Great, I scored us as 76, a credit. Still plenty of room for improvement but we are heading in the right direction. I know that we are supposed to rail against our iniquities, but I think it more realistic to accept that few of us are ready to fly off to a more civilized nation.

WELLLLL.... I thought Kenny got killed in the last Southpark episode about a year back... but no..

HE'S BACK :)

welcome Kenny.

Well said Fencepost..

I think the best way of measuring the relative quality of societies is the "vote with your feet" factor. The tide of immigration will always be trying to get TO a country like ours and not away... if we did not restrict immigration, we would have MILLIONS of people trying to get here.. and who could blame them?

You see here.. when we have an election, the old govt. departs graciously and the new one moves in. No ifs no buts, no "re-elections" Zimbabwe style, no army interference.

Here, for the most part, separation of powers works and works well, can't tick that box in many places.

The weather is great, where was that criterion on the list?

I have posted along these lines before but I think anyone living ANYWHERE in the secular democratic west, can thank their lucky stars that they were born now and not at any time in the past, for a range of reasons. And I would beg to suggest that a child born now will do better still.

The carping, whining, negative tone of the article, (and those comments in support) indicates an author in need of a serious reality check. Australia in short - plenty to work on and lots to be done but way better than most.

Interesting idea, but the way that these questions are phrased is loaded and leading.

For example:

I’d go along with religion being neither forbidden nor compulsory, but surely that leaves it up to individuals’ choices whether it plays a “very small” role.

“Public enterprise is as valued as private enterprise” assumes that uncivilised countries prefer the private sector, whereas history shows that many countries that have preferred the state to the private sector have been profoundly uncivilised. I’d prefer that both sectors are recognised for their contributions (and weaknesses).

Trades unions should be free and their members’ rights protected, but whether they “flourish” depends on how well they serve their members, it is not an automatic barometer of civilisation.

The environment should be a high priority, but not necessarily the highest.

I’d agree that secular education should be available, but not that religious education or church schools should be forbidden.

In short, anyone phrasing a real exam like this would be open to serious and justified allegations of bias.

As some posters have suggested, many things are omitted from this list. The choice will depend on your ideology – the rights to “life” or “to choose”; rights to property and liberty and self-ownership; to a meaningful job at a living wage, to affordable accommodation, to self-defence …

I suspect the true test of whether a country is civilised is not how it would answer Horton’s questionnaire, but the questions it would choose to reflect its own definitions of civilisation.

I have lived in many countries around the world and always find it difficult that when I return home to Australia I become so aware of the blind way many Australian's truely believe this is a civilised country. Some of the people in Australia live in appauling developing country conditions. Some of the older people in the country live in such substandard conditions and pay through the nose. I have so often cringed at the way minority groups have been treated. I have held the view that "if only Australian's really had a look at what civilised was, we could do so much more to make this country great" for such a long time, so it was refreashing to read your article. I think one of the big problems of self reflection is that it means having a real look at ourselves. To change, we must accept we may not have it right. We have to question what we have always thought of as common sense. Thank you for chucking this concept out there. You have given me faith in the goal of civilisation again.

Maybe a country should only be considered civilised if it teaches its citizens how to spell, Till?

And a little more seriously, if it is so awful here, why is every man and his dog trying to GET here? Yes, it is not perfect.. no country is.. but please kindly inform us which country we should aspire to be more like?