America in decline? Bob Carr bemoans, Wayne Swan draws inspiration

Date: August 2, 2012
Category: Opinion

(0)
Comments 41

Rocco Blog-Go

Rocco Fazzari is an award-winning artist at The Sydney Morning Herald. Follow him on Twitter

In tune? Illustration: Rocco Fazzari

Bob Carr being misquoted on the decline of the US - a nation close to his heart - set off diplomatic ructions on both sides of the Pacific.
Decline or no decline, we continue to draw inspiration from American iconography - perhaps just not from the expected sources.
Ask Wayne Swan. According to him, a rock star predicted the decline of America many years ago in the lyrics of one of his songs.
While the nation's economy stumbles and its credibility takes a pounding, there is no real sign of decline on the popular culture side. Perhaps Andy Warhol was right after all.
In this week's espresso video animation, our fat-free vital ingredients are poured into our franchised blender. The result is open for discussion.

41 comments so far

i think wayne swan's admission has just made the oppsitions chances of winning the next election even better. these sort of private weaknesses and character flaws should not be made public.

Commenter

martin

Location

newcastle

Date and time

August 02, 2012, 6:56PM
- Just goes to show your knowledge of America is equal to your knowledge of Australian politics.
  
  Commenter
  
  J. Fraser
  
  Location
  
  Queensland
  
  Date and time
  
  August 03, 2012, 8:37AM
- attention : j.fraser - just goes to show some people are bereft of a sense of humour.
  
  Commenter
  
  martin
  
  Location
  
  newcastle
  
  Date and time
  
  August 03, 2012, 9:03AM
- I don't have a photograph, but you can have my footprints. They're upstairs in my socks.
  Groucho Marx (1890 - 1977), In the film A Day at the Races
  Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
  Groucho Marx (1890 - 1977)
  Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others.
  Groucho Marx (1890 - 1977)
  
  Commenter
  
  J. Fraser
  
  Location
  
  Date and time
  
  August 03, 2012, 9:57AM
- It is nothing more than Swann vain attempt to try and stay relevant, and make himself appear "just one of the blokes".
  It's a shame that when he declares that Bruce Springsteen is his political inspiration he picks and chooses the bits that he follows. The US rockstar is a strong advocate for marriage equality while the Treasurer is against it - it seems he only likes the bits where Springsteen's song aligns with his own attempts to remain relevant.
  
  Commenter
  
  rob1966
  
  Location
  
  Date and time
  
  August 03, 2012, 1:11PM
of course america is in decline. it's been in decline since the 1960s. economic, spiritual (not religious), & moral decline. problem is australia has, for some reason, decided to follow america down. we're all in decline. it's a race to the bottom people. TO THE BOTTOM.
australia may as well become another state of the USA. go to any shopping centre or city in australia and what do you see? american pop culture en masse
bye bye miss american pie, drove the chevy to the levy & crashed on the way killing all occupants

Commenter

evan

Location

newport

Date and time

August 02, 2012, 7:21PM
- If America is going down, why so much money is moving there?
  Why China and all oil countires are pumping them?
  Maybe there are moving to different world of leaving which we don't understand?
  Which county in current world is growing possitive way?
  Any in Europe or Asia or ....
  World is changing around us and it isn't America only.
  
  Commenter
  
  ozpol
  
  Location
  
  Sydney
  
  Date and time
  
  August 03, 2012, 11:13AM
- Agreed. Why on earth Australian culture is so infected by the worst of the USA culture is beyond me. Isn't there a better role model or do we indeed one?
  But I could see where Swan was coming from.
  This has been blown totally out of context, as per usual.
  
  Commenter
  
  A country gal
  
  Location
  
  Date and time
  
  August 03, 2012, 11:28AM
- ozpol, Britain was the super power until early to mid 1900's. Britain went down when owing the US lotta money.
  By buying up the US, countries like China are giving themselves financial control of the US.
  
  Commenter
  
  ccb
  
  Location
  
  Date and time
  
  August 03, 2012, 12:35PM
- The USA now has the largest poverty class per head of capita in the top 20 wealthy nations. The middle class has halved in less than 20 years and the 5% wealth class now owns over 80% of the wealth of the country. What does this mean?
  Social funding pressure now extreme in policing and incarceration, mental and physical health funding. Secondly the poor dont purchase things like washing machines and the smaller middle class only purchase when absolutely neccesary. People dont or cant buy then business collapse. Employment increases and confidance in investment stalls. Cheaper products made overseas finishes the loop. The wealthy through political networks and campaign funding that always leads to underregulation (wall street crash) in areas they operate and tax reductions that are further inhanced by accounting tricks has eventually created a very unfair balance in assets and wealth. Mitt Romney even has his 200 millions in overseas tax havens and avoids tax returns. So accepted and entrenched is the current flawed system he is even allowed to run for president??
  When foreign leaders that are considered allies start stating the USA is finished you now the canary has fallen of its perch in the mine.
  
  Commenter
  
  Invisiblesun
  
  Location
  
  melbourne
  
  Date and time
  
  August 03, 2012, 1:21PM

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