A Message for all Australians

Hey guys, I read some news today about "Scottish Independence in 2014" and it got me thinking. When is Australia going to finally become a republic? When are we going to change our flag and national anthem?
Don't get me wrong, I'm a very proud Australian but I think that we should finally make the last move to full independence and not just be seen as a colony.

I am no expert on republics but I think the model should be a parliamentary republic where the President would have a similiar role as the GG does now. I would also want a bill or rights to be drafted as almost no Australians (myself included) really know what our basic human rights are. The Aborigines should also be recognized as the natives of Australia in the constitution.

I know many will not agree with me, so please don't howl at me, but I would also like to change the flag. I would replace it with this.
en.wikipedia.org...
To me that flag represents liberty and unity.

I would change the national anthem from our dreadful "Advance Australia Fair" to "Waltzing Matilda" however I would want the words changed but keep the tune.

I already know peoples reactions will be our soldiers died for that flag, wrong, our soldiers fought under British command. Plus the "Australian" flag wasn't official until 1954.
It is also not the "Australian" flag it is technically called the British Blue Ensign.

I can't believe that after all the British did to Australians and Aborigines we would still want them to be present on our flag and government. The British dumped us here like trash, displaced the Indigenous, and then used us as cannon-fodder in both world wars.

Plus I wonder if Scotland does become independent and they are removed from the UK union will our current flag change too?
S@F and tell me what you think about this, foreign opinions would be nice too.

Love it, love everything about it. Of course, I'm not Australian, so this is a "foreign" opinion.

I like that old flag too. I have often wondered why the "United" Kingdom continues exerting its influence in places like Australia, New Zealand and Canada. My mother-in-law is Canadian. Just mention the royal family and she goes all ga-ga over them. I don't get it. What good are they? What do they do, besides not pay taxes and live high on the hog?

Somebody please enlighten me on what the big deal is with these royals. This is the 21st century, for crying out loud. A blue blood should only be somebody who isn't getting enough oxygen.

reply to post by FissionSurplus


I'm glad you liked the flag, in fact when it was first unveiled at the Battle of Eureka it was at the time called the Australian flag of independence. And the current flag was actually extremely disliked by the majority in 1901 as many called it unrepresentative of Australia.

I agree completely on the topic of the royals, I do not believe she inheritated her position because she was chosen by god, and in an increasingly atheist Australia I don't understand how they can too?!

reply to post by Jace26


So the royals think they're chosen by God? Pffft! Stuff and nonsense.....of course they would say that, how would anybody be able to prove or disprove it?

I was in Roswell, New Mexico last July when they had their yearly celebration of the Roswell alien crash in 1947. I met Travis Walton, who allegedly was abducted by aliens in the 1970s. They apparently chose him. He has a better case than the Queen does, and his story is more believable, too. Plus he signed my book.

Hopefully Australia's independence movement takes off. One thing Americans can really appreciate (or should) is independence!

I dunno about waltzing matilda, hell I think nationalism is a disgusting load of crap; HOWEVER.. I am Australian, I agree with you - I think our independence (even if it IS claimed within a paradigm that I hate) is a step in the right direction for us, although I doubt it would make heaps of difference politically.

I like the eureka flag but I'd put the cross against jet black instead of blue, myself.

What else do you envision would change?

reply to post by Jace26


I liked the flag too.. its just missing a little union jack in the corner...

lol.. after what the british did to australians and ab.....?!?!?!?!?!?!? wtf?!?!?!?!?

firstly the aboriginals WHERE the original australians.

The english, scottish, welsh, dutch, germans and tonnes of other races were responsible to attempting to breed out and kill the aboriginals... (not nice).. and even the aboriginals themselves were responsible for murdering a large amount of foreign settlers... just like any war really.

I am an englishman now living in aus and i have to say its one of the most racist countries i have ever lived in.

but no! its all those english peoples fault as normal. Why not just give australia to the english so you can keep blaming us for 200 yr old crap.

I do get sick of all the whining that most australians do about all this yet most of them are cleary racist to the people who were in their country in the first place.


flame over! =)

Originally posted by w3nd1g0
lol.. after what the british did to australians and ab.....?!?!?!?!?!?!? wtf?!?!?!?!?

firstly the aboriginals WHERE the original australians.

The english, scottish, welsh, dutch, germans and tonnes of other races were responsible to attempting to breed out and kill the aboriginals... (not nice).. and even the aboriginals themselves were responsible for murdering a large amount of foreign settlers... just like any war really.

I am an englishman now living in aus and i have to say its one of the most racist countries i have ever lived in.

but no! its all those english peoples fault as normal. Why not just give australia to the english so you can keep blaming us for 200 yr old crap.

I do get sick of all the whining that most australians do about all this yet most of them are cleary racist to the people who were in their country in the first place.

flame over! =)

Yeah thanks to a culture both created AND perpetuated to this day by Great Britain? WTH?

Do you think that if the koories had been treated like equals by the british invaders that a society which manifests the segregation and discrimination we are seeing today would have come about regardless? Sure we're racist, because of the social environment we're born in to - which is nothing more than the self perpetuating paradigm of white imperialism started here by the English.

Australian nationalism is a disease, and the single main reason why, is because of how vitally necessary many consider it to be, and how willing they are to engage in violence towards anyone who might disagree. I am fully expecting several of the customary, Neanderthal threats which I have often received, in response to this post.

I also haven't felt particularly patriotic since probably 1990. The social metrics shown by Peter Joseph in Zeitgeist: Moving Forward demonstrated that in a lot of important areas, (education, crime rates, drug abuse, etc) America is now the worst on the planet, and in several of them, Australia was second or third last. Australia's close alliance with America is destroying this country.

Since moving to central New South Wales, my experience with the people of this country has also greatly improved; but while living in Victoria, for the most part I avoided other Australians as much as possible. This was because my overwhelming experience with them, indicated to me a violent, criminal, chronically and deliberately anti-intellectual people. Victorians at least, take aggressive, conscious pride in their lack of intelligence and brutal, animalistic behaviour.

The republican issue has also always been a meaningless joke; and even more, one mainly propagated by the Irish population here, due to their own desperate desire to spit in the Queen's face via any means possible. I am not a monarchist, but I consider that pathetic. If the Irish want independence, then let them go home and obtain it within their own country.

As part of the Commonwealth, we were governed by England; as a republic, we would immediately become the de facto 51st state of America, which has largely already happened anyway. Anyone who thinks that this country ever has, or ever will have anything even vaguely resembling genuine national sovereignty, is utterly fooling themselves. We have always been a possession of foreign powers.

reply to post by petrus4


Agree for the most part, however I think your rant re: Victorians is fairly piggish and tbh really detracts from the digestibility of your opinion (could just be because I'm Victorian though..).

reply to post by posthuman


but in one post you claim its the English perpetuating your inherrent racism..... but then agree on your later post that America is perpetuating it also?!?!

So who is it? You pretty much have your own country... and a really nice one too i might add... but its up to AUSTRALIANS to make it a better place and that can be done by focusing on YOUR country and not who's fault everything is.

But as i have noticed in the 5 years that I have lived here (QLD mainly), that most aussies don't wan't to be split from the monarchy as the above poster said... that was largely started by the Irish immigrants and not the English ones.

The problem is that Australia acts like England in the sense that it tries to be a lapdog to the USA and the UN and thats no ones fault other than the politicians that you vote in to office.... just like the UK.

Australia is a mish mash of all cultures which i find very refreshing and I for one get along with everyone (spare but a few) that I meet over here. That is a good thing.

But do i share most of those peoples views on race and rights??? no sir I'm afraid i don't.

reply to post by FissionSurplus

What good are they? What do they do, besides not pay taxes and live high on the hog?

Maintain order. Just look at what happens to a nation when its head of state is removed outside of its usual cultural procedures, very messy stuff.

While the queen is alive any push for independence is a waste of money, already been tried. Maybe if 9/11 was fully exposed it will give the population something to think about who is actually leading us. We are a pretty simple bunch here in Oz so any procedural changes for independence do need to be as simple as possible.

Alternatively, the legal and governance systems in Australia are in a very messy state of affairs and I would like to see a lot more consideration placed into how laws and regulation are established. There are many conflicts between the local, state and national regulation with the onus placed on the accused rather than the law maker to justify their actions. A few smart people can navigate this maze, but most of us are just left in the dark and get pushed around with no clear understanding of our rights and responsibilities.

reply to post by Jace26


Id rather not give one person all the power.
Imagine Gillard or Abbott as president?

err no.

I got no issue being in the commonwealth.
we kick ass in the games
we have british protection

reply to post by Agit8dChop


Thats why I said a republic in Australia should be a "parliamentary republic" where the president would just keep the government in check and has very little power, which is almost exactly like our current GG.

Originally posted by w3nd1g0
lol.. after what the british did to australians and ab.....?!?!?!?!?!?!? wtf?!?!?!?!?

firstly the aboriginals WHERE the original australians.

The english, scottish, welsh, dutch, germans and tonnes of other races were responsible to attempting to breed out and kill the aboriginals... (not nice).. and even the aboriginals themselves were responsible for murdering a large amount of foreign settlers... just like any war really.

I am an englishman now living in aus and i have to say its one of the most racist countries i have ever lived in.

but no! its all those english peoples fault as normal. Why not just give australia to the english so you can keep blaming us for 200 yr old crap.

I do get sick of all the whining that most australians do about all this yet most of them are cleary racist to the people who were in their country in the first place.

flame over! =)

Firstly, I never stated the Aborigines weren't the original inhabitants. If you read my post clearly then you will see I actually support their inclusion in the federal constitution.

Secondly, when I said "what the British did to Australians and Aboriginals" I actually meant this;
"what the British did to Australians (used us as cannon fodder) and the Aboriginals (murdered and displaced them). Australians didn't exist until after 1901 so it is technically British policies and so on which were responsible for the Aboriginals plight in the 18th and 19th century.

Its not all English fault, but what I want is to break away from Britain once and for all so as to help with not only reconciliation but also to take responsibility of our own peoples future including the Indigenous.

If you don't like Australia why don't you go back to your "merry old England" then? It seems quite obvious your the type who has the Union flag hanging in his garage and a devout monarchist.

Originally posted by w3nd1g0
reply to post by posthuman

 

but in one post you claim its the English perpetuating your inherrent racism..... but then agree on your later post that America is perpetuating it also?!?!

So who is it? You pretty much have your own country... and a really nice one too i might add... but its up to AUSTRALIANS to make it a better place and that can be done by focusing on YOUR country and not who's fault everything is.

Yes, we owe a great deal of our current social climate (especially in regards to our indegenous population) to the British, I do not recall referencing America?? In regards to your second paragraph..isn't that what taking our independence is supposed to achieve?

reply to post by posthuman


Im not so sure what a black background would achieve unless it was to represent the Indigenous? But the reason why I love that design is for what it represented in that era. Today, it has been hijacked by trade unions, communists, and even racists. However, if we do make it become our national flag then history won't remember those who used it for political gain, but rather how it came to be.

reply to post by Jace26


Totally agree, I just think black would look more modern and badass; it's purely an aesthetic preference haha.

EDIT - most nation's flags look too historic for my liking..

reply to post by posthuman


Yeah true, but I think when it comes to our national flag it should not be biased in any point in reference to race ie, Aboriginal reference or British reference. It should instead represent our values which is exactly what the Eureka flag is.

Haha at your edit, I totally agree.

reply to post by Jace26


I actually dislike "merry old england" more than anywhere else in the world.

I hate our politicians and I consider our manarchy to be a complete waste of tax payers money so would suggest that you certianly don't attempt to go for a job as a profiler

What I am sick of is exactly what your displaying now... the blame game. You guys hardly have anything to do with us anymore at all short of having our queens head on your coins etc.... and a wee itty bitty United Kingdom flag as part of yours (its the union jack by the way symbolising england, scotland and wales don't you know) after all the English flag is red and white.

And even if you did ever go for indepence by vote.. there is ... yet again... a very good chance that your country men don't actually want it. I feel that most australians enjoy having ties and history with the UK..... and seeing how most of you over here are mainly decendants of the UK or European and not natural Aboriginals... it kinda makes sense that you stay in as part of the commonwealth... if not just so we can play against each other in the games as another member mentioned earlier.