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It can be a little frustrating when there are big issues (like political or social ones) & no one really seems to give 2 hoots
Australians generally have a laid back attitude which is often criticised as apathy......they often appear not to give a damn.
In my view, this is a strength as much as a weakness since we don't get so passionate about anything that we'd want to seriously hurt anyone over it.........like latin people and soccer.......or other folks who use religion as a excuse to kill each other.
The flipside is that (like Americans I guess) we elect politicians who lie, cheat and get us involved in wars that have absolutely nothing to do with us.
Australia has a much better safety net for people who are disadvantaged but Americans are often more enterprising. Where Americans are inclined to celebrate success, we have a cultural trait (known as the tall poppy syndrome) where we tend to be critical of people who are too successful.
As a race, we tend toward xenophobia.....probably due to geographical isolation.....which our politicians exploit mercilessly. Once we get used to people, however, they'll usually be fine.
Our sense of humour extends to taking the piss out of people from other places (evidenced by the reference to drop bears and kangaroos in an urban setting). Most Australians live in coastal areas and many of them have never seen kangaroos and emus in their natural environment.
We have a unique slant on the english language which often confuses overseas visitors who think that, because they can speak English, they'll understand most Australians.
We do have some wildlife which can induce anxiety.......like redback spiders and the much more deadly funnelweb.....and snakes like the taipan, death adder and several others which are among the deadliest in the world. Mind you, if you get bitten by a cottonmouth or a black widow you probably won't be much better off.
We have no large dangerous predators (like grizzly bears) but we do have some bad-tempered small ones like Tasmanian Devils......a little carnivore which only stands about 300mm (12") high but which can crush the leg bones of cattle with its powerful jaws.
Our indigenous people have a culture which is said to be 50,000 years old. Their belief system is one of the most complex of all religions and, in their natural setting, they are able to live in some of the harshest environments on earth. Like native Americans (but to a much greater extent), they cop a raw deal at virtually every turn. They have the highest per capita incidence of some diseases in the world. Infant mortality is much higher and their overall life expectancy is lower than the general population.
There have been several references to drought but the reality is that, while Australia is clearly the driest continent, there are parts like (tropical North Queensland) where the exact opposite is the case.
As someone else observed, we'll often adopt the worst aspects of American culture largely because of the pervasive impact of American TV programs.
Australians and Americans first fought alongside of each other about 100 years ago and (not necessarily to our credit) we've been allies in every major theatre of war ever since.
We share other attributes, too. Like Americans, we use far too much energy and water (and everything else) and we are both conspicuous for our refusal to ratify the Kyoto agreement.
Another thing we have in common is that we are less safe and free than we used to be.....not because of terrorists.....but because of our respective governments' use of terrorism as an excuse to enact laws that restrict our rights and freedoms.
I note, with interest, where various US social commentators have spoken about the way that the US government has generated fear as a mechanism to make US citizens more amenable to some of its more extreme actions. Our politicians would like to do the same thing here, but we don't take the bastards seriously enough for it to work.
On a more positive note, my favourite breakfast is to be found at the brunch session in the submarine base in Pearl Harbour......a ham, cheese and mushroom omelette, a couple of hamburger patties and a generous sprinkling of chips (french fries). You can gain weight just looking at it but the memory still remains strong after 33 years.
Culturally, we're most similar to New Zealanders.
Howzat?
Backyard Aquaponics
