The Native Iowan

Australia is an interesting place. Used to be one of the highest standard of living lands on the planet.

One of the “things” about Aus is that we basically shut-down from 15 December to 15 January. Not retail and such but general business, service providers, private contractors and such all take a month long break. Aus traditionally was a very (is a very) life style oriented land. Surf and sun and beach and beer and shrimps on the barrbie…

I like Aus a lot. It is a good place. It has changed quite a bit in the 40+ years Ive been kicking around here. In the late 80s everything was shut on Sunday. When I first arrived, my very first visit, I arrived late in the eve. Got to my cheap hotel about 8pm. No food joints were opened in Brisbane, then, that time of the “night”. Everything was closed for the day.

My how things have changed.

Australia is still a really good place. I got lucky and was allowed to emigrate in my 50s.

It took me over 10years (and quite a bot of $$ in consultants and fees) to gain citizenship.

I had to be very seriously vetted. As a business man I had traveled expensively previous to retiring. One requirement was I had to supply dates and places for all my travel for the 10years previous to my application for citizenship. If, in that 10 years, I had spent more than 3 months in any place I had to obtain a “Police Clearance” from each and any. This list included: Solomon Islands, PNG, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, both California and Iowa in the USofA, and the UK/ city of London.

The entire process required a well paid Visa Consultant. The entire process took years. Each scrap of paper, each submission, each part of the puzzle being submitted came with a hefty fee.

For much of the process of applying and being granted status, I was on a “bridging-visa”. This stated I could not leave the country, or my application expired immediately. I had to sit here and wait patiently.

Once I submitted my application and was granted status, a visa to wait n see, I could travel but I could not work here. I had to wait. I was allowed to buy land, a house, but my purchase gave me no rights to reside. For over 10 years I lived in a limbo of NOT KNOWING. They could decide that I was not going to become a citizen and give me a 2week notice to depart.

And all that was OK by me. I took the chance, paid my bills, played the game, sat when I was told to sit, jumped when I was told to jump. I was a very good poodle.

I note for editorial purposes that I also emigrated to Solomon Islands. That too was onerous 10years of playing the game.

So, I watch now as folks melt down, lose their self control, scream and rant at officials when folks that are in the USofA illegally are legally deported.

All I can say is folks in the US are soft, uneducated, self indulgent idiots.

I saw something today that made me laugh…

This was posted by an old friend int he USofA. His title to this was “Fox DisInformation”:

Sad, how smart people are so stoopid.

More later