Anzac Sacrifice or Go Our Own Way

Lately carmakers have realised that they could entice us to buy their product if they can connect their brand with musical hits by famous bands like Fleetwood Mac. In 2015, Isuzu UTE Australia associated their Ute with Fleetwood Mac 1977 hit “Go Your Own Way”. Just like many recent 4-wheel drive advertisements, Isuzu wants us to associate their Ute with “our own way”. Only with an Isuzu can you really go your own way! The irony is that lyrics of “Go Your Own Way” were really about the souring of the relationship between of two band members. Somehow Australians in the 21^st century seem to place personal freedom and personal enjoyment at or near the top of our lives. The endless footage of similar 4-wheel drive advertisements lends weight to this observation.

As we approach ANZAC Day and the remembrance of veterans who sacrificed their lives for their comrades we have to ask ourselves what is more important. Is it self-sacrifice? Is it personal freedom and personal enjoyment? There is no doubt that ANZAC Day is important to the vast majority of Australians. It is certainly more than just a holiday. The spirit of self-sacrifice and mateship really does define our nation. But does self-sacrifice only have significance on the battlefield? Is it only significant at times of natural disasters? When one use terms such as “spirit of self-sacrifice” and “national identity”, they seem to be such esoteric subjects. However a recent RACQ commissioned research (“Road Karma” Road Ahead April/May 2016) shows that even a little self-sacrifice may actually have significant impact on our health. The study shows that aggressive driving behaviour (when we assert our own way – to get ahead) can lead to short and long term negative health effects for the initiators and recipients. Conversely friendly driving behaviour must surely be better for all concerned. If something as mundane as driving (nevertheless road safety is an important issue) can benefit from a little self-sacrifice then isn’t that more reason why we need to consider that going “our own way” may not always be the best for ourselves and those around us.

Beyond the daily issues of driving and the lofty question of our national identity, there are a whole host of related issues like domestic violence and mental health. We do need to re-balance the self and the community. Are we putting the wrong message on social media or even the traditional media? What is good for shareholders of car companies may not be so good for the community.  When we extend this from Australia to the world the same principles do apply. Our World War One veterans are no longer with us and our World War Two veterans are also disappearing from our mist. Are we starting to forget the horrors wars? The horrors of ISIS no longer shock us and it seems we are starting to think that the terror at Martin Place will not happen to us. And yet the United Nation is ever weaker and unable to rein in nations like Russia and China. No one is willing to sacrifice just a little of their economy to arrest the havoc of climate change. In such uncertain times, perhaps nations also need to think more of the world and also ask their people to do some self-sacrifice.

Australians might know about the ANZACs but what about the rest of the world? Can we bring a model of this ANZAC spirit to a world of many different cultures? Australia is in a great position to introduce this ANZAC spirit because we have an Anglo-Saxon heritage and yet in geographic proximity to Asia. This is reflected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics finding that 28% of Australians are born overseas. The difficulty is how we overcome the many barriers that separate us? How can we be more inclusive so that we can really shine not only as a nation of natural resources but also as a nation where the ANZAC spirit is celebrated by all our cultures? Is this an impossible dream? Perhaps not, the solution actually may lie in a part of our tradition that has been significantly side-lined. For many decades Australians have been leaving the suburban churches. Many have been hurt by supposed Christians who abused children. And yet a new breed of churches is appearing in our midst. They are not Anglican. They are not Greek Orthodox. Instead churches like Parkside Sydney and International City Church Brisbane have up to 50 cultures all sharing together. In an Australia where personal enjoyment is pushing us apart, there are alternatives like these multicultural churches that show it is possible to have inclusive communities that embrace all people and that might make the ANZAC spirit shine in an otherwise broken world.