- The Lucky Country by Donald Horne, 1964
I find it amusing that Australian Politicians picked up the phrase "a lucky country" and ran with it, flying it as a flag and misapplying it as a form of rallying cry ... yet anyone who has read the book can see it was used ironically. It was a comment of disdain. An indictment on Australia.
Australia never earned its democracy ... it simply went along with some British habits and has been reticent to cut the apron strings.
Australia has not created wealth using "clever" means derived from education, science, technology or other innovations.
Australia's economic prosperity is largely derived from its rich natural resources.
Our Agriculture accounts for 12% of the GDP and produces enough surplus to export feed for 60 million whilst still keeping enough food locally to feed a population twice our own size.
Our mining, oil and gas extraction directly account for ten per cent of Australia's Gross Domestic Product.
Australia seems to care and show less enterprise than almost any other prosperous industrial society - through its myopian attitude to the mining sector, the lack of support for its education, research and development sectors and a seeming acceptance of creating a future where it will be an unimaginative nation, mired in mediocrity and manacled to its past.
[Reposted from xntrek]
I find it amusing that Australian Politicians picked up the phrase "a lucky country" and ran with it, flying it as a flag and misapplying it as a form of rallying cry ... yet anyone who has read the book can see it was used ironically. It was a comment of disdain. An indictment on Australia.
Australia never earned its democracy ... it simply went along with some British habits and has been reticent to cut the apron strings.
Australia has not created wealth using "clever" means derived from education, science, technology or other innovations.
Australia's economic prosperity is largely derived from its rich natural resources.
Our Agriculture accounts for 12% of the GDP and produces enough surplus to export feed for 60 million whilst still keeping enough food locally to feed a population twice our own size.
Our mining, oil and gas extraction directly account for ten per cent of Australia's Gross Domestic Product.
Australia seems to care and show less enterprise than almost any other prosperous industrial society - through its myopian attitude to the mining sector, the lack of support for its education, research and development sectors and a seeming acceptance of creating a future where it will be an unimaginative nation, mired in mediocrity and manacled to its past.
[Reposted from xntrek]
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