I agree Pericles that you can still love your country - warts and all. That doesn't mean being blind to a fair assessment of its qualities.

1. We are seeing an outbreak of overt racism, above that of the usual covert activities.

2. We have proven that we have succumbed to materialism - else why vote back John Howard?

3. Xenophobia - alive and well, look no further than this website.

4. Fear - of anything or anyone who doesn't fit in with someone's narrow world view.

Perhaps it is time for another OLO poll, Graham. The question being:

Do you believe in equal rights/responsibilities for all Australian citizens?

BTW, yesterday I met three friends for lunch in the CBD. One friend's skin was the colour of mocha chocolate and Hindu, one had dark olive skin and black eyes - a Christian from Sri Lanka and myself and the fourth friend; fair skinned and atheist. Apart from our enduring friendship we had one other thing in common:

We are all Australians.

Peace

Hi All,

New to this forum but this artcle has prompted my participation...

Can anybody take this guy seriously given his background - he was a Howard advisor and dumped by the Liberal party, now aligned with the Democrats. For goodness sake, what a bell-end!

This is the most pathetic example of sour-grapes I have ever seen. I assume that all was ok until he no longer advised the Howard govt and we have turned into a racist backwater since?

Cheers

jimmyj

TAXPAYER
yes, those kinds of things happened, and possibly still do in some places, and they are the worst peversions of humanity imaginable.

I experienced the same sorf of terror in the RAAF.
Last night I met up with some mates from my intake. We all still bear the scars of those days.

We had left home at 16, some just 15 1/2 had a week of absolute paradise, meeting a bunch of new people. Then the Drill instructor told us "Things have been pretty good till now, that will CHANGE tomorrow" and the 2nd yrs came back. It turned from heaven to hell on earth for a full year. I absolutely know what the aboriginals felt. But they turned their outrage into action, and good on them.

I met people like those white guys, on the 2nd yr intake and we had about 3 on ours. Sadistic bastards who should have been culled at birth. One of my mates reflected with sadness and regret that the brutality we experienced, moved some of us to pass it on to the next intake...

I promise u one thing. If i ever saw a white guy treating a black guy like that, it would be on for young and old.(at least verbally -I'd have to hide my Bible first though :) I feel the same about White guys who abuse a lone Lebanese who comes to the beach, as I do for a Lebanese who spits in the food of a white guy who he does not even know. (One of my mates saw this when he was in Sydney)

I received an email back from the Pakistani journalist who wrote a VERY balanced story of the riot, thanking me for taking the trouble to thank him for his efforts.

"Thanks, Julian, I wrote what I believed to be true.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

--Razi"

The crazy thing is, a Muslim Journo in Pakistan can see things as they really are, but Greg Barns cannot. Yes, sour grapes I'd say or just a stupid trolling exercise.

AMSADL

Throwing mud is always a sign of defeat. So Ro and I are racist because single comment even if sarcastic. Pity you did not have the ability to counter most of the other arguments with logical and consistent debate. Oh by the way does Australia have to repeal laws specifically aimed at a religion or race? Like your example of Canada?

The fact most people here seem to suggest the racist backwater comment is crap indicates that you maybe in the minority.

Oh well have fun this Christmas seeing the seething masses of racists going about their business in this backwater. In a way I pity your view of the world. Glass half empty? Or maybe you have not experienced enough to see the truth. If so I can understand your stance better.

Merry Xmas everyone, be safe - from a wog.

Everybody is entitled to their opinion but I do find Greg Barns’ comment quite obnoxious.
Of more concern to me is how long he has held these opinions. If he held these views while filling responsible positions in various organisations in the past then the employment pool must have been shallow indeed.
One organisation springs to mind. The NSW Democrats called on Greg Barns to run their last election campaign.
If he thought two years ago that Australia is a racist pigsty, not worthy of himself then what chance did the Democrats have with him at the wheel.
I do not give a hoot for Greg Barns opinions but I do care that that the Democrats may have been dragged down by the likes of he.

It is interesting to note that those that don't like Greg Barns article, spend a great deal of time on attackng other cultures and religious folk whose main identifying feature is their appearance.

Again we see those who relish rolling around in filth. Their materialism, fear, racism and xenophobia tagging those who disagree or inciting violence.
Tell about self control. Can you imagine spending two years away from home in New Guinea's harsh environment; being in a a campaign that went through Christmas into the New Year where you overheated during the day and shivered at night. Where if you didn't hold back a cough a snipper would kill you; where the enemy was thirty metres away; where you see your Pardre killed whilst trying to give comfort to a dying soldier in now-where land; where your best mate was blown to pieces by your side; can you imagine the dhobies, the malaria and seeing two-thirds of your battalion slaughtered; retrieving mates bodies with flesh removed.

Now after all this an Aussie digger smacks a Japanese prisoner across the face with the back of a shovel (for being arrogant) and the battalion head (Vaney) forms a parade and orders the men "to do the right thing". Now these Australian men who defended our freedom are generally regarded as honourable Australians.

In other words, we owe it to them to "follow orders" and be an honourable nation. We mustn't follow others' behaviour, Australians must be fair and square.

Those Dennis the Menaces and most of you whining, whinging, fascism-loving trouble makers have spat on the graves of those honourable men - you have and are shaming Australia.

And can you imagine how f*cking hurtful it is to see those f*cking little Dennis the Menaces parading their egos down in Sydney. Why because some homeboys are acting tough? Garbage, the "patriots" and their supporters are pretentious hooligans with f*ck all resillence or respect for Australian values.

Irfan was right about one thing, if you been to hell- you do everything to avoid creating that situation again.

Do the right thing.