Andrew what you don't seem to get is that ALL nations, including Australia, have to stabilise their populations as soon as possible. The trouble is that most nations with high population growth rates are rightly) suspicious of international efforts to slow their population growth rates while nations like Australia continue to gallop ahead with their own population growth.

Your background as a social worker and political adviser is admirable, but for my take on population issues I'm rather more inclined to listen to Sir David Attenborough, who ran the BBC brilliantly for a decade or so before returning to first career as a naturalist/film maker.

Attenborough argues that Britain should over the next century return its population to 1870 levels - around half its present population (i.e. to 30 million rather than its present 60 million). This is what he says: "The human population can no longer be allowed to grow in the same old uncontrolled way. If we do not take charge of our population size, then nature will do it for us and it is the poor people of the world who will suffer most."

Attenborough wants population reduction at the heart of government policy. And he is adamant that immigration to Britain will have to be drastically curtailed.

I do not think Attenborough, who has travlled to virtually every corner of this planet, is a racist. In fact I'm positive he's not. So let's immediately drop this puerile nonsense that to be opposed to high immigration automatically qualifies one as a racist.

Who's racist? Maybe it's those people who don't seem to give a damn that 25,000 people a day are dying of starvation (UN figure) and that this terrible suffering will only get worse as the population continues to spiral out of control.

The irony is that the so-called Democrats have constantly ignored the opinion of their own membership on the issue of population stabilisation. The Democrats are in fact totally undemocratic on this issue.

Try educating yourself in demographics. Read the work of your namesake Al Bartlett. Try the streaming video at http://www.globalpublicmedia.com/lectures/461

The problem is not immigration. The problem is immigration. No it isn’t. Actually immigration is only part of the problem.

In my humble opinion, there are three issues that converge into what can be called the “immigration” problem (for lack of a better term): welfare, multiculturalism and the type of immigrants.

Immigration has been going on for hundreds of years, and it was in most cases a success – with bumps and lumps in the road. Yes there was discrimination and yes there was even violence. Even so, the idea accepted by all was that the immigrants would have to make it on their own and would have to integrate and accept the new country as their own.

No more. Multiculturalism means that they can not only retain their identities from their previous country, but are even encouraged not to integrate. Modern technology and globalization makes this possible. At the same time welfare makes it easy to not work, not mix with others and have plenty of time for mischief on your hands.

The modern Welfare State is also a magnet in itself. I hate to break it to you liberals, but millions of people come to the West just for the benefits. Period. This attracts the worse kind of immigrants. In the southwestern USA, the big thing in the last 10 years is to have a child born in the USA, at the taxpayers expense. The first thing they do after getting the Birth Certificate – before even going home – is go to DES (Department of Economic Security) to receive SSI, AFDC and Food Stamps. This is worth about $400 a month. And that is just the beginning – factor in medical costs, schools, crime, etc…. These people come not for a better life or be become part of society, but for the money and benefits. Think about it.

Now for the touchy part. Lets talk about the new type of immigrant that is taught to despise the host country. Lets talk about immigrants that follow a religion of hate and anger. Lets talk about Muslims.

Continued...

The wave of Muslims immigration to the West is a new phenomena. Before the 1960s Muslims had never really been part of the great human migrations of the last 400 years. Indeed, people coming from Muslim countries were usually Christian Arabs fleeing the oppression of Sharia and Islamic societies, as was the case of the Copts from Egypt and older generation of Lebanonese in Australia.

Starting around the 1970s the Muslims began coming, bringing the hate and anger of their religion. Yes, the Quran is filled with verses promoting hate, oppression and even killing of non-Muslims – and if a Muslim denies this, laugh in his face. He lies. When they were few, these constituted no problem, but when they reach a certain level, the problems start. Look around and where you see Muslims in the West, you see unrest, anger (and also crime, rape, honor killings, etc…).

It all goes back to Mohammud. According to Islam’s own writings this man waged dozens of wars on unbelievers, and preached enough hate so that it had endured for 1400 years. This man was also a murderer, torturer, slaver, rapist and a wife beater, yet is considered to be a great example of morals and virtue by Muslims. This may explain much of the actions by Muslims in modern societies. (Note to Muslim readers: if you question this I will provide specific references and links to Islamic sites proving this, so don’t waste your time or insult our intelligence).

And things are getting worse. Muslim communities in the West are becoming more radicalized. In Islam, the “conservatives” always win because they have Mohammed and the Quran on their side. Things will get worse.

So it is not, as the article says, that the problems of “second generation Australians of Lebanese background stem back to inadequate settlement assistance.” That is denial. The problem is their religion of hate and anger that makes them despise the rest of us. Lets not play politically correct word games, blaming everybody and everything except the real culprit: Islam.

Things will get much worse.

John kactuzki

Daggett, your earlier consecutive posts were brilliant and reflect my view also. I do hope Andrew and the Dems policy team give them close attention. I would like to see the Dems restored as the third power on the basis of ecological sustainability.

Top marks to Andrew for his participation on this forum.

Beazley promises free TAFE

His announcement marks a shift from the previous Labor strategy of releasing policies in quick succession before elections.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/beazley-promises-free-tafe-in-new-policy-push/2006/01/29/1138469608038.html

This is Howard's archilles' heel. The skills shortage,HECS fees and subsequent skills immigration policy show voters two things:
* He has no respect for voters and doesn't believe they can be trained.
* He has never lived in NORMAL suburban SYDNEY otherwise he would know that increased immigration was a serious threat to 'Quiet Enjoyment' of our city.

This initiative WILL bring Howard to his knees.

Peter Debeham should also know that NSW Labor exposed their own archilles' heel when they bought into the old RTA "Keep Left Unless Overtaking" blooper. Everyone knows there is no such thing as safe speeding. This policy means "Keep Left Unless SPEEDING". All Peter Debenham has to do is announce his own policy initiative of "Keep Left Unless Travelling at Speed Limit". This exposes NSW Labor's secret policy to allow elitists, government personnel and certain donor transport operatives to legally speed.
This SEEMS trivial but NSW Labor spent a lot of energy on it last year.

Additionally, the fact that NSW Labor has already planned housing for one million immigrants subverts any discussion we may have on the matter on this thread. Like the desal debacle, we will be given plenty of time to debate various alternatives and then Iemma will do what he wants anyway.

It seems to me then, that the real topic under discussion on this thread is how to return Australia to true Democracy. It is thus worth remembering, when things aren't right, when governments serve themselves, MacBanks and property developers and not their electorates, it often only takes the exposure of one weak link for them to be brought into line with reasonable public expectations

Amel. Everybody is a racist; we have to be, its part of our survival instinct. There is nothing wrong with believing that you are better, so long as you don’t do anything illegal or immoral.

If there were two people and you had to choose only one to take with you; one was of your own culture/race and one was not and everything else was equal, you would choose your own. Why? Because that’s just the way it is, because blood is thicker than water and nobody would expect you to do otherwise, that is your obligation and right. That’s not racism, that’s favoritism and/or Freedom of Choice.

Jolonda please speak for yourself, everyone isn't a racist like you say.I know theres different types of racist,like those polite "so-call caring types" (those ones are hard to identify)until you get to really know them,then you make a visit to their house,then one comment "slips out" or maybe three.So keep you telling yourself, well, he/she isn't racist,some of her/his family members are ethnics(or does she hold racist beliefs about them as well)? But those comments really made you feel angry&upset. The polite racist, as well as those redneck looking ones ,who are not scared to bash you over the head,some regular.I wouldn't say thats everyone. A good amount.

Anyways jolonda,If holding racist beliefs makes you feel comfortable and safe,then thats you.You should remember that noone has power forever,the majority rules,but not all the time.Everthing has a season.