Character Makes a Difference

The pioneering spirit built our nation. Men and women came to Australia from around the world, seeking opportunity and reward for effort in our vast expanse.

They were self-sufficient, to the extent that they couldn’t rely on an omnipotent government to pick up the pieces if things didn’t work out. There were undoubtedly many trials and tribulations but the results of their efforts soon became clear.

Farms were developed, deserts explored, schools built, business created and cities grew – often at great personal or financial risk to the individuals concerned.

When they failed, more often than not these men and women would pick themselves up, dust themselves off and start working towards their goals again.

Somewhere along the way we lost this approach to life. It seems to me that increasingly we are becoming a nation of victims where personal responsibility has been abrogated and people feel the need to be rewarded for failure.

Of course this character shift has been aided and abetted by an ever-expanding government involvement in almost every aspect of our lives.

Can’t save a deposit for a house? Have no fear, the Government will come to the rescue.

Is your motor vehicle manufacturing business failing? Don’t worry, the Government will prop you up with hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies, and when that dries up you can shut down anyway.

Are the economic conditions putting jobs at risk? Relax, the Government has a simple plan. It will borrow tens of billions of dollars it doesn’t have to ‘support’ jobs, even if the cost of doing so is more than $250,000 per job.

Eat too much fast food? That’s okay. It might soon be diagnosed as a disorder and the Government might give you a free stomach banding operation to help you drop those excess kilos.

I could go on – and on and on.

We are becoming a nation of victims where unfortunate outcomes are somehow the responsibility of others to fix. Where, in the past, children were taught to be self-reliant, they are now encouraged to demand of others.

The cost of such an approach is not always immediate. Sure, the financial cost is revealed with every annual government budget but the cost to our society is potentially much greater.

For every individual who places their rights ahead of their responsibilities and where government seeks to replace personal accountability, we erode the character of our nation. And character makes a world of difference.