Uniforms really aren't that bad. We all wear them here in Aus and we're not on the floor in the foetal position being lorded over by our authortarian teacher-masters.

It seems like a big issue in the US because it's not widely practiced but over here it doesn't even register on the radar. Back when I was at school if we had a casual dress day it was agonising trying to pick out what to wear and frankly I was grateful the decision was out of my hands most of the time. Individuality could be expressed with shoe choice, bag choice, jewellery choice, hairstyle or anything like that. However, here in Aus I've noticed that the public schools are a lot more lax on that sort of thing than the private. In private schools you're much more likely to have restrictions on shoes, jewellery, skirt length etc etc.

Took a while to reach us over the pond.

I really am amazed at that answer, not because of the whole 'pretty dumb blonde' thing, that is neither here nor there. What astounds me is that this young woman is making a sideline career out of this business and she can't think on her feet?

When I was in high school I decided I wanted to get into a career somewhere in the media - not in front of a camera or anything but I figured I'd best brush up on my speaking skills if that was to be the case. So I joined the debating team, mock trial team, school musicals and all that stuff. Since then I've never had any trouble thinking on the go or speaking in public and I would certainly not be afraid to ask that a question be repeated. Even if you heard it the first time it's a great way to get a couple of seconds thinking time.

I can hardly imagine that this young girl chose to do these things and then didn't do everything she could to improve on her speaking skills. We don't have a lot in the way of beauty pageants here but I guess if every girl is beautiful and they're mostly going to sound as dumb as bricks wouldn't a girl who's both articulate *and* beautiful have that edge needed?

"...America's problem with geography, which goes back many decades, is due entirely, majority, or even significantly to her, is patently idiotic.

There are many reason's, primarily that we're a huge country isolated by vast distances and two oceans, where people travel internationally very little..."

This struck me as funny. Being Australian we really *are* a huge country isolated by vast distances - hell, we have to cross water just to get to one of our states. Last I checked wasn't America bordered by couple of other countries at least???

Sorry to nitpick, but I think your reasoning is slightly faulty.

You claim Andrew Burke has only a superficial knowledge of your country but the huge generalisations you lobbed back about Australia showed no difference on your behalf.

You have an Australian friend, good for you I hear they're great. That does not indicate a larger knowledge of our country.

The points you refuted me with were valid but you missed that I was saying you are not *geographically* as isolated as you made out. I never once disagreed with your cultural reasoning because I wouldn't enter that argument with the little knowledge I have.

And as a sidebar I don't hate America or Americans. A friend of mine from work just got back from a trip over there and had nothing but nice things to say about the people - even though he and his party were constantly mistaken for being English and nobody understood his name (Michael).

I have a very keen intellectual interest about a lot of things, but because I had no desire to get into a slanging match about our respective countries you call me lazy. Nice. Especially since I've been nothing but courteous in disagreeing with you.

All I asked is that you don't accuse others of what you are doing yourself. Don't tell Andrew Burke he is guilty of generalising and then proceed to do it yourself. That's all I will say. That's a lazy man's arguing and you are supposedly so much better than that.

Nobody else seems to have a problem with my posts or the fact that I am only asking you to discuss your points in a fair manner, only you.

As the saying goes: Better to say nothing and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

"That's an appeal to popularity, a logical fallacy. It's especially stupid in the context of BS which is filled with idiots."

Yes, you prove it with every post.

At least five years ago doing a bit of independent research into the African AIDS crisis for a university project. Even then millions of dud condoms were being sent to Africa due to extremely lax testing. I think even at that stage it was only one condom in tens of thousands that actually had to be tested. If it passed then the entire shipment was sent over.

I couldn't imagine facing the kind of adversity a large portion of the African population faces on a daily basis only to have to deal with this kind of crap from their own government as well.

Really interesting debate guys, I've enjoyed reading it and have learned a lot along the way.

It would appear that American political hypocrisy is not that much different to Australian really, heheh.