Creativity Architects
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 The United States vs Australia Convict eyes on the Land of Liberty "Americans maintain their sense of being God's own country with a manifest destiny to lead the world to freedom and democracy. Australia has no global ambitions, and those related to the region are for stability and economic advancement rather than dominance" - John Langmore Urban Australia was founded by English convicts, or to put it another way, England's rejects. Urban America was founded by English puritans, or to put it another way, England's weirdoes. The difference between rejects and weirdoes goes a long way to explaining the cultural differences between the two nations. For different reasons, many people in both Australia and America are reluctant to recognise their cultural uniqueness. Some Americans argue that Americans can't be stereotyped as not everyone drives pick-up trucks and talks about when they were abducted by aliens. Likewise, a minority of Australians are obsessed with telling the world that the average Australian doesn't wrestle crocodiles. Although there is diversity in each country, like an accent and dialect, there are some commonalities that bind Americans just as there are commonalities that bind Australians and there are some behavioural traits that can be predicted with some certainty. For example, the author of this article was once giving a presentation to an Australian university class. To explain the difficulty of building a patriotic image for a brand in Australia, he draped an Australian flag over his shoulders and struck a pose as if looking at the sunset in an aftershave commercial. Noting that the class looked unimpressed, he took the flag off his shoulders, and enthusiastically polished his arse with it. The class started laughing. He then asked if anyone was offended. A chorus of nos went up. A lone voice said that although he wasn't offended, he was disappointed. The lecturer, who had previously worked for the defence forces, gave the presentation a distinction. If the an American had done the same thing in an America, a trip to Guntanemo Bay Cuba may have followed, or the threat of expulsion would have been hung over his head. It should be stressed it was not a liberal arts class full of 18-year-olds that had an ideological opposition to everything. It was a post-graduate marketing class full of students that should have been able to appreciate the importance of respect, loyalty, teamwork, and constructive thinking. This page does not judge either America or Australian cultural traits to be superior, only that they are different and therefore suited to different roles. An open-minded person would appreciate that diversity is strength, and by recognizing this diversity they would be better able to learn from the strengths of the other country. Furthermore, recognition of cultural diversity may go a long way to changing the negative attitudes some Australians display towards Americans. Robert Frost, an American, once wrote a poem that revolved around the theme: "Good fences make good neighbours." History indicates the highpoint of relations was the 1980s after Crocodile Dundee built a wall of difference by affirming stereotypical extremes of Australians and Americans alike. Most of the low points have been in times of war when attempts have been made to portray a sense of joint values and aspirations. For Australia, another low point came in the 1990s when there was concern that Australia was on its way to becoming the 51st state of America. If Americans and Australians were to come together to discuss their cultural differences, not only would they gain new ideas, perhaps they would also transform points of friction into bonds of friendship.
Political correctness “Wherever, at the end of some new understanding, you see the Government of France or a man of rank in England, in the United States you will be sure to find an association…If it be proposed to advance some truth or foster some feeling of encouragement of a great example, Americans form a society.” Alexis de Tocqueville 19th century Political correctness is confined to the world’s immigrant nations. Of these nations, America is by far the most politically correct. The political correctness is so extreme that McDonalds restaurants don’t sell "white coffee" or "black coffee." They sell "coffee with cream" and "coffee without cream." American political correctness can be attributed to well developed Jewish, black and migrant lobbies that jump on anything that even remotely damages their interests. With the lobbies always ready to pounce, Americans have become quite timid in regards to what they are prepared to say. The political correctness even extends to how Americans may talk about Australians (who don't even have a lobby in America.) For example, the CIA World Fact Book makes no mention of convicts when talking about Australian history. Presumably, the authors were scared about offending Australians if they mentioned the truth. In comparison to Americans, Australians are quite free. So free, in fact, that Australians enjoy a famous brand of cheese known as "Coon Cheese." As a consequence of this freedom, Australians say things that Americans find quite outrageous. Australia just doesn’t have well-developed lobby groups that are ready to denounce inappropriate comments. One reason for the lack of lobby groups is that, unlike America, the Australian migrant experience hasn’t led to the formation of ghettos that subsequently form interest groups. Something about Australian culture seems very adept at breaking down the group psychology of migrants. Another reason for the lack of political correctness is that many Australians seem more happy with people who they can see as mutual scum. A story told in the Australian Slanguage, by Bill Horndage, illustrates the point: "Professor Michio Ochi...related an incident which happened when he visited the New South Wales town of Young: 'My wife and I were standing beside the car. A young boy walked past and sang 'Ching-Chong Chinaman'. I didn't want to ignore this, I had to make a decision on the spot so I called back to him 'You bloody Aussie bastard'. " In an paradoxical kind of way, the actions of Professor Ochi would probably have endeared him to the boy, and all those Australians who have heard of the story. To return an insult with interest has a strange way of making Australians feel comfortable. Although the lack of political correctness might be a convict trait, it is equally likely that it is an Aboriginal trait. The writings of a colonial military officer, Watkin Tench, record the sense of humour of an Aborigine known as Arabanoo: "If the slightest insult were offered to him, he would return it with interest. At retaliation of merriment he was often happy; and frequently turned the laugh against his antagonist. " The origins of the word Moomba, the name for a Melbourne cultural festival, also illustrates how Aborigines liked to make politically incorrect jokes about the new arrivals. When Melbourne's founding fathers were looking for a name for their festival, they asked Aborigines for a suitable word, and were subsequently told that 'moomba' means, 'lets get together and have fun.' In hindsight, the founding fathers should have been suspicious that 'lets get together and have fun' could have been expressed in two syllables. In reality, 'moom' means 'bum', 'buttocks', or 'anus', while the suffix 'ba' means 'in', 'at' or 'on'. It seems then, the local tribes got together and had fun as they laughed the whitefella's 'in the bum' festival. Praise the lord Americans tend to be very complimentary people. They may praise others for their artwork, sporting ability, ideas or their country’s achievements. Although the American’s willingness to praise others could be seen as a sign that Americans are easily impressed, at times it is difficult to believe the sincerity of their praise. For example, American golfer Tiger Woods once expressed his admiration for Australian Adam Scott, and said that he wasn’t as good as Scott was at the same age. Such a view would seem unlikely considering that Tiger is arguably the greatest golfer of all time, and was a star from an early age, while Scott is merely an honest toiler. Americans have an outstanding record of achievement and surely the achievements of people from other countries would seem diminutive in comparison. Perhaps Americans have decided that being polite is superior to being honest. Alternatively, perhaps they have become so accustomed to hearing compliments that they just can't stop themselves from being complimnetary as well. Australians are quite different from Americans in the praise regard. In Australia, you are far more likely to get a criticism than a compliment. Even if Australians are impressed, they often keep their admiration to themselves.
The black sheep straying from the flock Americans have a strong herd instinct which expresses itself in a desire to turn themselves into followers. Some of the herd instinct was seen in the Salem Witch Hunts of the 17th century and again in the communism witch hunts of the 1950s. Some of it has been seen with the formation of cults. Some of it is seen in American movies where the president is always depicted in a positive light, and other Americans will sacrifice their own lives in his defence. Some of it is even seen in the actions of crowds at live music festivals where a singular individual will take a lead, and the rest of the crowd will cheer them on and then follow the lead. Whereas Americans have the white sheep mindset, the Australian tends to have the black sheep mindset. When the back sheep strays from the collective flock of black sheep, rather than follow it, Australians will just let it be. For example, in the 1950s, Australians voted on whether Communism should be banned. The majority of Australians voted no, not because they were communist, but because they hadn't jumped on the anti-commi bandwagon. The lack of inclination to follow is also seen in Australian movies. If a prime minister ever appeared in an Australian movie, there is no doubt he would be belittled rather than celebrated. At music festivals, Australians dance in a form of collective individualism. In an individual jumped up to take the lead, rather than follow him or her, the crowd might tell the wanker to get off his high horse. If the individual just does his or her own thing, and doesn't expect anyone to follow then they will just be left alone. Silverchair, an Australian band, once commented that in America the audiences tended to have a leader. In Australia, there never seemed to be any kind of leader at all. For Australians, the lack of a herd instinct has made it quite difficult to create an easily recognisable culture. Although individual Australians have created some great artistic expressions, the expressions have not been assimilated by fellow Australians. As a result, they have remained individualistic, rather than social, affairs. America is the opposite. America has created easily recognisable music styles, fashion styles, food styles, painting styles and movie styles largely because so many Americans will follow the lead of a creative individual. Seeing shades of grey Americans are more prone to being judgemental than are Australians. Perhaps this judgemental mind set comes from their tendency to see the world in black and white. For example, some Americans have no trouble labelling nations such as Iran, Iraq and North Korea as part of the axis of evil. Similarly, many Americans have no trouble labelling George Bush as an evil man. Internationally, this confidence has motivated America to support righteous causes in foreign countries, and subsequently involve themselves in foreign wars. Domestically, the confidence has also led to the creation of controversial issues that polarise Americans in distinct camps with strong opinions in regards to what is "morally" right. Gun control vs right to bear firearms, abortion vs free choice, intelligent design vs evolutionary theory, capital punishment vs life in jail. Aside from being judgemental, many Americans exhibit a religious style desire to be a "good" person with an almost missionary belief to impress people. They may try to impress people by being helpful, demonstrating their conformity to their bible, showing their patriotism, outlining their ambitions, or even making a concerted effort to belittle George Bush. They donate money to charity then tell everyone about it, or see a therapist and proudly talk of getting in touch with their emotions. Even if they are not asked, they like to talk about their achievements. If they haven't achieved anything, they may apply the American philosophy of "until you make it, fake it." Many of America's cultural traits can be traced to the country's puritan beginnings. Some of the puritan thinking lives with the Thanksgiving traditions. Some of it lives in the noble inscription on the Statue of Liberty: "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door." Some of the puritan thinking lives with the American constitution that enshrines noble ideals of liberty, freedom of expression and the right to bear firearms. America's problem is that noble ideals are not suited to every situation and sometimes two noble ideals can be in conflict with the other. Free speech sounds great, as does free worship but when free speech denounces religion then the noble ideals are in conflict, and more conflict emerges when religion denounces another race. Similarly, while it may be great having a noble inscription of holding a lamp to the world's under classes, unless America becomes like Jesus and invents a bread basket that never runs out, the world's under classes that continue to knock at America's door will continue to be turned away. Americans will then be criticised as they struggle to live up to the high standards that they have set for themselves. The controversial issues of America are not even debated in Australia where apathy is king or issues are discussed in shades of grey. In Australia, people who see the world in black and white have always been belittled. In the convict era, a reverend was mooned by 300 women when he was preparing to give a moralistic speech. In modern times, Australians with extreme left or right views in regards to refugees, nationalism or Aboriginal issues have likewise found themselves alienated from the mainstream population. Australia has no Bill of Rights and attempts to create one continue to be resisted. Like America, history has been important for Australia. As Australia has convict foundations, it doesn't have the noble stories that inspire conformity and inspiration. It doesn't have any noble inscriptions on a statue of liberty, nor heroic tales of saving the world that people can rally around. Instead, it has he scum of British society. Unfortunately for Australians there just hasn't ever been much emotional resonance in pulling out grandpa's ball and chain in order to relive the spirit of the founding fathers. Due to the convict history, flag-waving patriotism is largely lacking in Australia. (As mentioned above, polishing your arse with the flag may well be greeted with laughter instead of condemnation.) The lack of a flag-waving culture doesn't mean that Australians aren't patriotic. It just means that national pride is expressed in a less superfiscial way. It is expressed according to the substance of the action, not its label. As for pride in history, most Australians ignore their convict heritage. This act sometimes makes Australians appear insecure about themselves and perhaps explains the lack of the confident American swagger. The English like to ridicule Australians about convicts, while Americans usually avoid mentioning the stain for fear of offending Australians. Sometimes however, they may tell Australians not to worry about it as America once had some British convicts as well. In the actual convict era, when history was alive, perhaps the problematic nature of morality made the convicts more open minded. The situations they encountered read like the moral dilemmas tested in a psychology class. Would you steal to feed your starving family? Which is worse? Promiscuous sex or violence? Stealing a loaf of bread or sending someone to the opposite side of the world for stealing a loaf of bread? Stealing food or not giving food to a starving child? The problematic nature of morality revealed itself in convict expressions such as: "The law locks as the man who steals the goose from the common but leaves the greater criminal loose who steals the common from the goose" and folk songs like the Wild Colonial Boy: "He
bade the Judge good morning, and told him to beware, Humility in a world of excellence In the past 100 years, no country achieved as much as America. It has put a man on the moon. It has been a production line of phenomenal athletes in tennis, golf, athletics and it even surpasses Australia in swimming. It has invented computers, the internet and the aeroplane. It is the undisputed world leader in the entertainment industries. In almost every field of research, be it psychology, computers or mathematics, America has been at the forefront of thought and innovation. While it may have 300 million people, it has been punching above its weight in terms of what it achieved. America is a country set up to allow talent to rise to the surface. Myths such as the American dream propose that everyone can succeed; be they an immigrant, a pauper, or a religious weirdo. The myth is not just a fable and Americans have worked hard to ensure that it has an element of truth. Some of this hard work is reflected in the constitution that protects liberties. Some of it is reflected in the university scholarships system, which ensures that anyone with talent can go to university, and cultivate their talent. Some of it is reflected in the general thinking of the average American who is very supportive of their compatriots that aim high. On the downside, talent is rare and some people really shouldn't be encouraged to believe that they have any. Furthermore, dreams fail for 99 per cent of the population. When the dream fails, Americans have a tendency to become neurotic and stressed about their failure. Not surprisingly, an abnormally high number of Americans have therapists or feel the need to see psychiatrists. (Even stranger, they almost seem proud to tell people that they have problems and are seeing shrinks.) Australia is very different from America in this regard. Publicly, an Australian may joke about "going for bronze" or "striving for mediocrity in a world of excellence." They might not really be setting their sights low, but their lofty ambitions are kept private. Australia is not a country where talent is nutured by the community around it. This lack of community support has led to many great Australian inventions being lost to Australia. In 1894, Lawrence Hargrave made the world's first powered flight. If he had had community support to refine his ideas he would have invented sustained and controlled powered flight at least a decade before the Wright brothers. Australians have been at finest when, as an underdog, they have wanted to cut down a tall poppy. (At the very least, Australians seem most proud of an achievement when a tall poppy has been lopped.) In cricket, Don Bradman was a freak of nature. In no international sport has one athlete been so statistically ahead of all others around him. Bradman's motivation seemed to be to humiliate the pompous English. He once said: "When you play test cricket, you don't give the Englishmen an inch. Play it tough, all the way. Grind them into the dust" In more cases of an underdog emerging triumphant, in World War II at Tobruk, Australians were the first nation to inflict a defeat on General Rommel. In the Kokoda campaign, Australians broke the spell of invinciability that the Japanese had woven over the Allied nations. In 1983, the yacht "Australia II" ended the Americans 132 year dominance of the America's cup. At the 2000 Olympics, Australia became the first ever nation to defeat America's 4 X 100 freestyle team. The bigger the hat, the smaller the property Americans are masters of aversive psychology. Aversive psychology is a mind trick whereby people over-represent insignificant details that allow themselves to affirm an image they have of themselves. For example, a fatso may walk into McDonalds and order a Big Mac, Sundae, French Fries but then have a "non-dairy creamer" in their coffee because they are trying to lose weight. Americans use aversive psychology when forming their self-conception of their level of racial tolerance, freedom, and conformity to religious beliefs. In Australia, there is deep suspicion of aversive psychology. Perhaps this is a legacy of the colonial era when it was used by Christians who showed the convicts such inhumanity while preaching the label of the bible. The convict's cyncism to such Christians was reflected in their scorn for Samuel Marsden, whom they referred to as the "flogging parson. " According to the convicts: "He prays for our souls on Sunday, and takes it out of of bodies during the rest of the week." Since the colonial era, the Christian Church has remained a focus of ridicule as it has a long history of being big on labels, but small in substance. (There are some exceptions. For example, The Salvation Army is held in high regard because it has changed its emphasis from judgement, to practical Christianity by rolling up of its sleeves in service of the poor.) As a result of this cyncism, public expressions of worship are denounced in Australia. In the words of Robert Hughes: "Any political candidate who declared God was on his side would be laughed off the podium as an idiot or a wowser." The suspicious mind that is untrusting of the Church is also revealed with suspicion of people who wear fashionable clothes to show how "rich" they are, or people who talk about their achievements to show how "successful" they are. It is also revealed in sayings such as: "the bigger the hat, the smaller the property", "the smallest dog barks the loudest" and "actions speak louder than words."
Puritanical thinking not leading to a puritanical outcome In 2004, a Quantum/AustraliaSCAN found that more than 60 per cent of Australians were "permissive" about sexual mores, with only one in 10 espousing a more "restrictive" approach. By contrast, only four in 10 Americans were "permissive". Almost the same number were puritanical in their desire for more restriction. Despite being less puritanical in thinking, Australia seems to be more puritanical in outcome. The rate of HIV infection in Australia is 1.2 per 100,000 population; almost 1/12th the American rate of 14.7 (Avert.org). Australia's divorce rate is 2.7 per 1,000 population; significantly lower than the United States' rate of 4.3 (Australian Bureau of Statistics). In Australia, there are 0.25 paternity tests for every 1,000 people; almost 1/5th the U.S rate of 1.2 tests per 1,000 people (Professor Michael Gilding, Swinburne University of Technology). Australia's murder rate is 1.7 per 100 000 population; almost 1/4 of the American rate of 6.3 (Australian Government Institute of Criminology.) Perhaps America's higher rate of puritanical thinking is in response to social ills caused by the devil's greater focus on their country. Alternatively, perhaps America's puritanical thinking is part of the cause of the social ills. Either way, it seems there are more prayers going unanswered in America than there are in Australia. The insular world policeman Whenever there is injustice in the world, it is America that is asked to help. When Christians were persecuted in Egypt, it was the Americans who answered their call. When the Koreans were faced with execution at the hands of a communist insurgency, it was the Americans who gave them a fighting chance. When mainland China threatened to invade Taiwan, it was the Americans who let the mainland know that such a use of force would not be tolerated. While America's good deeds have won it some admiration, it has also made it many enemies. The Islamic world sees it as meddlesome, or only after its oil reserves. South Koreans see America as responsible for keeping their nation divided. The Vietnamese see Americans as muderers. Many Africans minorities, who America hasn't helped, accuse America of forgetting about them. American foreign policy, whether it be motivated by money or a genuine desire to help, has now seen Americans soundly disliked the world over. Not surprisingly, most Americans have no desire to leave America and experience the condemnation that most countries have for them. As Australia has only involved itself in foreign issues to show support for a major power like Britain or America, it has been sparred most of the hostility directed at Americans. (*Facilitating the independence of East Timor from Indonesia is perhaps a minor exception. As a result of the facilitation, many Indonesians now hate Australia. Even some East Timorese hate Australia on the grounds that Australia didn't come soon enough, or it only did it to gain a better deal for its resources.) Because Australia has generally lacked the power to interfere in other country's affairs, Australians are not as disliked as Americans. As a result, they are far more comfortable leaving Australia to travel the world. Language of deception A culture is reflected in its language. The difference between American and Australian cultures is reflected in the pronunciation of English, and the purpose English is used for. In regards to pronunciation, Americans are more throaty. Their deep voice has an air of authority like a sheriff, pastor or cowboy. On the other hand, Australians are a little higher pitched, almost as if they are having a joint or their testicals are being held in a vice. Americans are prone to use English for persuasive purposes. This is reflected in their use of analogies and relatively simple words that the majority of the population can understand. Australians are more likely to use language to be funny, to deceive or to cut down a tall poppy. These purposes are reflected in the high number of colourful expressions like: Kangaroos loose in the top paddock, mad as a gum tree full of galahs, about as useful as a ashtray on a motor bike, is a duck's arse water tight? It is also reflected in the high number of idioms and rhyming slang which ensures no one can understand what an Australians are talking about. In Australia, being clichéd is frowned upon. Even G'day mate is rejected by many parts of the population. Even though it is a very positive greeting, because it is stereotyped it may stifle the unpredictability that many Australians crave. Poor relations Surveys generally show that Australians respect Americans less than any other nation. Surveys aside, in general conservation it is obvious that many Australians have open hostility to Americans. This dislike is reflected in the use of the word Seppos, which is the abbreviation of Septic Tank which is rhyming slang for Yank. A dislike of Americans is especially strong in the Australian military where Australians and Americans have had to fight side by side. This dislike goes back to World War II where Australians hated Doug McCathur, and an all-in-brawl erupted between American MPs and Diggers in the 'Battle of Brisbane.' The history of human conflict seems to indicate that prejudice is strongest between likeminded nations. For example, China is more hostile to Japan than it is to India. Although there is the issue of World War II, this is perhaps the excuse rather than the reason. The Chinese have chosen to hold a grudge against the Japanese that they haven't held against other nations that tried to exploit them such as the French, Americans, English and Russians. Likewise, the Japanese have maintained some negative views of the Chinese while they have fallen head over heels for America, even though the Americans imposed a naval blockade that forced the Japanese into World War II, and later bombed them with nuclear weapons that ended World War II. Perhaps likeminded nations are more prone to conflict because they don't extend each other the same tolerance that they extend to diverse countries. What is dismissed as 'culture' for a dissimilar nation may be criticised as 'defective thinking' in more closely related nation. Perhaps another reason for conflict is a desire for clearly defined boundaries. Insults are a way of forming these boundaries. Australians are very hostile to idea of 'becoming the 51st state of America' and hostility to America is one way of achieving mental independence. Building bridges of friendship - with a wall Awareness of the other's cultural identity is essential for America and Australia to improve relations. Unfortunately, both countries have problems with identity for dissimilar reasons. Many Americans have trouble hearing that any nation is proud that it is not like America. Perhaps they view it like a stray sheep not wanting to listen to the gospel. Many Americans also seem to have a view that to say that a country is different to America is to say it is inferior. In their desire to be non-prejudiced people, these Americans don't want to recognise this diversity, which they may associate with inferiority. Instead, Americans favour equality, or more accurately, Australians being equal to an American. For Australians, the reluctance to recognise uniqueness stems from a desire to distance themselves from their convict heritage. This desire has led to an obsessive importation of foreign cultures that may wash away the stain. Until the 1950s it was English culture. Recently, it has been multiculturalism. Ex-Whitlam Minister Al Grassby even said that the idea of an Australian identity was akin to be a Nazi: "It would mean there was a secret
master race that considered themselves pure Australians...It would be worse than
the Third Reich." If Australians and Americans were to heed the wisdom of Robert Frost and come together to build a wall, not only would it be a unifying experience for the countries on either side of the wall, it would also be a unifying experience for the opposing countries themselves. Good fences indeed make good neighbours. World views Australians have a tendency to be loud and obnoxious when they are beered up, which in my experience, is much of the time. They're descendants from pockets and cut purses, and as we all know, the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree. Michael Carey - American As a result of all this hardship, dirt, thirst, and wombats, you would expect Australians to be a dour lot. Instead, they are genial, jolly, cheerful, and always willing to share a kind word with a stranger, unless they are an American. Douglas Adams - English Australian culture feels as grotesque as The Day of the Locust. There’s no sense of a high culture anywhere, and extreme characters abound. TV ads are often leeringly sexual "These are the only balls you’ll see at our health club," says an ad for a women’s workout center, focusing on some tennis balls Phillip Weis- American There is something of the cowboy in every American, but a little bit of the sheep station in most Australians Matthew Parris - English observer They are not a nation of snobs like the English or of extravagant boasters like the Americans or of reckless profligates like the French, they are simply a nation of drunkards Marcus Clark - English The first thing you notice about Australian culture is that it’s pathetically thin..... The thinness means that modern Australia has fallen for American culture in a way that no one else could....Mimicry is a point of pride." Philip Weiss - American I can personally affirm that to stand before an audience of beaming Australians and make even the mildest quip about a convict past is to feel the feel the air conditioning immediately elevated. Bill Bryson - American Australians love an underdog. We love people who are humble, down to earth, almost embarrassed by their own successes. We love Ian Thorpe, who is not only a decent young man, but who can just get on with the job without all the pomp and ceremony that Americans love to employ. We love Susie O'Neil, sweet, quiet, hard-working. Michael Diamond - could you possibly see a more humble person than this? We don't boo Yanks because we think they are better than us. We boo yanks because they think they are better than us. Nicole Beatty - Australian
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Customs and Values The Great Divide Aborigines |
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