Demographers Concur With MP Christensen on Aussies Being First World Whingers
National MP George Christensen posted a controversial tweet on Thursday, saying that "Aussies should do tour of Asia & live like locals to put these 1st world complaints re budget in perspective."
To make his message more dramatic, he posted a picture of Asian children in a slum.
Netizens were quick to slam Mr Christensen's tweet for being appalling and embarrassing for having to depict Asia in such declamatory manner.
Others challenged the MP to imagine reversing foreign aids cuts from Australia's budget to improve the condition of "poor Asian nations."
Christensen remained undeterred and called Twitter critics as "lefty twitter warriors" who were just hurt with the truthfulness of his message.
He went to tell one Twitter critic that Aussies were just being whingers on the budget cuts.
"Try getting any serious form of welfare in Thailand or other SE Asian nations, he twitted again.
On Friday, Christensen received a death threat via email. He posted the email received. It had the subject line "poor Asian nations" with a picture of a corpse covered with blood.
"Just remember a***wipe, those Asian countries also have a high number of MP that are assassinated. Aussie have GUNS... Just remember that! You have just become a MARK!," the anonymous emailer wrote.
Christensen posted another comment and pointed at Bill Shorten to be the one responsible why the issue became violent.
"I received a death threat in relation to my comments re budget. This is where public discourse has sunk. Shorten is fanning this violence."
Meanwhile, demographers seemed to be in tune with what Christensen was saying.
According to social demographers, a "culture of expectation" had already drowned Australia's "can-do" attitude. They have warned that Australians are becoming too much dependent and used to government's financial assistance.
"Emotionally we are dependent on the government and financially nearly three quarters of households get something from the government. It's not a safety net, it's a hammock," social analysts David Chalke told The Courier Mail.
He said that the "culture of expectation" made Australians unprepared for the drastic change that the Abbott Government is making.
"They are asking, why is the Government doing this? (And they're saying) I voted for steady as she goes, no surprises, sack a few public servants and stop the boats. So there is a sense of bewilderment," he said.
Demographer Mark McCrindle attributed the change in culture to the Gen Y whom he said was the most financially endowed generation among Australia's passed generations.
"Their parents have been the most financially generous to their children. Yet many of the younger generation expect to start their working life in the manner in which they have seen their parents finish their working life," Mr McCrindle said.
He explained that Gen Y expect for decreased tax rates, increased growth rates, low unemployment and generous baby bonuses.
"It's a generational experience. Having lived through the GFC the young people say that rather than being scared by that they saw, believe that if that's a global downturn, bring it on. The can-do attitude, the belief that you should just get on with it has been diminished," Mr McCrindle explained.
Demographer Bernard Salt noted that at present, the average household had plasma televisions, can travel overseas and fond of eating at cafes and restaurants on a regular manner.