AndyR1976

This is coming from a quote on another thread where someone (Loch Lamond) said the following about things he dislikes/likes about Australia.....


Just a thought - but is this a good or a bad thing.....??

Many of you will know me as the Austrlian on the forum and I often get in trouble on here for offending people, saying rude(ish) things and generally being a loud-mouth etc...... Sorry, can't help my heritage and I'll swear that its just you stuffy british foldk getting easily offended......

Anyway...I have a serious question today - about the way that Australians defend the place....and i KNOW that I am the first to get my back up if you say something bad about 'MY' country.....

But is that a good thing or a bad thing?? I understand that it is probably bloody annoying when us aussies always defend the place to the death....but isn't part of what people come here for? I mean, aren't a lot of British (won't make the mistake of presuming you are all english again after a slating I got last week) ...aren't a lot of british coming because they are disheartened with the UK, in terms of it not feeling like home? Or 'going to the dogs'. I know that crime, immigration, social chages etc in britain have a lot to do with why people want to move, but is also a big part of it that people don't feel anymore like its the britain that they remember?!

Isn't a sense of national pride and being really enthusiastic about your country and being patriotic something that is missing in britain these days.....

You only have to go to any capital for Australia day to see how many people really love the place.... so I pose the question, Australians being really enthusiatic and definding hte place - good or bad thing?? Annoying maybe, but surely it represents a society that cares about what people think, that want to remind people how good it is, that LOVE the place so much they will defend it in an argument that is pointless.....

Or are we just a bunch of raving galah's carrying on with crap!?!

I'm not suggesting that I know the answer - was just interested in what people thought of this .......

Discuss.... ya stupid bunch of moany wallabies!

paul30

I remember a time when the brits were the same me included and I'd have defended england to the hilt but unfortunately the UK has gone so far down the tubes we really can't do that anymore with any degree of conviction (don't get me wrong I love england and always will). So I can't Blame the Aussies for that

AndyR1976

Thats what I was getting at!

esperanza

I think anyone that claims their country is 100% brilliant and the best must be a teensy bit deluded. No country is perfect, Australia included.
Thus when e.g. an Australian claims their country is the best in the world and has no faults, I tend to think that they are a sandwich short of a picnic.

No offense Andy!

paul30

be great to get some national pride back in britain (england especially) how's this for crazy I'm a chef and every year nomatter where I'm working I have always done special things for st patricks day, st andrews day and even st davids day (all in England) but not once in recent years for st georges day (I bet most people don't even know when st georges day is)

esperanza

Fair point. But maybe that's because every other day of the year is English day! English don't need to cling on to their identity & promote it to everyone because it is so deep-rooted?

AndyR1976

Esperanza...first, I am disappointed that you haven't provided some referene to a movie to back up your point of view...

Second, I don't get offended - its impossible

Third, wasn't trying to say that Australia is the best (but it is) and that its 100% perfect (although it is) ...... just saying that its probably more often defended than not by its residents - people are always saying on the forum that they hate how australians are delueded and always defend stuff.......

But I see your point - you can never argue that ANYWHERE is 100% perfect.....

paul30

maybe at one point in time but the same can be said about the scots the Irish and the welsh

esperanza

Movie where Australia is the best........... nope can't think of one. I only know a handful of Aussie movies though, and Muriel's Wedding, Rabbitproof Fence and Strictly Ballroom just don't seem relevant somehow! The Castle? (Haven't seen it but keep being told that I simply HAVE TO watch it, as it is THE movie to watch to understand Australia....)

esperanza

Deeprooted was a bad choice of word.... what I mean is that nobody has seriously challenged 'Englishness' since 1066. We've had our own goverment the whole time, never been occupied by anyone else - although have repeatedly occupied other people. So there is really no threat to the concept of 'England' & being 'English'.
The same does not hold true for Scotland/Wales/Ireland.

stevemich

I personally find it refreshing that Aussies in general are really upbeat and pround of their country - give me that over "I bloody hate this place" that I used to hear day in day out back in the UK.

HOWEVER - there is a line between loving your country and arrogance that "we are the best at, and have the best of, everything" that the media can sometimes be guilty of....

AndyR1976

OK, I will lend you both THE CASTLE and THE DISH - although many english people just don't get the humour......

Wheeler-Jones

I am a kiwi (and Aussie citizen by choice) and I would normally defend it if I thought the insult wasn't justified. We all tend to over generalise things, but sometimes when I hear about ''how bad the drivers' are for example that does get me going - I mean I drive to work 3 miles in the UK and, my god are there some complete idiots on the road here.

But anyway - I do find some Aussies funny - normally find these types in any country - the ones who say 'Australia (or insert said country) is the best country in the world' but then they have never travelled outside of it. I could say that but I do actually have some comparison at least to about 30 countries. Then again NZ is pretty awesome....

Here here to making everyone watch 'The Castle' - it's got a great 'vibe'

Nerine

Australian's do tend to have very definite opinions on things and aren't afraid to voice them .

Nothing wrong with pride in one's country though so good luck to them. We could do with a lot more of it back in the UK I think. After all ......it is GREAT Britain.

Nerine

Now there's a good film, even our kids were fascinated by it and remember it years after.