you're missing one very important distinguishing feature of that situation. americans weren't there because they were criminals. they just happened to be criminals, and scumbags. there is a slim chance that a good number normy's were there because they wanted freedom. nobody that got sent to the australian penal colonies was there for freedom related reasons other than to have it revoked, and these weren't your average scumfucks either, these were the ppl like charlie
bronson who were too psycho and violent for the overcrowded british penal system of the time. all joking aside it's a real page out of the fascist's handbook of regime building whats going down in australia right now, whether it's the copyright laws, the regular laws or the seemingly universal acceptance of the mistreatment of aboriginals.
OK.
I wasn't going to reply, but as I'm fiercely patriotic, I find myself in a postion where I can no longer bite my tongue.
Apologies to my fellow Aussies, but this is a dig I cannot let go unreplied.
Before you go to sleep thinking "I've put those dimwitted criminals that call themselves Australian in their place", you're far better served by actually researching, before making your wild claims that are both highly inaccurate and demeaning in nature.
Australia is the *only* country involved in all major wars since the Boer War (look it up if you don't know what that is).
My entire heritage is Dutch, with a sprinkling of Indonesian thrown in, so none of your offensive comments should mean anything to me, but they hurt my Aussie pride nonetheless.
My own mother was freed from a Jap camp in WWII. Not by the Americans, or the Canadians, or anyone from the northern hemisphere. She was freed by the Anzacs - led by the Aussies and backed-up by our Kiwi friends (we poke fun at them, as much as they do at us, but we look after each other like blood brothers in times of need).
None of us have a clear conscious. None of us can claim purity of heart in what our history is or even what we may have achieved in our collective lifetimes as individuals.
What matters is where we are now.
I think it's fairly obvious and probably fair to state that most governments around the world behave in much the same way - they are there to further themselves, before the people that elected them in the first place. It seems unavoidable somehow :/
Again.. Do your research - seek the truth, but above all: show some respect son.
Please
One of our helpful mods fixed my embarrassing blunder. 
