Teh One Who Knocks
06-05-2012, 09:26 PM
By The Australian
http://i.imgur.com/D0kGR.jpg
Winston Churchill probably said it best, "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."
But it seems the lessons of the past are fast being forgotten, with a new survey showing how Australia's younger generation does not believe democracy is paramount.
Just 39 percent of Australians aged 18 to 29 said democracy is better than other forms of government.
Almost a quarter, 23 percent, believe that "it doesn't matter what kind of government we have," while 37 percent say non-democratic rule can be best.
The findings are contained in a poll of 1,005 people published by Sydney's Lowy Institute, which also concluded Australians strongly oppose the Afghan war, foreigners buying farm land and the sale of uranium to India.
Lowy Institute executive director Michael Wesley said he was surprised by "how lightly [Australians] take our democracy" and that it could be because Australia did not have to struggle for its freedom -- or because of "the execrable behavior" of its politicians.
When the survey was conducted by telephone between March 26 and April 10 -- before the Australian government announced plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan -- 65 percent said the army should pull out of Afghanistan.
Seventy-four per cent were in favor of bringing up to 2,500 US Marines to train in Darwin, but only 46 percent would favor a bigger deployment -- unless China or Indonesia objected.
The government allows too much investment from China, said 56 percent, who believe Australian mining and agriculture companies should be kept in Australian hands.
Australians feel warmest towards New Zealand, by far, followed by the US, Japan, Fiji, Greece, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Malaysia and China. Least favored is North Korea.
http://i.imgur.com/D0kGR.jpg
Winston Churchill probably said it best, "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."
But it seems the lessons of the past are fast being forgotten, with a new survey showing how Australia's younger generation does not believe democracy is paramount.
Just 39 percent of Australians aged 18 to 29 said democracy is better than other forms of government.
Almost a quarter, 23 percent, believe that "it doesn't matter what kind of government we have," while 37 percent say non-democratic rule can be best.
The findings are contained in a poll of 1,005 people published by Sydney's Lowy Institute, which also concluded Australians strongly oppose the Afghan war, foreigners buying farm land and the sale of uranium to India.
Lowy Institute executive director Michael Wesley said he was surprised by "how lightly [Australians] take our democracy" and that it could be because Australia did not have to struggle for its freedom -- or because of "the execrable behavior" of its politicians.
When the survey was conducted by telephone between March 26 and April 10 -- before the Australian government announced plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan -- 65 percent said the army should pull out of Afghanistan.
Seventy-four per cent were in favor of bringing up to 2,500 US Marines to train in Darwin, but only 46 percent would favor a bigger deployment -- unless China or Indonesia objected.
The government allows too much investment from China, said 56 percent, who believe Australian mining and agriculture companies should be kept in Australian hands.
Australians feel warmest towards New Zealand, by far, followed by the US, Japan, Fiji, Greece, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Malaysia and China. Least favored is North Korea.