October 30, 1997
"As an Australian, I was fascinated to read 'Anna Anderssen's' comparison of American and Swedish
societies.
"Australia is, sadly, becoming more and more similar to the America 'Anna' used in her comparison
to Swedish society. This is not surprising as our media has been increasingly flooded by American
content since Britain stopped pumping out propaganda movies in the late 1950s and 1960s. Here
are some additional similarities and differences with American that I have experienced:
"Our post-Anglo-Christian society relentlessly categorizes people by occupation. Academic
achievements are insignificant if you do not possess MONEY here - it doesn't matter HOW you got
it, you've just got to have it.
"There is no such thing as 'genteel poverty' in Australia. In Sydney, you are treated as a
non-person if you do not possess a car. The extremes of wealthy and impoverished people living
side by side observed in the U.S. also applies here, though perhaps not on quite the same scale.
As a very large group of "Yuppie" (young urban professional) university
graduates move into their middle aged affluence and bring their now young adult children with
them, anyone left behind their material level of lifestyle may as well not exist.
"Australian society also shares the American "easy friendship", but just as in the saying: "easy
comes, easy goes." Friendships are relentlessly based on self-interest or shared higher
pursuits, especially sports. Friendships based on values are foreign to this sport
mad society.
"I find Australian attitudes towards friendship very different from what I've
experienced for instance with Japanese friends who, at their best, often place some sense of
honor in the way that they value their friendships.
"I have lived for a time in England, Germany and America. English and German societies are
certainly more similar to the society 'Anna' speaks of; though Australian society has some
similarites to American society, there are also significant differences. The most important
difference to me is that America's powerful and hypocritical Religious Right has no equivalent
representative in Australia. Australian society doesn't have the bizarre American-puritanical
obsession of viewing the naked human body as somehow 'filthy'. Topless sunbathing at the beach
became commonplace here decades ago, though going any further has met the fierce resistance of
a minority of conservatives. I would have to conclude that Australian society is not particularly
'sexually liberated', more simply it's attitudes about sexuality are neither 'hot nor cold.'
"Every cultural has its up and down sides. The up side of Australian culture is our peace and tolerance of different cultures. We do have a very successful multicultural society here.
"I would conclude with a plea to people tired of overcrowded Europe and Asia to come and settle here in this lovely, sunny country. Please bring your cultures intact, just forget about any strife - leave that at home. Australia is a place for a new start and to forget the strife of the Old World. We have so much room here beneath our sunny skies and wide open spaces, I just wish all my friends from all these cultures and more could come and join us.
-DANIEL@SUBURBIA.COM.AU
