I like that idea.

I totally agree except for it being mandatory. I also take voting very seriously and do it every election cycle but if the government were forcing me to, I'd tell them to fuck off and stay home. I think a lot of other Americans would feel the same way especially those who don't bother to vote as it is. I don't think it's possible to force Americans to do something they don't want to do and I think it's unamerican to force them.
I'm all for increasing voter turnout but I don't think mandatory voting is the way to do it.

@RoboGraham It will be just like having to file taxes. You can say fuck off and stay home but you will have to pay a penalty and maybe more. But most will vote who did not vote before.

@St-Sinner Perhaps, but the discussion is moot because the conservatives know that more people voting is disastrous for them politically so they will never allow it to happen.

@RoboGraham Correct. That was my point too. Voting will do good not to the right but to being right.

@St-Sinner Yeah good point. I like that. So in the absence of the ability to make voting mandatory in order to get more people to the polls, the next best thing is to nominate candidates who represent very popular ideas and who are in support of fundamental changes to our current corrupt system. Give the disillusioned a reason to vote, that's how we win.

When the Queen dies, will you still have her birthday celebration holiday or will it switch to whoever the next monarch will be? Is she even your Queen? I thought you Ozzie separated from the UK and all that royal nonsense long ago.

@RoboGraham When Mrs Queen dies it will continue. It’s the second Monday in June and is a celebration of the monarch’s birthday starting with George III. It became static date after George V I think.

Australia is a constitutional monarchy. At some time Australia will become independent but probably not until after Mrs Queen’s demise.

Then it will probably be called Independence Day or somesuch

@Geoffrey51 Oh wow, I assumed Australia was a republic. So weird that an entire continent is politically subordinate to an island. Canada is in the same position I think? How do Australians feel about this? Is there love and loyalty to the crown or does it just seem like an irrelevant holdover from the past?
As an American, I don't care for King George III. I think you guys should drop the monarch celebration holiday and replace it with election day. I heard that voting is mandatory in Australia and many Australians use the occasion to do some very heavy drinking, is this true?

@RoboGraham The thing about Australia is they don’t really care. The general culture is very laissez faire. The most important things are looking after your mates and family and cricket. Sport is the most important thing in the world and far outweighs any concerns about politics.

Voting is mandatory and always on a Saturday. Like anything it’s a very good reason for a barbie and a get together, regardless of the event.

Having lived most of my life in England, and spent time in USA and mainland Europe, I wouldn’t be anywhere else. The whole culture can be summed up in two phrases “She be right, mate’ and good on ya, mate’

@Geoffrey51 I wish I lived in such a laid back society where politics is no big deal. For us, being the worlds superpower, the repercussions of who we select to represent us are just so significant. And we have to be worried about these crazy evangelicals who want to turn our world upside down.

I like those two phrases better than our national phrase, "git er done".

I'm curious, how do Australians feel about our great president, the man who has all the best words, donald trump?

@RoboGraham Generally the consensus is that he is a complete idiot and waste of space, but in true Australian form, if he were in the pub they would relentlessly take the piss, especially about his hair, buy him a drink, slap him on the back and say ‘she be right, mate!’

Then say something along the lines of ‘so enough of all that bullshit, mate, should Steven Smith get another crack at being Australian captain?’

This would be a reference to the Australian cricket captaincy. By far more important than impeachment and fake news!

@Geoffrey51 Meaning no offense, it is insane to me that people view the question of who is leader of a sports game as more important than who is leader of the country with the largest and most destructive military on the planet. I guess that's the sort of mentality that develops for a people who are living on a continent in the middle of an ocean far removed from everything else. Sounds like a wonderful place to be.

Is it difficult to become an Australian? Does one need to be a cricket fanatic to get in? What is cricket? Some sort of weird baseball right?

@RoboGraham it’s a very ‘live in the now’ culture. The climate helps because there are other things to do than concern yourself with what the rest of the planet are doing. To be honest, Australians would think it insane to worry about things over which you have no control.

Sadly, Australia will take its orders from America and grow stronger ties with for China for trade. But that’s what being in the Pacific is all about.

Cricket is engrained in the colonies invented in England. The traditional format for a cricket match was played over 5 days with each team of eleven men having two innings. The only real comparison with baseball is that someone hurls a ball, someone his it with a bat and then two people run. The big rivalry, which goes deeper in the collective consciousness than the sporting event itself, is The Ashes. A test series over five matches between Australia and England.

If you were to watch it uninitiated you would wonder what on earth is going on.

It is quite difficult as one needs to have family or a spouse who is Australian, or a company to sponsor your application, you also need to have work set up. Once here you apply for a temporary visa which lasts for two years, you must then apply for a permanent resident visa. A little while after that you can apply to become an Australian citizen.

One doesn’t need to be a cricket fan, but it helps socially. Australians don’t really care who you are so long as you are honest and up front about who you are. To take advantage of someone is the worst offence on the planet.

@Geoffrey51 Well that's wonderful. Good on ya mate.

@RoboGraham No worries, mate, see ya ‘round!