I get sick of people using
the epithet ‘lucky country’ in referring to Australia in a laudatory way, without
realising the phrase’s original intent. Donald Horne used it as the title for
his 1964 book in which he opined that Australia’s climb to prosperity was based
entirely on luck and the nation was run mainly by second rate people who shared
its luck. Horne also regarded our political and economic system as second rate,
and maligned the country’s lack of innovation and ambition as well as its lack
of interest in intellectual matters1,2. Given the clear lack of any
even moderate indication of intellectual ability among the current crop of
politicians, one could do nothing but agree with Horne’s analysis.
The fact that the book’s
title was ironic seems to have escaped most people (who have probably not read the
book). Indeed, Horne was quoted as saying “I have had to sit through the most
appalling rubbish as successive generations misapplied the phrase”3.
To further the irony, the hopelessly incompetent Tony Abbott suggested that two
of the defining moments in Australia’s history from 1964 were the launch of The
Australian newspaper and the publication of Horne’s book4. While
Horne’s book has increasingly demonstrated its perspicacity over the years, The
Australian has done the reverse, slowly going from a newspaper to a parody of
its former self.
One of the remarks that Horne made in his subsequent book ‘Death of the Lucky Country’ was that Australians, “in the lucky style” have never earned “our democracy. We simply went along with some British habits”3,5. Given the constant attacks on Australian democracy from the current government, we may soon have to find out what it means to fight for it. This is because, as the Australian populace is becoming more progressive and more aware of having been screwed by neoliberal economics, the conservatives are concerned that they will become unelectable. As David Frum has said: “If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy.”6 That is what is happening now, with the government telling bald-faced lies in the recent election campaign, using posters to mimic those of the Australian Electoral Commission to mislead voters, stacking the boards and executives of supposedly independent bodies, attempting to nobble GetUp, prosecuting whistle-blowers, and ignoring the Constitution. In addition, they are now threatening protesters with gaol and the removal of any government benefits they may have, and attempting to make Extinction Rebellion protesters’ bail conditions so restrictive to prevent association and therefore prevent future protests. Such conditions were originally imposed in an attempt to hamper association among members of bikie gangs7. Fortunately, this time, these conditions were thrown out. However, these transgressions will get worse, and the ensuing fight will be one in which the rights that people thought they had, will be trampled by conservatives.
Sources
- https://theconversation.com/donald-hornes-lucky-country-and-the-decline-of-the-public-intellectual-80743
- Horne, D., 1964. The Lucky Country. Penguin Australia
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-29844752
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/29/tony-abbott-says-first-fleet-arrival-is-the-defining-moment-in-australian-history
- Horne, D., 1976. Death of the Lucky Country. Penguin
- http://www.blotreport.com/society/david-frum-quote-2/
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/10/extinction-rebellion-scott-ludlam-has-absurd-bail-conditions-dismissed-by-judge
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