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Article: What's wrong with the Australian people? Australia's conflation with the global market has coincided with a marked decline in altruistic values.
- Article from:
- Arena Magazine
- Article date:
- April 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Arena Printing and Publications Pty. Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Poor fellow, my country
I start with these words from Xavier Herbert because I often feel them these days, in my semi-self-imposed exile in France. To explain why I feel ashamed that I am an Australian, let me start with oat exchange of words which took place in the Morvan, where I live, the day after the Tampa events had filled the TV screens world-wide. Jean Francois, a local farmer who looks like Asterix, asked us in for a red (o two) (as you do) when we walked by. When he asked where I was from and I said Australia, he did a double-take and said words to the effect of: 'What are you doing down there? I thought you were a decent people. Decent people do not do ...