Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant
Jun 7th 2009, 11:30 pm
#1
Australia's Doorman
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 11,056
Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant
Great article in the SMH. Oh and before all you Victorians and QLDers start crowing, consider the fact that Sydney's still the most important city in Oz. 
Some snippets:
Some snippets:
If Australia's harbour city disappeared off the face of the earth tomorrow, the world wouldn’t blink. Financial markets wouldn’t crumble, the price of oil wouldn’t skyrocket. It probably wouldn’t even make the top of news bulletins in America if the Obama family dog got run over (by a right-to-lifer) ...
This is a really nice way of saying Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant. However, like an insecure teenager checking how many friends they have on Facebook, Sydney crows about making World’s Most Liveable City lists, then sooks if anyone dares cast a critical eye its way. A colonial outpost? How dare you! A cultural backwater? Please explain.
http://blogs.smh.com.au/executive-st...ydneydoes.html
This is a really nice way of saying Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant. However, like an insecure teenager checking how many friends they have on Facebook, Sydney crows about making World’s Most Liveable City lists, then sooks if anyone dares cast a critical eye its way. A colonial outpost? How dare you! A cultural backwater? Please explain.
Jun 7th 2009, 11:39 pm
#2
I'm Old Gregg!
Joined: Mar 2009
Location: A Former Bogan Colony in QLD
Posts: 8,460
Re: Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant
Great article in the SMH. Oh and before all you Victorians and QLDers start crowing, consider the fact that Sydney's still the most important city in Oz.
Some snippets:
Some snippets:
If Australia's harbour city disappeared off the face of the earth tomorrow, the world wouldn’t blink. Financial markets wouldn’t crumble, the price of oil wouldn’t skyrocket. It probably wouldn’t even make the top of news bulletins in America if the Obama family dog got run over (by a right-to-lifer) ...
This is a really nice way of saying Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant. However, like an insecure teenager checking how many friends they have on Facebook, Sydney crows about making World’s Most Liveable City lists, then sooks if anyone dares cast a critical eye its way. A colonial outpost? How dare you! A cultural backwater? Please explain.
http://blogs.smh.com.au/executive-st...ydneydoes.htmlThis is a really nice way of saying Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant. However, like an insecure teenager checking how many friends they have on Facebook, Sydney crows about making World’s Most Liveable City lists, then sooks if anyone dares cast a critical eye its way. A colonial outpost? How dare you! A cultural backwater? Please explain.
Jun 7th 2009, 11:41 pm
#3
Account Closed
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,708
Re: Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant
Great article in the SMH. Oh and before all you Victorians and QLDers start crowing, consider the fact that Sydney's still the most important city in Oz.
Some snippets:
Some snippets:
If Australia's harbour city disappeared off the face of the earth tomorrow, the world wouldn’t blink. Financial markets wouldn’t crumble, the price of oil wouldn’t skyrocket. It probably wouldn’t even make the top of news bulletins in America if the Obama family dog got run over (by a right-to-lifer) ...
This is a really nice way of saying Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant. However, like an insecure teenager checking how many friends they have on Facebook, Sydney crows about making World’s Most Liveable City lists, then sooks if anyone dares cast a critical eye its way. A colonial outpost? How dare you! A cultural backwater? Please explain.
http://blogs.smh.com.au/executive-st...ydneydoes.htmlThis is a really nice way of saying Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant. However, like an insecure teenager checking how many friends they have on Facebook, Sydney crows about making World’s Most Liveable City lists, then sooks if anyone dares cast a critical eye its way. A colonial outpost? How dare you! A cultural backwater? Please explain.
Jun 7th 2009, 11:53 pm
#5
Crazy Cat Lady
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
Re: Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant
Does anyone care?
Jun 7th 2009, 11:58 pm
#6
Proudly Deplorable
Joined: May 2003
Location: Alloha snack bar
Posts: 24,246
Jun 8th 2009, 12:00 am
#7
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2004
Location: Birkdale QLD
Posts: 7,642
Re: Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant
But if you break things down to that level, you can say everything is irrelevant.
Republic of Ireland, Iceland, Yorkshre, Bavaria, Slovakia, Lithuania Taiwan Hong Kong, Switzerland,.... the list would be endless.
Point is, if New Zealand got blown up tommorrow, of course the world wouldn't change, but the sheep would be happier.
No hang on thats not the point
. The point is, the world is a collective, whether it wants to be or not. So saying Australia is irrelevant is like saying Taiwan is irrelevent. Then what about Hong Kong... Macau.. Philipines, Japan?
We are a cog (admittedly a small cog) in a large world engine.
JTL
Republic of Ireland, Iceland, Yorkshre, Bavaria, Slovakia, Lithuania Taiwan Hong Kong, Switzerland,.... the list would be endless.
Point is, if New Zealand got blown up tommorrow, of course the world wouldn't change, but the sheep would be happier.
No hang on thats not the point
. The point is, the world is a collective, whether it wants to be or not. So saying Australia is irrelevant is like saying Taiwan is irrelevent. Then what about Hong Kong... Macau.. Philipines, Japan?We are a cog (admittedly a small cog) in a large world engine.
JTL
Jun 8th 2009, 12:00 am
#8
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,039
Re: Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant
He makes a good point. But really Australia is about as relevant as it should be given its size. The constant affirmation isn't a vice only Australia indulges in....all small countries do it..and as countries get larger they spend more time ignoring/sneering at the smaller and just comparing against the even larger - until eventually the proof that they are the greatest involves comparing with no-one.
Jun 8th 2009, 12:08 am
#9
Account Closed
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 9,316
Re: Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant
Jun 8th 2009, 12:08 am
#10
Australia's Doorman
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Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 11,056
Re: Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant
The point isn't about whether or not Sydney and indeed Australia 'matter' in terms of the planet at large - it's about the proverbial backpacker referred to in the article, telling everyone how we’ve got “the most poisonous snakes, the deadliest spiders, the hottest chicks and the best beer” The chip on the shoulder. The desperate desire to make a difference in a global context. The thing I love about this country and indeed Sydney - is that it doesn't matter. If I wanted to live somewhere that 'mattered', where people so 'up' themselves that such things are a concern - I'd have moved to New York or Bejing.
Jun 8th 2009, 12:12 am
#11
Crazy Cat Lady
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
Re: Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant
The point isn't about whether or not Sydney and indeed Australia 'matter' in terms of the planet at large - it's about the proverbial backpacker referred to in the article, telling everyone how we’ve got “the most poisonous snakes, the deadliest spiders, the hottest chicks and the best beer” The chip on the shoulder. The desperate desire to make a difference in a global context. The thing I love about this country and indeed Sydney - is that it doesn't matter. If I wanted to live somewhere that 'mattered', where people so 'up' themselves that such things are a concern - I'd have moved to New York or Bejing.
Jun 8th 2009, 12:17 am
#12
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2004
Location: Birkdale QLD
Posts: 7,642
Jun 8th 2009, 12:17 am
#13
Australia's Doorman
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 11,056
Jun 8th 2009, 12:23 am
#14
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,039
Re: Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant
The point isn't about whether or not Sydney and indeed Australia 'matter' in terms of the planet at large - it's about the proverbial backpacker referred to in the article, telling everyone how we’ve got “the most poisonous snakes, the deadliest spiders, the hottest chicks and the best beer” The chip on the shoulder. The desperate desire to make a difference in a global context. The thing I love about this country and indeed Sydney - is that it doesn't matter. If I wanted to live somewhere that 'mattered', where people so 'up' themselves that such things are a concern - I'd have moved to New York or Bejing.
- we have the best sense of humour in the world
- our bridge is the largest blah blah
- our stadiums are the blah
- our culture is the envy of the world
- our "x" is world famous
- our "y" service is world class
- our army is world standard
- our scenery is blah
- our medical system is blah
- etc, etc, etc
You just notice it more when you travel somewhere else...
Jun 8th 2009, 12:28 am
#15
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2004
Location: Birkdale QLD
Posts: 7,642
Re: Sydney is globally friggin’ irrelevant
I think this is a human phenomenon ...everywhere you go around the world you hear:
- we have the best sense of humour in the world
- our bridge is the largest blah blah
- our stadiums are the blah
- our culture is the envy of the world
- our "x" is world famous
- our "y" service is world class
- our army is world standard
- our scenery is blah
- our medical system is blah
- etc, etc, etc
You just notice it more when you travel somewhere else...
- we have the best sense of humour in the world
- our bridge is the largest blah blah
- our stadiums are the blah
- our culture is the envy of the world
- our "x" is world famous
- our "y" service is world class
- our army is world standard
- our scenery is blah
- our medical system is blah
- etc, etc, etc
You just notice it more when you travel somewhere else...
They chose to call it the Big Pineapple! We are taking the kids there next week, cos its the biggest pineapple in the world. You have to, ......
It's the biggest big Pineapple in the world
JTL
