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Sankari

Listed below are comments made by Sankari between Wednesday, 5th November 2008 and Friday, 26th December 2008.

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Growing tall 8:24pm on 26 Dec 2008 The so-called "Tall Poppy Sydrome" never truly existed; it's a myth created by decades of cultural cringe.

Bryant's article lists Clive James and Germaine Greer as victims of TPS (but does not explain why). This is very odd, since neither of them remotely qualifies for such a distinction.

Clive James left Australia for the UK because - like so many young men of his generation - he wanted to visit the mother country, and ended up staying there. He was wildly popular then, and remains wildly popular now. Australia has never disowned him, and has ever celebrated his success.

Germaine Greer was a minor celebrity before arriving in the UK, having already distinguished herself in various social and political arenas. A darling of Australia's leftist movements, she was considered a champion of feminism.

She moved to the UK after winning a Commonwealth Scholarship which enabled her to fund a doctorate at Cambridge. Like James, she was not forced out; like James, she left in a shower of glory; like James, she was popular with the Australian public, which was celebrating her many successes even as she was leaving it behind.

Over the years, Greer has become something of a grumpy old woman and (ironically) the sort of post-feminist feminist that later post-feminist feminists would come to abhor. She has also developed a peculiar chip on her shoulder about Australia, which she bashes relentlessly at any given opportunity. If anything, the issue is with her attitude towards us, not ours towards her.

Having said that, I must commend Greer for her excellent dissection of the so-called epic film "Australia". First class work there. Now if only she could extend that objectivity to the rest of the nation.
A history day? 10:43am on 06 Nov 2008 Post #17; Akil wrote: "Frankly I'm not convinced by all this talk of history in the making".

The first black president of the USA. An unprecedented historical event. If that's not history in the making, what is?

"Is it really so astonishing that a "black" man can become president of the USA?"

Yes. Particularly considering that America's apartheid system is a living memory for many voters.
Live from Phoenix 09:03am on 06 Nov 2008 Post #7; vcm1967a wrote: "She is... and she does. Never mind the fact that she is an attractive woman. Even I will not deny this.

Never mind that she allegedly abused executive power as Governor of Alaska for personal gain.

Never mind that the "great unwashed" in this country will continue to run those aforementioned bake sales and gush "Golly! She's just like me!"

To this, I would tell those people...

"No. She's not like you. Far from it. She is a woman who wears clothes that cost as much as you make in a month... that is, if you have not lost your job by now.

She is a woman who is very aware of the power she has, and is not afraid to use it against you or your loved ones to get what she wants.

She is a woman who uses religion as a tactic to scare you into adopting her ideals."

No, actually, instead of telling them, I think I would grab them by the shoulders, shake them a bit, then yell in their faces. Maybe they would get it... maybe not. but then, you can't save everyone... even if you try".

Very well said. Couldn't have put it better myself!

"Oh!! In answer to your query. Walter Mondale had his butt handed to him in the 1984 election. Although he did well in the popular vote, he only carried 10 electoral votes to Ronald Reagan's 525 electoral votes".

Thanks. :)
A history day? 09:01am on 06 Nov 2008 Popst #4; Erda_speaks wrote: "First of all: the long view of history will some day completely vindicate George W. Bush".

May I ask - HOW?

Two failed invasions (one of them illegal), crumbling national infrastructure, one of the world's lowest levels of social mobility, a morally bankrupt administration now infamous for its corruption, the antagonism of Islamic militants and terrorists all over the world, the complete failure to prevent America's worst terrorist attack despite clear warning signs many months in advance, 46 million Americans without health insurance, and an economy on the brink of collapse which has caused unprecedented damage to the economies of many countries worldwide.

That is the legacy of George W Bush.

Yet you believe he will be vindicated? I ask again: how? And for what?

Who could defend such an abysmal track record?
Morphing America? 07:08am on 06 Nov 2008 Post #98; Jeebers76 wrote: "Moreover, the USA has had a single civil war in 200 years, yet it's composed of people from all over the globe with radically differing backgrounds".

I can beat that. My own country (Australia) has *never* had *any* civil war at all, in more than 200 years of history.

And we are one of the most multicultural nations on earth; a nation of immigrants (25% of Australians were born overseas).
Morphing America? 07:01am on 06 Nov 2008 Post #80; ladycm wrote: "Weird, a European who is snobby and claims to know all 300,000 million Americans; w e i r d".

No.

The population of the USA is around 301 million, not 300,000 million.

300,000 million would be 300 billion. The population of our entire planet comes to a little under 6 billion.
Morphing America? 06:57am on 06 Nov 2008 Post #66; Via-Media wrote: "I think the exact quote: "those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it."
-George W. Bush"

No.

The quote is misquoted, and the attribution is wrong.

It was George Santayana (not George W Bush) who first wrote: "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it".
Morphing America? 06:44am on 06 Nov 2008 Post #7; Dame_Maggie_Thatcher wrote: "European countries be afraid, because Americas spending power will be much less when we're heavily taxed. No more Jaguars or Volvos or IKEA for us".

As someone has already pointed out, Volvo is now owned by Ford (an American company).

I would like to add that Jaguar is now owned by Tata Motors (an Indian company) and IKEA is a cheap furniture shop; it does not sell luxury goods.

If a few less Yanks buy an Ektorp sofa over the next few years, I doubt that the Swedes will really care - or even notice.
Live from Phoenix 08:51am on 05 Nov 2008 Post #5; Merthyrmiddleeast wrote: "Concur on the Sarah Palin comment made in #3 and wonder if #1 is at all serious".

Half serious. I don't want that woman anywhere near the White House, and I certainly don't think she should be running in anything more sophisticated than a village cake-baking competition.

But I believe she is ambitious, and she does have a rudimentary support base.

Regardless of what the larger Republican party wants, she may decide to launch a presidential bid in 4 years' time. There have been some mutterings on this subject over the past week or so.

All I can say is, thank goodness Obama won - and won convincingly. McCain hasn't just been defeated; he's been utterly crushed. Can anyone remember when a presidential candidate was so overwhelmingly destroyed in the polls? I'd be interested to know.
Live from Phoenix 04:19am on 05 Nov 2008 Well, that's it; McCain is yesterday's man. A mere irrelevance now.

Palin's people had better start getting ready for her 2012 run.

Congratulations Obama.

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