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Australians: Healthy, wealthy and not very wise! : Comments
By Haig Balian, published 25/11/2004Haig Balian argues that Australia needs to stand up for itself more.
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Great article! How fascinating to hear how the "move to Canada" jokes have impacted Canadian identity.
This American was also expecting a more Canadian, or socialist, country in Australia. Half my family is Canadian and I attended some Uni in Canada. I would say Canada is not only significantly different on paper from the U.S. in terms of social policy, but you can really feel the effects of socialism on the ground, in a positive way.
I neither see nor feel these effects as much in Australia. That doesn't mean it feels American--Australia feels different to me than the U.S. in many ways, starting with the amazing phenomenon of small community social feel in even big-city Sydney.
But to what extent does a relationship with the US decrease DOMESTIC socialist policy? Individualism, while an American value, is also just a product of an increasingly competitive, urbanised world. It is these forces that threaten to carry selfishness, etc to new heights, much more than American influence. Here's where U.S. bashing is misplaced energy.
To those sensitive Aussies who ask me if I'm Canadian when we first meet, good on you! I would imagine that asking Canadians if they are American only contributes to the "we are not American" quotient of the identity, which is probably not the most uplifiting, and in my view, not the most productive, for Canadians.