This article was written by two friends in different hemispheres who enjoy comparing notes—one is Cedar Savage, an American who values personal freedom, cheap gas, and a well-armed population, and the other is Ron the Crocodile Hunter, an Aussie who pays more for fuel than his mortgage and lives in a land where even the crocodiles have government protection.
The United States and Australia are both proud, independent nations that love their barbecues, wide-open spaces, and dangerous wildlife (alligators vs. crocodiles and literally everything else in Australia). But when it comes to gun rights, fuel prices, government leadership, and environmental policies, the two countries couldn’t be more different. Americans believe in self-reliance, energy independence, and the right to defend themselves, while Australians put their faith in government control, expensive gas, and the idea that maybe if they leave the crocs alone, the crocs will return the favor. Let’s take a look at how these two free nations handle the same issues in completely opposite ways.
Gun Rights: Self-Defense vs. Government Knows Best
In the U.S., the right to bear arms is a fundamental part of the culture. Americans see gun ownership as both a practical tool and a last line of defense against tyranny. That’s why you can find civilians with gun collections that would make some small countries jealous. It’s about self-reliance. Meanwhile, Australia took a different path after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, implementing strict gun laws, confiscating thousands of firearms, and making self-defense with a gun nearly impossible.
Today, Australians can still own guns, but only under strict licensing, storage, and purpose requirements. They trust the government to keep them safe, while Americans believe the only person responsible for their safety is themselves. The result? More guns and stronger opinions in the U.S., fewer legal guns but a thriving black market in Australia.
And speaking of government control—even crocodiles are off-limits. In Australia, crocodiles are so protected that even “problem” crocs are trapped and relocated or sent to a croc farm under license. They’re rarely shot—unless they’ve already eaten someone. So while Americans debate their Second Amendment rights, Aussies are dealing with crocodile relocation programs because, apparently, some reptiles deserve government protection more than law-abiding citizens.
Fuel Prices: Affordable Freedom vs. Government Tax Grab
Americans, especially those in Texas, lose their minds when gas hits $3 per gallon. Meanwhile, Australians quietly pay over $6 per gallon and just accept it as the price of living under government regulation. A big part of the problem? Australia slaps an excise tax of around 50 cents per liter (roughly $1.90 per gallon) on all fuel, making driving an expensive privilege rather than a basic necessity.
Adding insult to injury, Australia only has two aging refineries left, and both are constantly on the chopping block. If they shut down, Australians will be completely at the mercy of foreign oil suppliers, while Americans will still be drilling, refining, and arguing about pipeline permits.
But the real kicker? Australia has tripled its gas production since 2010, yet 80% of it gets exported. Thanks to new gas export terminals at Gladstone, Queensland, gas companies now sell Australian gas to higher-priced Asian markets, forcing Australians to pay global rates for their own fuel. In 2014, wholesale gas prices suddenly tripled from $3 per gigajoule to $10 per gigajoule—because why let locals benefit from their own resources when there’s a bigger profit to be made overseas?
Meanwhile, in the U.S., energy independence is a point of pride. Americans fight about pipelines, fracking, and offshore drilling, but at least they’re not stuck paying world prices for their own fuel.
Government Leadership: Soft. Green. Fake.
As Ron the Crocodile Hunter bluntly put it, “The problem with government is that they’re all flunkies. Weak and fake leadership.” And honestly? He’s not wrong. City politicians in both countries push radical green policies while rural folks just try to survive under the weight of their nonsense.
In Australia, the cities are the ones cheering on the environmental regulations that kill industry, while the folks actually living off the land just want common sense policies. Meanwhile, the U.S. is the same—big-city elites pushing carbon taxes, gun bans, and weak-on-crime policies while rural America buys more guns and keeps their fuel cheap.
There’s a divide that both Cedar and Ron agree on: cities are fake woke and green. Rural areas are real and functional. The more detached from nature people get, the more they buy into whatever nonsense is being pushed by politicians who have never had to work with their hands.
Final Thoughts: Freedom vs. Government Control
At the end of the day, both America and Australia are free nations—but they define freedom differently. Americans believe in personal responsibility, the right to defend themselves, and the ability to fill up their trucks without selling a kidney. Australians, on the other hand, believe in trusting the government, paying massive fuel taxes, and letting bureaucrats decide how many crocs are too many.
Whether it’s the right to own an AR-15, the ability to drive across the Outback without taking out a loan, or the freedom to eat steak without a carbon tax, one thing’s for sure—freedom isn’t one-size-fits-all, but some versions come with a much lower price tag
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