Melbourne #1 again, " a springboard for an Olympic bid"

[Platypus]

Melbourne again tops the world's most liveable city index, a couple of months after coming second to London for world's best sports city. Lord Mayor Doyle says this is a potential springboard to launching a bid to host the Olympics as soon as 2024. Which, of course, won't happen, but it's nice anyway.

Rest of the top ten are freezing EuroTowns or Queen's dominions, with Canada having three in the top 5, Australia 4 in the top ten, and Auckland squeaking in at 10th place. No US cities in the top 25.

[bgwah]

No US cities in the top 25.

Of course not. These lists tend to penalize cities with large non-white/Asian populations.

[Platypus]

I'd much prefer for us to host the Youth Olympic games and wait until at least 2032 to bid, although realistically our earliest hope is 2040.

[Platypus]

No US cities in the top 25.

Of course not. These lists tend to penalize cities with large non-white/Asian populations.

Which is why half of Canada and Australia are in there...?

It penalises crime, and if crime in America=non whites, that's something your cities need to work on.

[Hatman]

No US cities in the top 25.

Of course not. These lists tend to penalize cities with large non-white/Asian populations.

Have you been to Vancouver or Toronto?

[The Head Beagle]

I'm pretty sure bgwah means non-[white/Asian], not [non-white]/Asian.

[afleitch]

I'd quite like to see a Melbourne bid; 2024 would be 24 years since the Aussies last hosted.

[Χahar]

No US cities in the top 25.

Of course not. These lists tend to penalize cities with large non-white/Asian populations.

Have you been to Vancouver or Toronto?

Probably 60% of the people I saw in Vancouver were Asian.

[Hatman]

Im confused... but yes Vancouver has a high East Asian and South Asian population. But what does that leave in terms of visible minorities? Blacks and Hispanics? Toronto has a sizable Black population, but not to the degree of most US cities. But, I don't see the difference between Asians and Blacks/Hispanics. They can be just as ghetthoized here in Canada (OK, not to the same extent, but that's one of the reasons the US cities are so low...)

[bgwah]

I'm pretty sure bgwah means non-[white/Asian], not [non-white]/Asian.

I thought it was pretty obvious... But I guess when you have some inferiority complex you get mad without really thinking about things too much.

[The Head Beagle]

I'm pretty sure bgwah means non-[white/Asian], not [non-white]/Asian.

I thought it was pretty obvious... But I guess when you have some inferiority complex you get mad without really thinking about things too much.

Even though I understood clearly what you meant having lived in the US for a while now, I don't think it's totally obvious from a non-American standpoint. This idea that Asians are better off than other minorities is very American; it doesn't really apply in places where on the one hand there are large numbers of low-income/working-class immigrants from the Indian subcontinent, and on the other hand most blacks are Caribbean immigrants, and both groups often live in fairly similar areas that are somewhat troubled but not like the black ghettos of some US cities.

[Thomas D]

Only if they promise to hold the Summer games in November again.

[Hatman]

I'm pretty sure bgwah means non-[white/Asian], not [non-white]/Asian.

I thought it was pretty obvious... But I guess when you have some inferiority complex you get mad without really thinking about things too much.

I was trying to figure out what you meant, and thought I may be wrong, but it's besides the point. While Vancouver and Toronto have wealthy Asians, they also have poor Asians too. Chinatown in Vancouver is in the infamous Downtown East Side, which happens to be the poorest neighbourhood in Canada. As for South Asians, they tend to be in North Surrey which is a fairly poor area as well.

[Platypus]

Melbourne is lovely. It will always be my home base. I've lived away and will again - currently starting plans for a couple of years in Chile! - but I know I'll always come home to Melbourne. I can turn on Joy or 774 or Triple J, or the World Service. I can get the world's best coffee in any cafe in town, I CAN GO TO THE FOOTY!, I can walk through any street at 3am without fear, I can have a laugh with Dot on the tram... Dot's a great old lady, I went to school with her granddaughters and am always pleased to spot her on the tram.

In Melbourne, I can head to any of... 600? 1000? 4000 parks? Wherever I live, there's one around the corner, and if I don't like them, the inner city is ringed by some stunners and the outer areas have huge reserves of native bushlands. I got a great, public, education and I'm serviced by great public hospitals. I trust the coppers here more than anywhere I've been...although a copper's a copper... and I see a heritage of great advances in democracy, equality, science, sports, art, MUSIC, infrastructure, business, unionism, multiculturalism, food, so much all around me. I love this city, and I have my reasons!

But, at the end of the day, they're MY reasons. You don't know Dot, you haven't experienced the Domain on a January arvo, you don't love the Western Bulldogs, you've not helped a bogan find her shoes at Flemington, you've not walked into a random cafe in the suburbs and had the best coffee of your life. I can't expect you to love Melbourne. I can't love NYC or London: I've never been to Picadilly, Harlem, Hyde Park, Central Park, Lord's, Yankee Stadium, Brooklyn, or Chelsea. I'd love to visit and fall in love with those cities, and I hope you all visit us and fall in love with Melbourne.

My opinion is that it's the best city for me to live in, because it is the city I live in and have learnt to love. I don't need a ranking to back me up, but if it helps more people learn to love Melbourne, that's very welcome.



You might even discover our ethnic diversity.

[Senator Sbane]

I'm pretty sure bgwah means non-[white/Asian], not [non-white]/Asian.

I thought it was pretty obvious... But I guess when you have some inferiority complex you get mad without really thinking about things too much.

I was trying to figure out what you meant, and thought I may be wrong, but it's besides the point. While Vancouver and Toronto have wealthy Asians, they also have poor Asians too. Chinatown in Vancouver is in the infamous Downtown East Side, which happens to be the poorest neighbourhood in Canada. As for South Asians, they tend to be in North Surrey which is a fairly poor area as well.

In America, Asian minorities are very different socioeconomically from Hispanics/Blacks. Hispanics can illegally come into the United States, something Canada doesn't need to deal with leading to their exaggerated low incomes. Blacks are self explanatory I think. African immigrants and even Caribbean immigrants tend to do a lot better than American Blacks. Especially African immigrants who are one of the most educated group in America, but make up a minuscule portion of the Black population. In Canada I suspect they make up a much larger share.

In terms of differences between Asian immigrants to Canada and the US, could it be due to the law that anyone with a college education can apply to immigrate to Canada? Many might just immigrate over, not have a job lined up, and may just end up working blue collar jobs? In America most Asian immigrants come to study in universities and get jobs from there or are brought over by a corporation using the H1b visa and this is usually for well paying positions.