CJ, and after the semantics your point is?

You miss all the key points, trivialize the rest and feel like you’ve made a contribution.

As long as you remove the weeds!

http://www.mocs.com.au

Spindoc - you tell it truthfully and hit the nail on the head.
CJ Morgan - your argument is merely to try twist points and not address the issue.

"Schizophrenia". Literal meaning - "splitting of the mind". Apart from being a serious mental illness the word is commonly used as a term to describe situations wherein sizable contradictions in direction, ethos, actions vs rhetoric etc exist. Usually in adjectival form ...

I come from a European ethnic background. My family ASSIMILATED which is WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU MIGRATE!

Keep your foods, your celebrations, your religious beliefs, your family customs PROVIDED all of these do not contravene Australian Law and are APPROPRIATE in Australian Culture.

As for the assertations of what multi-cultural immigration has done for Australia - I'm damn sure not ONE single Migrant of any ethnicity has EVER come to this fair shore with the thought "What must I do to contribute to the betterment and richness of Australia?" It's about a new place and opportunity to make a better life. "What can Australia do for me?" is the driver.

The great pity is that we've been so tolerant and apathetic about our sovereignty (she'll be right mate!)and now so brow beaten by the Apologists, the left wing Social Engineers of the Keating era and the sacred bleeding heart Policically Correct Set that we can't even speak the TRUTH for fear of being labelled and even charged with DISCRIMINATION.

I am not anti-immigration, neither any particular ethnicity. I am anti-"ethnic enclave" and "ethnic gang". I am anti-"not being able to speak English but live here permanently". I am anti-"clothing that conceals your identity", anti-"isolation from the general community for cultural reasons". I am anti-"illegal immigration". I am anti-"any individual or group that proclaims their religious or cultural belief takes precedence over Australian law"

In other words: Come if you want to be part of Australia. If not, don't bother. We don't need that sort of multi-culturalism. We already have far too much as it is.

My semantic points were not trivial. It's impossible to have an intelligent discussion when some participants use terminology incorrectly, particularly when the errors are critical to their argument.

Spindoc attempted to make a case that Australia is "multi-ethnic" rather than multicultural, but then proceeded to argue on the basis of culture rather than ethnicity. S/he is not alone in making this internally contradictory argument: many others attempt to pass off their essential xenophobia with much the same sleight of hand. Multiculturalism doesn't assert that the cultural practices (including ideologies and values) of non-Anglo immigrants are superior to those of the wider Australian culture, rather it recognises that Australian culture is comprised of shared cultural practices that have diverse sources. Culture is always a work in progress and therefore constantly changing.

Re schizophrenia - that this technical psychiatric term is widely misused colloquially doesn't make its misuse in a forum such as this any more valid.

The fact is that Australia was built and became great based upon Western judio-Christian values. It had nothing to do with Multiculturalism. People from different places, yes, but with a sole cultural background.

Mohammed, You and so many like you are doing everything you can to end those freedoms you speak of (freedom of speech and freedom from discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion or culture). You may know the words but Muslims have no idea of the concepts behind them.

Note that Muslims in the West love Multiculturalism, yet are silent about the respecting others where they dominate. Multiculuralism for thee but not me. The problem is not Australia's culture but those who will not accept it, thus they applaud multiculturalism because it provides a cover for their own cultures, to continue to practice those cultures and to demand respect for their values even when they are incompatible with the basic values that have make Australia great.

Nothing is as silly as a Muslim talking about respect among different peoples. When you and your friends start respecting others and practicing multiculturalism in islamic societies, I stop laughing.

Banjo

I feel these are the benefits of living in a country with a large migrant intake:

The chance to meet and talk with people with different backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives. Multiculture is more interesting than monoculture.

The different perspectives and experiences that people can bring to our common problems and challenges. Multiculture is more diverse and probably therefore more resilient and flexible than monoculture.

The people – e.g. Gustav Nossal, Arvi Parbo, Victor Chang, Charles Teo, George Gregan, Natalie Imbruglia and virtually the entire Australian soccer team.

Their economic contributions – migrants are, on average, higher-skilled and better-educated than the established population. The lower-skilled ones also do the jobs Australians won’t – cleaning offices and looking after the aged are both occupations with a disproportionate number of non-white migrants.

Oh yes – and the food