Congratulations America on an historic day!

[urunobili]

Racism is a world issue. So the entire world is happy.

HOPE over FEAR for the whole world!

[Southwest Texas Fan]

Whatever the relationship between yours and your new president's politics, his inauguration is an historic day for your country, and because of its influence, for the world. Congratulations! May it signify a step towards a better future for all.

PS No, I'm naive naive or optimistic enough to believe that anything will really change, but one must hold out hope...

PPS Please don't use this thread to get into a political slinging match - that is not the point. The point is that less than 50 years ago your country had segregated schools and open racial discrimination, and today you have an African-American president. Obama's election signifies an incredible transformation in your country that should be celebrated.

PPPS I am not -stirring, I am sincere. The world outside the US is very happy today.

I salute you man. I think the US has come a long way in terms of race relations but still has a long way to go, but Obama is a good start.

[romad_20]

Don't overstate things. There are plenty of countries with race relations as good as or better than the US, but the US has come a uva long way since Rosa Parks.

That may be true, but I don't think I'm overstating the fact that America is made up of a very diverse group of people who have a very large number of differences and are, in general, quite tolerant of all of them. Those other countries that have better race relations are not dealing with the number of people or cultures that America does. America also makes changes when necessary, and quickly, relatively speaking.

That's not to say America still doesn't have problems, but to act like we're catching up with the rest of the world on race relations is simply not true.

[Darrin]

Yeah it is a historical day, but I find it funny that he was raised by a white mother and his real father left him. Why is it so historical....because he has some black in him?

Bush laid down his power, for one. Two, he is the first to have any African blood to be in the office (American slavery, segregation, racism, and bigotry). Three, he's the first without a traditional nuclear family. Four, he's not from money or power. Five, he sounds like a Politician who truly loves the United States. Six, he's a man who speaks of conviction (without idealogy).

The man just broke some big barriers. He's the embodyment of the American idea that we can come from anywhere if we all live freely and in equality.

[tlongII]

Bush laid down his power, for one. Two, he is the first to have any African blood to be in the office (American slavery, segregation, racism, and bigotry). Three, he's the first without a traditional nuclear family. Four, he's not from money or power. Five, he sounds like a Politician who truly loves the United States. Six, he's a man who speaks of conviction (without idealogy).

The man just broke some big barriers. He's the embodyment of the American idea that we can come from anywhere if we all live freely and in equality.

I don't agree with that AT ALL! The dude's from the corrupt Chicago/Illinois political machine.

[DarkReign]

...I just cant get over the thread le and the use of "an" before a word that doesnt start with a vowel.

No offense.

[DarkReign]

That may be true, but I don't think I'm overstating the fact that America is made up of a very diverse group of people who have a very large number of differences and are, in general, quite tolerant of all of them. Those other countries that have better race relations are not dealing with the number of people or cultures that America does. America also makes changes when necessary, and quickly, relatively speaking.

That's not to say America still doesn't have problems, but to act like we're catching up with the rest of the world on race relations is simply not true.

This. Australia doesnt have near the minority population of the US taken as a percentage of poulation.

I had to google it....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demogra...#Ethnic_groups

Their largest, non-Anglo population are the Chinese at a whopping 3.37% of total population!

Yeeeah, our race relations would as awesome as Australia's too if our largest minority was less than 1 in 20. Its gets a bit more complicated as those numbers rise, I'd imagine.

For America's makeup

1 out of 5 people are either of African or Latino descent.

[Jekka]

It was pretty awesome.

[v2freak]

Yea thanks. So glad we are finally being met with some approval.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Sounds like a bit of a cop-out to me. It certainly hasn't happened yet.

And, as I said, it's unlikely to happen due to the very small indigenous population. Also, you continue to ignore the fact that your analogy is spurious anyway - Obama is not a native American.

What we do have is a number of Aboriginal members of Parliament, and about 1/4 of Parliamentarians are women including the Deputy PM.

I don't even know why I'm responding to your BS anyway, as I know you just enjoy -stirring.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

...I just cant get over the thread le and the use of "an" before a word that doesnt start with a vowel.

No offense.

Don't you know the rule - "an", not "a", technically goes before words starting with "h".

This. Australia doesnt have near the minority population of the US taken as a percentage of poulation.

I had to google it....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demogra...#Ethnic_groups

Their largest, non-Anglo population are the Chinese at a whopping 3.37% of total population!

Yeeeah, our race relations would as awesome as Australia's too if our largest minority was less than 1 in 20. Its gets a bit more complicated as those numbers rise, I'd imagine.

For America's makeup

1 out of 5 people are either of African or Latino descent.

Yeah, actually, not true. You wikied it - go to primary sources. That 3.37% number probably accounts for 1st generation immigrants only, an untrue picture of the true racial mix of the country, which should look at ethnicity.

From a 1999 paper on Australian ethnicity:

"...the Anglo-Celtic share has fallen from 90% in 1947... to 70% in 1999"

http://elecpress.monash.edu.au/pnp/f...7n4_3price.pdf

Australia has been importing 100,000-300,000 people a year since WW II, first Greeks, Italians, Serbs, Croats and other Eastern Europeans post-WW II, and for the last 30 years mostly south-east Asians (particularly Chinese, Thais, Vietnamese), with more and more central Asians (Indians, Pakistanis) and Middle-easterners recently. Most of our current refugee intake seems to be coming from the Sudan, whilst we also have an open door policy with NZ (which has an open door to the Pacific islands), so we also have a significant population of Pacific Islanders - Fijians, Tongans, Samoans, Maoris.

Walk down the street in any of the major cities and about 3/10 of the people you see are not of Anglo origin, and about half of the non-Anglos are of Asian descent. We have a diverse ethnicity because we are a nation of immigrants just like the US.

If you add ethnically Asian Americans to those of African and Latino descent, you'd probably reach that 3/10 mark too!

It was pretty awesome.

Incredible!

[baseline bum]

...I just cant get over the thread le and the use of "an" before a word that doesnt start with a vowel.

No offense.

It's usually pronounced with the h silent in this phrase, so using an makes sense.

[tlongII]

And, as I said, it's unlikely to happen due to the very small indigenous population. Also, you continue to ignore the fact that your analogy is spurious anyway - Obama is not a native American.

What we do have is a number of Aboriginal members of Parliament, and about 1/4 of Parliamentarians are women including the Deputy PM.

I don't even know why I'm responding to your BS anyway, as I know you just enjoy -stirring.

You're responding because you can't handle the truth.

[tlongII]

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/reso...australia.html

The site above cites the Australian white population as comprising 92% of the total.

[tlongII]

http://www.mdaa.org.au/publications/...t/general.html

Another 92% reference.

Name of Country Australia

Population Over 20 million (July 2005 estimate).

Government Democratic, federal system with the British monarch as head of state.

Ethnic Groups Caucasians dominate Australia's population at 92%, Asian peoples make up 7%, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) people less than 1% of the population.

Religions In NSW Christianity is the dominant religion (over 72%) with Anglicans and Roman Catholics accounting for 50% and other denominations 24.3%. Other significant religions are Buddhism (2.3%), Islam (2.2%), Hinduism (0.8%) and Judaism (0.5%). Over 11% of the State's population declared they had 'no religion' in the 2001 Census.

Languages English is the official language. About 20% of the population speak a language other than English at home. There were over 260 inter-related Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, the vast majority of which have disappeared, mainly as a result of government assimilation policies.

Life Expectancy Almost 80 years, but 20-50% lower for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

[DarkReign]

Don't you know the rule - "an", not "a", technically goes before words starting with "h".

Please dont take any offense to that comment, especially since I was dead wrong.

It's usually pronounced with the h silent in this phrase, so using an makes sense.

No, I havent. But I guess if you two say so, I must have missed that day in 3rd grade English. Still doesnt look or sound right to me, but meh. I'll take both your words for it.

[DarkReign]

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/reso...australia.html

The site above cites the Australian white population as comprising 92% of the total.

http://www.mdaa.org.au/publications/...t/general.html

Another 92% reference.

Yeah, Ruff. I googled australian demogrpahics. Not a single source comes close to your 70% figure.

Heck, CIA Factbook has Anglo's over 90% as well.

Its not nearly as diverse as you claim, seeing as your link is the only link that says otherwise.

[Darrin]

It was pretty awesome.

I'm green with envy. I was there in 2005 and didn't get anywhere near that close.

The sea of people was breathtaking watching it on C-SPAN.

Congratulations on surviving the trip! I hear it was cold!

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

That 70% anglo figure comes from a university paper from 1999 which I linked you to, the other links are from the UK and the Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW? C'mon, read the paper I linked you to, it's by an academic who specialises in ethnicity.

If you don't want to believe me, take a walk around an Australian street some time. We have a highly multicultural society.

Anyway, this thread was not meant to degenerate into a pissing contest so I'll leave it there.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

You're responding because you can't handle the truth.

You are such a tool. Your trolling is of the weakest variety.