Ella Na Soo Thixo
Poso tha alaxo
Otan tha moo thosis
Kati na sfaxo
Ella valeh stihima
Yia na kerthiso
Afto then ineh pimma
Yia ta skoopithia.

English Chelsea fan (Hey!)
This is your last game (Hey!)
We're not Galatasary (Hey!)
We're Sparta F.C.

Surely we became multicultural when the First Fleet arrived. To the existing ancient culture was added two main forms of Chritianity plus Judaism.

The conservative Anglo-protestants have ever since tried to make their culture the only one but a monoculture was impossible.

Multiculturalism is the realisation that we are a range of groups, none of which has a God given right to wipe out the others. The Anglo-conservatives however are still trying to impose their culture on all the others. Each culture absorbs values from the others except where there are unbreachable differences. Then the parties should learn to accept each other.

As a Jewish descendent of 19th century immigrants I am in no way prepared to accept the concept of a virgin birth or a son of God but I have always had observant Christian friends who do and we learn from each other even when we can't agree. That is multiculturalism.

What has changed for me with the multicultural policy is that I do not have to regards myself as an appendage to Australian society. And to those who say we should all become the same, which sameness do you want? Perhaps we should all believe in the Earth Mother or would we all become Jewish?

The answer to you monoculturalists is that you don't know.

"Recently, disturbing trends have emerged within the broad body politic. As part of an increasing conservatism in contemporary politics, attitudes towards people have been changing. The Tampa election accelerated the process. Instead of respect and understanding of difference, leaders from both sides started to speak of difference in terms of threat, of not being able to fit in, of being “un-Australian”.

Leaders, who should know better, began to speak of Australian values as though the essential elements of a peaceful society are exclusive to this country and strange and unacceptable to some who have come to our shores. Particularly, disguised by the use of careful language, views many regard as extreme have been given respectability."

Malcolm Fraser
http://www.australiansall.com.au/

Justice,Security, a Fair Go

Logic... no, we did not become 'multi' cultural with the first fleet.

We had a number of different ethnoreligious groups who MELDED and MERGED and in spite of their various ethnic backgrounds (but they shared many common cultural traits such as language) they became.... AUSTRALIANS.

One potential problem (and it was rightly perceived to be a real one) was the issue of Irish Catholics and English Protestants. Given the history of Ireland under British rule, it would be completely understandable for this historic baggage to have come with the convicts and settlers. But its pretty much faded,gone.. and in its place we now have AUSTRALIANS (yes..I'm shouting that word)

What is an Australian ? He/She is one who loves THIS country and their part in it MORE than their own ethnicity. They are prepared to call themselves 'Australians' first and everything else is a poor second, and that my friend should include Jews such as yourself.
Being Jewish would only become an issue if the State asked you to worship idols or do something totally against your faith.
But if Australia is attacked by Jews.. you will either fight with us against them or at worst be executed outright or at best detained. Of course Israel will never do that, but you get my point I'm sure, and its not a joke. So that reasoning can apply also to Muslims, and Chinese or anyone.

The problem with "Multi" culturalism is that of (dis)loyalty under external threat.

Yung.. listen up dude. Lets say you are a persecuted, hated Chinese businessman in Indonesia, and China decides to step in and 'protect' its ethnic kin, errr are you going to fight them with all your strength along with the Indonesians or....?

SNEEKY... my goodness mate.. you need some hard work :)
I'll spell it out.

1/ Islamic RADICALS do.. repeat DO want to rule the world. (Did you see the doco ?)
2/ Moderates will NOT fight the radicals. They are too scared.
3/ Only USA supported regimes will fight the radicals.
4/ This is NOT a 'current wave of anti migrant ranting'.

BOAZ_David

Surely you don't really mean that the aborigines melded and merged with the newcomers, or that the newcomers even attempted to meld and merge with them?

And the Chinese were never fully accepted. During the Boer war and WW1 the Irish disputed the need to fight for the English. And besides everyone who is not of English, Scottish or Welsh background has problems with the issue of the English royalty and the idea of Australia as an Anglo-Saxon country.

The real issue of multiculturalism as I understand it is that it rejects the principal of Anglo-Christian cultural domination. Of course that distresses the conservative Anglos like John Howard who want everyone else to adopt their culture and norms and forget their own individaul cultural inheritance. They talk about a melting pot but don't want any ingredients but their own.

This has nothing to do with new groups who reject the dominant culture altogether. They are the ones who the rest of us all have a problem with. My personal belief is that anyone who wants to immigrate here is allowed to bring their own culture with them but must accept the dominant culture as a given.

obviously,

the world is bigger than you and your suburb, have a bit of compassion mate.