csteele

I lived in the USA during the early 80's (exchange student). Working as a waitress I earned the then basic wage of $1.00 per hour - I had to rely on tips to make anything of a little worth. Back then a 15 minute consultation with a GP was $60 (more than a week's wages if I didn't get tips; I also had to pay for my uniform out of my basic wage). A graphic designer friend was retrenched from his job - he did not qualify for any unemployment aid, even though his job loss was due to restructuring of the business. He was lucky he could move back with his parents. I saw people living in cardboard boxes - commonplace even back then. Yet my friends (all graduates or students thought they were in the best country in the world).

This was years before 9/11, Reagan was prez and America has become even more neo-con since.

We are so lucky here in Australia, still. However, after I returned to the land of OZ, I have watched as the middle and lower income people lose much - we're not even as badly off as the USA in the 80's but there are those who believe that boosting the rich and exploiting everyone else is the way to go economically.

Yes, US politics is entertaining, lets hope they don't become as entertaining here.

Dear csteele,

We lived and worked in Los Angeles for close to
ten years. Our children were born in LA. Everything
was so easy then - or so it seemed - as long as
you had a job and an income. From all appearances -
it looked as though people had great life-styles.
They changed their wifes, apartments, and cars regularly,
anybody could afford a cadillac. But it was an illusion -
everything was on credit - and credit was so easy to
obtain. Sooner or later you had to pay the piper -
and if you lost your job - you lost your life-style.

In Australia - we returned to Victoria to live - and were
confronted by the Jeff Kennett's abysmal government.

As Ammonite stated - yes we are lucky in this country -
however, we should be very careful as to who we elect
into office. We don't want to go back to cutbacks in
essential services - and tax cuts for the rich as is currently
the case in the US.