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The Forum > Article Comments > Promising to save us from ourselves > Comments

Promising to save us from ourselves : Comments

By Mark Christensen, published 8/4/2010

Australians' unconditional, larrikin nature has given way to self-importance and a seriousness that discourages the characteristics that made this country great.

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You raise some good points, Mark. We have a media that increasingly offers commentary from a 'holier than thou' perspective. The traditional Australian propensity towards admiring the larrikins in our midst, is therefore being eroded; 'larrikinism' is often erroneously portrayed as irresponsibility. We need to tell the killjoys to get a life and recover our irreverent Australian senses of adventure and humour.
Posted by Ian D, Thursday, 8 April 2010 11:06:00 AM
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Under how current legal regime, the ‘rules’ would probably be used against the innocent party if they were to: “… momentarily drive on the wrong side of the road” to protect themselves from the person really in the wrong.

Rules are for those who will obey them; their enactment is a shallow attempt by politicians to fool us into thinking that they have done something, when they haven’t, and have not intention of, doing anything. The books are full of rules handing out huge fines and sentences, but they are of no use because they are either not enforced, or our pathetic judges think that they know what’s best, and hand out the least, if any, penalty they can. The driver on the wrong side, for instance, is likely to get a licence suspension, which he/she will ignore and continue driving with impunity, irrespective of whether or not he/she was drunk, on drugs, insane or did it deliberately.

I don’t know when the author grew up, but when I grew up, we were taught by YOUR PARENTS, not the socialist nanny state, taught right from wrong; duty to yourself and others, common sense and most things you needed to know to get by in the world.

“Young blokes” and “young girls” – don’t let’s be sexist bout this; there is not much difference between the sexes when it comes to behaviour these days – are now at least the second generation of irresponsible people spawned (brought up is not the right word) by another irresponsible generation, their parents....
Posted by Leigh, Thursday, 8 April 2010 12:11:56 PM
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......The most in your face, teeming millions are now those who are irresponsible drivers, irresponsible dog-owners, irresponsible neighbours, irresponsible drinkers and drug users, irresponsible spenders, (you name it, they are irresponsible about it) who don’t give a stuff about other people. There are exceptions of course, but there are too many who are downright pests making the lives of other people harder than they need be.

The reams of laws, ‘strictures’ on society and the nanny state have had no effect on protecting society from self-absorbed, anti-social yobs, so it’s hard to see what the author is on about. The mythical ‘larrikin’ hasn’t been around for generations; we are tolerating (we are not dealing with them) nasty, vicious little creeps whose parents spoiled them rotten or were too frightened of social services to raise them properly.

It is the failed parents who want the nanny state to protect them against the dangers they have themselves created in their little monsters, now old enough to do a lot of damage. More useless laws from failed politicians is all they get. Serve them bloody right. We get only the politicians and society we deserve.
Posted by Leigh, Thursday, 8 April 2010 12:12:47 PM
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Leigh, ! agree with you completely. It is the Nanny State that has got us into this predicament with it's softly softly approach when youth is placed in cotton wool and personal responsibility and consideration for others is not taught or contemplated. It started at school when corporal punishment was abolished. Discipline which was quick and deserved and effective. People now cock two fingers at authority because they know there are no consequences to themselves, only to others who they couldn't care less about.
Posted by snake, Thursday, 8 April 2010 4:43:19 PM
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snake, Leigh.

You give fine examples of those mentioned in the text, who simultaneously whinge about nanny states and demand more strict government.

I humbly submit that these "irresponsible" legions you mention, aren't the scourge you make them out to be.

Unemployment isn't skyrocketing, the average working hours in Australia are among the highest in the developed world and believe it or not, if you can drown out the sensationalist ravings of tabloid media then you'll discover the truth.

Things. Aren't. That. Bad.

Go for a walk in the park, or have a lie down.

Though were I faced with a judgmental ogre who viewed the rest of the world as irresponible louts who needed to be controlled, I rather suspect I may come across as irresponsible.

I do however, respond to friendly attitudes with a similar attitude. Treat others how you wish to be treated. Pretty simple really.
Posted by TurnRightThenLeft, Thursday, 8 April 2010 5:28:58 PM
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I'll save my opinion for what areas government have right to weigh into, for later;

For now I'll say this- everyone must resubmit for a driver's license and show some actual reaction speeds and use of logic on the roads- if the driver has slow reflexes, motion sickness or bad vision (both width and ability to see close and far), tailgates someone, or once does something idiotic like turn left at the traffic lights into the left lane of a multi-lane highway when they intend to turn right at the next stop, they are automatically failed, the examiner will not even bother explaining why (because anyone who didn't know or care is too stupid to be a safe driver, period) and they will be denied a license.

Without those clowns getting access to cars, our road rules may well be fit to be massively eased up for the rest of us- making the rest of the nanny state measures like speed cameras unnecessary.
Let the good times roll!
Posted by King Hazza, Thursday, 8 April 2010 8:13:30 PM
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TurnRightThenLeft,

I’ve noticed your moniker pop up occasionally since you quit your regular sermons. I read this post of yours only because I noticed my name on it along with snake’s.

As snake agreed with me, and I remember your ‘self-esteem’ (not too rude I hope) very well, I clearly knew that you just had to be having a go. Having read the post, I’m not sure now. What on earth are your talking about?

I would never in a million years expect you to agree with anything I said, but I least expected to you to stick to criticising what I did say. Perhaps you’ve been away too long. Your not unreasonable powers of expression of the past seem to have slipped
Posted by Leigh, Thursday, 8 April 2010 8:51:09 PM
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TurnRightThenLeft wrote:
<Things. Aren't. That. Bad>

You're kidding right?

Tell that to my kid who's just got back from hospital after being stitched up because he was jumped by 20 od Somalians the cops are to scared to confront. Tell that to the people that hide in their homes every weekend when they come out to player soccer on local school football grounds with baseball bats.

It must be great onlooking from your ivory tower!

Leigh is right, but it goes further than that.

Australia is not the same country I was born in all those years ago, it's fast becoming a ghetto and that's because sh!t always runs down hill and that sh!t comes from the top!

The nanny state has taken away our right to defend ourselves for fear we might take up arms against the nanny. In the mean time, the thugs are having a picnic and you do gooders in your ivory towers have blood on your hands!
Posted by RawMustard, Friday, 9 April 2010 12:07:13 AM
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RawMustard,

Unfortunately, TRTL is not kidding. He is one of those people who never comes into contact with real life. His life is cloistered in, if I remember correctly, one of those 'caring' professions where they make excuses for people who can't get it together.

The lame-Left would have different ideas altogther if they were subject to what you son suffered. If they have their way, and more of the nasties are let into Australia, the problems they deny will eventually get around to them, too.

But, when they forget what they have preached to the rest of us, and start squealing because mass immigration of inappropriate people affects them, it will be too late for all of us.
Posted by Leigh, Friday, 9 April 2010 10:56:38 AM
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Great topic Mark. I have kept my larrikin attributes and exhibit from time to time [fun humour and spontaneity] without hurting people. My definition of larrikin behaviour is probably different to todays definition of larrikin behaviour [mine's 70's/80's style] one in which brings my kids down to earth rolling their eyes in embarrassment!
Posted by we are unique, Saturday, 10 April 2010 10:20:58 AM
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king hazza

unemployment will skyrocket ... who'd drive our taxis?

unique

we're mates!

tltr

youth unemployment in Australia is at 30%.
Posted by keith, Saturday, 10 April 2010 1:42:22 PM
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