At times I feel we are going round and round in circles .Some of us get hung up on particular words and are hung up on a particular interpretation of those words.

It is about diversity, not difference. Diversity is derived from variety. Difference is about distinguishing how unlike something is to another. It is about discriminating one thing from another. MC is not about my way of living is better than yours, but is about there are a variety of ways of living.

Diversity is inevitable. There is variety in family cultures. From celebrating birthdays (or not), to parenting, to husband -wife relations, to religion. Any can cause friction and misunderstanding between members of the same family.

We all want personal safety and a future. We all want to be proud of ourselves and able to show and be who we are, it is essential for a healthy self-esteem, which in turn is essential to become successful, not only privately, but as an Australian citizen. This goes for everybody.

What we as Australians need to talk about is, why is it that there are Australians who do not feel part of our society? Why would anybody isolate themselves from the wider community? You miss out on opportunity.

In Australia we made a public acknowledgment of the diversity of her citizens through a multicultural policy. To me, the openmindedness, the idea of acceptance and respect that Multiculturalism implies, you can prove yourself as a person, not your status or where you came from counts, is the public expression of those most Australian of values: egalitarianism and giving someone a ‘fair go’. We are a successful society, because of those underpinning values. We are not Malaysia, or China, or Bhutan, or GB.

To some culture, has become entangled with nationalism and therefore contradictory to good citizenship. A culture does not necessarily have a concurrent nationality attached to it. Ask the Kurds, and till recently the Jews and Armenians for instance. MC is not about other nationalities. It is assumed we are talking Australian nationals.

Yvonne,

Australia is a mere xenophobic, racist Anglo-backyard of the stacked in a feudal Dark Ages England, where “multiculturalism” is a word used to manipulating the segregated groups of population who hate each other on biological grounds and all together-on religious differences each other.

Frank is right: following this discussion is mere example of a next waste of life in this hopeless place.

MichaelK I have to strongly disagree with you. I have lived in different countries. Countries with previous Dutch, British and French colonial histories and 'Western' European countries, including Great Britain.

This is definitely not a copy of Great Britain, though there are Australians who think so. That's because they've never lived and worked there. Australia is a haven of tolerance compared; racially, ethnically and class status wise.

Yes, there are xenophobic Australians, but Australians are not especially so. Many of the countries in Asia are far, far more racist than Australia is, so are African countries. Hence the relentless bloodletting on that continent.

We tend to lump Asians, Africans and Europeans together because of some semblance of similar appearance, but that unfortunately does not equate with tolerance and acceptance.

There are other countries that have a multicultural policy, I find that Australia is one of the more successful countries in this regard. I believe because of underpinning uniquely Australian values. Two of which I've mentioned before.

That's why I do not think comparing Australia to other countries has much merit. The USA, also a migrant country, for instance, is a fragmented nation; racism is deeply ingrained. It is very rare for instance to see marriages across cultural and racial lines. In Australia mulit-racial/cultural marriages or partnerships are common and accepted.

When I first came to Australia I didn't know anything of Australia and was fascinated by this group of people and their history. Both the original inhabitants and the newcomers. Especially Australians’ irreverence appealed to me.

That’s one reason why I think Political Correctness has had more impact on Australian ‘culture’ than a policy of respect for other cultures. That and the replacement of typical irreverent Australianisms with supposedly ‘cool’ Americanisms, which has the smell of grovelling to be accepted to me. To grovel is so un-Australian

yvonne said: "We tend to lump Asians, Africans and Europeans together because of some semblance of similar appearance, but that unfortunately does not equate with tolerance and acceptance."

That's an odd comment, especially if you consider Australia's history as a European-derived nation.

Most non-British European migrants were able to integrate almost seamlessly into the wider Australian community within one or two generations. This is because they shared a similar cultural background with their new country. For example, how many ethnic German enclaves do you find in our capital cities? None, despite the fact German is the fourth most common ancestry in Australia.

As Professor Geoffrey Blainey once noted: "We have a dominant, long-established, Anglo-Celtic culture and institutions, with a confetti of other ethnic groups, the largest of which are European and, therefore, not dissimilar to the host culture."

By the way, never mind MichaelK. I've come to the conclusion that he is nothing more than an illiterate crank.

Yvonne, regarding your illusions.

Anglo-racist xenophobic so-called “Aussies”- representatives of a “dominant, long-established, Anglo-Celtic culture and institutions” assume all outside of their tribe as “a confetti of other ethnic groups” with a following outcome highlighted historically already.

Their mix of dark ages feudal arrogance with multiplied upon ages island-style self-developed feeling of own superiority allow no further progress but stagnation and decay as biological specimen, which quite clear to outsiders:

“An Open Letter to the Prime Minister of Australia
Why have signatures been collected for this letter?
In the first three months since the National Strategic Review of Mathematical Sciences Research in Australia was completed, there has been no response from the government.
It was therefore been decided that an open letter would be sent to the Prime Minister. ...

Text of the Open Letter to the Prime Minister of Australia

... The findings of the recent National Strategic Review of Mathematical Sciences Research in Australia, completed in December 2006, are therefore deeply disturbing. ...
The Review found that the shortage of mathematical modellers and statisticians is so severe that it inhibits work of business and industry, such as mining and biotechnology companies and financial institutions, and government agencies including the Australian Antarctic Division and CSIRO. The shortage brings pause to foreign companies' plans for investment in Australia. ...
The three distinguished international reviewers, Professor Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, Dr Brenda Dietrich and Professor Iain Johnstone, found "the nation's tradition and capability to be on a truly perilous path".
Even more disturbing is that, in the short time since the Review, the already seriously depleted base of mathematical sciences in Australian universities is being further eroded with a number of universities currently reducing staff through voluntary or forced redundancies.
We have noted your commitment, quoted in the Review, that "in this ever more competitive global economy, Australia's science, engineering and technology skills need to match the best in the world". Science, engineering and technology skills depend on mathematical sciences.
We, the undersigned, urge the Australian government to take urgent action and immediately address the priority areas identified in the Review.“

MichaelK, perhaps you should consider remedial English classes before you denigrate Australian educational standards.