No one disagreed with Joe that he doesn't see homeless people in Brisbane. That there are homeless people in Brisbane is beyond dispute though.

Why is there a cultural difference between the homeless of Brisbane and the homeless of Boston? Joe assumes, and his neurosis always kicks in on these matters, that there is something wrong with America and that's why. However, there is food and aid available for anyone that chooses it in the US and more so in any large city.

There are churches in nearly every city, for example, that pass out free lunches and dinners every day to homeless (and economically disadvantaged) people. Some people choose that route and others beg for change. I couldn't tell you why some homeless people refuse free food and others don't. Cultural manifestations the result of either untold causes or random events. There is some level of acceptance for panhandling in the US. An entire culture exists in many cities where people play music
(some quite well) for money on the streets. Why does that exist in one place and not another? Even in the US there is no such uniformity of such cultural practices from city to city or state to state.

Of course, Joe will next be trying to convince people that homelessness originated in the US.

One question, though. Where do they get money for booze?

Funny. True. :thumbsup

You say it's the opposite? Come on!

One of the latest example that proves you're wrong is that in a few weeks US invaded and defeated Iraq which is a country that lies thousands of km from US. Should I mention the destruction of taliban leadership? It didn't take four years.

Tibet is being canceled from the map by the chinese government. And you say things don't change fast in our times?

In this century the map of Eastern Europe changed many times, a new ideology (communism) was born and died. Let me remind you communism conquered nearly half of the world.

Strange days we live in. (Dis)information rules the public opinion and can convince it to do whatever the governments want to do.

I love the US and its people but I hate its governement and I hate the NRA, I wish I could pee on Charlton Heston grave. Bush and the republicans are not the only dumb monkeys ruling their country. Look in Italy, Rwanda and many countries. It's time for the new generation to kick some butt.

BTW - You won't see people asking for hand outs in orlando. Why? Because they outlaw it. I would check your local laws there in Australia (as well as other places) as they may have done the same. Any place where you have a lot of homeless and no begging is usually because of the law and not because "you have a better homeless ethic."

Still sore after all these centuries :1orglaugh :1orglaugh :1orglaugh

Colin has a good point that there IS food and shelter for every US homeless person in this country. That is a fact. So, why do they beg? Because it is profitable! Americans make more money on average and are more generous with that money. It is dual-sided. You have people that are willing to beg for it and you have people that are willing to give it out. The homeless that beg get more "benefit" from this than they do from going to the homeless shelters and getting free room and board and food. Simple. (?)

Interestingly enough it's also the best example of communist institutions I have ever seen.

When I was in Germany, I saw a lot of people begging for money. I was actually suprised by the number of young kids that were out begging. They would often go from subway to subway car asking people for hand outs.

In the netherlands many of them slept in the railway stations.

In France you get mobbed by homeless people begging for money if you walk anywhere near the eiffle tower.

The worst I've seen it here was in Venice beach california - unreal number of people sleeping in the parks and on the beach who were obviously homeless.

One thing to consider - many of these people dropped out of society because they wanted to - not neccesarily because they were forced to.

I read an article in the NY Times recently about these homeless transients who migrate to warmer climates in the winter and come north in the summer.

They hang out in cities - do odd jobs and also beg for money. They pretty much choose to do what they do - and don't like shelters because of the rules that get forced on them and the fact that they can apparently be more dangerous than the street at times.

You can't prove something a comparison right by only showing one side of the comparison.

In ancient times there were both quick wars and long protracted ones just like today. The US made quick work of the regular Iraqi military yet just a few decades ago could not defeat Vietnam in a protracted war lasting more than a decade itself. The USSR has one of the mightiest militaries on the planet and yet could not defeat Afganistan in a bloody nine year long war. Think about that. The USSR could not defeat Afghanistan in 9 years and Caesar defeated the Gauls in a much shorter time frame. Hitler defeated Poland in a month and yet fought against Russia for years. I think the evidence is that wars can be just as long and bloody in modern times and in ancient. There are plenty of examples.

The difference however is the reaction of the international community after a war. There is a paradigm popularized by Woodrow Wilson that today's borders should be tomorrow's borders. We've seen it time and time again. After a war, there is usually an attempt to reestablish the semblance of the pre-war borders. When the US and allies defeated Iraq in 1991, they did not demand territory.

In this sense borders change slower and last longer than in the times of Caesar, Alexander, Darius, or even Genghis Kahn.

Sorry, I thought you could reach Google from where you are :

http://www.chpa.org.au/general.html

Coca Cola and Hollywood movies do more for US cultural imperialism than a B2 Bomber ever can. :2 cents: