Grn asks: "Why do I get the impression that these people who say citizenship doesn't matter, national identity doesn't matter, live in whiter than white suburbs, whose closest encounter with the multiculturalism they so claim to love is ordering thai takeaway on a friday night."

Grn, the answer to your question is: 'because you're too lazy to bother asking where we DO live, and you don't want your lazy assumptions challenged.'

But I'm happy to report that my Bengali, Chinese, Greek, Columbian, Filipino, Thai, Sudanese, Japanese, Korean and Anglo neighbours here in Ashfield aren't stewing in our juices worrying too much about citizenship or national identity. We're just getting on with our humble suburban lives, and we're no threat to yours.

And I don't need to order Thai takeaway on a Friday night because my Tom Yum Goong, Pad Thai, Fish cakes, green chicken curry and laksa all beat the stuffing out of the local takeaway. (The secret is growing your own lemongrass and kaffir lime trees.)

THE RAPE OF EUROPE.

Well there goes old Bozo again... off on his usual crusade....
But I'll get to that in a minute.

All I can say about this shift to "selective and exclusive" in terms of immigration and citizenship is the more and sooner the better.
Socially positive discrimination in immigration is one of the most responsible acts a government of an independant country can perform.

This is clearly evidenced by the current 'rape' of Europe. Cultural and ethnic intrusion which cannot be reversed. Just like a real life rape of a woman.

It is not without Irony that the EU headquarters in Brussells is built on a model of the incomplete Tower of Babel, and the symbol (sculpture) outside it is in fact a woman on a bull, which refers to the myth of the rape of 'Europa' in Greek mythology. Had I not seen this with my own eyes I would have said "yeah..right..pull the other one"

I want to ask some questions which do relate to the subject, but having already exhausted everyones good will on the usual bullet point list of immigration related things, I want to take a different tak this time. You can interpret this information in the context of 'Europe and Immigration and lessons for Australia', but this goes further.

1/ What was/is, the 'throne of satan' referred to in Revelation 2.13
2/ If it exists today, where is it ?
3/ What is the Temple of Pergamum ?
4/ What was the deity worshipped in it ?
5/ If it exists, where is it ?
6/ The 'bull' on which the woman is seated in the scupture outside EU parliament has what significance in the greek myth of the rape of Europa? (what god does it allude to, and how is this connected with Islam ?)

Does this have any significance for the influx of Muslims to Europe ?

Am I seeing a therapist ? no :

Along with every other comment.Australian Citizenship does nothing to help Aussie born or overseas born Aussies to like Australia or more importantly for the Politians THE GOVERNMENT.
The Federal governments,since the black days of the Hawke years has forced decent Australians who happened by born be born overseas feel different.
I have asked a Dutch born Aussie who was one year old when he arrived why he has not taken out CitiZenship.His comment was why should I.
Australian Citizenship is great if you want to steal free benefits
from hard working Aussie taxpayers.It means nothing to Australians who were born and bred in Oz.
Before the Hawke government changed the rules Australians were obtained British passports which became EU passports.
Dame Edna,Sir Robert Helpmann all were entiltled to this priledge.
Today Aussies have to be treated along with third world visa holders.
Joining in the third world queues at all major inmternational airports.
Now for the real history lesson.
"Ten years ago a party of Aussies,Canadians,British and Americans borded a train for Moscow from Poland at the Bellorussian border all had their visas taken.
On the Russian border only the Australians were denighed entry. They had to go back to the Russian Embassy in Estonia to get another visa."
This is just one story that Australian Citizens are never told about.
Another story," a sixty five year old Oz Passport holder is pushed off the bus into the snow on the Czech border she was the only Australian carrying only one passport.The other Oz tourists had various European passports unbeknow to the Old Oz.

So COMPULSORY citizenship after say two years passing basic English and knowledge about this country or GO HOME! No dual citizenships either.

I came to this country aged seven and within one year, we spoke english at home. Multiculturalism requires a revisit in Australia. While we may benefit from multicultural immigration and its expressions (eg skills, restaurants etc) but that is not to say that we have to fragment the country with some unpleasant expressions around the world of that folly.

A cake is only nice after mixing. Why make an exception here in Australia with people?

Proud to call myself Australian.

I think we send mixed messages on immigration, and this will ultimately rebound on us.

The wretched of the earth who seek asylum from dreadful governments and appalling societies get the cold shoulder. Highly skilled people with much to contribute are fawned over. We know that people who came here with seemingly little to offer (including, at the time of their arrival, not being able to speak English) have contributed enormously to Australia. People are entitled to conclude that we don't know who we really are and don't know what we really want. A nation content to wallow in this confusion, or "celebrate" it, must accept whatever future fate may dish out to it for it cannot shape its destiny effectively.

Our prisons are full of people who speak English perfectly well.

I still find it incomprehensible that a nation whose post war achievements rest on the shoulders of an army of people who did not speak english well - and many of whom still do not - all of a sudden see the capacity to do so - or be prepared to do so - as an attribute newcomers now must posses in order to be welcome.

I will not even begin to talk about the nonsense suggested about other tests that might suggest an immigrant is worthy to come here -

I have said in other places to many of us have been spooked by Tampa, Bali and 9/11 - the panic is passing - for most people at least - it will almost be forgotten when Howard goes.