A close friend of mine tried to advocate the class system within her country of origin recently. Not just justify, but advocate. She claimed that it helped the small country pool its resources and put them where they would be best put to use. By the way, that wasn't with the lower classes. Why waste education, when there's barely enough resources for those who'll use it well? Another aside -- this is not a poor country.
I relayed my horror to my father, who laughed and said, "we used to claim that, back in England" - taking about our country's heritage, as my father has never been to England in person - "tell her to come back to talk in a hundred years' time."
Now, my friend wasn't quite as uncaring with her words as I've made out, but it still shocks me. Another friend said yesterday that all countries should have compulsory military service for all men, to - among other things - encourage dedication to workplace and help people make fewer mistakes. I'm not sure what he meant by the last statement.
Is it unjustified culture shock I'm experiencing or do Australians need to start showing our international friends that there are alternatives; that some of our values might have merit?
Although it's sad that feminism in Australia has taken many backward steps since the seventies, we have to remember what's good about our fair land and its people.
Stay safe, hug often.
TheSovietChairman
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