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| Down Under |
| Carry on the battle to conquer tyranny |
| 2006-06-13 |
| Alexander Downer, Foreign Minister AUSTRALIANS have a laconic attitude to patriotism. Our love of our country is no less fierce because of the understated way we display it. Our commitment to Australian values is no less passionate because of the casual way we express it as a fair go for all. We are similarly coy about how we express our attitude towards freedom and democracy, despite our strong support for these principles. We are squeamish about the more jingoistic style of some American pronouncements on the spread of freedom and democracy. Yet we are committed to the same goals. Australia continues to be a significant force for the spread of freedom and democracy. We have fought wars for these values in the past, we continue to fight for them now and we will work in many ways to achieve the same outcomes in the future. In doing so we are not simply working for an ideal. We are supporting values that deliver practical success for ordinary people. We are delivering tangible outcomes for people who deserve the opportunity to forge a future of their own. And we are looking after our national interests. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 "We are similarly coy about how we express our attitude towards freedom and democracy, despite our strong support for these principles. We are squeamish about the more jingoistic style of some American pronouncements on the spread of freedom and democracy. Yet we are committed to the same goals." I think the cause of this difference has less to do with the people than with the fact that America has always had to assimilate an endless, large stream of immigrants with different traditions and values. Those folks needed to be "sold" the values of America or tribalism and chaos would have resulted. I think Austrailia's troubles with immigration can be traced in part to a lack of pro-actively and proudly "selling" Austrailian values to the new comers. So my advice is stop being coy and get out there and sell yourselves and your values. There are competitors plying their wares that you didn't have to deal with before. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2006-06-13 14:21 |
| #1 No one is obligated to fight to help others obtain freedom, liberty, and democracy, because any such obligation negates the principles of freedom and liberty. Instead, consistent with those principles, one is free to choose to fight for these ideals on behalf of oneself as well as for others. Unlike those who believe that any set of values is as good as another, and thus subject to personal choice, my belief is that these principles enbody values that have inherent virtue: they are not good because "they work", but they work because they are good. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2006-06-13 11:12 |