From: makinc@hhcs.gov.au (Carl Makin)
Newsgroups: alt.peeves
Subject: Re: Mechanics and their ilk
Date: 1 Sep 92 14:15:21 +1000
Organization: Aust. Dept. Health, Housing and Community Services

In article <1992Aug31.235224.27677@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>, curtis@berkeley.edu (Curtis Yarvin) writes:

>> A major result of power is the unthinking arrogance displayed by
>> said country's leaders
 
> No, sirree.  Our arrogance is professionally designed and
> mathematically calculated.  

I see, a carefully crafted cover of blatant bastardry to the rest
of the world.
 
>>which is ingrained into it's citizens by a greedy and parochial
>>media.
 
> Oh?  So what's Rupert Murdoch, then?  Perhaps a little less
> parochialism would be in order.

Murdoch's a Yank.  An immigrant from Aus to the US true but now a
Yank.  Like Greg Norman, Olivia Newton-John and Peter Allen.

Peeve: The local media calls anybody successful overseas an
"Australian" even if they only piddled here once when they were a
toddler. :-(  Thus we are constantly informed that "Australian
Golf Star Greg Norman" won another golf tournament recently (or
lost more likely) etc.  Bloody annoying. 
 
[US Media]
> with, you'd know that it's one of the few in the world that
> prides itself on remaining free of slant.  Most of the bias in
> US media can be found in what it chooses to show and what it
> doesn't.  US TV only shows what its viewers are interested in
> seeing.  

Really!  We get some US news programs (like NBC Today).  Even a
casual glance displays a severe lack of opposing viewpoints. 
This is not confined to the US though. :-(  As I said before the
local media is going the same way.  It's not unusual to watch a
couple of the news programs on local channels and get totally
different slants on the same news story.  Fortunately we have a
large multicultural broadcasting service with an excellent
Australian and world news team and we also have Radio Australia. 
Both do try to provide all sides to a story.

>          Incognoscenti Americans may be surprised to find that
> foreigners, accustomed to a lifetime of Soviet-style tractor
> manufacturing documentaries, consider this a sin.

I'm not sure what yo mean by this.  The majority of TV programs
shown in Australia come from the US.  Some of us just consider
extended navel gazing a poor joke for a balanced view of the
world.
 
> Does Big Brother still control the TV in Oz?  I thought so.

It's controlled less than the US media.  There are content
restrictions in certain time periods and an Australian content
requirement (20% I think, same as the radio stations) but
otherwise it's pretty much free slather.
 
> Actually I've lived almost half my life abroad.  It's left me

Where?

> You can't work up much furious conviction from just having been
> told that the rest of the planet is an uncivilized backwater;
> when you go and see it, and find out that (lo and behold)
> it _really is_ an uncivilized backwater, a deeper impression
> is made.

I think our definitions of "civillised" differ.  There are other
forms of civillisation than the "American Dream".

> I must confess, though, that my opinion of the South Seas
> was derived largely from the paintings of Gauguin.  

Try visiting some time.  But leave your preconceptions at home.

> Have another coconut, Carl.

Uh thanks.  It's quite nice actually.  Here, try a banana.
 
>>(Even more amusing is watching tourists from the US midwest :-)
 
> Now there's another uncivilized backwater for you.  From my
> jingoistic rants about the planetary sticks it shouldn't
> be concluded that everyone in the US is perfectly civilized.
> We, however, have the balls to admit it.  Hell - we've got
> the balls to brag about it.

In the majority of the world that's not considered "Balls",  it's
considered bad taste.

Every country has it's spread of "civilisation" however I'd be
reluctant to put up a place like Sydney or Melbourne as prime
examples. :-(

Carl.
-- 
Carl Makin, MVS/ESA Systems Programmer, VAX/VMS Dabbler. 
Dept. Health, Housing and Community Services, Canberra, Australia.
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Newsgroups: alt.peeves