i suspect the rot would be similar or worse in australia judging by the cross section found in here.
Sunday Times ..NZ.
Almost a quarter of New Zealanders would refuse to fight if an invading army landed on our shores.
On the eve of Anzac Day, a Sunday Star-Times/BRC poll has found 24 per cent of New Zealanders would not take up arms - assuming they were fit and able to do so - even if another country was invading. Seventy-two per cent said they would.
The pacifist instinct extends evenly across the age groups, with only 3 per cent more people aged 60 and over prepared to go into battle than those aged 18 to 59.
Returned Services Association spokesman Bill Hopper said it was hard for anyone to say what they would do until it happened.
"But it does indicate there are some people who are prepared to let others put their lives on the line to save them when they would not do the same."
Compared to differences between the generations, there was a much clearer split between the sexes, with 83 per cent of men compared to 62 per cent of women prepared to take up arms. And 81 per cent of National Party voters were willing warriors compared to 70 per cent of Labour voters and 72 per cent of people who vote for any of the other parties.
New Zealand Europeans were 5 per cent less likely to don combat gear than other ethnicities, meaning the most likely person to take up arms against an invader is a National-voting, non-European man aged over 60. Of those who would fight to defend New Zealand, 81 per cent would also go to war in defence of Australia. Only 57 per cent would do so for any of our other allies.
Just over a quarter said they would also go to war to aid an ally if it were involved in a conflict outside its own borders, such as to help the United States' invasion of Iraq two years ago.
An even 50 per cent would fight if New Zealand's vital economic interests were threatened or to help restore democracy in a country important to our interests.
