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The Forum > Article Comments > Migration isn’t just for the birds > Comments

Migration isn’t just for the birds : Comments

By Philippe Legrain, published 19/2/2007

It’s time for fresh thinking about immigration.

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Why is it that the world media seems to be unwilling to put the pollies under the bright light and question them about the place that population has in the whole scheme of global degradation?

Why does nobody seem to care that migration only takes brain power away from the poor countries? Students who come here and successfully complete their courses are given the opportunity to stay, instead of going back to do something for their native countries and raise their standard of living so that they have less imperitive to breed large families.

No one seems to care that our finite resources will one day be exhausted and we will all have to live on what we can grow sustainably, or produce from other renewable sources. That means a significant reduction in the world population.

Go and read Malthus on "The principle of population"
http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/malthus/malthus.0.html
Posted by VK3AUU, Wednesday, 21 February 2007 8:32:12 PM
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Pericles is quite correct, of course - and Boazy's prattling on, as ever, in defence of his religion. This is to be expected, because as Australian culture has changed over the last 50 years or so, Christianity has become ever more irrelevant to the daily lives of Australians. He's paranoid that Islam, as a more aggressive religion, will fill the apparent void that he perceives in an Australian culture in which the salience of Christianity has unquestionably diminished in comparatively recent times.

Boazy shouldn't worry though - despite his novel perspective and theories, the actuality is that the majority of Australians simply aren't very religious. After a couple of generations, 'Muslim' Australians won't be very religious either. It's a cultural thing, you know :) Secularism rules, OK?

Lastly, I'm surprised that such a learned anthropologist as our Boazy wouldn't be familiar with notion of ethnocentrism, which is a term that describes perfectly the phenomenon he attempts to discuss here:

"While there is a definite "hey..ur not our mob.. don't come here" in most people, there is also the quite proper recognition of the dangers of large groups of people who do not share the same values as us.
Small minorities of 'them' is ok.. LARGE minorities of 'them' is not, whoever the 'them' might be. Because 'they' will more than likely act like 'us' in their turn."

He confuses the universal social phenomenon of ethnocentrism with his own xenophobic ideas - which often stray perilously close to blatant racism. Fortunately, most people don't seem to take him too seriously.

I just feel the need to correct him occasionally :)
Posted by CJ Morgan, Wednesday, 21 February 2007 9:01:49 PM
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TRTL,I'd prefer Rabid Right discipline any day to this Lunatic Left chaos we are being seduced into at the moment under the banner of tolerance and political correctness.

It is a matter of weakness verses courage and will Kevin Rudd be up to the challenge?
Posted by Arjay, Wednesday, 21 February 2007 10:42:56 PM
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Arjay

When we open your box of rhetoric, the second-hand cliches tumble out - "Rabid Right discipline", "Lunatic Left chaos", "the banner of tolerance and political correctness", "weakness verses [sic] courage".

Do you always you think in platitudes in daily life? Where's your substance? Where's your content? Where are your ideas? Give us something to argue against. Please.
Posted by FrankGol, Wednesday, 21 February 2007 10:56:04 PM
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The history of man is that of a migratory species. Even aboriginals came from some place else. Old World, New World thinking is contemporary thought not a historical approach. DNA studies in conjunction with deeper archaeological works refute the Clovis first theory of mans migration to the Americas. The Celtic people once roamed from what is todays Middle East, northwards into India and Mongolia and west to Great Britain. their not Asian or Slavic or Germanic but, there is mitochondrial evidence of the Celtic people in their DNA.
Some Australians may well find a familiar mitochondrion link with the Lebanese community. Who themselves are no more Lebanese than Australians are Australians.
Posted by aqvarivs, Wednesday, 21 February 2007 11:06:52 PM
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VICTORY IS NIGH... or at least a mild chunk of progress...

CJ.... I note that my most instructive and unfathomably wise, not to mention humility bathed lessons to you are having an impact :)

You have retreated from "Racist bigotry and hatred" (now.. I'm going by my memory here from your posts.. so that could be a bit dodgy :)

to

"Straying perilously close to blatant racism"... aah.. the sweet smell of success ....

Within a few more hard won months you will be suitably moulded into "Hmm.. I'm sure I can detect a bit of questionable race thinking in your posts Boazy".. and with a bit more hard work that will morphe into "Hey.. I see it all now" :)

ETHNOCENTRISM and XENOPHOBIA.

In my defense, ethnocentrism relates to one defending ones 'ethnic kin' whereas I have defended a blended multi racial Australia with controlled immigration such that no one group (other than that currently prevailing (which is mixed anyway)) can have undue influence on the political and social history of this country. So, I have to politely reject the charge of 'ethnocentrism'.

XENOPHOBIA relates to 'race' but I am concerned with 'ideas' It matters not to me which race a person is, but the ideas driving them matter greatly.

Now.. having decisively disproven the charges, please don't make me wonder if you are 'seeing Jehovah's witnesses on the sly' by repeating the now disproven charges :) Only JW's seem to look at one with glazed eyes while you speak, just waiting for a verbal punctuation mark to resume their own doctrinal woffle.

Hmmm yep.. its a goodly day today.
cheers.

FRANK.. r u ok ?
Posted by BOAZ_David, Thursday, 22 February 2007 8:18:44 AM
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