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The Forum > Article Comments > Lost between war and peace, the Leb wild Westies > Comments

Lost between war and peace, the Leb wild Westies : Comments

By Joseph Wakim, published 20/12/2005

Joseph Wakim argues the more Lebanese youths are demonised, the more they are driven to the margins of Australian society.

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Another "oh me oh my we have to understand them it is not their fault lets all hold hands and sing kumbayah" article.

Sometimes I wonder about the mental processes of these people. Do they really believe what they write? Is it possible?

Let me see if I can find an analogy...
Never criticize bad drivers because they may drive even worse.
Never criticize drunks for drinking because they may drink even more.
Never criticize robbers for stealing because they will steal even more.
Never criticise killers for killing because they may kill even more
Never criticize writers who write stupid articles because they may write even stupider (?) articles
At last it is making sense...

Unbelievable!

Kactuz
Posted by kactuz, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 11:14:10 AM
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The author said:

"Yet the more these youths are demonised, the more they are driven to the margins to find meaning and identification with gangs and a subculture of defiance. The full force of law enforcement must be coupled with an understanding of the fears that underpin the anger that underpins the violence."

To me that means the police should be locking up those who commit the violence now but that we also need a longer term strategy to reduce the risk of violence in the future. To me that sounds reasonable. Reasonable, though, is not very fashionable in this discussion so I have a Plan B:

Why don't the police shoot to kill anyone who looks like they might be violent? Or maybe bomb Cronulla and Lakemba (just to be even-handed) and perhaps anywhere else where people may riot or where rioters may come from? That'd learn 'em.
Posted by DavidJS, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 11:28:24 AM
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Kaktuz,

The day you can show us irrefutable proof that over 10% of Australians of Lebanese and/or Arab and/or Muslim background have criminal convictions for violence-related offences is the day you will be taken seriously.

In the meantime, why don't you see if the police down at Cronulla beach will allow you to hand out more of those pamphlets ...

PS: In case it's relevant, none of my relatives are of Lebanese background.
Posted by Irfan, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 11:44:32 AM
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At least we can pressure for transparency in the police force. To lobby for an enquiry into reverse discrimination by the police force and Iemma (seeing as his seat is that of lakemba) is not to hard. Many cases of reverse discrimination have been won in the USA.

It’s just a matter of a petition.

What I find obscene is the “peace pact” between the Comancheros leb majority bikie gang (Milperra Massacre) and the Bra Boys… was it a case of “peace our way or we kill you” the usual muslim solution?

The lebs demonise themselves. The lefties demonise Australians.

“It's not about "dialogue between communities", our "communities" understand each other perfectly well. That's the problem.”
http://romeomikes.blogspot.com/
Posted by meredith, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 12:10:26 PM
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Kaktuz,

snigger.

It makes perfect sense if you are trained as a social worker. I think this gentleman claims to have been something similar in the mid eighties. The one point that I would add is that you missed the mandatory laying of blame on the locals bit:

"Their fear was that their children would be corrupted by aspects of an overly permissive and promiscuous Australian culture."

See it is our fault all along, simple. If only we were suitably fascistic and celibate then none of this would have happened. Of course the opening sentence should have served as a clue:

"In the wake of the racist orgy in Sydney recently,"

Pretty much sets the tone for all that followed.

"But in this comfort zone, the risk of cultural insulation and chauvinism is heightened."

Whereas the above would seem to be an assertion of inherent chauvinism in the Lebanese community. Is this guy some sort of a racist or something.

Typically the author seems to think that the thoughts of street thugs that take their cues from rap songs are worth paying attention to. This is illuminating. Rap has its good points, in the main it always struck me as being an art form by and for those with reading difficulties. As such it no doubt serves as an "aid with their self esteem and surrounding issues". Or something. Who knows, maybe a million rappers with a million microphones for a million years... In the mean time Mr Wakim, it probably does not serve well as the basis for formulating coherent public policy.

As for fact check Irfan credibility boy, in the interests of your reputation, you were just about to divulge the names of those "10 prominent Lebanese & Arab Christian crime figures" before you got carried away and needed to wring your underwear dry.
Posted by Mr.P.Pig, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 12:13:35 PM
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Stupid Analogy

Never criticize bad drivers because they may drive even worse.
Educate them, Train them, Show them they are bad drivers they may improve.

Never criticize drunks for drinking because they may drink even more.
I am sure you mean alcoholics, who are ill. Treat their illness, give them support.

Never criticize robbers for stealing because they will steal even more.
Jail them if they are convicted of a crime.

Never criticise killers for killing because they may kill even more
Jail them for life, never give them a chance to kill again.

Never criticize writers who write stupid articles because they may write even stupider (?) articles
Writers thrive on comment good or bad, constructively criticise them and they may change their point of view

Alienation of any group will cause problems. Remember the majority of the people Kactuz condemns are Australians with all the rights we all take for granted.
Posted by Steve Madden, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 12:18:36 PM
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