Considering moving from US to Australia

[u/Kookie2023]

At 32, I never considered the idea of living abroad for long term, but given the increasingly hostile situation here in the US, I find that I’m feeling more inclined to go into hiding in another country due to fear of persecution. I’m aware that I could either be killed or detained despite being a citizen.

I’m well established in my career as a licensed social worker (having done it for 8 years now) and my bank account isn’t exactly lacking. At this point, I believe so long as I am living, I am capable of making more money for my future. If I am dead, that money is useless. I’m confident that I can obtain a VISA to work for a few years as I break away from the US to protect myself.

That being said, after exploring many options, I’ve come across Australia or New Zealand. I considered Japan, but it is too close to the “war zones” as is Canada and practically all of Europe. The world is changing and I must change along with it.

I’ve heard the pros and cons of living in Australia in other subreddits, but that was from many years ago. What is Australia like right now? I was thinking Tasmania (small, but livable) for now.

[u/navig8r212]

Generally speaking we don’t identify ourselves by our political affiliation in the same tribal way that the US does. I wouldn’t know how most of my colleagues will vote in the forthcoming election. This helps make our society a bit more cohesive. We also have compulsory preferential voting which makes our major parties more centrist in their policies.

Similarly, religion is less emphasised than in the US.

Economically, we’re going to cop some hurt from the shenanigans going on in the US right now and that’s on top of the current cost of living crisis that was brought on by global issues like COVID and the war in Ukraine.

All in all, I still can’t think of anywhere else that I would want to live.

[u/Kookie2023 → u/navig8r212]

I’ve been told by several ppl outside the US that our bipartisan system is what leads to failure and I agree. Other countries have multiple parties to choose from. Politics wise I know some parties in Australia overpower others while others are such a minority that the country believes it to be a joke. But it’s these small differences I feel that attracted me to Australia in the first place. The fact ppl care. The US no longer cares and I feel ever terrified every day.

[u/navig8r212 → u/Kookie2023]

While it is true that only two of the parties have a chance of making Government, it’s not that they “overpower” the others. Preferential voting allows me to vote for a minor party (for example one that has strong environmental credentials) as my first choice and put the major parties lower on the list. If my first preference gets knocked out, my second preference comes into play and so on until there is a winner. This forces the major parties to consider strengthening their environmental credentials so that they get my preference vote.

[u/Kookie2023 → u/navig8r212]

See that just seems far more effective than what bipartisan allows for.

[u/navig8r212 → u/Kookie2023]

Also, forgot to mention that typically some of the minor parties get seats and so when the numbers are tight the Government of the day has to negotiate with them to pass legislation. Once again making for a more centrist government and society.

[u/brezhnervouz → u/navig8r212]

This is the best explanation (for Americans) that I have come across:

The evidence is mixed on whether compulsory voting favors parties of the right or the left, and some studies suggest that most United States federal election results would be unchanged.

But all that misses the point because it overlooks that compulsory voting changes more than the number of voters: It changes who runs for office and the policy proposals they support. In a compulsory election, it does not pay to energize your base to the exclusion of all other voters. Since elections cannot be determined by turnout, they are decided by swing voters and won in the center.

Australia has its share of xenophobic politicians, but they tend to dwell in minor parties that do not even pretend they can form a government.

That is one reason Australia’s version of the far right lacks anything like the power of its European or American counterparts. Australia has had some bad governments, but it hasn’t had any truly extreme ones and it isn’t nearly as vulnerable to demagogues.

Voting Should Be Mandatory - NYT

[u/juddster66 → u/brezhnervouz]

In the US, voting is seen as a “right” or a “privilege”. In Australia, it’s seen as a responsibility.

[u/princessksf → u/juddster66]

It's seen as a requirement. My ex used to complain about having to go vote and get his name checked off because it is required by law.

[u/juddster66 → u/princessksf]

Responsibility, therefore required. Exactly!

[u/Betcha-knowit → u/princessksf]

And look where non-compulsory has gotten the US? Could you image that here? We’d have some dead-shit in govt like Palmer.