off. Let’s see we probably caused Hurricanes Katrina too. I am not opposed to Conspiracy theories in general. I think JFK stuff is raelly fishy… and other things are as well. But 9/11 hits a really sore spot for a lot of people. That is a big fight for people to choose. I was here that day. I watched as the 2nd plane hit the tower. My heart when into my stomach and most of us went through depression. Life as we knew it stopped. I had to fly as soon as the planes went back to running. I was one of the very few flying then. I would sit and talk to the stewards and stewardesses on my many trips. Americans were petrified to fly. Our own government had nothing to do with this. But of course I’m not going to change your mind.
Hi Zabs,
Please don’t take these comments personally as you are obviously in the “better then average” people I usually see coming out from the States. Truth is, what I see coming ut of America is the exact same of what we have here also. Just magnified cause you guys are a bigger country and the fact that whatever happens in the States is splashed all over our TV screens for some reason.
For the record, these are the things I can’t stand:
Right Wing Christian Republicans who think the Republican Party is God’s gift to humanity. This is usually portrayed as the Southern Baptists going nuts against anything to do with Democrats. When will these people see that they are taken for a joy ride in their allegiance to the the Republican Party?
Isn’t Christianity above and beyond politics? Don’t these people understand that US foreign policy is determined independent of Party lines? While they squabble over issues like gay marriages, gun control and abortion rights (although the latter is a real sensitive issue with me) millions of Americans are caught up in the rhetoric of politics oblivious to the BEYOND partisan effects of US government.
Bush invaded Afghanistan under the pretense of UBL plotting the destruction of the US with 911. Yet how many people actually know that UBL is on the FBI’s most wanted list for reseans OTHER then 911. In fact, 911 isn’t even mentioned as to the reasons he is wanted. Don’t you find that absolutely weird?
Clinton authorised the bombing of Belgrade via NATO. This is an issue close to me as I am of Eastern European decent. So here we have a bunch of Islamic thugs threatening to take over a State of Serbia and it’s leader sets out to defend his country. The result? Serbia is bombed by US led NATO.
The equivalent to this is that Florida is declared to be a seperate Islamic nation. Bush goes in to stop this threat and Russia bombs Washington.
There is so much more to talk about US foreign policy but to the average American, Foreign Policy doesn’t mean jack cause it doesn’t affect them.
No, the average American is too busy getting tangled in loans they can’t service because of their greed and to keep up with the Jone’s - thereby puting the entire financial world on tender hooks. When the market crashes due to subprime mortgages, think of the rest of the world who had to suffer due to the greed out of the US.
Now I’m not saying everyone is like this in the US. I know there are heaps of people totally opposite to this living a life of financial stewardship. But you put capatilism into the hands of the largest democracy in the world and chaos is the end result.
Australia is like the US also but on a much smaller scale cause we are a much smaller country. Trust me, we are not exempt here from the same kind of people.
When I finished my Uni degree in Management, I concluded that business is a psychological disease. The pursuit of profits for share holder return on investment is the ultimate pursuit of any business. Add to this the power hungry CEO’s of many businesses and you are left with an environment of total depravity.
Jesus said the love of money is the root of all evil. This root spreads to the denial of unethical practices resulting in slave labour and trade. People’s lives are being destroyed in the pursuit of sales targets, profits, manufacturing increases and cost cutting. And we do all this to make us more valuable on the stock market therefore appeasing our owners and pump more money into our companies - only now it comes with a greater need to perform then before therefore repeating the cycle again and again until we all crack.
I used to work in the pharmaceutical industtry - my two biggest sellers was Prozac for depression and Zyprexa for schizophrenia. By 2020 mental illness will be the biggest killer of mankind due to the pressures we face as a human being in this capitalist, democratic reality we call the West.
Can you imagine how I wanted to scream when I saw management laugh as they talked about the mental illness market is about to sky rocket and we should all expect great sales?
So I guess my rant, from this angle, happens to fall on the US by default as the birth place of democratic capitalism. It’s infect the whole world as it appeals to the fallen human nature we all have - it’s all about me.
As to my opinions of the “average American”, yes I have spent time there as well as reseaching a whole bunch on American culture, politics, sub cultures, history and art.
To look better to the rest of the world is to admit that the average American is very insular - they don’t care much nor know much about the rest of the world. When I was in the States, I was always asked about kangaroos and if they jump in my back yard.
I live in Melbourne. A city of 4 million people - voted the most liveable city in the world year after year. We are known as “the Paris of the Southern Hemisphere” due to our culture and love for arts, sport and fashion.
For me to see a knagaroo, I need to go to the zoo or I see one which has been run over and has its insides spilt over the road when I travel in remote areas. A lot of Americans see Australia through the eyes of Crocodile Dundee. You just don’t know how stupid a lot of American’s come across to people outside the US. I’m sorry, but that’s just the truth. I’m sure you would come to the same conclusion if you saw things from my angle.
In saying that, again I emphasise that the best of the world also comes from the States. I have no issue in admitting this fact. I never said that the average Australian is better then the average American. My point is that the average American is a whole lot more defined and known to the world then the average Australian.
As for 911 and Katrina (you made me chuckle with that comment), I want to elaborate. I’m not saying that scores of experts were paid off. But what I am saying is that scores of experst are also asking deep questions about what happened 6 years ago.
My heart goes out to you as you experienced the events of that day and have suffered the ramifications of it. My heart also goes out to the lives lost on that day. To the first responders who are dying every day due to the toxins they have enhaled as they tried to rescue people.
But because of the pain suffered, don’t you want to know the truth? Why isn’t UBL wanted for 911? Why did NORAD stand down any intervention once the first tower was hit? Why did the Towers freefall like a demolition instead of the pancake collapse which would have taken 10 times longer? What happened to WTC Building 7? Where is the plane wreckage at the Pentagon? Where is the plane wreackage of Flight 93?
Zabs, you and millions of people around the world were affected by 911. We all just want to know the truth. The US was drawn into WW2 with Pearl Harbour even though they knew that the Japanese were appraoching. As horrific as 911 was, Pearl Harbour was worse. And yet it was allowed to happen to curb public opinion of entering a war.
Don’t be fooled with 911. The net result of 911 is that the whole world has changed for the worse. Just look at APEC in Sydney. Australia became a police state cause Bush was in town. I encourage you to do your research in your own Constitutional Rights and how they have been absolutely crushed by the Patriot Act and Homeland Security. Did you read the other day that parts of the Patriot Act were abolished by a Federal Judge as they allowed for a Police State reality?
Bush has sold your national sovereignty. Get used to the idea of being mingled with Canadians and Mexicans from now on. Did you know that you now have 100 Mexican truck companies with thousands of trucks on your roads with truck drivers not assesed to US standards? Do you want your streets to be like this?
Did you elect Bush to do all this? Problem is though that Republican or democratic Presidents would do the same. Clinton signed thousands of Executive Orders in his terms to allow Bush to do what he is doing now. While the public forms opinions alonf party lines, they are blinded to the agenda’s beyond party lines.
But no. Zealous right wing Christians put their hands up for the Republican vote because it’s the right thing to do as a Christian in America. Is the same thing happening in Australia? Probably.
Bush, being from Texas, is not an excuse for his two gaffs. He clearly mentioned OPEC instead of APEC and he clearly said Austrian instead of Australian. One day, I will collect all the gaffs he has made. As the most powerful man in the world, it’s a bit of a joke that he doesn’t know his facts.
Finally, Zabs, I seriously don’t want to offend you in all me comments here. You are not the typical American I rant against. You are my sister in Christ and I love you and your family because of Jesus. You have your passions and convictions and are surrounded by many wonderful people. I see in you an alarming response as to why I wrote these things. And I respect that cause I would do the same if I was in your shoes.
Like I said before, the best of humanity also comes from the US and I’m stoked for that. I guess it all comes down to the depravity of mankind - not the US. But because the US in so in my face all the time, I can comment only in what I see.
It’s like the Israelites. So many times I bet people have said out load or in their hearts that they are a bunch of whacko’s in their dealings with God. Problem is though, God was writing their biography - the good , bad and ugly.
With the US being to world’s only super power, the good, bad and ugly is also on display.