To the repubs who now want to move to Australia -- the Aussies have a message for ya!

[FourScore]

[MADem]

1. Australia also has some of the most intimate relations with our Commander-in-Chief's

military going.

AND...they're hiring our former US military to serve in uniform (oh yeah--Australian uniform) in their military. One has to have a certain amount of talent, though. Also, I don't think they'd want to take on assholes who didn't like their Commander in Chief, so disgruntled Republicans might have a rough go in the job interview...!

http://www.stripes.com/news/serving-down-under-australia-offers-military-jobs-to-us-troops-facing-separation-1.176622

[Kingofalldems]

2. I like the no guns and universal health care

[TheMightyFavog]

4. I think certain types of longarms are allowed...

Lever, Bolt, Falling Block and break action longarms are allowed, judging by the number of Austrailian Lee-Enfield enthusiast videos I've seen on YouTube, but I think they may have to be licensed and registered. Handguns, I think are verboten outside of military and law enforcement.

[kestrel91316]

17. That must be why their crime rate is so much higher than ours.

[dutchroll]

29. Aussie Gun Laws - from an aussie

Yeah that's pretty much correct. You are actually allowed to own a gun in Australia but:

1) You must have a "genuine reason", eg, gun club, farmer, professional shooter, antique collector. These are listed in the legislation. "I'm scared of baddies" and "may need to overthrow the Government one day" are not considered "genuine reasons" in Australia.
2) Your "genuine reason", if approved, will determine what type of gun you are allowed to own
3) You must get a gun licence and complete a safety course
4) You must get a "permit to acquire" from the police (28 day waiting period) for each gun you acquire
5) The gun dealer must fill out gun registration paperwork and file it with police when you purchase
6) The gun must be kept locked in a secure vandal-proof container or safe at all times when not in use
7) The police will conduct periodic checks of your gun security
8) Handguns are very strictly controlled and to own one outside the security industry you must be a registered member of an approved pistol club, period.

Self-loading centre-fire rifles are prohibited except for law enforcement/military, and professional vertebrate pest animal control.

It is generally considered very boring in most sections of Australian society to talk about guns. Approved substitute topics for guys are beer, women, cars, and football or other sports.

[barbtries]

3. well shit,

now I want to move to Australia!

[valerief]

13. Moi aussi. Or should I say, "Moi Aussie!" nt

[SammyWinstonJack]

25. Yeah, me too!

[Hoyt]

5. Those tough Aussies passed restrictive gun laws in 1996 that would make our right wingers pucker.

I don't think most right wingers would be happy there with tough gun laws, universal health care, etc. I know most long for old South Africa's apartheid, but it is also pretty much gone.

Fact is, right wingers are stuck here and need to learn to live in a civilized world.

[wildeyed]

6. Politics in Aussie-land would make Tea Crazies puke.

Even the "conservatives" over there are disgusted by the GOP. Aussies are very into taking care of their own. Although there is the Rupert Murdoch thing....

[montanto]

7. Uh Oh.

[hifiguy]

8. That oughta put a hitch in their git-along

as Molly Ivins used to put it.

[DCKit]

12. Geez, I really miss her. None of my country-folk friends are smartass Democrats. nt

[libdem4life]

16. Ah yes, Molly...brought a tear to my eye. Thanks, hifiguy.

[freshwest]

19. LOL, thanks for that memory!

[AnnieK401]

9. HA, a Republican's worst nightmare.

I love it. Oh well con's there's got to be somewhere you can move to avoid the terror of having some form of Government health care. I don't think Somalia has it. Oh, I don't think they have gun control either.

[freshwest]

20. Pakistan was the only nation on the polls that voted for Romney. Christians and Talibans, unite!

[DCKit]

10. Now all they have to do is spell it in Engrish. nt

[Grammy23]

11. Another place they threatened to go was to Europe. Boy, are they in for a surprise, eh?

Same thing for those threatening to go to Canada and any number of other places around the globe. These folks really ought to get out more before shooting off their mouths about where they intend to run away to escape. They might find out that the good ol' US of A is NOT the "greatest civilization on face of the earth" that simply got hijacked by the libruls. We still have lots of room to improve our way of life for ALL of our citizens. I love my country but I am realistic enough to know that we have LOTS of room for improvement in order to make our country GREAT.

For those that want to leave, I say go for it and don't forget to send us a postcard about what you find when you get there. We're all ears to hear about your experience.

[valerief]

14. I wish they'd all just move to the Vatican and be done with it. nt

[adieu]

15. I'm just surprised

that tea-baggers can name more than Canada. I'm surprised they can spell Australia. (Maybe they thought Austria. You know, birth home of their Herr-o.)

[Sophiegirl]

18. SO RICH!!!

[karmaqueen]

21. Wow! Interesting! n/t

[Zorra]

22. Aww, Republicans have nowhere left to go except Antarctica! They can march

with the penguins!

Before they kill them all off because of over-hunting and pollution, of course.

Donations and a multi-national charity drive to help finance their emigration from our land would be a nice gesture, all the rest of the nations of the world would be glad to help, cuz they'd never have to worry about insane war mongering republicans getting in control of our government again.

[footinmouth]

26. Except -

I heard some of the penguins are gay. That could prove troublesome for them.

[Liberal_Dog]

23. K & R

[dchill]

24. I bet even their conservatives...

are flaming liberals!

[dutchroll]

30. Our conservatives are.....

pretty much equivalent to your "very moderate Republican".

We do have some exceptions to the rule though, of course. We have a couple of columnists who are close to "Bill O'Reilly" standard and like whipping up hysteria, but they're not taken seriously by the majority of the population.

Interestingly for Americans, our conservatives would not dare tamper with our public healthcare system in a reductionist way. There is plenty of debate and argument over the details and functioning of our public healthcare from time to time, but to go to an election on a platform of dismantling it or privatising it would be a horrible and painful political suicide for any political party (we do have private health insurance too, anyway).

Most friends I talk to who know anything about it, think Obamacare is a bit of a half-baked solution to public health, but we understand it's about the only thing which has even a slight chance of succeeding in the USA.

[dchill]

33. Well, in America today, thanks to the Tea Party...

"Movement," any conservative who "would not dare tamper with our public healthcare system" would be branded a flaming liberal. As a country, we have plenty of wealth to take care of everyone, but the avarice of our wealthy class cannot abide their ill-gotten gains being taxed to fund it.

[Deny and Shred]

27. Such true Patriots.

[Walk away]

28. Now I want to go too!!!!

This is the wattle it's the emblem of our land
You can stick it in a bottle
You can hold it in your hand

[bunnies]

31. Sign me up!

I wanna go!

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. I love it