Rainier,
Very interested in your post about what it means to be white. I have two experiences where I felt very white indeed. White and ashamed, mind you, not white and proud. The first was in London where, newly off the plane, I went to a gathering at my (white) cousin's flat. All the other guests were black West indian. They began to question me quite rigorously about being Australian and asking whether all Australians were racist. This was about 10 years after the end of the white Australia policy. I felt, for the first time, that I wasn't an individual, just me, but somehow the representative of something that I didn't even approve of. It was not a nice feeling at all, but I didn't blame my fellow guests. They were simply treating me as they had been treated. Eventually, we became good friends.
The second time was a few years ago when I was privileged to be part of a group of white Australians who were "smoked" by indigenous people as a traditional welcome to their land (at North Head in Sydney). I have never felt more white or more English (I migrated here aged 5) in my life. I also felt foreign and alien and, yet, at the same time, more aware of what Australia is all about than I had ever done before. It was a humbling experience and that's why I call it a privilege.
Maybe to be white is to always see yourself as just representing you, as an individual and as always acceptable anywhere, whereas other groups represent all the members. A simple example; a bad woman driver represents all women, a bad, white male driver represents only himself. Maybe that is always the blind spot of belonging to the dominant culture. You are just you, you think you are the norm, but everyone else represents a "minority", or the "other". Their individuality, if you like, is always tainted by their background, race or gender.
Does that make any sense?

Well, there is very little doubt that Corby is guilty, but does she deserve 20 years in an Indonesian prison.

Asian society in general, is not third world, but more like 10th world. From Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Singapore or Indonesia, it doesn't really matter. Their human rights records are atrocious and there is little doubt they enjoy cruelty, dominance and thoroughly enjoy seeing others suffer. This planet would in fact be far better off if these Asian countries simply did not exist.

In Corby's case we need to put one over these imbeciles and bring her home rather than suffer the humiliation of a Balinese prison. The same applies for any other Europeans, Americans and Australians.

Justice

Rainer,it is not a problem of racism ,ie skin colour or body shape.It is a problem of "languagism".I have a problem of people coming to this country and not trying to learn the language.Our language has been butchered.How can I share a joke with someone who has no inkling of the complicated nuances of the Aussie vernacular.Even the yanks have a hard time understandering us.

We don't need our culture being swamped by a multi-cultural mentality ,whereby the rights of minorities over ride the mainstream culture.If you come to Australia,you should have a competent grasp of the our language.

Our neighbours are Indian, with very dark skin ,yet they are in my house daily,don't speak Hindi and have an excellent grasp of the Aussie language.

So get off your righteous high horse and broaden your horizons.
You colour too many differences in race with simple prejudice.It is more about language which facilitates interaction and understandering.

Enjay, such a great post and very well articulated and so damn right! We all get a bit over trying to justify our stance being neither left or right, or being black or white (I'm bastardising a bit of Leonard Cohen here) TO the poster that thinks i'm just a suburban girl, re Kath and KIm, it's a bit of a left hand compliment perhaps. I think that certain posters are a bunch of chunts. And I drink cardonnaaaaaaaay. (unless there's a nice dry sav blanc in the house.) Don't try and slag my opinion off in a forum that's bigger than your brain.

Just because you think i sound a certain way, that you may think is beneath you?. For all you know, I might be typing this with a pencil between my molars, whilst I'm doing my PHd on something you haven't even had introduced into your life. Posters bring their opinion and knowledge and sometime background into this. But don't even try to slag me off into some corner of your life that you choose to bring on line. Enough said? and stick to the issue?

Love your contributions here, Di :)

The heartless, and now evidently racist, Arjay reminds me of a little joke I used to have with my students in order to illustrate some of the limitations of the stereotypical 'Aussie' world view:

Q: What do you call someone who speaks several languages (i.e. most of the tribal world)?

A: Multilingual (or polyglot if you want to be fancy).

Q: What do you call someone who speaks two languages?

A: Bilingual (or educated).

Q: What do you call someone who speaks one language?

A: Aussie (or monolingual).

Fortunately, I no longer have students.

Even more fortunately, neither does Arjay.

Di and Arjay,
I agree with your position that it is language and not skin colour that creates noticeable racial difference. Having a common understanding of language its idioms and culture is what unifies people.