In practice, I’m not so sure. Most countries – and I think Australia is no exception – aren’t interested in people who are already of retirement age; they want someone who can contribute to the economy for a couple of decades before needing services. While some exceptions are made for certain in-demand professions like IT, they have their limits. Some countries have an old-school requirement that you have an in-country sponsor (read: employer who has already made you an offer) and independent consulting and such doesn’t compute. It isn’t just a matter of pulling up stakes and moving someplace. Even with friendly personal invites
But I appreciate the thought.
Fortunately for me, staying clear of public places is kind of a “thing” anyway. This morning, my wife ran across a video of a knock-down, drag-out free-for-all fight around an airport baggage carousel, and yesterday a confrontation between a driver and pedestrian that ended in a shooting. It does feel like the social contract is unraveling here; it’s hard to know if I’m seeing more of this because social media is seeking it out and “puffing” it or things are really getting that crazy. Though it seems like such things shouldn’t happen, much less happen more than other places, to begin with.
All I know is when the occasional fireworks go off around here something’s in the back of my head that didn’t used to be: is someone having a gunfight? Even in my small-ish town, people have ended up dead with a bullet in the head, people who don’t have an arrest record, for the “crime” of taking a walk at wrong time.
It just feels worse
There. And here.
Maybe because its more noticeable and called out in the media more often.
But calling out the shitty behaviour isn’t always a bad thing.
Maybe it will spur people to realize that just being civil to each other shouldn’t be that hard.
We can disagree about whether governments should raise taxes or lower them, whether gun ownership should require background checks or not, and all kinds of other issues.
But “dont shoot your neighbour” shouldn’t be that hard
Isn’t this the definition of “terrorize” ? And the goal of terrorists
Domestic or otherwise
To install fear in the citizens usually with a political aim
And where things seem to be landing
Well, we have a trend towards more and more extremism, unfortunately also on forums. Extremism is probably wrong, more like absolutism. Everyone has a lease on the truth, whoever disagrees shouldn’t scroll, just shut up. Not nice, but for me THE reason why you shouldn’t put a gun in these people’s hands.
If I remember well, it was for a different reason. The young generation questioned the old authorities. In Germany, the 68s movement aimed at breaking the power of those who made it from Nazi Germany to positions in the administration and economy of the new born Republic, and still promoted their old ideas. The 70s were different, with groups who resorted to violence and terrorism as means of promoting their ideas.
Today, we are heading back to nationalism and that is dangerous!
Yes although I doubt most of the miscreants see their role as terrorizing, they are just “loosing it” because they hate their lives, their jobs, and the world, etc. and they more and more often snap. There are politicians and corporate overlords other actors who are making their lives that way and want the chaos to distract from how they are extracting the last farthing from labor and the environment. They want people at each other’s throats so that no one will be at THEIRS.
In the then-far-away (to me) big cities, especially on the Left Coast, and in the deep South … as a kid growing up in the north central midwest, I could pretty much ignore it.
I think a good portion of that was legit protest anyway, with excess pearl-clutching by the media and the usual over-reaction by police. This is just … stupid stuff like, you looked at me the wrong way, or you’re “too woke” or too different, so here, let me hit you with a baseball bat.
I have to correct you, the government rules with 7 parties;
MR - PS - Ecolo - Open-VLD - Vooruit - Groen - CD&V
This government is completely unworkable. What’s more, the last months it is scandal after scandal. All those politicians seem to enrich themselves on the cost of the tax-payer, and worse, they also serve their friends.
If you want to know or see what corruption and fraud mean, look to Belgium and their six governments. There are only greedy politicians except for the PVDA/PTB.
The highest tax rates in the world and a bloodred budget, which the normal taxpayer has to pay. Election results are changed in favour of the ruling class. Do I have to say more?
They accuse the PVDA/PTB to be communist parties, however both parties rule in the best interest of the normal citizens while the other serves rich and businesses.
No, Jeannot, I did not forget the King. In Belgium, the King stands as the symbol of unity: the present King and Queen, Filip and Matilde, rule the monarchy very well. They are true representatives/ambassadors for Belgium in the world.
I do not want to criticize the present King and Queen because I agree with how they rule the monarchy.
Yes, tt’s true that for decades the country has only remained halfway united because of the king, and after all his father has now also acknowledged the paternity of his illegitimate daughter, so everything is finally improving.
