Well well well...Mirko has finally discovered the 10 commandments :)

TOOK A WHILE you dill :)

It looks like he also discovered the concept of social welfare, and looking after 'The alien and the fatherless' from the covenant rules of Israel.

It is MUCH simpler to summarize a guide for human behavior in terms of the 2nd great commandment..

"Love your neighbour as yourself" ! how easy and all encompassing is THAT?
Jesus said that this is the summary of the Law, or at least the horizontal relationships aspect..(man with man).

I warn though, if we neglect the FIRST "Love the Lord your God with all your heart" the 2nd will fade into an abyss of relativism and moral ineptitude which will be our absolute and guaranteed downfall.

WHAT ABOUT CULTURE ?
Mirko, it might be easy for one with a fare more recent migrant background to totally dismiss the idea of 'Australian Culture' and it might serve the interests of the Multicultural lobby, but in doing so you basically INSULT the vast majority of Australians suggesting they dwell in some vaque cultural haze and are stumbling directionless in a myopic social fog.

The truth is, we have a prevailing culture and it is not only our RIGHT to promote and protect it on every level, it is our responsibility! The only reason Mirko can speak about some far off 'universal values' is because we have yet to discipline this roque cultural invader and sort him out :)

I have no essential problem with most of the self styled “Aussie values” like respect for the rule of law, respect for women, mateship, etc. Thing is, there’s nothing specifically Aussie about any of these: they’re simply universal human values written in green and gold with that bizarre dirge the National Anthem playing in the background – no doubt to drown out the sound of dog whistling.

The suggestion that prospective visitors should be made to sign their assent to such values is frankly insulting to them, and I’m deeply embarrassed at the prospect of treating our guests in such a patronizing manner.

Apparently Beazley's gone completely nuts - or maybe he's learnt a good dog-whistling tune from the Rodent. Imagine the average Aussie's response if they were required to sign up to 'Indonesian values' before being allowed to holiday in Bali!

Dog-whistling and predictable yapping aside, I also find myself agreeing with Prof Bargaric for a change. What's going on?

Don't often agree with Mirko but he is spot on here. These are universal values, not framed by any religious context. Leave religion out of this debate, it is not relevant. Is my religion (if I had one) superior or inferior to yours?

Alan Grey - calling people unAustralian is unAustralian damn you. Phrasing a statement with a suitable amount of irony is much more preferable.

Within a culture there is wide scope for what is acceptable. While I concede that sort of thing does happen in Aboriginal communities, I put it to you that the number of Aboriginal Australians who find that behaviour acceptable is a tiny minority. It is the apathy and alcoholism in these communities that allows it to happen, and while it isn't encouraged, sometimes they let it happen.

While I've thought most of Mirko's pieces weren't spectacular, this one isn't too bad. Not particularly insightful, granted, but reasonably accurate.

What kind of bothers me are these simple categories we have of defining being Australian. Fair enough, respect for women and so forth, but things like mateship and a 'fair go' aren't really ours. They exist all over the world, but we've just added a new tag and some aussie vernacular, and pretended they're concepts of ours.

What exactly is the point of people "signing on" to our values anyway? Surely no one's going to be silly enough to not do that when they enter the country if they want to cause problems. It's like how I got taken to task for writing "porn star" as my profession last time I went through customs. I could have written carpenter or tax accountant, neither would have been honest, but neither would have raised an eyebrow. Yeah, as if some guy who wants to attack "Australian Values" is going to write that he's a jihadist who wants to bring about Sharia Law and will blow up the Harbour Bridge to do so. We're fast becoming a parody of ourselves in this country.

As for any sort of convergence on moral principles, that's a load of nonsense too. People will always find exceptions to those four listed principles (eg. invading foreign countries for their own good, collateral damage, etc.). Likewise, some people consider (excessive) tax to be theft, others require low taxation to be morally reprehensible and socially irresponsible. If there were a convergence of moral principles, there'd be a convergence of politics, but there isn't.

"why the hell should Australia not insist on certain basic values that this country was built on and, which provide all the people who came here much later – after the hard yards were done – with a good, safe life."

Leigh: I agree whole-heartedly! Everyone should sign up to the values of killing and dispossessing black people, while simultaneously enslaving white people for the profit of others for seven years for stealing a loaf of bread. It would be totally un-Australian to see that this country was built on a fair go for all! All these bloody foreigners are just ungrateful because they weren't here in the 18th and 19th centuries to be slapped in leg irons and learn real Aussie values and do the "hard yards".