Sorry, Deuc, shall return in 24 hours.

There was never a history of segregation, Brazuka, because before the advent of large scale immigration of unassimilatable immigrant groups, Australia was essentially monocultural, and was an Island of peace in a world of violence. Monocultural societies usually have strong social cohesion and low crime rates. Multicultural societies are usually the exact opposite. If you have something good going, why stuff it up in order to become like every other strife plagued, priest and mullah infested country in the world?

The inference in your post, was that I should go to Alabama where people ”think like me.” Since you had already prejudged “racists” as uneducated cretins, the implication was clear to me.

As for New Zealand, I do not know of the situation there, but I will have a stab at it.

The first thing I will say, is that with the attacks upon six mosques in New Zealand this week, if you are trying to claim that New Zealand is a shining example of non racism, you just shot yourself in the foot again. Similarly, there have been news reports lately of a resurgence of Maori “nationalism” (if they were white people it would be called “racism”) where Maori leaders claim that Maori’s should be a bit more equal than everybody else.

In addition, the antipathy of Maori’s towards Tongans and Samoans is legendary.

Finally, there is the phenomenon of inter racial marriage. I can only assume that Maori girls are very much like Aboriginal girls. Like Cathy Freeman’s mother and Cathy Freeman herself, they prefer to marry white men. This is because white men generally do not get drunk every night and bash their wives half to death. White men in general support their wives and children by going to work. And most importantly, white never engage in that uniquely aboriginal custom of punishing women by plucking out an eye with a sharp stick. There are probably plenty of Jake the Muss’s in the Maori population as well, who do not treat their Maori women much better.

Much as it galls me to say it, redneck, you make some fair points. And believe it galls me. But you do seem to be falling for the naturalistic fallacy – that because something is, that's how it should be. The western culture to which you (and I) are the grateful heirs would not exist if instinct and "well that's how it is" had held sway. Education, rational and, indeed, moral thought combined to allow us to repudiate our baser instincts. Yes, of course we tend to prefer our own kind – we understand them better – a reason monocultural societies tend to be cohesive, albeit often stifling. Yes, of course we stereotype as a form of mental shorthand. But we realise (I think, I hope), while doing it, that it's just that. Shorthand. Not a moral imperative. No more than a phobia is a moral imperative, and there are plenty of phobias that have sound evolutionary, instinctive bases. But a few minutes' thought allows us to realise that they're irrational, and to be over-ridden. The group and band selection model for which you're arguing is perhaps no more elevated than a fear of spiders. You'd feel a bit of a berk asserting that being afraid of a daddy-long-legs was something to be proud of, wouldn't you? We can think past that. So why assert that racial prejudice and stereotyping are something to be proud of? We can think past that, too. We might not be totally comfortable, but we can be unashamed of what we are. Which is better?

Hang on a sec, Redneck, I know of white men who treat their Aboriginal wives poorly. Come to think of it, Aboriginals (from my personal observation) tend to marry the worst kind of white people around (dare I say, the 'rednecks').

I've been prejudged on this forum. Apparently I've never socialised or worked with non-white people. My anti-multicultural opinions are the direct result of regularly finding myself the only white guy in the room. It hasn't made me more tolerant, I still have prejudices towards ethnic groups. So to think a multicultural society will cure people of any prejudice is wishful thinking. Everyone has some tribal, clannish desire to belong and be accepted. Multiculturalism alienates.

Personal experiences have taught me we are all as bigoted as each other.

"Firstly, you have just dropped a racist expression yourself,"
I think it was a joke.

"To summarise, everybody prejudges, everybody has to stereotype in order to think,"
*Valid* stereotypes and prejudices have their uses, but people have to check them against the reality of the situation. Presumptions are OK, stubborn assumptions are stupid. Invalid stereotypes, of which almost all racial stereotypes are, commonly don't relate to reality, either in proportion to actual occurence or as caricatures or utter falsehoods.

"even moral perfectionists like your self unconsciously drop the odd racist expression."
But only because they are part of the language, not because we are racists and not for hostile reasons. I can't help but say "Geez", "God damn it" or "F**king hell" and I am definitely an atheist.

"because before the advent of large scale immigration of unassimilatable immigrant groups, Australia was essentially monocultural, and was an Island of peace in a world of violence."
I dunno, there were wars between the Aboriginal tribes.

"If you have something good going, why stuff it up in order to become like every other strife plagued, priest and mullah infested country in the world?"
Well isn't 217 years a bit too late? Even assuming we can't cohabit peacefully (a huge assumption; a few extremists aside), how does this matter now? If differing population rates means that serious racial conflict will happen, what are we supposed to do? Reducing immigration will only put off the inevitable, what is your solution?

“[B]ut even the most tolerant group will very quickly become intolerant when confronted by an out group which they perceive is hostile.”, Redneck?

I perceive you as hostile – that’s not a prejudgment – I’ve read all your posts - it’s a judgment

>>There was never a history of segregation, Brazuka, because before the advent of large scale immigration of unassimilatable immigrant groups, Australia was essentially monocultural, and was an Island of peace in a world of violence.<<

Monocultural? Yep, you definitely need to read Windschuttle's "White Australia Policy", which should (hopefully) serve to educate you about the reality of Australia's history. (You'll certainly be surprised about Darwin!)

>>Monocultural societies usually have strong social cohesion and low crime rates.Multicultural societies are usually the exact opposite.<<

So you mustn't think much of crime-ridden Singapore then.

<<The inference in your post, was that I should go to Alabama where people ”think like me.” Since you had already prejudged “racists” as uneducated cretins, the implication was clear to me.>>

You're confusing me with someone else. I never "prejudiced" so-called "racists" as uneducated cretins. I haven't got a problem with so-called "racists" (or uneducated cretins). It's just that I assumed you'd be happier surrounded by more like-minded people, where your views wouldn't appear so aberrant and foreign ("redneck" is a term used to describe people from a certain part of the US and is not native to Australia, no?).

>>...if you are trying to claim that New Zealand is a shining example of non racism, you just shot yourself in the foot again.<<

I wasn't trying to claim that New Zealand was a "shining example of non racism". I was merely trying to get your explanation for why we had the direct opposite of apartheid throughout New Zealand's history, with both Maori and Pakeha openly advocating for assimilation until the 1960s? Shouldn't this have been impossible given your assumptions?

>>Finally...inter racial marriage. I can only assume that Maori girls are very much like Aboriginal girls. Like Cathy Freeman’s mother and Cathy Freeman herself, they prefer to marry white men.<<

Marriage has always gone both ways in New Zealand, not just between Pakeha men and Maori women.