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The Forum > Article Comments > Creating our own history > Comments

Creating our own history : Comments

By Rachel Hills, published 27/7/2006

Flag waving may be mawkish, but Australia can learn from US patriotism.

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Gekko: I think the whole point about Australian patriotism is that it allows the cultural cringe and the hyphenated Australians, yet I think for all but the most hardline idiots, if you scratch the surface, they really do consider themselves Australian and are glad to be here and part of this society.

For all of Australia's faults, it has been far more moderate than most places on earth and has largely avoided the periodic blood-letting that seems de rigueur of just about every other place (eg. we've never fought a war or a rvolution here, and as much as some would lead us to believe, we're far less racist than most countries). It's certainly not perfect here, but our pluralism serves us well I think, and like I said, that both requires and produces the cultural cringe.

"Australia has nothing to learn from America and their Patriots."

Steve Madden: This sort of anti-Americanism is willingly ignorant and dishonest. It's an incredible over-simplification of an incredibly complex (and at times quite troubled) nation with an incredibly complex history that has produced a wealth of thinkers, writers and political dissidents (from Jefferson to Thoreau to Chomsky), not to mention art and culture (don't even say that America has no culture because just about every music genre spawned in the 20th century originated in the U.S.). Stop parroting the fashionable anti-American line and actually learn something about the place.
Posted by shorbe, Thursday, 27 July 2006 5:58:35 PM
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Our history's wonderful, better than the rest of the world. It's unique, untouched for thousands of years, the last 200 years produced a lively, colourful, adventurous history, both good and bad. It's set us aside as unique, superior to others in courage and mateship.

You see pride, patriotism, camaraderie, in our expression to the world. For our size we attain higher standards than most countries, we top most endeavours we enter, show great courage, dedication when threatened or helping others, we're admired throughout the world..

We're seen as peaceful, accepting and tolerant, as we express that way. I doubt there's a country who sees Australia as a threat to them , so we need the example of USA patriotism, like a hole in the head.

Examples the USA gives to the world, invasion, unrelenting destruction, abuse of trading partners, most polluting, the most WMD used every day. Who needs that flag waving example.

We don't need to fly our flag, its our example to the world that counts, we stand for our country, our flag represents us, we don't represent our flag. Our flag should represent our history and culture, not someone elses.

Sadly there's those amongst us whose agenda is disrupting and fragmenting our culture, they only care for themselves and what they represent. In all cases its power and control.

We see it in the drive of the right wing towards totalitarian economic control. The lefts push towards chaotic confusion, so they can gain control. Worst of all, as it involves both left and right,we have the 3 factions of god, working together for control and against each other for control.

In a country priding itself on giving everyone a go, we seem to be giving the wrong people a go. The most patriotic thing Australians can do, is to protect our culture. We have to stop the economic, social and theological take over of a culture that makes us uniquely us.

Rachel Hills, is that a jewish name, or Texan..
Posted by The alchemist, Thursday, 27 July 2006 8:38:05 PM
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Canada,The UK and America are quite different than Australia.Why?I don't know exactly,maybe its the White Australia's only policy.That probally gave some Australians inner arrogance towards people who are not white,new ethnics.

The UK Canada and America never really had White only policies.America is a country naturally made-up of immigrants old and new ones.Immigrants in Canada and The UK don't really live under a microscope. The UK has every immigrant from every country.Yet you still see this:

http://img60.imageshack.us/my.php?image=71182467ew2.jpg

America doesn't always give to recieve something back in return.

America gives more money to poor countries than anyone else.But You'd never know about it, or even hear it much.America is a bless country,Australia is too.But America is different.
It has racism,crime, sin,but it also has caring people,even though they have a very high homeless rate themselves.

An interview was done with Oprah Winfrey a few years ago on ABC,America.
The reporter ask her:Some People will asked, why are you giving to Africa,when America has alot of disavantage children?

Oprah said:She knows about America's disavantage children, because she was one herself. Growing up in the racist South,being born a poor black girl was not easy.But she grew up in a country where she could change that with Education and hard work.

Oprah+poverty+America+Education+hardwork=billionaire.Alot of famous extremely rich Americans grew-up disadvantage.

Australia should treat new immigrants the same as other Australians, if they want them to seem more 'regular'.
Posted by Amel, Friday, 28 July 2006 1:20:54 AM
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The great irony about those who ramble about Australins being full of self hatred - is that they are quite reaady to hate the haters - and Australian haters seem to be every where, in the media, our schools and universities, unions, the ranks of the labour party, the greens and the democrats, probably the church no doubt as well - or those they describe as Australian haters - so in a perverse way - in their mind the continent is just one big pool of hatred - those that hate Australia and those that hate those who hate Australia.

ALl this garbage about shared values - excuse me while I puke. These pages are full of references to them what ever they are - shared values strikes me as nothing more than another form of orthodoxy and control - not for me I think

I dont see the hatred myself - and personally I dont want any part of shared values - I'll share a few and eschew the rest - I dont even like the flag that much - in fact it's breath takingly un spectacular and has little or no meaning to me at all -

Australia is a pile of dirt upon which I live nothing more nothing less - I did not choose to live here I have just chosen to stay here - there a aspects of it that are splendid, marvelous worth celebrating and shouting from the roof tops about - and there aspects of it that are woefull, lamentabl,stupid shamefull and need to be exposed as such all day every day -

To recognise that as the truth of the matter is to be truly Australian.
Posted by sneekeepete, Friday, 28 July 2006 9:38:29 AM
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Steve,

Yes, I did overlook that particular weakness: America’s inability to stop the continual string of illegals into the country. We do better only because of geography and, even then, we allow most of them to stay on their own, un-checkable say so. We are just as weak.

I hope you are not expecting me to lament the fact that illegal entrants in America are not entitled to government assistance, nor that they are being paid $5 an hour when they should not be in the country in the first place, let alone working.

Perhaps we could just agree that the employers of illegals are scumbags, and that the new IR laws for Australians stink?

Doom,

Such a reassuring name.

1. Muslims
2. No
3. No

Have you heard of reading, current affairs etc?

I not the one who is ashamed of, or hates Australia. I was talking about left wing nutters. Not much comprehension in your reading, Doom!

Carl,

Agreeing with Doom says it all about you. I am pleased to be Australian and pity anyone who is not. Your guess is right, though, about how I feel about you and many people who live here.

Rancid,

What proves me to be a “malicious liar”? I’m obviously not speaking for anyone else but myself. I would hardly be speaking for you, would I?

I gave the rest of your post a miss. The old banned substances seem to be doing the talking.
Posted by Leigh, Friday, 28 July 2006 10:17:24 AM
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Oh dear, silly me. Plerdsus is obviously correct that the Rum Rebellion was a spontaneous coup that occured in Jan 1808 with the overthrow of Gov. Bligh while he was hiding under his bed being defended by his daughter....

A bit like saying that Arthur Phillip was an expert sailor (yet the colony almost starved beside being located on Sydney Harbour where the fish weren't so full of toxins, and planting European Grains according to a European Almanac.

The whole history of Syndey Cove in the pre-Macquarie era is one of incompetence of leadership - which was why Bligh was supposedly over thrown in the first place.
Posted by Narcissist, Friday, 28 July 2006 12:50:56 PM
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