Squeers,

I more or less agree with you that

" .... in the current dispensation Australia's only hope of maintaining prosperity and sovereignty is in remaining a melting pot, indeed increasing its piebald population rapidly. And that means an integration in which all will be assimilated in wanting to protect their lucky situation. Australia is growing rapidly and evolving socially and will continue to do so, the inevitable product of global capitalism. Trying to maintain some fantasy that never was, of national identity and integrity means contraction, invasion and death."

As long as newcomers recognise that men and women have equal rights, that's fine with me. If individuals and groups seek to impose inequitable conditions on women and girls, or to treat women as some sort of property, then they should be put right, and told unambiguously that no 'book' takes precedence over women's rights.

Post-Enlightenment human rights law (imperfect as it may be) trumps reactionary religion and cultural practices, whatever and wherever their origins, or how passionately some [beneficiaries] may believe in those practices.

I haven't mentioned any religion or cultural set of practices specifically (or ethnic group, or race, or skin colour for that matter), but you have probably mentally done that :)

Cheers,

Joe

...Squeers the “rationalist thug” verses “empiricist rationale” ! Here lies the heart of the problem of Multiculturalism. Multiculturalism is an idea of little merit socially, impinging on the rights of the dominant culture, white Australia!

Strange?...you learn something new everyday.

I was never under the impression that "white" was a culture. Tell me something about modern "Aussie Culture" that isn't harnessed to the culture of consumerism...I mean something really "cultural" as opposed to mere rhetoric about "mateship" and the never-ending whinging and cringing that echoes in the wake of the fortunate among humanity.

Diver Dan,

I completely disagree - multiculturalism CAN be a beautiful and exciting thing, putting all of us in touch with people from all over the world, hearing different languages, experiencing new ways, exchanging life-stories - provided it is based on the principles of equality, fairness, and justice for all.

Within that context, what is so special or under-threat about "the rights of the dominant culture, white Australia" ? Us Anglo-Celts are in the vast majority (check out the members of all parliaments) so there is no danger that we'll somehow be swamped. So sit back and enjoy it.

Whether our children will inter-marry and give us beautiful grandkids, is up to them ;)

Joe

Squeers.
You said "200 years BC, Terence said: <Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto>, which translates as: "I am a man, I consider nothing that is human alien to me".

Looks like even in 200BC some were talking rubbish. If you believe that then you have no morals and no feelings toward fellow humans or animals.

There are heaps of things that humans do that are alien to me and heaps of cultural practices that are also alien to me and, I believe, to the vast majority of Australians.

We have developed social standards over centuries and have laws to protect those basic standards. These standards must be maintained, otherweise there is simply murder and mayhem going back to the stone age. Even some muslims have progressed a little from that.

“Chew” on this one too:

…Multiculturalism is the interface between economic rationale and empiricism of culture. One be oil and one be water! The war of philosophies; let it begin! Round one: A paradigm shift, America raises “Old Glory” in Australia 2011. Result? Benign threat to Asia, a cultural blessing, reinforcing Western (White) dominance! Racism identifies as one apocalyptic white horse. Another, economic rationalism: Both of which now stamp around on Australian soil