I have another question about Australia.....?

Question

Why is Australia considered the "lucky" country? Please, again, no cheesey answers. Thankyou =] !

Answer 1

The term "Lucky Country" was actually meant to be taken as "ironic" by it's author  Donald Hornes -  and yet Australians have taken the opposite view and used "The Lucky Country" as a statement of their worth.

"Australia is a lucky country, run by second-rate people who share its luck.

For many Australians the phrase 'the lucky country' has a particular resonance. Donald Horne's famous words have been used in numerous ways to describe everything that is great about our nation.

How ironic then that Horne's irony was totally overlooked!

In a hot summer's night in December 1964 I was about to write the last chapter of a book on Australia. The opening sentence of this last chapter was: 'Australia is a lucky country, run by second-rate people who share its luck.'

That sentence was a rather brutal indictment of his country at the time. It is a direct, uncompromising and seemingly unambiguous commentary on Australia in the 1960s. Horne was critiquing an Australia that did not think for itself; a country manacled to its past; and 'still in colonial blinkers': 'If we are to remain a prosperous, liberal, humane society, we must be prepared to understand the distinctiveness of our own society'.

He was thinking about things like Australia's cultural cringe, its foreign policy and the White Australia Policy. He was, to paraphrase those words, talking about a 'not too clever country'. "

(Ozmaniac,  the quotation marks and link to the article are clearly shown, so there's no need to accuse anyone of "lifting ideas".

The person asked a question, and I provided - by copying and pasting - a portion of an article and the link... nothing more .)

Answer 2

kate is obviously not Australian and one of those who choose  to quote others rather than use her own mind. Probably the best thing Kate ever did for herself was to  choose to live in our lucky country.

Answer 3

Australia is lucky. It has a wealth of amazing natural resources, beauties, cultures and all sorts of positives. But, yet again the brits come along and in just over 200 years they manage to ruin a lot of the good about a place which they colonize. The dutch discovered Australia much earlier than Captain Cook and they ventured on and found Tasmania. (Van Diemens land). Australia may be lucky in one sense but is somewhat yet cursed due to the abominations against the indigenous people, and the attitude toward them to this day. The country has had a lot of decline, and this is deserved of they who have contributed to the spoils. The aussies are so obsessively blinded by their superficial greed for material things, sport, and their corny self image, as well as being so far up america's butt, that they are running australia headlong into a crisis. I am convinced that the influx of South East Asians, Japanese and Chinese in the past thirty years have strongly helped to hold Australia together on the world markets and in many other valuable ways. In fact take away it's immigrants and there would be no Australia as you know it whatsoever.

I lived there for five years, up until not long ago (and have done so previously three times in thirty years). I left of my own decisions because of an evil government and prime minister running the place, who's disregard for human rights sickened me to the core. It was when the tragic story of Phillipine born Australian, Ms.Vivian Solon who was traumatised, disabled and wrongly deported, losing contact with her children for four years, became publicly known  that my final decision to leave was made concrete.

It is my belief that when Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews attempted to justify further cutting African places in the Australian humanitarian program and cited fears of crime and violence, without any supporting evidence, he failed this leadership test.

In western Darfur, at least 200,000 people have been killed and fighting has displaced a further 2.5 million people since 2003.

This is the equivalent of more than two-thirds of the population of Melbourne.

Yet, this year Australia has accepted just 3900 people from Africa and instead of increasing its intake it has frozen it.

Even without adequate support infrastructure in place in Australia, most refugees would find themselves in an infinitely better environment than the fear and brutality they leave behind.

In such desperate circumstances, it remains vital that Australians remain compassionate and keep the doors open to African refugees. For many, it is literally a matter of life and death.

Answer 4

Australia has been called the lucky country since around the 19th century. It was called so because of the great job oppotunities offered, the eight hour day had been established, the basic wage was enforced and there were lots of trade unions that fought for the rights of its workers.

hope this answers your question.

Answer 5

We all basically live like Bedouins that live in the desert. We live in constant fear that spiders, snakes and other wildlife are going to poison us...

We do not have any cars here, and the weather is very dry. In summer we have to were masks to protect us from the heat and the UV rays. For food, we have nice kangaroo's and Koala's that we can BBQ...It's the best life ever!

So please come and visit - you do not have to bring any clothes with you, we like to hunt naked...

Answer 6

I agree with cborg76  and kate.  The term "The Lucky Country"  originated with Mr Horne., and was used in irony - just as D. Horne stated in the link that she posted.

If you notice,  kate USED quotation marks and showed where the excerpt of the article came from.  We weren't necessarily asked for our "personal" opinions.  We were asked what it meant for Australia to be called a "Lucky Country". Not "why do YOU think Australia is a lucky country".

Now, I'll run the risk of criticism and agree with what she and  cborg76 posted.  I will also add that Australia IS a beautiful country - but one doesn't have anything to do with the other.

Answer 7

" The phrase 'The lucky country', originated by author Donald Horne in 1964, has been used in the past few decades to describe Australia as a land of economic opportunity and bountiful natural resources. In fact, the author always intended the phrase to be used in an ironic sense,t o point to what he saw as a lazy derivative society lacking innovation and enterprise. Australians were simply riding to prosperity on the sheep's back, enjoying their country's natural advantages in the wool industry" Source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/austral...

Answer 8

because we have such a beautiful country

we have the best sports. best beaches best wildlife and plants. and we have the best accent.

we have a good sence of humour.

ahh theres just so much good stuff about australia

Answer 9

We have incredible mineral resources, fertile soils near the coasts, marvellous climate without dramatic seasonal variations, no overcrowding, low crime, a truly democratic government, jobs for everyone who is prepared to work etc. etc.

And Kate, unless your name is really John Pilger, methinks we may have a bit of lifting of someone else's ideas. Anyone who's interested, see http://www.greenleft.org.au/2007/695/361...