By adding a historical dimension to this issue only sidesteps the issue. The fact of the matter is that a certain race of migrants actually do really stink. I admit it wasn't the smartest thing to say for a politician given that there was going to be inevitable outrage, particularly from the left who castigate anyone who dare criticizes something or someone non-Western. But the issue still remains: a certain group of migrants do smell. No amount of attempting to induce guilt by historical philosophizing will change a current empirical truth.
What annoys me most about this issue is that it's got to the point that we can't even tell a simple truism without being howled down as racist, classist or imperialist or whatever other "ist" the left can summon.

…I do not agree, as Aristocrat does in his delineation, that politics is a simple left and right paradigm. To prove the point, the article opens on the note of George Orwell’s observation of class discrimination being somewhat equally balanced between the political inclinations of the “snob”. But, I do agree there is a need for redirecting the current obsequious fawning to a Politically correctness, blinded to obvious realities in the many areas of failure of Multiculturalism, and to refocus on a more encompassing reality that all members of our society are not “on board” with it at all.

…Australia day is not a time for rejoicing among the Indigenous Australians, and it is becoming increasingly obvious that the distaste for Australia day as a day for rejoicing, makes it less welcome, for similar reasons, amongst white Australians, as they watch this country swallowed by increasing foreign ownership, and swamped with limitless foreign immigrants, with a hopeless sense of powerlessness to control , under the blind leadership of successive Governments, acceptable outcomes to foreign domination of Australia.

… All is not well, when Teresa Gambaro's comments are viewed as a Freudian slip, when actually her comments reflected the “truth” of many Australians view of foreign dominants, which oppose the official view of multiculturalism, and must be acknowledged as such

Some people actually do have body odours.
For a variety of reasons.
From tradies, to incontinent elderly, to
young men and women who prefer to go "au natural,"
and so on. Sooner or later their colleagues, friends,
or family will let them know - when it becomes too
unbearable to tolerate. It's simply what one gets used
to, I guess. I do have difficulty with tainting any
particular group though with the one brush - be it
men, women, elderly, or in this case - migrants.

I haven't read Miss Gambaro's comment in their entirety -
so I don't know the context in which her comments were
made. And context is everything. However, Ms Gambaro -
being from an Italian background -
I tend to believe that her comments
may have been blown out of all proportion.

BTW - some smells can't be covered up by "deodorants,"
or air-freshners, et cetera.

Just to put things into their proper perspective:

Guests were expected to a dinner party at a friend's
home. Just before the first guest arrived the host
passed wind - near the front door.
Upon hearing the door bell ring
he quickly sprayed the entrance profusely with a
strong pine fragrance,
then opened the door. The guests upon entry commented,
"My God Harry, what have you been up to - it smells
like someone sh**d in a forest."

One of the real advantages of being the "big man", of an organisation in a primitive society is you do have your orders obeyed.

During my time in the Islands I was asked to mind the shop, actually the spare parts department, of a very large PNG trading house, while the manager went on long [2 months] leave. He never came back, & it took them 9 months to replace him, but I did enjoy Rabaul.

This company sold 3 makes of cars, & 2 of trucks, half a dozen tractor & machinery makes, plus motor bikes, marine engines, small to quite large generating plants, plus heavy earth moving & logging machinery.

It was a very large spares department. In those days, before PCs we had a huge parts card index system in a 40Ft by 10 Ft room. Two full time boys, [locals] worked the system, with moderate success, & as it was air conditioned, the room was a bit of a gathering place for the boys from the warehouse.

Occasionally I would walk into this room & be totally overwhelmed by the smell, no stink, of rancid coconut oil. I can't imagine why, but some of them do rub this stuff all over themselves. Speaking to the far end wall, I would announce that someone had not had a shower this morning, & they were to go & have one immediately.

No one was put down, in fact they thought it was funny, but within an hour I could use the room, when required.

So yes, people of some cultures do not smell, they stink. I would hate to be on a bus with some of them.

"Poor" is a comment about class. Gambaro's comments were about race. Race is-not class. Class is-not race.

That is all.

benk.
the race is about class.