Australian Treasurer uses 'bodyline' to increase anti-Pom sentiment and push Australian Republic

reply to post by alldaylong


I start talking another language about 9pm on a Saturday night, over here we call it triplicate.

Originally posted by kudegras
reply to post by HelenConway

 

Helen, we really dont hate the English. But over here it is a national sport. It is called P*mmy bashing and it has been here along time. Actually I have ancestors from Wiltshire and Hampshire so it's all only in fun.

I know all about Australia - trust me, I have lived there for many years.

I think many Australians do actually hate the English / British.

They used to say to me ' you Poms killed the aboriginals' and I used to say to them ' listen mate my ancestors stayed in England [ not quite true .. anyway] it was your ancestors who were the 'poms' who did x y and z '

Then they looked sort of stunned with realisation - I mean the sort of people that say things like that are frankly not thinking things through.. they were descended from the 'poms'

Maybe not so much now - Australia is very asian these days.

Do you know how many times people used to tell this joke

' where do poms hide their money
Answer: under their soap..'

I mean how is that funny or even accurate ?

Originally posted by kudegras
reply to post by alldaylong

 

Most of my family came out here after the English tried to massacre the Irish with the Potato famine.
I guess that's another reason to dislike the English, actually I take that back. Because if there wasn't a potato famine we could still be in Ireland ( No offence to the Irish) and sweltering in 8 degree weather.
Actually I like the Irish and the Scottish and if my brain could hear quick enough to understand what they are saying the Welsh, but the English well they're another kettle of kippers altogether.

The English tried to massacre the Irish with the potato famine? I think you will find that nature was the cause and not the English:-

en.wikipedia.org...

Don't let facts get in the way of your anti English feelings.

It's always been just a bit of (mostly) good natured rivalry between Oz and the UK, and of course the Aussie larikin dislike of stuffed shirt authority figures (tall poppy syndrome to some) but what better place to play it out than on a cricket pitch?

The republic proposal has been put to the people and was rejected by a majority mainly due to the model that was proposed and if the pollies can get that model right it just might make it the 2nd time round. At the very least, the people need to be able to vote for the president and then there's the issue of what that president's actual powers are. Simply calling the Governor General president and confining his/her duties to holding dinner parties at the lodge is never going to make it through IMHO.

Back to the topic.

I think it is a bloody stupid analogy for him to use to be honest. If he wanted to, he could have used much more pertinent material than the bodyline series - it is sport that was played within the rules. By the same token, we could therefore use the fact that Darren Lockyear realised British wings couldn't catch and insisted on kicking it high for years of tries in the corners as proof of Australian aggression and "cheating".

Back off topic again.......

Australia is brilliant (apart from the fauna!). Any nation that can invent a stubby holder that stops me getting my hand cold when drinking lager is a true wonder of humanity.

Wayne Swan is a wanker
No one should take any member of our current government seriously.

reply to post by alldaylong


Ah no, a bit more too it then just nature. The English confiscated land from the Irish in the 17th century and forced them to work under English Landlords. Those Landlords and future generations stayed on the land with the Irish living in abysmal conditions their only sustenance being Potatos and water.
The irish underclass starved when the Potato blight occurred as generally all they had was a simple cabin some land to grow potatos on and had to pay exorbitant rent to their overlords, The English or descendants of the English.
So yeah I would say, they were finishing off Oliver Cromwell''s handiwork.

reply to post by LeLeu


That goes for both sides Dude I agree.

Originally posted by HelenConway
Do you know how many times people used to tell this joke

' where do poms hide their money
Answer: under their soap..'

I mean how is that funny or even accurate ?

That sort of joke dates back to the days of the '10 pound poms' which was a post-war subsidised immigration scheme. Don't worry too much about it as all the 'new arrivals' here, regardless of origin, get exactly the same amount of ribbing. The 'soap' thing is primarily a climate issue and refers to the infrequent showering/bathing in an English winter (understandable if you're not living a life of privilege).
Another was the expression of thirst - 'throat's as dry as a pommy's towel'.
And how to tell a planeload of poms just landed? The whining continues after engines are shut down
(we had a lot of british newcomers who found the climate, the deadly creatures too much for them and complained incessantly).

You need a sense of humor here and most important is the ability to laugh at yourself as well as the determination to 'have a go'.

Originally posted by kudegras
reply to post by alldaylong

 

Ah no, a bit more too it then just nature. The English confiscated land from the Irish in the 17th century and forced them to work under English Landlords. Those Landlords and future generations stayed on the land with the Irish living in abysmal conditions their only sustenance being Potatos and water.
The irish underclass starved when the Potato blight occurred as generally all they had was a simple cabin some land to grow potatos on and had to pay exorbitant rent to their overlords, The English or descendants of the English.
So yeah I would say, they were finishing off Oliver Cromwell''s handiwork.

Be careful when you say 'the English' you actually mean the 'elite' or the aristocracy.
The English were as under the thumb as the Irish - by the very same 'leaders'..

Addit: and most of the black and tans were actually Scottish.

You need a sense of humor here and most important is the ability to laugh at yourself as well as the determination to 'have a go'.

Yea I know but I did find some of the Aussies exceptionally ' chippy' [ as in chippy on shoulder ] towards the English. the English have been coming to Australia since it was founded in 1788 - I thought the English / British founded and developed Australia, your ancestors i presume.

They knew all about harsh conditions and needing a sense of humour !