Sunnyvale - 13th October
Australia and the United States

So what's the most surprising thing about the US? It could be just because of the month in Indonesia, but the most surprising thing is how similar the US and Australia are. There are losts of bovious differences--left vs. right side of the road, a different currency system, Imperial units, and so on--but every time I try to generalize about something fundamental I think of a counter example or just lack quantitative data. There are nuances of difference everywhere from urban layout and public transport systems to dress styles--but I just can't put a finger on them.//I guess a shared (Anglo- Saxon?) heritage explains much, but it is quite extraordinary how two countries separated by the Pacific can have so much in common. We're the core of the world system and Indonesia is the periphery (semi-periphery) of course, but i'd never really thought about how much modes of production really do constrain everything else. I guess I'd better go read some more Marx!// Let me just give some examples from Yosemite. The US has a national parks service--Australia has a National Parks and Wildlife Service; they have similar rules about the use of National Parks and wilderness areas. There are search and rescue organizations in both countries (with the same names). One difference. US hikers all wear boots--I think Australia may be the only country in the world where sandshoes are standard for walking!) And so on.// Anyhow, how can i attempt generalizations when I've never been to the West of Australia or the East coast of the US?// Danny (Don't know if that anwered your question, Micki--more of a cop-out, I guess.)