The Tea Party - how frightening is this movement?

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rocketpig said:

ConnorJCP said:

rocketpig said:

ConnorJCP said:

I pray Australia never becomes what the USA has become.

You mean it's not already? I've met some pretty damned intolerant people from Australia, especially if they're from rural areas. They stack up unfavorably even to the most redneck of Americans.

No, its not even half as bad as the USA.
USA is still pretty split up between the states.
In USA alot of people believe in religion, and are extremely hypocrite when it comes to their 1st amendment and they tend to forget the rest of the world doesnt share it.
Although ever since Howard lost the election, Australia is becoming worse though. (IMO)
But no, it is not nearly as bad as The USA.

I look at Australia, see rampant racism against aboriginals, a lack of same-sex marriage rights, limited abortion legality, and if they had any Muslims, I'm sure they'd have more than their fair share of Islamophobia just like America or Europe.

So, what makes the USA twice as bad again? Religious people? Because the way I look at it, those American religious zealots aren't getting their way much lately (or ever, really). You see a lot of negativity from American press because the nutjobs always rise to the top. Really, we're no more or less progressive than most of the rest of the western world.

Racism against Aboriginals is pretty much ancient now.  It all but dried up 15 years ago, but it may as well be half a century.  Hell, a major part of any federal election now is who can give more to the Aboriginies, not who can downtread them.  Same-sex marriage rights I will give you, but in most states they carry legal equality, if not the word marriage.  Limited abortion legality?  The last time someone was convicted over anything to do with having an abortion (other than trying to PREVENT one) was an age back mate.

We do have Muslims, about 400k of them last I checked (hint, that's a lot to a country our size).  There is little to no racism displayed towards them, certainly not more than any other group.  Which isn't that much, given that over half of our largest city is now non-white...