Gosh! I guess I made the mistake Mr Antibigot of using the colloquial understanding of multiculturalsim - pretty much like every body else has on these pages.

Yours is a unique re-interpretation of a policy replicated by governments of both persuasions here.

I fail to see how I put myself above anything - and I really dont get the humna rights thing either.

And I dont get the honesty of "right wingers" not budging on "our way of life" - what is that they are not budging on? -

Unless you think "our way of life" is threatened.

And I find nothing devious about supporting others rights to do what they like within our legal system.

and yes I think Sharia law is not appropriate.

Similarly the caste system is is a counter productive approach to life - but I can accept many other aspects of those cultutres with out endorsing every thing about them - so what? -

I embrace much of western culture that migh be represented by the US -but I reject the notion of the death penalty - so does that make me duplicitouis in my approach to things American?

I also think the phrase referring to me and "my kind" suggests a tendency to simply stereotype groups of people furthering the Them/Us dichotomy that is the real root of this tension.

So this is the point: your attempt to redefine MC might suit your argument - but not in the context that it is popularly used - that is the point - all the rest is reminiscent of a hooked fish flapping around on the landing.

MC exists - even Boaz D agrees - and I stand to be corrected here - he just wants us to mix a little faster - until the differences homogenise - maybe we are just in a period of transition - changes will come - they are inevitable.

I still do not know what all the fuss is about

Aqvarivs
You are not listening. I have already agreed the British parliament (which is in part from the Greeks) is the basis of our democracy. That Judeo-Christian values is the basis of our culture is debatable. I think politicians and a lot of Christians have strayed from that grounding whilst still proclaiming faith to gain moral authority.

You say the army, leaders, police are all whites. Fairer to say "mostly" white because the other groups are minorities, hence representation is reduced.

I have presented more than “a passing mention” to explain my position in relation to multiculturalism. My posts are evidence enough.

When more people take up the positions you mention it doesn't mean we will be multicultural because maybe their culture is more geared towards self-employment and industry. Minorities will always exist -it is the nature of society.

My understanding of multiculturalism is deeper than your claim that it is merely that "different restaurants" make Australia multicultural.

I have made the limits of multiculturalism clear. I don’t think that because we insist on residents obeying Australian law ( so long as it is fair and just) that we are no longer multicultural. A lot of immigrant cultural practices fall within Australian law. Some don’t and are rejected. There are long-term Australian citizens who indulge in illegal cultural practices .

You say: “I'm saying it isn't being honestly created and that as it is, is just simple politically correct speech to give the impression of multiculturalism not actual multiculturalism as an Australian institution.” I take your point here. However, I still think there is sufficient difference in cultural mores to warrant the term multicultural. Multiculturalism doesn't mean multi-legal.

Aqvarivs. Try thinking in degrees rather than black and white terms. Australia will be MORE multicultural as we work out the acceptable behavioural boundaries.

The all-white add may be politically correct in the eyes of a racist but it doesn’t represent the true situation in Australia. Moreover, I don’t know what religion, ideology or cultural mores the “white” actors live by and neither do you. It is racist sterotyping to assume otherwise.

Whoa there, Antibigot.

MC does not even go near advocating separate laws - for anybody. We don’t even allow Australian aborigines that luxury, and fair enough. MC is the idea of respecting and allowing for the ideals, faiths, languages, customs, dress codes, festivals etc of other cultures, where they do not transgress the legal code of this one. Enough of the rahrah about UN charters and the future of the world.

Australia has been one of the few places where multiculturalism has worked well, and given half a chance it will continue to work. Among European nations we are envied, and cited as an example of how various cultures can peaceably live side by side without falling into an us/them dichotomy, something easy to do given even the most oblique encouragement. Whether or not posters here actually like it is another matter; from reading this thread it appears some feel threatened but there are plenty, like me, who revel in it.

Did you know, antibigot, the European enlightenment came centuries after the middle east’s? They were well advanced long before the west even woke up, and we owe quite a lot to that region.

As for “you yourself and all your kind”?? And comments like “Western values, i.e, human rights, the way we live in western nations, is [sic] superior to non-western values” Pull your head in. Better still, get a dictionary & look up bigot.

Aqvarivs,

“All of the many ethnic/cultures have to be represented in government, in the police, in the army, in all of the institutions equally and as equals”. But they are! We have dozens of nationalities represented in our federal institutions. The rule of law and the opportunity this country offers applies to all citizens equally.

Like Antibigot you equate multicultural with having no dominant culture at all. It ain’t the case…I think you already know this.


Australian Government policy on multicultural Australia (May 2003):

"Our culture embraces Australian-grown customs and the heritage of Indigenous Australians, early European settlers and more recent migrants who have all contributed to making ours the diverse society it is today.

The freedom of all Australians to express and share their cultural values is dependent on maintaining balance between unity as well as diversity, and responsibility as well as rights. All Australians are expected to have an overriding loyalty to Australia and its people, and to respect the basic structures and principles underwriting our democratic society.

These principles are:

• The Constitution
• Parliamentary democracy
• Freedom of speech and religion
• English as the national language
• The rule of law
• Acceptance and equality

bennie,

"Our culture embraces Australian-grown customs (but not exclusively) and the heritage of Indigenous Australians (but only that which we 'tolerate' - in the sense of what is 'permitted' by those in power), early European settlers (but not early Chinese or Afghan settlers of the 1800's?) and more recent migrants who have all contributed to making ours the diverse society it is today".

Politicians 'lie' and people like antibigot/benjamin love/hate them for it, as do I, by omitting the whole truth (in brackets above).

I like your posts and ronnie_p's too.

Aqvarivs,

I have not agreed with all you have posted. I find your latest post makes a great deal of sense.

I would question however just what 'Aussie' Culture IS?

I do not believe Australia has a unique (mono)culture, and is, in this sense, a multicultural one. (consisting of the thoughts, habits and beliefs of many differing (multi) cultures from different countries).

Ask ten Australians what their favourite TV show is and you'll get at least half of them saying either a British or American (or a half-arsed licenced copy of) one.

Ask the same ten what their favourite song is and i bet the odds increase in favour of America greatly.

Ask who their favourite author is (who they read the most of) and the chances of it being an Australian author (or cartoonist) are quite small.

TV, music and books are quite considerable factors in our 'culture' as is our history and those people/country's we trade with and who's citizens now hold Australian passports or citizenship.

We could try and overcome this 'multiculturalism' by saying we have a 'western' culture, as if to suggest that we have only things in common with the US and the UK and those European cultures we pick and choose to fit in with some kind of homogenous local culture. The problem is: increasingly the US and the UK are facing the kind of problems of identifying their 'unique' culture with, as we have been discussing here.

cont.

The end of one law for all?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6190080.stm

Immigration sparks white exodus from UK!
http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=326780

It’s all one way now for the native British. Guess which way?

But back to Australia, just a few subtleties not to be confused with conspiracies.

Here’s one, the little girl in the big dog add, at 7.30pm no longer kneels at her bed and prays. Why? I’m thinking MUSLIM, I mean pardon me, MUSLIM, excuse me I really meant to say an Australian of a unspecified religion and ethnicity with their intollerent attitudes, aaaah that’s much better.

Looking at whats happening to England London specifically, I can’t help but think a policy that increases violence and division at the same time leading to a mass exodus of the native population is quite possibly a bad policy, no wait, BING! Chinese food, that great savoir for the stayers. Where are those that flee heading? They mention white flight but race is an illusion all an illusion right pro mc’s ;), it’s just all an optical illusion ;)

I don’t like that other nastier side of the people who didn’t exercise their flight response, in future they might pull on that other side of the mechanism.

Another subtlety hula meat or whatever the hells it’s called secretly replacing what ever the hell the other stuff was.
Muslims getting rushed ahead in morgues for some religious reason, in a sense queue jumping even though their dead, quite a feat.

Unscramble eggs? I prefer attempting to integrate Muslims and the west to attempting to mix oil and water. Melting pot? If one was to take to a melting pot at an atomic level their would be atoms (people) flying left right and centre, colliding, exploding, miss-matches, but from far away (parliament) seems quite a gentle process. I predict in 30 yrs time (war zones, social unraveling, mini Iraq in Sydney, gangland fights at alarming levels 100 odd ppl. But we can stop this! Police state everyone’s a winner! Bring me the Chinese food