Step Right Up, Step Right Up
November 7, 2022 4:10 PM Subscribe
Folks, US "democracy" has become such a clown show that English and Australian tourists are booking specialized election experience tours & disrupting canvasses.
I cannot imagine the state of the AusPol tragics that would sign up for this. I mean, Australian politics is a hot mess, we’re not really in a position to point and laugh.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:27 PM on November 7, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:27 PM on November 7, 2022 [8 favorites]
This is kind of fascinating and horrible. Australians can be the worst kind of snobs about our stable (read: complacent, constrained) culture of elections. Democracy sausage, ugh.
However! Another very different way to look at this is Australians (& to a lesser extent the British) choosing to look to the USA not as a horror show or an existential struggle, which is emphatically how Americans see their elections, but these tourists seeing US elections as a vision of how democracy actually is, and how things in our countries could be, and might end up. When I was more politically involved we used to call it 'West Wing Brain', the way otherwise sensible Australians would know far more about some mid-term electoral contest in a US State most people could barely spell, than anything that was going on closer to home. As though to look to American processes was simply to see a future ten years down the track. The cult of the large and the cringe of the distant, grossly devaluing anything our society might come up with.
[Looks at a map] Ask an Australian, even an educated one, to discuss a New Zealand election, let alone name a single Indonesian or Malaysian political party, I dare you.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 4:30 PM on November 7, 2022 [8 favorites]
However! Another very different way to look at this is Australians (& to a lesser extent the British) choosing to look to the USA not as a horror show or an existential struggle, which is emphatically how Americans see their elections, but these tourists seeing US elections as a vision of how democracy actually is, and how things in our countries could be, and might end up. When I was more politically involved we used to call it 'West Wing Brain', the way otherwise sensible Australians would know far more about some mid-term electoral contest in a US State most people could barely spell, than anything that was going on closer to home. As though to look to American processes was simply to see a future ten years down the track. The cult of the large and the cringe of the distant, grossly devaluing anything our society might come up with.
[Looks at a map] Ask an Australian, even an educated one, to discuss a New Zealand election, let alone name a single Indonesian or Malaysian political party, I dare you.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 4:30 PM on November 7, 2022 [8 favorites]
<>redeem at any exit poll.
take in a Prime Minister or two.
That could be reduced to a three hour tour, A 3 hour tour.
posted by clavdivs at 5:12 PM on November 7, 2022 [11 favorites]
take in a Prime Minister or two.
That could be reduced to a three hour tour, A 3 hour tour.
posted by clavdivs at 5:12 PM on November 7, 2022 [11 favorites]
Ok but, this isn't a real thing, right? Fascist Field Trip, ha ha ha? I mean, when I started reading it I thought oh good, some potential witnesses to help thwart fascist voter intimidation. But no. It's the bad guys, coming to snigger and add some additional chaos of their own? That's what the first link seems to suggest.
posted by Glinn at 5:22 PM on November 7, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Glinn at 5:22 PM on November 7, 2022 [3 favorites]
If you can't afford the trip, just wait. It will soon be playing in a (political) theater near you...
posted by jim in austin at 5:28 PM on November 7, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by jim in austin at 5:28 PM on November 7, 2022 [2 favorites]
[Looks at a map] Ask an Australian, even an educated one, to discuss a New Zealand election, let alone name a single Indonesian or Malaysian political party, I dare you.
Beauden Barrett?
oh wait damn
posted by clawsoon at 5:31 PM on November 7, 2022 [2 favorites]
Beauden Barrett?
oh wait damn
posted by clawsoon at 5:31 PM on November 7, 2022 [2 favorites]
"Please come to LA to live forever
California life alone is just too hard to build
I live in a house that looks out over the ocean
And there's some stars that fell from the sky
Livin' up on the hill
Please come to LA
She just said "No-boy, would you come home to me?"
And she said, "hey ramblin' boy why dontcha settle down?"
"LA can't be your kinda town"
"There ain't no gold and there ain't nobody like me"
" No, no, I'm the number one fan of the man from Tennessee"
posted by clavdivs at 5:35 PM on November 7, 2022 [4 favorites]
California life alone is just too hard to build
I live in a house that looks out over the ocean
And there's some stars that fell from the sky
Livin' up on the hill
Please come to LA
She just said "No-boy, would you come home to me?"
And she said, "hey ramblin' boy why dontcha settle down?"
"LA can't be your kinda town"
"There ain't no gold and there ain't nobody like me"
" No, no, I'm the number one fan of the man from Tennessee"
posted by clavdivs at 5:35 PM on November 7, 2022 [4 favorites]
Ok but, this isn't a real thing, right? Fascist Field Trip, ha ha ha? I mean, when I started reading it I thought oh good, some potential witnesses to help thwart fascist voter intimidation. But no. It's the bad guys, coming to snigger and add some additional chaos of their own?
(Naturalized American, born Australian, yes there's a story. No, not talking about it.)
I doubt any Labor voting Aussie would find anything amusing about the 2022 US midterm election. And the cost of flying to the US, and the risk of an unpleasant hassle curtesy of the border patrol at LAX airport means no Aussie flies to the mainland US for a lark. The only left leaning Aussies visiting the US for the election are journalists doing it for work, mic in hand, and no desire to be assholes about it.
So yes, the only Aussies doing it are wealthy upper class glib gnats. (If that's not an idiom for Aussie Lib-Nationals yet, please help me make it one, MEfites.)
posted by ocschwar at 5:42 PM on November 7, 2022 [8 favorites]
(Naturalized American, born Australian, yes there's a story. No, not talking about it.)
I doubt any Labor voting Aussie would find anything amusing about the 2022 US midterm election. And the cost of flying to the US, and the risk of an unpleasant hassle curtesy of the border patrol at LAX airport means no Aussie flies to the mainland US for a lark. The only left leaning Aussies visiting the US for the election are journalists doing it for work, mic in hand, and no desire to be assholes about it.
So yes, the only Aussies doing it are wealthy upper class glib gnats. (If that's not an idiom for Aussie Lib-Nationals yet, please help me make it one, MEfites.)
posted by ocschwar at 5:42 PM on November 7, 2022 [8 favorites]
The thing that struck me at how hellscapey this is, is how of course it's a tour package for twats, when, to somewhat relate to oschwar's point, historically USA is one of the democracies no institution (like uh, cough, the Carter Center) would bother to even launch coinciding foreign election observers contingents for because the assumption is that (at least) the voting process itself is robust.
posted by cendawanita at 5:53 PM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by cendawanita at 5:53 PM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
While I would love to characterise this as The Grand Sneer, the linked Twitter thread seems to suggest that it's being booked mostly by Australians and British who have bought into far-right narratives about stolen elections.
Australians can be the worst kind of snobs about our stable (read: complacent, constrained) culture of elections. Democracy sausage, ugh.
I think Australian democracy has three chief problems: one conservative guy with power in the right place can just sit there and go "shan't" for a really long time even if what he wants is unpopular; and that Australian democracy, most of the time, either expresses the consensus of the people or the lack of resolve amongst the people, and it's really disillusioning to realise that, yeah, probably about 10% of the country is openly bigoted, and quite a lot of them don't give a shit about the planet burning down if it feels like it'd improve their commute a bit. (I don't know what's going on with the talent drought; I suspect social media is a factor.) In a democracy, it makes sense for politicians to be lagging behind public opinion, not shaping it, but this is kind of an awkward fit for wanting people vested with power to use it to improve things.
But still, I look at American democracy and am forced to conclude that it is much much worse than what I put up with in Australia. Just the basic operation seems like a crude pantomime of democracy. I must admit that I would consider going on The Grand Sneer.
posted by Merus at 5:55 PM on November 7, 2022 [4 favorites]
Australians can be the worst kind of snobs about our stable (read: complacent, constrained) culture of elections. Democracy sausage, ugh.
I think Australian democracy has three chief problems: one conservative guy with power in the right place can just sit there and go "shan't" for a really long time even if what he wants is unpopular; and that Australian democracy, most of the time, either expresses the consensus of the people or the lack of resolve amongst the people, and it's really disillusioning to realise that, yeah, probably about 10% of the country is openly bigoted, and quite a lot of them don't give a shit about the planet burning down if it feels like it'd improve their commute a bit. (I don't know what's going on with the talent drought; I suspect social media is a factor.) In a democracy, it makes sense for politicians to be lagging behind public opinion, not shaping it, but this is kind of an awkward fit for wanting people vested with power to use it to improve things.
But still, I look at American democracy and am forced to conclude that it is much much worse than what I put up with in Australia. Just the basic operation seems like a crude pantomime of democracy. I must admit that I would consider going on The Grand Sneer.
posted by Merus at 5:55 PM on November 7, 2022 [4 favorites]
Wait until the Australians discover that American elections don't even have sausages.
(Somebody else already brought up the sausages. Oh, well. I stand by it.)
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:03 PM on November 7, 2022 [2 favorites]
(Somebody else already brought up the sausages. Oh, well. I stand by it.)
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:03 PM on November 7, 2022 [2 favorites]
UMNO
posted by awfurby at 6:33 PM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by awfurby at 6:33 PM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
I guess we Aussies get to continue this conversation until the Brits wake up ... the thing to remember is that our US friends generate so much political content, that's already in our common language, that its hard to avoid and indeed, prevent from having a big impact on Australian political discussions. Our local politicians and media can pick American news of all types and insert into our own space with barely any friction or resource cost. I'm sure our NZ friends have to deal with floods of Australian material as well.
Compare this with trying to follow what's happening in China or Indonesia, where we need translators/voice overs to cover their leadership, plus expensive local correspondents to help us make sense of it , or academics (and who some will be suspicious of, as they'll feel they're not getting unfiltered information). Indeed, transmitting US politics as part of an Australian news show is likely way cheaper than covering Australian politics.
So yes, lots of Australians are fascinated by US politics, not just because it is what it is (a car wreck that seems to just keep getting worse), but because its in our faces and easy to dig into.
posted by jjderooy at 6:47 PM on November 7, 2022 [4 favorites]
Compare this with trying to follow what's happening in China or Indonesia, where we need translators/voice overs to cover their leadership, plus expensive local correspondents to help us make sense of it , or academics (and who some will be suspicious of, as they'll feel they're not getting unfiltered information). Indeed, transmitting US politics as part of an Australian news show is likely way cheaper than covering Australian politics.
So yes, lots of Australians are fascinated by US politics, not just because it is what it is (a car wreck that seems to just keep getting worse), but because its in our faces and easy to dig into.
posted by jjderooy at 6:47 PM on November 7, 2022 [4 favorites]
Honestly, if not for the fact my friends and i would probably get arrested, we've been playing around with a show about a newly elected former activist, because the point about pop cultural education is legit. Just like Aussies (and us) learn about US pols via the West Wing etc, back when ABC youth programming was popular on Southeast Asian tv that's how I learned about Australian culture too (like, the idea that an alien culture would call earth planet Opal was somehow so incredible to my Ocean Girl-watching mind).
But politics is sensitive. Maybe we'll try to smuggle it into horror.
posted by cendawanita at 7:12 PM on November 7, 2022 [2 favorites]
But politics is sensitive. Maybe we'll try to smuggle it into horror.
posted by cendawanita at 7:12 PM on November 7, 2022 [2 favorites]
Cheap holiday in other people's misery.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 7:45 PM on November 7, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by Ursula Hitler at 7:45 PM on November 7, 2022 [7 favorites]
Cost: £3950.00
Single supplement: £500.00
Please enquire for pricing in Australian or US dollars.
(combat vest not included)
posted by clavdivs at 10:00 PM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
Single supplement: £500.00
Please enquire for pricing in Australian or US dollars.
(combat vest not included)
posted by clavdivs at 10:00 PM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
[Ask an Australian, even an educated one, to discuss a New Zealand election]
It sort of depends - unlike kiwis in Australia, Aussies living in NZ are allowed to vote (no taxation without representation and all that) - you don't have to be a citizen to vote here, just have a permanent residency and be here a year (NZ/Oz have reciprocal residency visas).
So I'd argue that there are some Aussies who understand NZ politics, and of course Aussie politics is covered pretty well in the media here, often over-covered
posted by mbo at 10:05 PM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
It sort of depends - unlike kiwis in Australia, Aussies living in NZ are allowed to vote (no taxation without representation and all that) - you don't have to be a citizen to vote here, just have a permanent residency and be here a year (NZ/Oz have reciprocal residency visas).
So I'd argue that there are some Aussies who understand NZ politics, and of course Aussie politics is covered pretty well in the media here, often over-covered
posted by mbo at 10:05 PM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
Joe Manchin sends you a personalized1 thank you for burning up so much oil, and emitting so much CO2, during your flight over.
1 It's personalized in the same way US congressmen personalize their mass responses to minor constituents, like by using printer ink that runs when rubbed.
posted by jeffburdges at 11:11 PM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
1 It's personalized in the same way US congressmen personalize their mass responses to minor constituents, like by using printer ink that runs when rubbed.
posted by jeffburdges at 11:11 PM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
According to the linked page, the tour package is planned around "live events", which I take to include rallies. Given how some of those tend to go these days, I'd have serious safety concerns both as a participant and as a tour organizer. Also imagining the fucking nightmare of being injured at an event that gets out of hand, and having to deal with medical care whilst stateside.
And yes, I agree that this is so niche that, given the price, the only members of the general public (i.e., not journalists or students or whatever) I can imagine being motivated enough to make the schlep to PA in November would be hard-core denialist types.
posted by TinyChicken at 3:35 AM on November 8, 2022
And yes, I agree that this is so niche that, given the price, the only members of the general public (i.e., not journalists or students or whatever) I can imagine being motivated enough to make the schlep to PA in November would be hard-core denialist types.
posted by TinyChicken at 3:35 AM on November 8, 2022
I'm super-close to giving up Twitter, but I did use my account to alert the Pennsylvania State Senate about this, particularly the reports about how the tourists were interfering with election activity.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:13 AM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:13 AM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
While I haven't seen a tour package like this before, when covering the last three presidential elections I have periodically run into groups of European tourists who booked a trip around, say, the NH primary. I remember one group of Danes who said they'd done the same trip for the past few elections. Their itinerary was a week in NH and then a week in wherever the next primary was.
I've also run into groups of foreign government officials at primary events. If I remember, they're usually organized by the UN and are an effort to get elected officials from fledgling democracies an up-close view of the American political process.
posted by msbrauer at 5:46 AM on November 8, 2022
I've also run into groups of foreign government officials at primary events. If I remember, they're usually organized by the UN and are an effort to get elected officials from fledgling democracies an up-close view of the American political process.
posted by msbrauer at 5:46 AM on November 8, 2022
This reminds me of the royal wedding thread from a few years back, wherein only positivity was allowed. Not so funny when it's your own politics that gets used for someone else's entertainment purposes.
posted by biffa at 5:52 AM on November 8, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by biffa at 5:52 AM on November 8, 2022 [2 favorites]
As an Australian, I'm appalled by this.
All the Australians I know personally are desperately hoping for a Democrat victory so that the US
a) takes action on climate change
b) takes action on COVID
c) takes action on women's rights, specifically women's access to contraception and abortion in the US
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 6:14 AM on November 8, 2022 [4 favorites]
All the Australians I know personally are desperately hoping for a Democrat victory so that the US
a) takes action on climate change
b) takes action on COVID
c) takes action on women's rights, specifically women's access to contraception and abortion in the US
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 6:14 AM on November 8, 2022 [4 favorites]
I am reminded of an old SF short story, Vintage Season.
posted by adamrice at 7:50 AM on November 8, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by adamrice at 7:50 AM on November 8, 2022 [2 favorites]
I know from the Q-watching bits of the internet that Australia has a sizeable Qanon problem* and has dropped vaccination, testing, and quarantine requirements so they're no longer too oppressed to travel. It's a little frustrating to me that this keeps getting framed as "omg weird right?" gawking and not bloodthirsty assholes who are going to go home and claim they Did Their Bit to defend American theocracy.
These people are bad and they're interfering with a foreign election.
*Yes, including worship of the previous president.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:04 AM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
These people are bad and they're interfering with a foreign election.
*Yes, including worship of the previous president.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:04 AM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
One of DOT Jr.'s favorite bits while watching horror movies is, when something transparently ominous happens, he remarks, "That's probably fine. I'm sure that's fine."
I've now picked this up from him and find myself doing it at signs of our collapsing republic.
Tourists from abroad come here to watch our chaotic election shitshow?
"That's probably fine. I'm sure it's fine."
This is like the low key version of the international tourists coming to the US to purge in The Purge: Election Year.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:55 AM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
I've now picked this up from him and find myself doing it at signs of our collapsing republic.
Tourists from abroad come here to watch our chaotic election shitshow?
"That's probably fine. I'm sure it's fine."
This is like the low key version of the international tourists coming to the US to purge in The Purge: Election Year.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:55 AM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
From the Twitter thread, it looks like the kind of person on this trip is exactly the kind of person that you would think would be on this trip (huge election nerds).
As someone who's done a little door knocking I'm laughing at anyone who pays good money to come all the way to the US and see how the MiniVan app works, but these seem like relatively harmless souls.
posted by kingdead at 9:08 AM on November 8, 2022
As someone who's done a little door knocking I'm laughing at anyone who pays good money to come all the way to the US and see how the MiniVan app works, but these seem like relatively harmless souls.
posted by kingdead at 9:08 AM on November 8, 2022
Wow, I really dislike the idea of election denial tourism.
Anyway, I’m sitting in a school cafeteria as an election observer. There’s another guy here from the other party. Maine has same day registration, you only need some proof of residency to register, no ID to vote. Paper ballots, counted by machines, ranked choice voting for most elections. And no discernible voter fraud. At my polling place, there’s the historical society bake sale, so I’m hopped up on peanut butter fudge. It’s pleasant to observe small town democracy. And boring AF. Which is just how we like it.
posted by theora55 at 11:28 AM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
Anyway, I’m sitting in a school cafeteria as an election observer. There’s another guy here from the other party. Maine has same day registration, you only need some proof of residency to register, no ID to vote. Paper ballots, counted by machines, ranked choice voting for most elections. And no discernible voter fraud. At my polling place, there’s the historical society bake sale, so I’m hopped up on peanut butter fudge. It’s pleasant to observe small town democracy. And boring AF. Which is just how we like it.
posted by theora55 at 11:28 AM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
It's a perfectly innocuous educational tour of the kind that certain kinds of adult nerds enjoy. Really nothing to hyperventilate over.
posted by Galvanic at 11:58 AM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Galvanic at 11:58 AM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
educational tour. that would be like spending 48 hours in Brixton and saying I lived there.
posted by clavdivs at 10:58 PM on November 8, 2022
posted by clavdivs at 10:58 PM on November 8, 2022
The recurrent theme of hyperventilating, presumably Americans is a...thing.
A little secret about Americans. If foreigners come to america and act as Americans, a certain flush, a rapid, Hah usually occurs. It's like a spate of generalized generalizations. Like non-usian weapons salesmen at the Marriott. It is deviod of irony, symbolism or functionality in any deep meaning.
It's a drive- by meet and greet.
The up tick is no one takes it personally.
posted by clavdivs at 12:20 AM on November 9, 2022
A little secret about Americans. If foreigners come to america and act as Americans, a certain flush, a rapid, Hah usually occurs. It's like a spate of generalized generalizations. Like non-usian weapons salesmen at the Marriott. It is deviod of irony, symbolism or functionality in any deep meaning.
It's a drive- by meet and greet.
The up tick is no one takes it personally.
posted by clavdivs at 12:20 AM on November 9, 2022
As a matter of fact, there are a number of quite nice walking tours of Brixton:
https://www.bing.com/search?q=walking+tour+of+brixton&form=APMCS1&PC=APMC
posted by Galvanic at 8:53 AM on November 9, 2022
https://www.bing.com/search?q=walking+tour+of+brixton&form=APMCS1&PC=APMC
posted by Galvanic at 8:53 AM on November 9, 2022
I love Brixton but I would feel not right taking a political tour, just another rubber necking American asking at best, questions of pure self-interest and do that in the....less protected parts of Brixton, I see a nose punch or at least a ribald fuk-off.
If this was an academic/ media tour, why yes, after all these folks are familiar with America and I do say the itinerary was well thought for the time frame.
A super interesting election, in Lowell Mass. is the Cambodian/American communities representation. Following the exodus, over the years seeing Lowell take in many fleeing the KR is what I think America is. To see people come here and just thrive, despite odds and to have a voice, all in a generation, Wonderful.
posted by clavdivs at 2:10 PM on November 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
If this was an academic/ media tour, why yes, after all these folks are familiar with America and I do say the itinerary was well thought for the time frame.
A super interesting election, in Lowell Mass. is the Cambodian/American communities representation. Following the exodus, over the years seeing Lowell take in many fleeing the KR is what I think America is. To see people come here and just thrive, despite odds and to have a voice, all in a generation, Wonderful.
posted by clavdivs at 2:10 PM on November 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
This is just one of the tours they run, with a variety of countries to choose from. If the tour company is telling the truth, tours are limited to 14, so it's hard to see how they could really cause as much disruption as the Twitter thread suggests, even if there are multiple tours. I can't imagine a tour more tedious or a worse way to spend ~$4k, but there are all kinds of nerds I guess.
unlike kiwis in Australia, Aussies living in NZ are allowed to vote
Fun fact - if you were a Kiwi already living in Aus in (I think) 1993 and already on the electoral roll, you could continue to vote to your heart's content (and be fined for not doing so) but, if you ever dropped off the roll, you couldn't get back on. This is how I've voted in every election since about 1979 despite only becoming a citizen in 2020.
posted by dg at 8:43 PM on November 9, 2022
unlike kiwis in Australia, Aussies living in NZ are allowed to vote
Fun fact - if you were a Kiwi already living in Aus in (I think) 1993 and already on the electoral roll, you could continue to vote to your heart's content (and be fined for not doing so) but, if you ever dropped off the roll, you couldn't get back on. This is how I've voted in every election since about 1979 despite only becoming a citizen in 2020.
posted by dg at 8:43 PM on November 9, 2022
Surely this qualifies as corporate sponsored foreign interference in elections...
posted by Nanukthedog at 4:47 AM on November 10, 2022
posted by Nanukthedog at 4:47 AM on November 10, 2022
less protected parts of Brixton, I see a nose punch or at least a ribald fuk-off.
We do want them to have the true Brixton experience.
posted by Galvanic at 7:34 AM on November 10, 2022
We do want them to have the true Brixton experience.
posted by Galvanic at 7:34 AM on November 10, 2022
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