I don't think this is a very convincing article. Ordinary anglo Australians are contrasted with the middle eastern men who are apparently 'swarthy and have distinctive haircuts'... You don't think this is about a rejection of those who are different, all played out under the Australian flag? I don't think we are an overtly racist country but scratch the surface and there are some nasty attitudes that play out in many different ways. It plays out every day for those who have to change their name to get a job and are constantly rejected for rental properties and other opportunities that are avilable to anglo Australians. Ask some new Australians how they feel, or ask some women who wear hijabs about the hate crimes they experience. Experiences are mixed and I feel uncomfortable with much analysis that blames racism for everything and doesn't take into account loads of other factors. But this article reinforces the argument that we do have simmering racism in some communities and highlights the denials that keep those problems from being addressed. It doesn't help to try to present white Australian men or women as pure and innocent. We are a phobic lot and change takes some honesty. I'm sure I won't get support in this forum though - most of the time the comments here seem to be dominated by those who would feel vindicated and comforted by your view

perigren
You could ask, did the gangs of youth with “'swarthy and have distinctive haircuts' actually go into the water at the beach?

Or were they there to perve on the women, and try and grab them in the carparks.

That's what started it all.

Yeah.Riot in our streets and pollute our beaches then cry "Racist!" if you get what you deserve.
socratease

Racism or Prejudice? (1)

We are continually accused of being a racist society.
But is it racism? Or plain old Aussie prejudice!
For instance, Chinese restaurants dishing up stray cats as rabbit or chicken!
This old tale kept me off Chinese food for years!
Aussie ex-P.O.Ws from ww 2 refusing to buy Japanese cars
because of their treatment. Is this racism?
If so, what is colour prejudice?
If you're white you're right, if you're brown hang around,
if you're black get back.
This is a determining factor in Aboriginal society as well.
Is this racism? And if you're Islander (Mud) get back even further!
The division between Full-Blood and caste Aboriginal People is legend.
An issue not discussed in the public domain.
Almost like a taboo subject ! But a fact of life.
You won't hear Michael Mansell, Marcia Langton or Stephen Hagan talk about this.
Many Full-Blood will accept and trust a white person
before they would a yella-fella or mixed blood Aboriginal
they know will exploit them. Is this racism?
Torres Strait Islanders are derided by us. Is this racism?
This is one reason why they are seeking to annul
the marriage "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders".
On the grounds of non consummation. It was a marriage in name only.
Regarding and involving easier and continued access to funding.
A marriage of convenience so to speak. ( alb c. 9/2007 )

extract from www.whitc.info

Arthur Bell ( aka. bully ! )

Whenever the term “racism” is used, we should consider the validity or otherwise of the politically correct definition of the term, which I believe is as follows:

“Comparison of races is unacceptable, unless it makes the white race look bad, when it is to be encouraged.”

David Stove, the head of the Department of Philosophy at Sydney University for many years, gave us a sensible definition of racism:

“He defines “racism”—a neologism so recent, he points out, that it was not in the OED in 1971—as the belief that “some human races are inferior to others in certain respects, and that it is sometimes proper to make such differences the basis of our behaviour towards people.”

Although this proposition is constantly declared to be false, Stove says, “everyone knows it is true, just as everyone knows it is true that people differ in age, sex, health, etc., and that it is sometimes proper to make these differences the basis of our behaviour towards them.”

http://www.newcriterion.com/articles.cfm/Who-was-David-Stove--3368

On this proper definition of racism, Australians, or the sensible ones, at least, are racist, and justifiably so.

No sensible discussion can take place based on the unacceptable PC definition, which we seem to mindlessly accept. It must be eradicated from our considerations, and ultimately from our language.

Despite the events leading up to the riot the fact remains that the response was one not targetted at the actual perpetrators but specifically at a racial group.

It wasn't the perpetrators that were attacked, it was anybody that looked Middle Eastern, whether they were at Cronulla Beach or even on a nearby train or just driving by.

In the days following, my daughter's then-boyfiend, a bearded Aussie with olive skin was threatened by a group of youths in a car because "he looked like he might be a Leb" - and that was 150Km from Cronulla. I also recall thugs later literally wrapping themselves in the flag and forcing others to "kiss" the flag and the "Love it or Leave it" bumper sticker campaign that followed.

Yes indeed, we are indeed racist and have a long history of such events to prove it. It's almost a national sport.

Then again, it's part of the Tribal Mind to be suspicious of outsiders and it's a trait we share with everybody else to some degree.

To deny it or to somehow paint ourselves as the victims is not only unreasonable, it's wrong.