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The Forum > Article Comments > (Don't) dare to be different > Comments

(Don't) dare to be different : Comments

By Georgina Dimopoulos, published 25/10/2006

The basic premise of multiculturalism appears paradoxical - feel free to celebrate diversity … just don’t dare to be different!

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You cannot "regulate" cultural difference by contriving a policy of multiculturalism. Cultural difference will remain DIFFERENT.

And to "dare to be different" from the dominant culture of a society by whose values one can only succeed in fulfilling one's ambitions, is to DARE TO EMBRACE FAILURE.

The discourse of multiculturalism is a barren discourse. One cannot build a great strong nation on "a mosaic of various ethnic groups and cultures".

SEE: "Multiculturalism: How a Pet Idea Became a Dinosaur"
http://www.con.observationdeck.org
Posted by Themistocles, Wednesday, 25 October 2006 1:51:12 PM
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Geez Dimmo. You are fighting an uphill battle with a moniker like that!

It might help if you changed your name to er, - say Mountbatten or Windsor, as some highly successful immigrants have done in past times. The Name Makes the Man, as we ex-poms like to say.

Are you rich? That's an equaliser. Here's a trick from the old boarding school days. Tuck a big wad of loot down the strides, so you don't feel the caning handed out by the wannabe poms who bought their way into government.

* * *

Soberly Geogina - good one mate. More please.
Posted by Chris Shaw, Carisbrook 3464, Wednesday, 25 October 2006 2:09:51 PM
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Leigh,

Thank you. Never even heard of the guy. A Google search revealed the following at www.abc.net.au/rn/bigideas/stories/2003/859455.htm :

"Jerzy Zubrzycki, AO, is one of the worlds most distinguished Sociologists, the "father" of Australia's official policies on multicultualism [sic] and a member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, since 1994, where he is a special advisor to Pope John Paul 11 [the late Karol Wjotyla] on migration issues."

EasyTimes,

Under the policy of 'multiculturalism', emphasis of the quite legitimate claims of all different cultures (by inference the inseperable baggage of all who MIGRATE) to merit, is intended to set up a contest within the migrant (and their descendants) whereby they are expected to repudiate their own background (or parentage) as a NECCESARY consequence of having settled in an overwhelmingly British cultural and constitutional setting. Because those already here aren't migrants, they won't be faced with this impossible repudiation. Unfair!, say the very multiculturalists who have set this conflict up. So to establish fairness, the 'multiculturalists' deem non-migrant Australians to have no cultural heritage, for if its existence was ever acknowledged, the logical question for migrants would be "which culture should prevail?". Left to themselves, they would individually (as most have) accept that their future is within the British realm, and adopt its culture. Australia is its own distinctive, independent part of that realm.

By creating or emphasising a so-called 'multicultural' Australian identity outside that essentially British culture, symbolized in the ultimate by its Crown, the multiculturalists hope to transfer the whole country to a different alliegance against the will of the majority. No benefit is intended for anyone, Aboriginal, Asian, or European in origin, other than members of the power clique who will have taken over the country. Its just a hijack. Understand?

For the sake of balance, to see the positive benefit delivered to this country by a much more eminent person of (I think) Polish origins who has changed his name to Smith, go to http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=5018
Posted by Forrest Gumpp, Wednesday, 25 October 2006 2:41:37 PM
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This recent focus demanding one language in this country is rather wierd.

Nearly every country in the world is made up of composite cultures and has to arrange communication so that its people are not disenfranchised by their language differences.

Australia eliminated most of its indigenous languages after European arrival - more language extinction than virtually any other country on Earth.

Having achieved that distinction now we have the audacity to say we can't handle more than one spoken language in this modern society with all its beaut technology.

Rubbish with a capital R.

Get a life. Dare to be different. Stick to vanilla ice cream if you can't handle variety, but at least allow others to choose their own flavour.
Posted by gecko, Wednesday, 25 October 2006 2:46:18 PM
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Don’t dare to be different? My observation of multiculturalism in Australia is that people do dare to be different. In Sydney one can see it everywhere: enclaves of ethnic communities with their own newspapers, grocery stores, restaurants, schools, churches mosques and so on. In some cases people bring their own ideas of law, displaying contempt and ignorance of our established laws. While on the one hand this multitude of cultures provides variety and interest to the broader community, it inevitably generates tension. For example, some cultures do not seem integrate so easily as other ones, resulting in a lower socio-economic status that harbours resentment. Yes, we should embrace multiculturalism; but then we haven’t much choice, since it was forced upon us by both major political parties, even though we neither asked for it nor wanted it. As a regular visitor to Japan, one of the most homogeneous societies in the world, it is interesting to observe the differences with Australia. The words that I associate with each country respectively are: order and chaos. It amuses me how some commentators think Australia cosmopolitan, when in fact we are hopelessly disorganised, ignorant and inarticulate (one only needs to read some of the posts in this forum to realise that). Much of the chaos here is directly attributable to multiculturalism. Over many generations, however, I hope that an Australian culture and order will emerge, but not before further upheaval. It won’t be in my lifetime, so like everyone else, I will keep to my own.
Posted by Robg, Wednesday, 25 October 2006 3:56:58 PM
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Some of you just don’t get it. Your views are based on exclusivity, prejudice, insecurity and fear. I suspect that the call for everybody to embrace some sort of “values” system is just to make you feel more inclusive and Australian by demonising others.

You will only tolerate other groups if they remain invisible and think that multiculturalism will somehow lead to a surrender of privilege and power. It’s as if everything in modern society must have sinister overtones and hidden agendas so we can all live in constant fear of each other.

Every country has enclaves during periods of immigration and most of these disappear after the first generation or two. I remember the Greek and Italian street signs and shops in Sydney years ago – all now long gone. The ones we see today will also go when they are of no further use.

During that time there was resentment toward migrants that was more to do with social envy than anything else because they usually worked hard and made sacrifices plus their supportive family and social structure meant they always had help from within their own community. This made them appear more successful than their local counterparts so “because there’s nothing wrong with me - it must be them”.

I remember the stories about immigrant Asians (and even aborigines) getting “free Commodores from the Government” and haven’t forgotten the “four star accommodation” in the detention centres, the imminent danger of being swamped by Asians as well as the children overboard fiasco. All lies but some people NEED to believe it’s true because it somehow justifies their own resentment and prejudices. It just makes them easier to hate.

Oh, and since when has a statement (in any context) from a single Muslim Counsellor been the representative voice of an entire racial group? I suppose the anglo thugs that rioted there must therefore be representative of national opinion.

That riot was less to do with multiculturalism than with marginalisation, discrimination and resentment plus the result of years of social manipulation by our own political leaders.
Posted by rache, Wednesday, 25 October 2006 4:23:09 PM
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