In the rush to defend the quite splendid firework displays we see here in Australia (my personal favourite is the Harbour Bridge at midnight NYE) I suspect that we might have overlooked Clem's point entirely.

>>We can have no intelligent culture in a country the mass of whose people belief that New Years Eve fireworks is a cultural highlight of their lives.<<

Because if the mass of Australian people does actually believe that NYE fireworks are indeed the cultural highlight of their lives, then it can well be argued that our culture is missing some fairly fundamental elements.

Colour and movement plus loud banging sounds are fun, of course, but just the tiniest bit primitive if they become the pinnacle of ones artistic and aesthetic experience.

On second thoughts, perhaps I am over-thinking this, and Clem is just another grumpy curmudgeon.

Pericles,

You (and Clem) are right of course.

Our "culture" is missing some fairly fundamental elements.

You could pop off to just about anywhere in the world and find demonstrations of meaning and ritual carried out by the inhabitants...Australia appears to be lacking in this regard. Apart from annual sporting fixtures, ANZAC Day and fireworks (even Australia Day is a tad manufactured) what have we got?

I think I was so enamoured by the gathering of the community at the fireworks that I overlooked the hollowness of meaning in the whole presentation.

You and Clem make a pertinent point.

Overthinking it? Possibly… Let's test the basis of the argument by substituting some other unevidenced assertions.

"We can have no intelligent couture in a country the mass of whose people belief that new adult onesies is a couture highlight of their lives."

"We can have no intelligent cuisine in a country the mass of whose people belief that new sausage varieties is a cuisine highlight of their lives."

Maybe the intelligence required is the correct use of verbs (believe) and matched tenses (fireworks are).

Quick story:

Foster Parent chops rats tail off foster child (not sure if the fact the child had lice was here or there). Agency rings and discusses this haircut with the carer after a complaint from biological parents when they noticed rats tail gone on an access/contact visit.

Agency staff explain to carer that rat tails are part of this little Australian persons "cultural identity" and that this removing of rat tails cannot happen and furthermore a memo has circulated the office so that all staff understand and can inform foster parents that the removal of rats tails is not okay.

TPP,

Wow!

"....rat tails are apart of this little Australian's cultural identity...."

More likely rat tails are a part of little Australian's parent's bogan identity.

I suppose that's technically "kulchural" as well.

: )

Poirot: "More likely rat tails are a part of little Australian's parent's bogan identity.
I suppose that's technically "kulchural" as well."

Yes indeedy. :D