We have to present a culture and society into which individuals wish to assimilate; at present we are clearly failing. People come here for a variety of reasons and do not necessarily come here to be like us; why should they.
We have a lot to offer and I dont begrudge them trying to get a bit of it themselves. They clearly have a lot to offer in return and we certainyl snap up most of what they have to offer. To socially engineer some artificial mimickry of what we think is good simply homogenises us down to some bland kind of sameness.
Wave after wave of immigrants have come here; some have been inculcated with our values and take on life - but enclaves of cultural and religious differences abound and we are the richer for that fact.
The ghetto mentality that characterised immigrant communities in past has slowly been eroded with time leaving us with a mix of communities that interacts with great success. Most of the early ghettoes resulted form our inability to accept the different; over time we have grown as haas the migrant population. Any moves to some how forceably assimilate or slectively choose propective migrants on the basis of a tendencyt to assimialte more readily thatn some would be a retrograde step.

The assimilation of other cultures into Australia is not the problem, they enhance our way of life. But, the assimilation of religious cultures is where the problem lies.

Any sane person would accept the great advantages that we have received from the different cultures we have, but religious culture is another thing and the examples that religious culture presents us, is of no benefit to becoming a true multicultural country.

It just that we can't and shouldn't become a religious multicultural country, because history shows us that it doesn't work. One religious culture, normally the introduced ones, infiltrate, terrorises then takes over.

Ask the indigenous peoples around the world, how their cultures have faired after the invasion of religious cultures.

BD, “There is something very dark in your posts, so much distortion, or selection and improper emphasis, imbalance, and lack of serious scrutiny.” Looking in a mirror again eh.

Could it be that you cannot understand someone that knows your religion and has experienced it at high family levels, researched, studied, and been part of the religions theocracy, yet reject it as an evil incarnate.

Write an article on the benefits that religion has brought to the peoples of the world and I will answer you regarding Sarawak and just about anywhere else in this world, from a historical, anthropological and psychological aspect, but not in this thread.

But it wouldn't make any difference to what anyone said to you our anyone that is a slave of religion, you are all to frightened to accept that you may be wrong. Convince me, and you can convince the world.

After all, I was involved in many multi denomination discussions at various locations and private chapels around Kew in Victoria, and all enjoyed our interlineal text debates and ideas, during the 70's

Hey sneekeeepete, you sound like one of those idiots campaigning for a 'eurasian type' society. Paul Keating and Bill Hayden dregs. I reject everything you say in your post. Behind this embrace of multiculturalism is an ambition to racially transform the country - one of those 'white people are oppressors and therefore should be eliminated' wankathons!

So Davo, you reject the fact wave after wave of immigrant has come here, and some have assimilated and and some have not and some have been integrated a lot and some hardly at all - or is it the bit that we are the better for all of that you dont like? I reckon I know the answer to that one.
I have no desire to racially transform the society - but it may well happen over time. So what? Unless we outlaw interracial marriages and ban migration totally I reckon my great grandchildren will look a little less like than if we dont. Again. So what?. I think Hitler tried that one on and look where that got him!

This terrorism thing has got out of hand. And not in the way you think - in the scheme of things and from an historical perspective the events of the last decade amount to not much: the problem we face is that it seems us white bread guys are now the targets. We're not really used to it. We can wear all manner of bad things happening to any other race but bring the trouble home and we go to water.
I guess there are some that will live and die for a good cup of tea ( white no doubt) and a vegemite sandwich. As for me I like a more varied diet. So tolerance and engagement are the way forward for this little black duck.
I'd love to chat more but with all of my wives at work its up to me to prepare the evening meal; a curry sounds nice, or maybe some chinese - japanese maybe ( I do a mean nori roll), or I just might get some take away turkish food - how lucky am I!

The 2001 Census reveals that 23.1 per cent of the population were born overseas. Of those born overseas, 33.1 per cent were born in North-West Europe (mainly the United Kingdom and Ireland), 18.9 per cent in Southern and Eastern Europe and 12.1 per cent in South-East Asia. In terms of countries, the highest proportion of overseas born came from the United Kingdom (25.4 per cent of the overseas born), New Zealand (8.7 per cent) and Italy (5.4 percent).
http://www.immi.gov.au/facts/15population.htm

Hey sneakey, why don't you just move to asia? There, you can be as much of a culture vulture as you like without trying to force your ingrate ideas onto the rest of us.

Would you like me to give you a one way airfare to the country of your choice?