Civil liberties have not progressed far in the past 225 years.
Australia was founded as a penal colony by Britain 225 years ago. There were no expectations on the part of Britain that it would ever amount to much more.
However, enterprise and greed, on the part of administrators, soldiers and released convicts saw commercial activity and farming gradually established; all at the expense of the original Aboriginal inhabitants who not unnaturally saw the move to permanent settlement as an invasion.
There was no concept of civil liberties relating to the Aborigines and the convicts. Industrialisation in Britain saw social upheaval within a class structured society; the acquisition of wealth was a means of moving upwards in the structure.
As the colonies began to prosper, some viewed migration to them as an easier way to gain wealth and status, others as the only way to escape poverty.
Wealth bestowed certain rights on the new elite in the Australian colonies, but that was the extent of civil liberties.
The complete story is at http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/australia-still-struggles-with-c...
Comments
We're definitely not a fair go country, but better than some
Foxtel doesn't help with its propaganda under guise of Fair and ....
We're diefinitely not a fair go country, look at the divissions between the haves, the have nots and the have lots.
Equality equals a fair go.
We haven't got that in Australia.
Better than some countries all the same.
Max