You've got some bloody nerve Alex Kats, here we have yet another Jewish intellectual invoking the legend of the holy burning to try and shame White Australians, I'm sure those Jews who perished in WW2 would be thrilled to have such a eulogy.
Tens of thousands of White Australian "Racists" including my grandfather and great uncle fought the Germans, my people didn't turn their back on anyone, for better or worse my nation have always been willing to give their lives in defence of the of the weak and powerless.
You clearly don't see Australians as one people so why use the word "we" at all, you also express contempt for my nation so I suggest you desist from further commentary on our history and our affairs, after all, we're forbidden by law to cast any aspersion whatsoever upon your ethnic group aren't we?

Alex

I don’t have a family history of refugees like you, but I share your sadness that the generally tolerant and decent attitudes to migrants, and especially refugees, that I observed when I migrated here 25 years ago seem to be steadily giving way to callousness and, in some cases, outright bigotry. Of course there were always exceptions, but they are increasingly becoming the norm.

I think your article is a bit passive, though. Rather than hoping for change, we should perhaps be agitating for it (of course, your article is a contribution).

Each and every day is a good day for quitting patriotism. Just grow up and leave such infantile bad habits behind - why then wait for excuses?

Great article Alex.

On what the government is doing about people smugglers one hopes the government is being very active but not telling us or the people smugglers so as to get the jump on the people smugglers.

A particular problem is endemic corruption with lack of cooperation amongst officials of the countries where refugees come from and where they transit through - particularly Indonesia.

For some reason Indonesian customs, police and the Indonesian Navy appear to allow people smuggler boats to leave Indonesian shores - about three times a week.

Why are the Indonesians so cooperative to the people smugglers?

Is it people smugglers bribing Indonesian officials including Indonesia patrol boat crews and up the chain to Indonesian Admirals?

Or don't the Indonesians have any control - even of the majority of people smuggling boats leaving the main island of Java?

"Is it time to stop being patriotic?
A year later, after 9/11 and the political exploitation of the Tampa incident, xenophobia had crept into our happy society, and people started to be racially and offensively profiled."

Well Mr Kats:

The answer to the question is "No". Nobody in their right mind would wish to erode the sense of nationhood that keeps our country one of the most stable peaceful and tolerant in the world ...

In regard to "people being racially and offensively profiled", (a dramatic exaggeration) this is only in response to actions and attitudes of people themselves who, as a demographic, have drawn attention to their group - often 'cultural' rather than 'racial' through illegal actions, suspicious associations and cultural attitudes that don't fit in with Australian values.

It's like this - If you as an individual, regardless of race, sex, religion, dress sense etc are above reproach you have nothing to worry about.

As for the 'asylum seekers' and their frequent destructive riotous behaviour (not to mention the incidents which occur between the different 'racial' or 'cultural' groups within the detention centres because many of those we are supposed to tolerate are none too tolerant themselves) I and most of the rest of the country resent the assertion this is "examples of asylum seekers drawing attention to their plight". Do we see people in tents in African wastelands burning their shelters and turning on the people providing just enough for survival to "draw attention to their plight"? No! And they are real refugees ... So lets cut the BS and just call it for what it is - the work of criminals we DON'T WANT HERE!

Dear Divine_msn,

<<Nobody in their right mind would wish to erode the sense of nationhood that keeps our country one of the most stable peaceful and tolerant in the world ...>>

There's a hidden assumption here as if the latter is a result of the former - what makes you think so?

As I see it, the latter (our country one of the most stable peaceful and tolerant in the world) is so DESPITE the former (sense of nationhood), not because of it!