We should reconsider the Anzac myth

Anzac rhetoric influenced by former Prime Minister John Howard, largely continued by present PM Kevin Rudd, has duped many Australians.

What exists makes me decidedly angry and, I’m sure, the Australia we have now is not what our country’s young men fought and died for on the Gallipoli Peninsula.
Nor, I’m equally sure, are the values of Australia today what was on the minds of the thousands of other soldiers who died, always in other countries.
The so-called Anzac legend is a myth – the values it promotes are misogynistic, encourage militarism, are misleading about what it is that creates a nation and subjugates those things that enhance our lives such as non-violence, empathy, care of others and the building of our communities.
Given huge Federal Government support, both through broader encouragement and more specifically funding of the Department of Veteran Affairs, the walls of Australian life, from primary schools to old age, have been papered with propaganda about the Anzac myth.
Generally, Australians now believe that our nationhood took its shape as our young men fought and died in what was a military disaster, organized by Great Britain, in another country, against a foe whom with we had no quarrel and, which history clearly illustrates, had no impact on world events.
It was a waste of lives, a waste of resources and seriously derailed the building of Australia, effectively ending its emergence as one of the most advanced nations in the world.
Whatever we may think, facts clearly show that we are enthusiasts of war and fight seemingly without any concern for values, morals and concepts held by many Australians.
Those who fought and died on our behalf deserve respect and should be remembered and honoured, but they do not warrant elevation to hero status and should not be examples to emulate, either individually or as a nation.
Writing in “What’s Wrong With Anzac?” Australian historians, Marilyn Lake and Henry Reynolds said: “We think it is time to reclaim our national values and commemorate the role of the Australians involved in campaigns for civil, social and political freedoms and who enshrined them in our national culture.”