Would you fight for Australia? Aussies were asked that simple question – but had a series of surprising answers
An Australian traveled the country asking other Australians if they would fight to defend the country. He got surprisingly mixed answers.
Surfer and journalist Fred Pawle took his camera and microphone to locations including the NSW Central Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Byron Bay, the Gold Coast and Brisbane in recent weeks, asking people on the streets.
“My initial motivation was whether you could judge the responses based on where you live, and therefore which areas would be more or less likely to defend the land,” Pawle told Daily Mail Australia.
He said the response had largely matched his expectations, with people in Melbourne – perhaps blasé having endured the world’s longest Covid lockdown – less likely to fight than those in Sydney.
‘In Sydney the percentage of people saying they would defend the country rose by about 80 percent and in Melbourne it was around 60 percent.
‘I was pleasantly surprised by Byron Bay. If you live in paradise, wouldn’t you defend it? I had to argue to get it out, but most people said they would.’
Mr Pawle said he was not entirely surprised that some were so open about admitting they would not defend Australia, given the growing polarisation in society.
“The ‘greatest generation’ won the world wars 80 and 100 years ago through willpower, strength and unity. It sometimes seems as if those qualities are much less prominent than they were in the past,” he noted.
Australians gave mixed answers when asked if they would defend the country, with one man wondering who he would fight for
For some the answer was simple, with one man declaring Australia was the ‘best country in the world, mate’
In the videos, many of the men who responded said they would not hesitate to take up arms if the country were attacked.
“I definitely would. I live here,” replied a man in Brisbane.
“100 percent,” another replied. “Best country in the world, mate.”
Another young man from Byron Bay replied: ‘Of course, but only in defence.
“If your friends went and you stayed, you wouldn’t feel so good.”
“I would be on the front line,” replied a First Nations man in Melbourne.
However, others said it would “depend on the context” or that they would choose not to fight – for a variety of reasons.
A Byron Bay resident answered ‘no’ when asked if he would defend Australia, but gave a resounding ‘absolutely’ when asked if he would fight for the idyllic coastal town.
“Who are we fighting for anyway?” the man asked.
‘Are we fighting for ourselves or for someone else who is doing the same thing as the other person?’
Another Byron Bay resident said he ‘doesn’t believe in world politics and doesn’t believe in participating in that soap opera’.
“I am against violence,” said a third.
A man with a British accent said he would “just move somewhere else” if Australia introduced conscription.
“I value my life more than all that stuff.”
And one man said he did not believe Australia was worth defending ‘in its current state’.
Mr Pawle said that when he asked a follow-up question about whether territory or values were a reason to fight, one person replied that he was not sure whether Australia was still united in its values.
“That is very concerning,” Pawle said.
But he also said he found it “incredibly encouraging” that despite the country’s divisions, most people said they would defend this “beautiful place.”
‘Many said they would not go overseas to fight, but for most the answer to the question of whether they would defend Australia at home was a simple yes.’
A man said he viewed world politics as a “soap opera” and didn’t believe in it
A Gold Coast man said he has already served in the military and would not hesitate to do so again if the need arose
“It’s an important question, the war drums are beating, but a lot of people looked at me and said, ‘Why are you asking?'”
‘NATO has called for stronger ties with Pacific nations this week. NATO is supposed to keep communism out of Europe – why are they calling for stronger ties with Australia?
‘Ukraine is taking young men off the streets to get them into fighting and the Australian government is condoning it.
“Our Prime Minister called President Zelenskyy and congratulated him on the war effort. He also said that Australia would support Ukraine as long as it was needed.”
Starting Friday, 140 aircraft will fill the skies over the Northern Territory for three weeks as part of a biennial international air combat activity.
With 4,000 participants from 20 countries, the 2024 event will be the largest in its 43-year history.
Participants will be exposed to complex scenarios while operating advanced equipment and combat systems, which exercise leader Peter Robinson says will help build stronger ties with like-minded nations.
“By training with our partner nations, we demonstrate our commitment to the shared value of maintaining peace and stability in the region,” said Air Commodore Robinson.
For the Philippines, Spain, Italy and Papua New Guinea, this is the first time that their personnel and aircraft are participating.
They will be joined by aircraft from France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the US, as well as contracted personnel from Canada, New Zealand, Fiji and Brunei.
The exercise comes as China continues to flex its military muscles in the region, against the backdrop of a NATO summit in Washington where the Indo-Pacific remains a key focus.