It is that time of year again. The Australian Open heads towards it's climax, Australia beats some disinterested tourists in cricket and Australia Day appears on the calender. However, something is different not only this year, but in the last few years as well. People seem to be giving a rat's arse about Australia Day. Quite a few seem to think it's more important than sport! What the hell is going on?
Patriotism seems to have become rather fashionable in recent years. Even some of the more ugly expressions of it, such as in Cronulla, seem not to have dampened enthusiasm for people in Australia going around pointing out to other people in Australia that they are Australian and are rather chuffed about the situation. Even so, the hype surrounding Australia Day is only now starting to reach ANZAC Day proportions.
One of the key ingredients this year was the Big Day Out flag controversy. Ken West's decision to ask people attending the BDO to keep (all) flags at home gave budding hyper nationalists around Australia all the ammo they needed to circle jerk about the flag and why anyone who thought that people wearing the flag like a cape in any social situation was a but excessive should be boiled alive in a vat of 100% all-Aussie Timor Sea oil. Sure people at last year's BDO in Sydney were politely by some punters asked to kiss the flag or cop a punch to the face, but how could one link the flag to such events? The flag represents everything that happened in Australia that we think is good. Nothing bad has ever happened in Australia with the current ensign flying proudly above us. Nothing. Never. Never ever. Got it?
On the day itself the whole thing went into overdrive. A critical analysis of the Day and why we are celebrating it on the 26th of January was thrown out the window as news coverage fawned over anyone with a nice thing to say about Australia. Meanwhile the flag was given superhuman powers by all except that rascal Luenig in a cartoon the day after. People even greeted each other with "Happy Australia Day", helping take nationalism along side Christmas and Easter to religious status.
In the end, I think my main problem with Australia Day as it currently is and patriotism in general is that is seems to be just plain pointless. Much like the related "Australian Values" debate, those who argue that Australia(n Values) is/are so great don't tend to answer why it is so. Why are Australian values better than these foreign values? What makes these values so Australian anyway? Why do people need to wear flags to a music concert? Why can't Australia look back on all aspects of it's history honestly rather than just glorifying the bits that make people feel all warm and fuzzy? Why are people proud of being Australians if all they did was be lucky enough to be born here? Me thinks I could be waiting for a while for the answers.
2 comments:
I ask myself that question all of the time. As time progresses and our Government continues to take such extreme stands on almost every issue imaginable I become more and more ashamed of being Australian.
I as you might suspect am not best pleased with the current government. I'm not sure how or even if it affects my feelings re: Australia. I wouldn't really say that I have any particular pride in being Australian because it's not something that I had any real control over. My mum just happened to be in Australia when I came out. Beyond that, I haven't had to do anything to be a Australian. So why vest anything in it? For me Australia is not a "homeland" but a place to live.
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