NAPIER IS JUST THE BEGINNING

Almanac and sneekeepete

While this thread is one of the more extreme examples of the treatment of the "Muslim threat" by posters on this blog, I wouldn't be unduly downhearted at their attitudes.

Aaron is right in labelling anti-Muslimism as racist and even anti Semitic. Muslims are almost always non white, look "different", with a different religion and perhaps other beliefs from the Australian “norm”.

I think prejudice comes from several factors:

- perceived failures in one's own life
- direct and negative experience of another race
- ignorance of another race
- competition with other races ("white trash")
- racist feelings becoming "respectable" because opinion "leaders" eg. Stone, Hanson and Howard, let racist ideas off the leash.
- racism justified by official ideology eg, Nazism, organised religion etc.
- world events (if it happens in the English speaking world we take it personally), and
- local events (most recently plots by at least two groups of Muslims that were never allowed to come to fruition)

Its up to the individual to decide which (or mix) of these reasons "justifies" racism. Although I suggest that "perceived failures in one's own life" is the most common one.

I'm not writing this as academic waffle. I'm just putting down the following intention.

Every time a string starts to turn really racist, like this one, I will show people the road to Auschwitz http://home.swipnet.se/~w-49276/docs/auschwitz/fabric.htm . Show you where generalised and strongly held views about a race/religion will lead.

Bin Laden, if he's alive and even bothers to think of Australia, would love these strings. They contain a significant group of people, sometimes reasonably, sometimes rabidly writing off a large proportion of humanity. This is the type of Western versus Muslim conflict that bin Laden has dedicated his life to (well a lot of other people’s lives anyway).

So in order for people not to get comfortable in their racism I'll present the works of some of the more perverse, lurid, scatterbrained and scattergunned racists. Each writing contains an ounce of commonsense hiding a pound of mush.

Reading some of the post here really makes me wonder how some people dress themselves in the morning. It's like trying to talk to a religious fanatics. One of the posters used ww2 references I'll just point out that in North Africa we were fighting the Germans and Italians not Muslims. If your going to bring up war the why not WW1 and the mutual respect that the ANZACS and TURKS had for one another. Or maybe Laurence of Arabia is more your thing. You it is easy for some people to find faults in others that they can not see in themselves though they are plainly there. This is not about Muslims it is about anyone who doesn’t fit Stones world view. Stone has said the same thing he says about North Africa’s about Muslims, Asians, Aboriginals and if we do a search problem Jews and Europeans. A racist fool that what he is, yes people if you judge someone based on their race you are being racist that’s what the word means. Remember the only people stopping our peaceful coexistence is people like yourselves on both side of the fence. The is no harm in being willing to die for your convictions however there is great harm when one is willing to kill for them. Release your hate lest it consume you.

Do not mistake my musing for despair Redders - I call it thinking - give it a try.

Again the fact that you take delight in what you mistakenly assumed was my suffering is indeed one feature that aligns you with those you yourself hate; inate indifference to the suffering of others. there are those here who revel in human suffering - in much they way some terrorists do - you and they in that sense and many others are very much alike - it is that one dimensional thinking that paints them and I dare say yourself into corners - they hate , you hate.

And when I say ugly I mean just that - like the atrocities of the terrorist - the mind set of some as exposed some posts places them a small step away from violent reprisal - based on suspicion and erroneous judgements. Not hating our swarthy brothers does not mean I hate whites and as many of my wise, lengthy, witty, pithy, incisive, telling, illuminating, erudite and poorly splet postings give testimony I dont hate Australia or Australians I just dont think we are immune from acts of bastardry or stupidity.

And you would be smart to stop laying claim to effectiveness or victory; it just makes you look silly (er).

Sneekeepete -

Dear John,
I strongly resent the use of the word "assimilation" in reference to migrant and new australians. I used to seat with you at the cricket ground in Canberra trying my best to mark the score book. (I never played cricket in my life). My son Frank was a good cricketer and played against your sons. I educated my children to accept the Australian way of life, to respect the Australian laws but to be proud of their heritage and divulgate with proud what comes from my country of origin: Italy. You may be proud to have eggs and bacon for breakfast and ham at Xmas time to celebrate the festivities but you cannot expect migrants to conform to your way that are of Anglosaxon origin. You don't have that right.We are all migrants to this beautiful country. I agree that there is only one law but leave alone the more coming from other countries. Jews don't assimilate. Should we close the door to them also? Multiculturalism is not an industry as you call it. It is the most wonderful thing happening to this land. SBS is also a wonderful tool for INTEGRATION don't denigrated it.

I think it unworthy for people to adopt an attitude of ivory-towerism when dealing with this topic. It is only natural and refreshing for people to put passion into their opinions.

Thank you moderators for letting the debate run.

I was defamed in this forum and the moderator removed both the offending item by BOAZ_David and, astonishingly, also my written defence. I think this was done not for my defence, but for the defence of Online Opinion. I hope that in the interests of fair play, and one's right to refute a serious false imputation published on the Internet, this new post will not be removed. My refutation of the false allegations made against me are also posted at http://www.wilsonsalmanac.com/hilton.html