Dirk... your post is also appreciated.

As I said.. we will only come to 'blows' initially and verbally..
I see it all in the spirit of empassioned debate -nothing personal.

I should forewarn you about my position. I mentioned 'socially positive discrimination' as being one of my points. I thought I'd dangled a red rad in front of a bull there actually :)

I'm sure you will find much to disagree with in my various posts. All I ask is that any response is backed up by both sound history and anthropology, rather than current trends in opinion regarding such concepts as 'human rights'.

I'm rather cynical about the UN and its fancy declarations. I don't see 'International law' as being any more viable than the willingness of states to accomodate it, and most states care more about their vested national/tribal interests than any idealistic legal code which could threaten it.

I put more faith in a Nation State which has a firm foundation in the Judao Christian/Magna Carta stream of history, along with a fearless prophetic voice directed at its leaders, in the tradition of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos (chapter1 and 2 are fantastic). but one needs a map to 'get' exactly how he works. (hint.. big circle then 'bulls-eye')

When ethics and morality and values are promoted by secular forces, they can speak with no greater authority than 'opinion'. But this is what differentiated Christ from all others..."This man speaks with Authority"

I am not seeking a Theocracy, but a 'renewed' state from within. In the same way that the Word spread among the Roman Empire up to Constantine. For me, that renewal comes when a life is given over to God in Christ, in humility and repentance. A view I realize is not shared by all.

So clearly, I stand a bit on the 'outer' of mainstream thinking on most social issues.
warm regards

Dirk:

Naiveté aside, I notice that you are remarkably light with the detail of any meaningful solutions, still. One begins to get suspicious at this point that you may be a touch hypocritical.

PP,
Would that you make points instead of trying haplessly to score them.
I don't believe tidy solutions exist; see the second half of my article.

I am trying to show how complex the issues are. We need to exhibit humility before them rather than hubris. Educating oneself about them is a good start, though.

Why don't you commence with Ghassan Hage, _Against Paranoid Nationalism_ (Pluto Press, 2003)? It will cost you less than carton of tinnies.

As to the here and now, I agree with 'bel's' second posting above. He seems to have silenced 'bozzie'.

BD,
Plainly, we have different viewpoints on these weighty matters. Let us not waste time trying to convert one another. As Ali G would say, [here's] respect, mun.

Dirk

It is great that you are responding to your critics. It forces the discussions to be focused.

Such a pity that so few articles manage to achieve a degree of coherence in the comments that followed.

Great article. Hope to read more of yours.

chek

Meredith,

Yes everyone has gone through far worse. Just trying to tell it how it is. South and Southwestern Sydney I do not think qualify as having anglo dominance. That is my point. Many suburbs I would say have no dominance of any culture. People become isolated in such communties. Everyone gets along just fine except there is little community that involves everyone. Though full of people from so many cultures it is in fact a cultural void.

People in the Sutherland Shire don't want to have this cultural carnage happen to them. I can't blame them. They did not articulate very well but I hear all about it everyday and know that the Sutherland Shire has attracted people who love the lifestyle. They see just across the river rapid fire changes over such a short period and it does incite xenophobia. But understandly so. If some people are told they have no right to their culture they will fight back. And over and over again people who dislike the so called Australian culture tell these people their culutre is some sort of myth. Someone above made this comment.

However there is a very real culture and that we may all not want to embrace but who is anyone to dictate culture to anyone? It can and does created problems that last decades and centuries as in the case of aborigines.

No progrom. Not at all.

Keith, I thought I saw two good posts from you this morning. I was formulating a response, but now I see they are gone. What happened to them?