>>>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6594557.stm
>>
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>>This from a former penal colony?
>
>There but for the grace of God ...
>
>When the colonists kicked out their masters from America Britain turned all her attention onto Australia. If it hadn't been for the War of Indep then the USA may have become the penal colony.
>
>The Brits, in the 1830s also kicked out rebellious frenchmen from upper and lower Canada, and exiled some of them to such terrible places as Van Daemans Land (Tazmania) and Bermuda. It must have been hell for les pauvres!


Bermuda wouldn't be a bad place to be banished to, would it?

I was just joking about Australia, in case anyone was offended. Australia has ironically turned out to be an admirable and quite law abiding country. Someone who didn't know any history and went around the U.S. and Australia for a while could not be blamed for guessing the U.S. is the former penal colony.