I do have an answer for your simple question, Easytimes.

A broader mind.

The other day I was passing the Australian-Chinese ex servicemens monument in Sydney. On it were inscribed the names of many in Australia's Chinese community who had died fighting for Australia. For those who think that the ultimate sacrifice for your country is the ultimate act of patrotism, this monumnet symbolises a wonderful aspect of multiculuralism. These people, who died for Australia, were the ones that the White Australia policy, was designed to keep out.

I've noticed that many of the posts seem intent on putting the boot into Australia's Muslim community. This is unfair. The overwhelming majority of Australia's muslims are law abiding, friendly people. Consider Australia's Turkish community, which is a wonderful example of multi-culturalism in practise. Anecdotally, I have friends of Iraqi descent. While their fathers english is poor, they are honest friendly, hard-working people. Australia is lucky to have them.

Even the much attacked Taj El-Din Hilaly, (whos view I do not, in general, agree with), put himself in danger in an attempt to release Douglas Wood. While his actually involvement is disputed, it is generally believed his actions were undertaken with the best of intentions.

I would also like to point out to Boaz_David that the "Day if Islam" may be a little while comming. According to the 2001 census, about 1.5% of Australians idenitfy as Muslim, of which the vast majority respects the law. So don't worry Boazy, you can still drink in a cab for a while.

While I do not condone unlawful behaviour on the basis of cultural background (this is never an excuse), for every misdeed by a Muslim Australian, I could quote at least 2 by an anglo of similar severity.

Multiculuralism is a wonderful part of Austrlia. I believe that it is in Australia's long term interests to embrace it

Inkeemagee2 being a 6th generation Australian means that I have more of an attachment to Australia and care for the path she goes! I don’t have a second home and I don’t have a foreign passport. Unlike most people who champion multiculturalism!

I will tell you why you don’t have an answer for my question it’s because there is no real benefit for people like me.

Sure I will be told by these “new” Australians that I am racist and hateful and xenophobic if I don’t accept that it is a good for me having people who I have nothing in common with culturally or socially move to my country.
I don’t need it! I quite happy and quite successful as it is.

Who are these people telling me that to be broad minded that I need people from all over the world living in my country and watering down my way of life! The way of life I love and cherish! The way of life my fore fathers would have dreamt of me having and that I want for my children and future generations of Australians.

Who are you people?

There are no advantages for people like me who can say proudly that it was families like mine that made this country into what is today.

Multiculturalism is a form of social taxation that successful groups of people aka Europeans are forced to pay because of their innovation and creativity. The people of less successful civilisations will use all manner of ways to guilt European people into giving up what they have strived and worked so hard for over the many centuries.

But alas the cat is already out of the bag and the debate should not be about being for or against multiculturalism it should be about what is to much

Mr Khan,

PART I

Firstly, I never even mentioned “Australian values”, and by “Occidentalism” I thought I obviously meant something like “Anglophobia”.

Secondly, I am nothing remotely like a “neo-con” (unless you mean "a descendent of convicts"), I am not conservative in the least. Nor am I an postmodernist. That worries you doesn't it? Someone who is progressive, yet pointing the "race card" back at the non Anglo! Well, you all had it coming, and it's only going to spread!

Now, I consider many of the migrants we bring here to be extremely conservative, and therefore I share your philosophy. But the big difference is that I don’t only notice conservatism, particularly the “redneck” variety, when it comes from non-Anglos, whereas your kind only notices it from Anglos.

Just like how many of our adolescent left-wing extremist academics in the Arts never stop short of making fun of, of stereotyping, Texans, or the South of the USA generally, but cry "racist" at the mention the factual rate of cousin marriage as 1000% higher in the Middle East.

One day, those like Germaine Greer will become seen as the true racists, the ones who considered the Other so worthless that they even concocted relativist theories of interpretation to justify there turning a blind eye to barbaric practices like female circumcision, all for the sake of saving face with the Other. So selfish and therefore racist she'll be seen as!

This is a pathological state of affairs the West is in, and you unwittingly show your bigoted colours by taking the side of such far left termites, particularly when we all know how your kind are only ‘progressive’ in your diasporas within Western multicultural nations, but vehemently conservative ultra-nationalists when it comes to your precious ‘homelands’.

The sooner the far left’s neurosis with the Other is overcome, and multiculturalism dies out (which in no way means diversity, tolerance and considerateness die out, only the bar on criticism!), and the world's barbarians overcome tribalism, and instead institutionalise criticism then the sooner we can all start dealing with ....

PART II

.... the serious issues of poverty and corporate crime, i.e. the class issues, and stop voting conservative. I blame your ethnopolitics for holding us all back.

Finally, you say you are unsure what “Australian values” are, and if it's because you consider that these values ought really be referred to as “human” values, I totally agree with you.

But again, unwittingly, the fact that what you and all the other ethnocentric multiculturalists throw into the debate is nothing but what your ‘tradition’ handed down to you only shows your unwillingness to give it up for something new.

“Multiculturalism” to you means preservation of heritage, rather than diversity in itself, which implies transformation, change, which threatens you.

The reason you think Anglos are “blank” in a cultural sense is precisely because we are about the only ones who actually debate our tradition and transform accordingly; we can handle the abyss of looming nihilism and are empowered in our Nothingness you so mock.

But your heritage is threatened by multiculturalism too, but being protected by the far-left and the race-card you think the only ones who have to transform and adapt are the host Anglos, that the only ones who have to learn about tolerance are Anglos! But nothing could be FURTHER from the truth mate!

And your childish attack on the roots of Western music being in black slave’s jazz is just another tiresome example of how an anti Westerner copes with the fact they prefer to live in a Western nation, and in the process abject the discomfort of their "inner struggle" upon the Western host, denigrate it, find fault with it, so as to appease their utterly weak consciences.

The standard of this debate is more appalling than most. Some posters SHOUT (upper case in case you miss the point) pre-prepared positions, unwilling to listen to relevant evidence of those who disagree with them and unable to supply valid evidence to support their contrary opinions. (Others quote evidence that actually undermines their position, but they don't seen to notice.)

Some make outrageous assertions and claim as truth things they have no possible way of knowing (e.g. FrankGol obviously did not venture very far from the tourist trail; and FrankGol was warned about areas to stay away from in France – both absolutely wrong but, hey, since when have facts got in the way of revealed TRUTH!).

Some show they have no awareness of how ignorant they are about the meaning and reality of multiculturalism in Australia. They throw ludicrous bombs of fear about like psychological terrorists – multiculturalism apparently causes murder, illegal marriages, civil war, the return to medievil [sic] oppressive tyranny and the banning of blind dogs from taxis. What about global warming and cyclonic weather? Surely multiculturalism also causes them, and bad breath too!

The DIMEA website
http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/06evolution.htm#policy sets out the government's policy on multiculturalism “to build on our success as a culturally diverse, accepting and open society, united through a shared future and a commitment to our nation, its democratic institutions and values, and the rule of law.” Yes, the rule of law: multiculturalism offers no mandate for murder, illegal marriages, civil war, the return to medieval oppressive tyranny or the banning of blind dogs from taxis.

I don’t imagine the loony right will be bothered by the proper definition of multiculturalism given by our democratically-elected government. They will go on believing whatever they want to. And displaying their pig ignorance forever and ever on OLO.