Mark Twain: “God created war so that Americans would learn geography.”

Garry, why the carry on? Why bring in WWII? I don't recall mentioning football of any sort. I was commenting on your feeble insult. Sport is sport is sport. Games are for the enjoyment of those participating and rules are there to make it all more agreeable. Whatever form it takes is a matter of preference. Those on the sidelines seem to be the ones who make it a religion and of course a religion must never be questioned.

The football bit was my fault, I thought a bit of humour might fit into the discussion, but it seems I was wrong.

GeeBax, thank you. I appreciate your candor.

Serrrrena, since you re-posted that offensive quote again, this time including the author, I can only assume that you're still saying you agree with it. You really are something. Not only do you jump in at the end of a conversation thread, post an arrogant quote demeaning ALL Americans, then ask why I brought up something in my reply that I had talked about several times in my earlier replys. Then, just as I'm thinking you might be trying to calm things down, you ask "why carry on" and rudely follow that with another insult about being feeble. You really don't have a clue do you? Do insults flow off your tongue so easily that you don't realize when you're doing it?

Let's see now. Australia was never a European penal colony and Australia became an independent nation in 1901 without American guidance or assistance. None of the historical facts in your original insult were correct, and later you begrudgingly corrected the last re WWII. My insults (since you insist that Mark Twain's are such) are intended and composed against those who start throwing them around. You might have noticed that I excluded other Americans from my comment.

So anyway, what can you get for $6000 as a worthwhile investment?

an awful lot, or not very much, depending on your pov ;-)

of course, all this may have been covered earlier in the thread, but i seem to be suffering from alzheimer's...

"Australia was never a European penal colony ... None of the historical facts in your original insult were correct"

Jan 26, 1788: First Australian penal colony established.
THE JAPANESE PLANNED TO COMPEL AUSTRALIA'S SURRENDER IN 1942

Facts are facts, whether we like them or not.

Australia was a British penal colony, and it contained far more free settlers than convicts. It was never a European penal colony as you stated. And America played no part in the abolition of the penal institutions.

Japan did not have the supply lines to invade Australia, so it never would have happened. Many have made the same mistake, the north of Australia is impossible terrain for a conqueror.

Leaving the politics and history out of this flaming war...

American Football, soccer, baseball, cricket, I have played and enjoy them all. There can be dull games and there can be exciting games in all of these sports. They are different from each other, have a different flow and require a different mindset. Gary was correct in that American Football is a strategic game in a way that soccer never could be. It is intellectual but also very physical. If you are used to the free flow of soccer it can be maddening unless efforts are made to understand. To those in the rest of the world, criticizing it without understand the game is plain silly.

I am British but live in the US. American sports have a lot of breaks which make them more social events.... this can be a fun thing when hanging out with friends and family. Soccer is more intense in a moment by moment basis so far less social.

Once he has his blood pressure under control, I think that Gary should admit that the passion and loyalty seen around the world must be based on an experience that soccer fans find meaningful,,, and as such it too is a great sport, whether he finds any merit in it or not.

Finally... enough of the cricket criticism it too betrays a failure to understand something this is alien but beautiful.

GeeBax, yes you are correct. The key word was European. The European countries of France and England both had penal colonies; England's was first in the US and then Australia, and France had Devils Island off the coast of French Guiana in South America. When I said European penal colony I was mentally referring to England.

That is another cultural difference between us. Most Americans think of Europe as a place without making a distinction between countries except when talking about local attractions. The emergence of the E.U. has helped to make that generalization even more common. I'm sure it's the same with most Europeans who think of the U.S. as a place unto itself, without making any distinction between the 50 states; like Ohio, or Pennsylvania, or Montana, which are a lot like separate countries in more ways than you may be aware of.

Within your own country there is debate between those who believe Japan was a threat to Australia during the war, and those who disagree. Personally I side with those who believe Japan wanted to conquer Australia; which was the opinion shared by President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill when they decided the Pacific war should be fought first in the South Pacific to relieve Australia from the threat of invasion. After all, the reason Japan invaded China and so many Islands in the Mid and South Pacific was to seize raw materials. Australia would have been the crown jewel of resources to feed the Japanese people and support the Japanese war material industries.

forget the japs, the chinese have already invaded and are making off with all our coal and iron ore, along with prime real estate and apartments....

only wish they'd take our pollies and sports commentators too.