Australian Values

[Phil Spencer]

Yesterday whilst listening to the ABC talk back radio there was a lively discussion on Australian values and what it means to be Australian. What surprised me is that mostly third, fourth and fifth generation Australians contributed and the words used to describe Australians in 2006 were mostly:

• Raciest
• Inward looking
• Money grubbing
• Judgmental
• Materialistic
• Intolerant
• Self interested

I thought have I been living on another planet! When I became a Justice Of The Peace I took an oath to to treat every one fairly regardless of race, religion, economic or ethnic background and I thought that these were good Australian values to have, am I wrong?

Every time a politician says this or that is 'Un Australian' I wonder what being an Australian means.

So what do you think fellow forum members?

• What defines us as a nation?
• What does it mean to you to be Australian?
• What do you think Australian values are or should be?

Comments from our overseas members would also be interesting and welcome.

Regards

Phil Spencer

[masoth]

Five of your blue faces do not apply to me, and if conscious of being the 'odd one out' in a large group is a problem then I must be racist. I've never considered being 'judgementa'' as other than a desirable trait.

* I do think Australia, generally, is a place willing to accept till proven otherwise.
* I do think Australia, generally, dislikes having foriegn behaviour forced upon it.
* I do think Australia, generally, prefers to keep it's own ways after comparison with others.

soth

[echnidna]

Yesterday whilst listening to the ABC talk back radio there was a lively discussion on Australian values and what it means to be Australian. What surprised me is that mostly third, fourth and fifth generation Australians contributed and the words used to describe Australians in 2006 were mostly:

• Raciest
• Inward looking
• Money grubbing
• Judgmental
• Materialistic
• Intolerant
• Self interested

I thought have I been living on another planet! When I became a Justice Of The Peace I took an oath to to treat every one fairly regardless of race, religion, economic or ethnic background and I thought that these were good Australian values to have, am I wrong?

Every time a politician says this or that is 'Un Australian' I wonder what being an Australian means.

So what do you think fellow forum members?

• What defines us as a nation?
• What does it mean to you to be Australian?
• What do you think Australian values are or should be?

Comments from our overseas members would also be interesting and welcome.

Regards

Phil Spencer

Most of those crititsicms are correct to varying degrees.
Look at these forums and the way a witchhunt can start coz someone gets their knickers in a knot. Thats when you can see these things.

But as a country we are far less racist than most other countries.
We don't cut peoples heads off for disagreeing with those in power.

As far as the list of selfish items goes that's occurring due to party politics which is inclined to think stuff em if they're not one of us.

Some of the dick head things governments do are bad in the long term
The industrial relations stuff is a good example. The hungry mean spirited lot. whether business or worker are screwing our standards and way of life.

If wages get screwed down businesses won't make more money, in fact they might even go broke, because people will have less money to spend so all businesses will have less customers.

Stuff the Labor party and Latham for inflicting Howards mean spirited lot on us:mad: :mad: :mad:
anmd for not getting their act together:mad: :mad:

[Wood Borer]

I fit into the 5th or 6th generation category and I tend to agree with the comments you listed.

The attitude of many people is quite different to the values I hold dear, most of these values are consistent with those held by my ancestors.

Sad isn't it, but we need to be tolerant of the opinion of others even if it doesn't make sense to us, even if we think they are going at breakneck speed towards a cliff and certain death.

Many probably think my ideas and values are crazy - I listen, evaluate and either amend my thinking or dismiss their thinking.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

What defines us as a nation?
Our borders.

What does it mean to you to be Australian?
Cohabiting with others in our borders, like it or not.

What do you think Australian values are or should be?
What they are? Extremely varied... we're a bloody "melting pot." What they should be? What a loaded question!! No comment... don't wanna be labelled "judgemental" or "intolerant."

And, for a change, I'm not being flippant. You may as well ask "what do you think European values should be." We easily have as much variety of sub-cultures... and back-peddling pollies trying to appease any country with a big stick have slowly stripped us of any Aussie 'cultural' ID we once had.

[Studley 2436]

I think most people are pretty happy with Australia. Perhaps it is interesting that this came from the ABC. Maybe it says more about ABC listeners than Australia?

Being Racist is no big deal. We all make decisions about people based on race. People behave in different ways because of their race or culture. I did notice when I was working in an International 5 star hotel that people with different races and cultures weren't worried about it so much.

I used to serve them at the buffet and someone would say for example I am muslim I can't eat pork. I would tell them what was in each dish and they would choose their food. No one was ever worried that there was food that they couldn't eat. They would just say that is not for me, or that is for them. It never mattered as long as there was something they could eat and there always was. Pretty basic to have Vego only dishes Fish only, keep the pork separate and so on. We even made sure there was an alternate to Beef.

There was a funny story once of a Compo stop over when a plane was delayed and the airliine bought a group a meal and a night in the hotel. They were going to be in at about 10.30PM when everything was normally packed up. What do we serve? Were going to serve pork but said no too risky. Beef was the choice but they turned out to be Hindu. No one knew until the meal went out and someone said we can't eat this it is beef. YIKES had to take it all back and cook pork in a real hurry *LOL*

Studley

[namtrak]

The pessimistic view of Australia is probably not too far off the mark.

I sort of summarise it as Australia the Mob is largely "white trash". Whereas Australia the Bloke is fair minded and willing to give everyone a go.

When we allow the media/politicians to hold our values up and say this is what we believe then we tend to take the lowest common denominator. Every Asian is not learning english, and every muslim is a terrorist, and every Lebanese is causing riots at Cronulla and every Sole Parent is breeding like a rabbit and every neighbour is a crackpot ad infinitum.

And when we stand alone at a barbie with the boys we treat everyone as equals and everyone gets a fair shot at proving their own worth.

That is how I see Australia.

[DanP]

Yesterday whilst listening to the ABC talk back radio there was a lively discussion on Australian values and what it means to be Australian. What surprised me is that mostly third, fourth and fifth generation Australians contributed and the words used to describe Australians in 2006 were mostly:

• Raciest
• Inward looking
• Money grubbing
• Judgmental
• Materialistic
• Intolerant
• Self interested

What a load of rubbish.

Mainstream Australia is none of those things, except maybe judgmental. But not judgemental of race/creed, jusdgemental of individuals (tall poppy).

There are several very vocal minority groups who are all of those things and it is those who give the rest of us a bad name. But the average Australian is accepting and tolerant and really couldn't give a shyt where you come from, as long as you do your bit.

That's what I reckon anyway.

Dan

[Termite]

What a load of rubbish.

Mainstream Australia is none of those things, except maybe judgmental. But not judgemental of race/creed, jusdgemental of individuals (tall poppy).

There are several very vocal minority groups who are all of those things and it is those who give the rest of us a bad name. But the average Australian is accepting and tolerant and really couldn't give a shyt where you come from, as long as you do your bit.

That's what I reckon anyway.

Dan

Yep, I agree with Dan especially about the minority groups. Lets face it, we all have an asrehole but it's only the ones that fart that get noticed.

[Zed]

an aussie could have been born anywhere on the planet.
an aussie could have parents from somewhere else.
an aussie holds thier heritage proud.
an aussie will help an old lady across the street.
an aussie dont care what god you pray too.
an aussie is fair and fair dinkum.
an aussie helps kids and woe betide the @s-wipe who hurts anyone's.
an aussie dont care what colour you are.
an aussie will stand up and be counted.

this I hold true. I hope you do too!

God bless australia.

[Wongo]

I think Australia is a bloody great nation.

[Zed]

I think Australia is bloody great nation.

Now Wongo, let me edumacate you my aussie brother :

is A bloody great nation.

or

is THE bloody great nation

[Shedhand]

If the number of positive responses in this thread is indicative of the attitudes of Australians as a whole then the only thing wrong is that we have a miserable little twerp and a smirking pickpocket in charge in Canberra. And we can fix that (possibly as early as February next year if the whispers among senior Libs can be believed).

The trouble is too few people care to stand up to the noisy minority led by millionaire fools like Alan Jones, John Laws and there mad ultra right mates.

And because no-one else cares enough I switched off. I don't buy newspapers anymore because Rupert's far right of Genghis Khan and is trying to turn us into Seppo clones.

Off the box....

[Rossluck]

• Racist

In Oz we're doing really well at the moment. Great place, good standard of living, good weather, we're not much interested in racial issues. You only start looking around at differences (colour, gender, financial situation, religion and so on) when things are tough and you want someone to blame(e.g., Nazi Germany, depression, Jews). We're not looking around.

• Inward looking

I've heard consistently that Australians are some of the most "worldly wise" people around. That's why we're among the world's most active travellers.

• Money grubbing

Yeah, so what. We've been taught to "foller the dollar" by great teachers: firstly imperialist Britain and then by the US of A.

• Judgmental

What would they know ....

• Materialistic

See "money grubbing..." .

• Intolerant

Tolerance presupposes repugnance. When you "tolerate" something, you're saying "I don't like you, but I will tolerate you." I'd rather be honest.

• Self interested

What else is there?

[Wongo]

Now Wongo, let me edumacate you my aussie brother :

is A bloody great nation.

or

is THE bloody great nation

Oops

Wongo (who is likely to fail the English test )