May 2013
1 post
The failure to understand the United States is our...
Over the past year, the United States has seen some terrible acts of gun violence; amongst the worst in its domestic history. These acts have been callous, indescribable, and far too regular for anyone’s liking. The rest of the world has watched on in despair, with disbelief and without any real ability to comprehend. The mythology that surrounds such an act opens a platform for public discourse...
September 2012
1 post
12 tags
Please Don't Make It Any Harder For Us...
I write this as someone who has had quite a tumultuous relationship with religion, to say the least. Religion and I go together like chalk and cheese. It has never worked between us. We went on a couple of dates when I was younger, but outside of the primary school scripture classroom, nothing really eventuated. Despite this, over the past few years of my life I have had my own ‘enlightenment’,...
August 2012
1 post
9 tags
America: a land of contradictions
How does one begin to reflect on the United States as a whole? This is not an easy task, and perhaps not a task that many people are qualified to do. However, having spent six weeks in Los Angeles, I have begun to try and understand what it is that accounts for the diversity and exceptionalism of the U.S. With my active interest in the United States, there looms the threat of over-analysing,...
July 2012
13 posts
7 tags
Disneyland: A Reflection on America
Walt Disney said in 1955 that, ‘Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world…’
From this moment, it was clear that Disneyland was, and is, more than just a theme park. It is a symbolic place that encapsulates American idealism. It is meant to represent what the...
10 tags
Why Politics Won’t Fix Gun Control
The shootings in a Colorado cinema earlier this week that cost the lives of twelve Americans understandably sparked an outpour of emotion across the United States. Flags remain at half-mast, newspapers are filled with back-to-front coverage, and politicians are full of sympathy. However, a notable difference in the way that this issue is approached in domestic media here in the United States,...
6 tags
Voting: A Democratic Right or a Civic Duty?
I came to the United States still undecided on how I felt about compulsory voting, and whether it is a good idea or not. Over the past three weeks, I have spent a lot of time thinking about the issue, and deliberating over it in my head in some depth. However, I am still unable to reach a solid conclusion as to where I stand – and this is perhaps because I am not yet educated enough on all of the...
Income Inequality in the USA - GQ Magazine →
Ignorance is Bliss
“You’re from Australia? I really want to go to Sydney. I’m going to study in Rome, which is good because then I can just catch the Eurail to Sydney whenever I want.”
This is not really a statement that I would expect from someone studying at UCLA; a school ranked among the very best in the world. The geographical ignorance evident here opens a Pandora’s box...
Patriotism
Patriotism is something that Americans do well. This is clear to many already, but the extent to which this is the case really only became clear to me today. I attended a baseball game at Dodgers’ Stadium in Los Angeles earlier this evening for American Independence Day. I am not a sports fiend by any means, however it is virtually impossible for one to not be caught up in the fervour of...
Obamacare: The Controversy
This past week has been an invaluable week to be in the U.S., as the Supreme Court of the United States voted to uphold a large part of Obamacare (President Obama’s healthcare reform). This means that there now will exist an ‘individual mandate’ on people to purchase health insurance (or the companies that they work for to purchase it for them), otherwise they will be...
Religion in America
The United States is truly an exceptional nation when it comes to religion. The influence and presence of Christianity and evangelism here is considerably notable, and broad observations of America’s political landscape can assist one in reaching a conclusion such as this.
However, I did not think that this would exist to the same extent on a university campus. This is a little narrow-minded of...
June 2012
1 post
First week observations...
America is an interesting place. Of course, I was aware of this previously. Most people are. The confidence of the American people in their country and the structure of their government - at the very least, the democratic fervour that is believed to be its centrepiece - could not be greater. This in itself helps to fuel the idea of America being an exceptional place. What some of us may perceive...
