What we need is a strong country. Not just in terms of defence or economy - even though they are very important factors - we should also aim for strength in morals, democratic principles, etc.
If the 19th century (or at last 1837 to 1945) can be described as the British century, and from 1945 till now as the American century. Maybe the 21st century can be the Australian century. Australia has given the world the secret ballot (known in America at the turn of the century as the "Australian Ballot"), maybe we can also gently promote the ideals, the real ideals, that have made Australia - or at least the idea of Australia that we imagine - to the rest of the world.
We often don't understand the rest of the world because they don't see themselves the way we see ourselves. Maybe Canadians come close, and New Zealanders certainly, but most of the other nations and peoples around our globe have a very strong, lineal culture to deal with. That's never easy to shed but maybe by leading the way - and not by dogmatic enforcement - we can show that our egalitarian ideal can work elsewhere.
Yes I know that it hasn't necessarily worked here all that well but, by and large I think it has. Just look at the Olympic Volunteers. Just remember the atmosphere here in Sydney during the Games. I don't have the statistics (but if you do let me know) but it's a fair bet that crime was way down during those two weeks.
If the 19th century (or at last 1837 to 1945) can be described as the British century, and from 1945 till now as the American century. Maybe the 21st century can be the Australian century. Australia has given the world the secret ballot (known in America at the turn of the century as the "Australian Ballot"), maybe we can also gently promote the ideals, the real ideals, that have made Australia - or at least the idea of Australia that we imagine - to the rest of the world.
We often don't understand the rest of the world because they don't see themselves the way we see ourselves. Maybe Canadians come close, and New Zealanders certainly, but most of the other nations and peoples around our globe have a very strong, lineal culture to deal with. That's never easy to shed but maybe by leading the way - and not by dogmatic enforcement - we can show that our egalitarian ideal can work elsewhere.
Yes I know that it hasn't necessarily worked here all that well but, by and large I think it has. Just look at the Olympic Volunteers. Just remember the atmosphere here in Sydney during the Games. I don't have the statistics (but if you do let me know) but it's a fair bet that crime was way down during those two weeks.
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