sharing and learning
Poirot,
Yes, and yes it is sad that we now have to be so on the ball with everything we do & divulge. The romantic notion of sharing has gone to the dogs a generation ago. It now is demand & take. It's not visiting & learning then taking the experience home, it's staying on & imposing your will unto your involuntary hosts. Sad but true & far too many aren't willing to put a stop to this trend. if you keep your head in the sand long enough you'll soon feel the effects on the other end. Too late then. As they say you can not be just a little bit pregnant.

individual,

"....it now is demand and take. It's not visiting and learning then taking the experience home. It's staying on & imposing your will unto your involuntary hosts..."

I do take your point, but I can't help but note the irony of your words. After all, this country was founded by a people who excelled at doing precisely that which you describe above, not only to the indigenous of this land, but all along their "trading" routes - America, India, etc.

Funny how what goes around comes around....

in earlier post, i ought to have noted that some (many) austrlaians, persons from north america and from the united kingdom have more than english as a language - generally those sufficiently fortunate to have non-english speaking background, including many native americans/canadians and indigenous australians who have managed to preserve/learn/hold on to their language - and those of us sufficiently fortunate to learn a language at school (or university).

Funny how what goes around comes around....
Poirot,
That's just simple cliché, in reality the westerners have exploited opportunities & have given back & provided by way of compensation. Even more worth considering is the fact that much of the west has realised the early errors & wrong doings. The new wannabe conquerors do not have a single ounce of compassion. That Poirot, is the fundamental difference between fundamentalists & the majority of western good will.
Where the west is now failing is that compassion borne of guilt is blinding reality.

individual,

The West has been stomping around the globe for yonks intimidating and subduing the locals for gain. Contrary to your post, the IMf and the World Bank have been continuing the practice on behalf of Western corporate interests right up to the present day.

Egypt was the World Bank's "top reformer" during last decade, but it doesn't seem to have improved the life of the general population of that country - it was never meant to.

doesn't seem to have improved the life of the general population of that country
Poirot,
Exactly, how many in Egypt are western ? Do you now see what Australia has to look forward to if the flow is not stopped ?