Archive for December, 2007
December 11, 2007 at 7:54 pm · Filed under America, Issues Management, Globalisation, Australia
The US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney confirmed what I’ve known all along - Australian adore and deplore Americans. This week the centre released a study focusing on the likes and dislikes of Australians when considering America.
Fast food, foreign policy and popular culture are the top concerns. What’s interesting is “People and Popular Culture” are rated as the top like - as well as the top dislikes.
Sadly the view of USA government has dropped considerably. In 1986 some 62 percent had a favourable view of the USA government but by now that’s dropped 13% - just 49% have a favourable view.
It’s a shame that America’s status in the world has fallen so quickly. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11 the world opened its heart to America. Yet foreign policy and government policy have shattered that good faith. Almost daily I’m chided as an American for having elected President Bush - twice. It doesn’t matter if you voted for him or not. He represents your nation - you’re responsible.
It will take a decade to undo the damage of the past five years. I hope the next President elected has the strength and vision to return America to its rightful mantle of high opinion in the eyes of the world.
As for Australia it may be quicker and easier - there are so many similarities and so much mutual love between the two nations. In the meantime I’ll take it on the chin every time an Aussie gives me grief for being a Yank!
(Hint to fellow Yanks Down Under: It does NOT help to retort to Australians they;re just jealous because they’re not Americans - believe me. I’ve tried.)
December 4, 2007 at 7:21 pm · Filed under Social Media
Who else is using Windows Vista? I bought a new flash laptop that should be running like an elite athlete. It came loaded ith Winows Vista and instead of lapping my old PC the new one lags behind like an asthmatic. There’s so much processing powr required the Windows circle logo pops up and spins around at nearly every turn.
How bad is Vista?
December 3, 2007 at 5:34 pm · Filed under America, Australia
I maintain friendships with former colleagues at Ford Credit -we gather three or four times a year for a “virtual tea” and talk. This morning friends from Detroit, Nashville and London were asking how the new government in Australia will impact relations with America.
In some ways the shift is profound. Australia’s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change leaves the USA as the sole nation not having ratified this important agreement. The new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd came to office promising to remove troops from Iraq. The coalition of the willing just lost one nation. And the winning Labor Party is more socially progressive than the incumbent Liberal Party. Look forward to a raft of social changes up to and including gay marriage.
“The New York Times” carried the results on the cover of their electronic edition saying Bush ally loses power. Former Prime Minister made much of his close relationship with George Bush which culminated in the APEC conference here in Sydney in September. Sadly that gathering of political leaders was conducted within segments of the city walled off to the public by three meter high chain link fences.
Yet in many other ways the election changes nothing. The USA has a ring of allies encircling the Asa Pacific basin as a way of containing China. Australia’s remoteness, small population and abundant mineral wealth means we must maintain strong ties with America for defence purposes. Trade between the two nations is vital even if it is eclipsed by exports to China.
In family terms Australia and America are cousins - close enough to come to each others’ aid yet distant enough to live our own lives. But in the end family is family. We’ll always remain close despite our differences.
December 3, 2007 at 5:09 pm · Filed under Climate Change, Australia
The old saying that a week is a long time in politics is as true as ever. Yesterday Australia’s new government was sworn in. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has ratified Kyoto. The new cabinet includes a Minister for Climate Change and Water. Industrial relations laws will be rolled back.
Former Prime Minister John Howard not only lost the election for the Liberal Party - he lost his own seat. The losing Liberal Party is in tatters with new leadership and the loss of senior leaders. This once dominant party has lost almost all power - the Mayor of Brisbane holds the senior-most elected Liberal post.
And the economy is experiencing inflation, reduced corporate profits and a likely rise in interest rates (again).
It promises to be a rocky road for Kevin Rudd and his team - we all hope his team has the skills and determination to make the change while continuing Australia’s strong economic record.
December 2, 2007 at 10:52 pm · Filed under Issues Management, Learning to Blog, Social Media
Just like any neighbourhood, the social media ‘hood has some bad apples. Predators stalk the room pretending to be youthful teens when in fact they’re middle-age men (rarely women - usually men). It’s unusual to find a parent today who hasn’t installed an Internet monitoring system to guard their children against suspect sites.
Yet children aren’t the only ones being assaulted on social media sites. This week I lost a Facebook friend due to ongoing harassment. Antonio is in his late twenties and lives in Monaco. He found the ongoing litany of insulting messages too much to handle. On the weekend he sent a farewell message and disabled his account. He’d said our conversations (to help me practice my French) were the only sane ones he’d had on Facebook.
Recent media reports suggest up to 50% of all social media users post too many personal details on-line, making them susceptible to identity theft. Yet the growth of indecent messaging makes a walk through Facebook feel like a jaunt through 1980s Times Square. Before Disney cleaned up that neighbourhood it was all Beast and no Beauty.
The prevalence of n’aer-do-wells will be the biggest inhibitor of social media’s rise. And where bad things happen lawyers usually follow. It will be interesting to see how courts one day determine the liability of Facebook and MySpace should a virtual assault turn physical.
Thanks for visiting!
