# Do I live in the 'safest' place in the world? (Australia) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 23, 2005, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739 "2005-04-23T07:17:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/21 "2005-04-24T11:45:49Z")
Now that Joh’s died, anyway {he _was_ one of ours, but we had the sense to get rid of him early. Him and Dragon}. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/22 "2005-04-24T11:52:40Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Don’t the vast majority of posionous critters live in Australia? That doesn’t sound very safe to me… My state and Canada sound at least as safe as Australia, except for the occasional blizzard that kills off people foolhearty enough to wander out into them. Heck, even the friggin platypi (platypuses? whatever) are venomous! ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/23 "2005-04-24T15:25:03Z")
> [@Earthling](#): > > and such constant founts of bad news as **D.R.** Congo and Sudan. I hope you didn’t mean Dominican Republic. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/24 "2005-04-24T15:30:00Z")
BTW, that map, there’s something weird about it. Although it rates the Dominican Rep. at the lowest possible risk it stills warns of the possibility of attack by leftists and Marxists. WTF? The only Marxists left here are in their 60s or 70s and are tamer than kitty cats. ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/25 "2005-04-24T18:28:30Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > I hope you didn’t mean Dominican Republic. No. D.R. Congo is the often-used (semi-)abbreviation for Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly known as Zaire. The D.R. prefix is necessary to distinguish it from its neighbor, which is just called Congo without any modifiers. ---
**Author:** ![Sarah\_Woodruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sarah\_Woodruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarah_Woodruff)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/26 "2005-04-25T00:50:47Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > Our healthcare system is underfunded and held together with rubber bands. Aah! It’s Tony Abbott! _Begone, Eevil One!!!_ That Aon map must have been adjusted for him. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/27 "2005-04-25T02:17:26Z")
I have lived in both the UK and Australia. in my whole life I have been physically assualted (on the street, unprovoked) 3 times. Each time was in Australia… ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/28 "2005-04-25T02:24:28Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > (Bolding mine) > > I’m not too sure about defensibility. From what I understand (and I am by no means an expert), the British severely underestemated the Japanese at this point in WWII, and assumed that Japan would attack from the south. As I understand it, the Japanese hadn’t expected to be able to take Singapore without a lengthy and costly fight. It wasn’t until the German Raider Cruiser [Atlantis](http://www.ahoy.tk-jk.net/MaraudersWW2/2Atlantis.html) captured the Autometon, and a highly sensitive report on the British Amiralty’s inability to support the Empire’s Far East possessions that Yamamato thought that an attack there could succeed. So, in addition to being an under strength garrison at the time of attack, the Japanese had highest news that there would be no reinforcements from Europe. (And this completely ignores how the Brits reacted after the loss of HMS Repulse and Prince of Wales.) In respect to the OP, IIRC the Japanese planned to inade Austrailia, as well, but it was the campaign in the Solomons that stopped those plans, not a reassessment of the difficulties of holding the territory. ---
**Author:** ![Gest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Gest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gest)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/29 "2005-04-25T08:43:06Z")
I wasn’t aware of any plans by the Japanese to invade Australia. I thought the idea was to neutralise the minor threat they perceived Australia to be and incorporate everything north of it. Bear in mind that much of Australia’s mineral wealth was only found after the war and then Australia doesn’t look like such a good get. In any case, if they had attacked, I think it would have been a lot like the French and German disasters when they were at war with Russia/USSR. Jingoism about the tenacity of the Aussie fighting man aside, a scorched Earth plan was to be put in place and it would have been a horror show for the Japanese. Flat as a tack, nothing to pillage and the Japanese with no knowledge of how to live off the land. Their logistic tail would have been horribly stretched and they’d be prey to Allied air attack before they even got to anything much like a city. I’ve motorcycled through SE Asia, North Africa and Europe and I can’t think of any more nightmarish scenario than this kind of slow death through the Outback. I dare say even most Australians are unaware of the vastness and (apparent) desolation of the geography. Maybe the Solomons did do the trick but an invasion of the continent would have definitely been the end of them. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/30 "2005-04-25T10:03:13Z")
I didn’t say it was a GOOD plan. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Atheist\_Princess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@Atheist\_Princess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atheist_Princess)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/31 "2005-04-25T12:52:46Z")
I’m a Briz-Vegas girl myself. And in my life, I have NEVER seen a Platypus outside of a zoo, and I’ve travelled the country upside-down and back-to-front. I walk around barefoot in my backyard, through long grass and the bush. The only thing that even crosses my mind when doing so is stepping on something (like glass) or being bitten by ants. As for the terrorism chart, no anthrax, no major destruction. Some nutter planted a bomb on the Gold Coast once but the bomb squad destroyed his plans. Worst we’ve had in relation to Japan was in Darwin during WWII. And Darwin is a down-right stupid choice for a target considering most of our population is on the EC. The only personal safety issue I’ve ever had was on Thursday evening which is on a thread here in MPSIMS (look for 17 vs 20 and you’ll see). Howver, I have been the victim over 3 attempted muggings in one week in NYC and 2 in one week in London. How very odd. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/32 "2005-04-25T16:01:49Z")
Not according to Iliad: [User Friendly goes to Australia](http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20050422&mode=classic) ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/33 "2005-04-25T22:59:20Z")
> [@Gest](#): > > I wasn’t aware of any plans by the Japanese to invade Australia. Never been to Australia then. Want propaganda? America saved us from **certain doom** in WWII, and they had _nothing_ to gain from it. They did it out of the _goodness_ of their hearts, and we should be eternally grateful to them, and suck up to them where ever possible. Without the Americans, we would all be learning Japanese in school! Fair enough they did help us out, but let’s not pretend they didn’t have anything to gain. And I think we can stop saying “how high?” whenever you guys say “jump”. > [@Atheist Princess](#): > > I have NEVER seen a Platypus outside of a zoo, and I’ve travelled the country upside-down and back-to-front. … I walk around barefoot in my backyard, through long grass and the bush. Well I’ve barely been anywhere, and I’ve seen platypi on several occasions. Fair enough walking around in your backyard and maybe long grass, but there is no way I walk barefoot in bush. Not for the amount of browns I’ve seen when I lived further north. They are _very_ common up there. And I’d think twice about going in the water _anywhere_ further north then Mackay. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/34 "2005-04-25T23:00:43Z")
Oh and [Douglas Adams](http://www.sighup.net/index.php?id=92) on Australia. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/35 "2005-04-25T23:04:27Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > Never been to Australia then. > Want propaganda? America saved us from **certain doom** in WWII, and they had _nothing_ to gain from it. They did it out of the _goodness_ of their hearts, and we should be eternally grateful to them, and suck up to them where ever possible. Without the Americans, we would all be learning Japanese in school! > > Fair enough they did help us out, but let’s not pretend they didn’t have anything to gain. And I think we can stop saying “how high?” whenever you guys say “jump”. Umm… that wasn’t my implication or intent. If you want me to say that the US did better for Austrailia than the UK did, that’s true, I think. Do I think that Austrailia owes the US allegience because of that? Nope. Like you said, we had some very good and selfish reasons for our actions. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/36 "2005-04-25T23:12:05Z")
No, I was just mentioning that that’s pretty much what our parents put in our heads whilst growing up. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/37 "2005-04-25T23:16:33Z")
Okay. I was afraid I’d been the one to step on your toes. And, while I don’t agree with the attitude, considering the way that the Empire used ANZAC troops (Pulling them all out of the Pacific Theatre to man the North African Campaigns while the Japanese were planning to invade.) I think I can understand your parents POV. Were I an ANZAC, I’d still be questioning the wisdom of remaining in the Commonwealth even today. But that’s different from what we’d been talking about here. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/38 "2005-04-25T23:46:18Z")
Oh no, they don’t question the Commonwealth. They love the Commonwealth. They hate the Japanese. They pretty much hate anyone who speaks a different language to them. Thank god people like my parents are a dying breed. ---
**Author:** ![Gest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Gest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gest)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739/39 "2005-04-26T00:22:42Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > Never been to Australia then. I’m Australian born, did much of my schooling there, go back every year and have worked there on and off. I’ve lived in Australia more than I have in any other single country. Regardless, the fact is the Japanese only had a fleeting plan, never revisited, for an invasion of Australia and only as diversion for US forces. Occupation was never a consideration no matter what it must have looked like to our people in the darkest days. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-live-in-the-safest-place-in-the-world-australia/300739.md?page=1)