My god, wake up to yourselves people! So it's all the fault of the nasty muslims provoking the poor old Aussies? Even assuming Cronulla had problems with Lebanese crime gangs etc etc, how on earth does that justify a drunken mob attacking INNOCENT people? Can you not see how stupid that is? Lebanese gangs upset Anglo Australians, therefore it is acceptable to form a lynch mob and attack anyone who looks like they might be Lebanese, even if completely innocent? Do you have no empathy at all for the innocent victims? And no respect at all for the rule of law?

And how on earth do you think the violence will help? Do you reckon that will teach those Lebo's, they won't cause any trouble any more? Do you reckon the victims of the attacks and their friends and family now feel more trusting of Australian culture and likely to integrate? B.S, all it will do is lead to ongoing violence - an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, until we are all toothless and blind. Fan-bloody-tastic. I suggest you all try running your personal lives in the way you suggest we should run the county - if one of your friends upsets you, take it out on another friend (preferably one of the same race, it will send a message to the offender). Have a merry christmas.

Part of the problem is a cultural vision of space. Different cultures and subcultures feel that they have a right to more space thgan others.

Giving a non-racial example, people who live in the crowded eastern suburbs of Sydney get along with each other with minimal space. We accept living in each others' pockets, so to speak, and generally would not trade the vibrancy for a big back yard and physical space around us. Others require their quarter acre block or more, and will occupy the space in many ways.

On the beach or in other public spaces sometimes it is the same. Whereas some will not take up much space at all, others will expand the area that they occupy, including in a figurative way by the playing of loud music or with their own selfish egos, by abusing others around them.

Some, like Brazillians, seem to be unable to meet anywhere in a group without drums. Other individuals 'need' to spread their legs on buses and occupy two seats whilst paying for one.

I deeply resent any person or culture that wishes to impose on my space on a beach, which is broadly speaking the width of my towel and the equivalent width on either side. I think that most people who grew up in a beach culture would agree. This impinging on space can be physical, verbal, accoustic or olfactory. So if you cannot keep yourself to yourself, find your own piece of sand - there is lots of it in the Simpson desert. Take your music and your loud mobile telephone conversations elsewhere.

Learn to respect others' spaces, and they will respect you.

Please explain why more people aren't using the phrase "Please explain" more often in a political context.

I found the riots in Cronulla quite funny, actually. Multi-culti...yippeee...it seems the ones for it is the media and government (and the dreaded latte set).

Good 'ol Aussie is headed for the same path as every other basket case of a multicultural country. When will we ever learn...sigh

Hellothere,

Even if the violence does spiral, and the lebanese community continues to retaliate - with 15 year terms for rioting there will be hardly any lebanese muslim males un-incarcerated in the foreseeable future.

This will effectively mean that they have;

1.Earned the unending hatred and enimity of NSW Police.

2.Earned the unending hatred and enimity of NSW Citizens

3.Left their communities basically undefended and indefensible.

4.Left these undefended communities at the mercy of far-right rascist elements of our society, who will take revenge on women and children (nb. I don't like it, but it is their style).

5.The only protection that these communities will have is based upon the professionalism and good graces of NSW Police (ie.they are doomed).

6.With an overwhelming number of Lebanese in our prison system, they will inherit the difficulties faced by Indigenous Australians with rascist prison officers (ie.not all will leave prisons alive).

You know what? I think the Lebanese Muslim community, in the interest of self-preservation, has to stop this cycle of attacks. I don't care who is right or wrong, the majority of Australians are not in danger of annihilation if this continues - while the muslim minority most certainly is.

WAKE UP

PS I do not even think that the groups involved in provoking this descent into violence need do any more, the current spate of attacks on bystanders and property have stretched the tolerance of both the electorates and thus the government to breaking point.

Aaron... you are speaking almost as a prophet :) I'll slot you in between Isaiah and Jeremiah mate..

HELLOTHERE... well guess what.. UR RIGHT.. nothing done up till now justifies the senseless attacks on innocent people, whether by yobbo drunken anglo's or rabid Jihad warriors. BUT.. also guess what ?

If you have cultural, social and economic policies which IGNORE the seeds of these things, and allow them to build up and up and up and UP till breaking point... the result is what you witnessed on the weekend.

I don't think you need worry too much about it escalating too far. The aussies are far to drunk and high on pot, and without any serious strategy to make much impact. They also don't have a binding ethnic commonality coupled with a strong territorial centrality, so they will probably just rampage a bit here and there, and lose interest.

I could be wrong however, there might just be a few with a brain among them, who use military operational methods, of decoy and entrapment and ambush, Cronulla would be ideal for that with just 2 major entry/exit points.

I don't have much faith in the police though, after a mad rampage through Cronulla the police had a car full of Lebanese, and just 'let them go'..... my jaw dropped as I reflected on Iemma's words "We wont tolerate it"

It will get worse though. They will word up the majistrates to 'go easy' (just like in 94) because they don't want to lose the support of the Muslim population in the electorate. We will see 'suspended sentences' 'good behavior bonds' etc.. and the cycle will continue to who knows where. 15 yrs for rioting ? makes good public relations, but politics will override this I reckon.