Lebanese in Australia

One can hear all kinds of interesting things in Skypeland. I started a cast about energy usage, and the room attracted 3 Australians, including a man who left Brazil and went to Australia, then recently went back to Brazil.

He said that things are horrible in the US since he just returned from New York City and a bottle of water was 4 dollars. I pointed out that people earn more money in New York, so they are able to survive. The Australians disagreed and said that a laborer in the US makes 10 dollars an hour, while Australian laborers make 15 dollars an hour. I recounted the story of the strike by New York City school janitors 18 years ago; they were making 70,000 dollars a year to start, and were striking to make more. This shut them up pretty quickly.

Then he started talking about how there were no poor people in Australia, and no homeless. So I said I had seen some, and challenged his statement, and the other Australians agreed that there were definitely plenty of homeless in Australia. I looked this up; in the 1999 census there were about 105, 304 homeless in Australia:
http://www.aph.gov.au/library/intguide/sp/homeless.htm
So this gives a homeless rate in Australia of 0.58%, compared to the US homeless rate of 0.227%. Interesting....

Then he said he had lived in a rough area in Australia which is full of Lebanese who frequently shoot the police. He said, "Bring all the shit. They never selected. Come to Australia we give you everything. The only thing I dont like about Australia is that it is too democratic. The Muslims are trouble makers."

Then another Australian recounted a story of a Lebanese riot where they attacked people on the street with iron bars. Then the Brazillian / Australian man said he missed Australia and its good life, and its low crime rate and how quiet it is.

This guy is full of contradictions; Australia has no poor but it does. Australia has no crime but it does. Australia has no homeless but it does. I just sit back and listen in amazement.