Australia's Silent Civil War

I admit I’m probably at the edge of consensus when I say that Australia has become an authoritarian state. Others such as London-based Australian Formula One driver Mark Webber labelled it a “nanny state” in February, and some within Australia – a “police state”. Both these descriptions are true, but my sense after spending the last month in Australia is that the situation is far worse, broader and deeper than these commentators describe.

What is fast becoming an irony to me is that Australia continues to enjoy an international image borne several generations ago; a reputation as a laid back, free-spirited, friendly, sun-drenched, sporting nation. Whilst observations regarding Australia’s unique natural splendour and priceless environment remain largely valid, it is the image of Australia’s way of life and Australians as people that has become dated to me.

What I see in Australia is a population subjugated by a phenomenal web of social regulation. I’m not talking about the requisite legal regulation of commerce or industry, nor the framework of the criminal justice system. Both these spheres of legislation are built on years of sensible, thoughtful decision-making that balances regulation with enterprise and punishment with the crime. I’m talking about the annoying and consistent intervention of little rules in the daily life of every Australian.

The most prevalent example of this is the militarised roads. Over the last 10 years there has been an unrelenting build up of regulatory enforcement designed to do nothing but generate State government revenue. There is no statistical evidence to support a corresponding improvement in road safety as the number of police and regulation has increased. The Australian roads have become so over-regulated and over-supervised that the public now drives in a constant state of fear that any moment they will be fined. One only needs to look internationally to understand road safety lies not in reduced speed limits or more police hiding behind trees, but in higher standards of driving expertise. The State government could replace the revenue it steals from motorists by fining them, with a serious mandatory professional driver training course that it administers. It’s still authoritarian but at least it would actually be dealing with the issue at hand in a positive way.

The roads are just one of many examples where common sense, and a sense of responsibility for one’s self, are being taken away from Australians. Regulations can be seen at the beach, in parks, forests, rivers, camping grounds, libraries, museums, airports, shopping centres and on every street in every city. One only needs to count the number of instructional signs that now visually pollute every crevice of the Australian landscape. In fact, the number of places you can go to escape constantly being told what to do is limited. Once upon a time, Australians could 'roam the lands' as many of our folksongs regale. Not anymore. Even the daily ritual of having a shower now has authoritarian dogma attached – ‘thou shall not run the water for longer than 3 minutes’. My grandmother is scared to water the plants in her garden in case a neighbour dobs her in to the authorities. Washing the car, that’s a no-no as well. I understand well there has been a protracted drought period, but come on, has anyone seen the water wasted by industry and the failure of catchment systems due to ill-conceived dam locations? Where is the government on these big-ticket items? Nowhere. Our government is too busy interfering in the minutia of people’s daily lives. Somewhere along the way it became easier to herd the population with more regulation than to tackle big complicated issues.

The do-gooders will say every rule is created for a reason, because "there was one idiot that ruined it for the rest, so we had to make a rule". What an irony. As my brother says "Its better to let ten guilty go free than incarcerate one innocent" - I totally agree. I want to know who decided we should regulate for the one idiot among us. Why do decent Australians allow themselves to be imprisoned as collateral damage in the vain attempt to regulate every facet of society?

How can children grow up in this over-regulated society and ever develop a robust sense of responsibility for their own welfare, when the government and all those in positions of authority insist on doing it for them? You see that’s the problem; it’s hard to stand up and argue for less regulation. The apparatus of authority has become so large and now employs so many people, that to speak the contrary leaves one feeling ostracised and out of step. It’s too easy to identify a problem in society and then enact a blanket rule to supposedly mitigate the problem. No one ever stops to evaluate the widespread impingement this new rule creates for the masses, because everyone involved focuses exclusively on the few idiots that were the cause of the new rule in the first place ... And just like that another little piece of Australian laid-back liberty is forever cut away. It’s this endless stream of new rules that in isolation appear justified but when viewed collectively over the years have created an unnecessarily legislated way of life.

I’m not suggesting this build up of regulation is some mastermind plot of government. It is ordinary people that have both created the rules and accepted their bridling effect. I am amazed at how apathetic Australians are when quizzed on their increasingly regulated life. A few complain about it in private, but seem resigned to the fact they will be told how to live and what they are, and are not, allowed to do when they wake up every morning. The theft of their liberty has been so seamless, subconscious and gradual, many don’t even appreciate it is happening until reminded of what life was like when they were kids. Like zombies caught in a trance, those with authority have taken control and convinced those without authority that it’s for their own good, for their own protection, and even if they don’t like it, there’s nothing they can do about it anyway. The web of regulation Australians now live under has become as familiar as the walls of a cell to a prisoner.

There seems to be more people in positions of “authority” nowadays. Police have always been around, but these days in staggeringly high numbers and rarely where they are needed. When was the last time you felt the police were there to serve you? How many “nice” police officers do you meet? Recently NSW changed the name of its “Police Service” to the “NSW Police Force”. A small detail perhaps, but to me it reveals a much deeper attitudinal shift taking place under our noses. What is also fascinating is the army of civilian uniforms in society – park rangers, customs officials, quarantine officers, local council supervisors, health & safety officers, coast guards, toll road officials and most noticeably private security staff everywhere. Basically wherever you go, you’re bound to come across someone dressed in authoritarian uniform ready to tell you what to do.

But the real authoritarian class that’s changing Australian society is far harder to identify; it is the increasing prevalence of authoritarian behaviour from regular people in regular jobs, such as the local bar tender, the check-in staff at the airport, the guy at the rubbish tip, bus drivers, taxi drivers, waiters at restaurants, car park attendants, flight attendants, theme park attendants, and the list goes on. There is always someone saying, you can’t walk here, can’t ride your bike there, you can’t swim here, you can’t drive there, you can’t park here, you can’t sit there, you can’t stand here. The prevailing attitude these days is if you have a job that’s got some sort of authority to it, then that’s the key element of the job and it becomes the tone you present.

So where did this authoritarian culture come from? Probably the same place political correctness came from. Social debate is an oxymoron in this case – social activism is stronger in those who can more easily connect to an accepted value - to “righting a wrong” or fixing a problem; those who believe “less is more” can’t be bothered to stand up and argue for greater liberties or a dismantling of this regulatory web. Who in authority is actually going to support the removal of regulation? Conventional thinking is to favour regulation of a system. Therefore Australia has been on a decades-long binge of regulatory construction; an obsessive, unabated rush to mitigate every possible purportedly negative occurrence in society no matter how remote or tenuous it may be.

Australians are losing their way, the fun is disappearing, and our larrikin culture is being shoved aside by ridiculous rules fuelled by fear and worry. I believe Australia is the greatest country on earth and Australians are its best people, so naturally I believe we can take responsibility for ourselves, and make our own choices based on common sense and morality. Its time to stop the runaway train.