Backbencher

This lecture was about the attitudes and culture of both Australia and New Zealand. It looks at how both of these countries are the same and different. Their attitudes come from the way that they were formed. This look part looks at the myths at how both are created.

For Australia there is this anti commonwealth feeling because they are from the convict stock that was brought to this country against their will because they had broken the law. This makes them rugged that take care of their own. This is some times referred to as the bush culture. The next part of the myth is that the work hard, play hard, and drink hard. They have outlaw heroes such as Ned Kelley that they worship. The Australian attitude is very similar to the United States when it comes to our outlaw heroes. Overall the feeling of the Australian people is that they are not British in anyway.

In New Zealand the way the people think of themselves is very different from that of Australia. First off New Zealand was created to be like England but much better. They in general think of themselves as better than the rest of the commonwealth. This is a very planned society in which they believe that there is no racism and that every one is equal. The man taught of the New Zealandanders is that they are not Australian and that they can do everything better. They also look at themselves as "really handy guys with a Brititish accent."

One thing that there seems to be similar between the two is their love of sports. The main sports that are big deals to both countries is rugby and football (aka soccer). Both countries are very competive with each other trying to out do each other in something called the commonwealth games. It is funny that they both take so much time in trying to out do each other. It is almost like to little boys saying "my frog is bigger than yours."

The saddest part of this lecture is New Zealand's love of cricket (not the dart game that is fun). I thought it was really sad and disturbing that they will put a this game on the radio so that every one can hear it. The reason this is so sad is that this game can take days and dose take days for one match. The worst part of it is that to kill dead time in the game they start to talk about the birds and weather. God shot me, watching cement dry would be more fun.