Chris' Australian family was just here visiting, and while they gushed over how much they loved sightseeing in San Francisco, the first observation they made, and with great shock, was how many "beggars" there were. There's no denying it. And all we could say in its defense was point out that aside from the fact that cities like San Francisco and San Diego are at least warm enough to be homeless in, the state's mental illness treatment policy has been such that everyone who's ever had debilitating drug problems or can only barely fend for himself ends up on the street. After all, you can't "institutionalize" people anymore.

America is indeed the land of opportunity. Anyone can succeed, because anyone can also fail. Which is why on my first day in the US I saw what I have never seen in four decades in Australia - two beggars cooking their dinner of beans in a pan on the sidewalk. Right next to them - I kid you not - was one of the longest stretch limos I’ve seen in my life.

America has unparalleled wealth and power. But I haven’t seen so many mad people and beggars on the streets since I was last in Cambodia. And I saw them today in San Francisco.