Is there such a thing as Aussie values?
I mean, take the fair go for instance. Its not as though Australians are the only people in the world who know about the idea of a fair go. In fact, its a fairly simple moral truism: equality, or at least universality. So we're not exactly unique on that one.
Furthermore, suggesting that this country has some unique set of values begs for generalisation and possibly pigeonholing. Does everyone in this country believe in the idea of a fair go? Of course not. In that case, are they somehow 'un-Australian'? No again, due to the aforementioned fact that it is more of a moral truism than a 'national value'. But what if someone did think of the fair go as a national value? May I present, ladies and gentlemen, Pauline Hanson. Or that crazy woman from Camden whose name I've forgotten. Either way, they're going on about how various groups in our society may not represent Australian national culture, which is clearly divisive swill.
People like these will try to reduce everything down to good and bad. Australian values = good. Lebanese = bad because they do not conform to Australian values, and therefore we should deport them, or whatever. But perhaps we should not be so quick to enshrine our so-called cultural values. They did not intrinsically exist inside each convict in the First Fleet, but instead evolved due to the way of life etc. of those people. In the same way, one should expect that those national values (if there are any) continue to evolve with Australia's cultural makeup, and not the other way around.
Having been to many countries around the world, I have noticed little difference between the people I meet there and the people I meet here. In the end, we are all just people. Even if we consider ourselves to be Australians, or Japanese or whoever, we are people first and then nationalities second. So approach cultural values with a more open mind, don't nominalise, and remember that being 'Australian' is whatever you make it.
