Genius Ringo! More please.

You're the kind of bleeding heart I could get along with just fine.

It's just the others I don't like.

Cheers :)

I have a feeling that if I criticised this article, before I know it, I would have swarms of do-gooders knock me down for <i>missing the hidden message</i> or some rubbish, so this is me biting my tongue.

However, after reading this "little folk tale" twice, I'm struggling to work out Graham Ring's motives. If you're out there Mr. Ring, what's your purpose here?

I'm no more racist than you, but I wouldn't let the lawyer past my front fence!

It ain't rocket science Edward. Who hasn't heard someone, somewhere slag off at immigrants? If you spoke in their defence, all credit to you but if you haven't examined your conscience by now you're either a narcissist or a saint.

Patronising garbage.

Whoa there, haven't you forgotten some? What about the Jews, Muslims, Italians, Chinese, 'illegal' immigrants trying to jump the queue. And while we're on it, why not politicians, and...come to think of it, you haven't really started yet, have you? I'm not racist - I just hate them all. I have no reason, but why not? It's Australian, mate!
arcticdog

All muslims are peace loving individuals, with an open heart and an open mind. I know, I've met one?

Okay, for those of you who want something to hold on to:

The point of the article is that on an individual basis, many of us feel kinship with immigrants - how can it be otherwise, when such a large part of our population is derived from migration. These same people who feel kinship with the individual, can sometimes be those who are stridently opposed to immigration.

I thought it was kind of amusing seeing all the anti-immigrationists line up and try to find something to attack in what was really, a pretty unassailable article.

It's only patronising if it is below someone's intelligence - and quite frankly, I think some (of course, not all) of the screeching rhetoric that surrounds this issue occasionally needs a reality check... perhaps that's exactly what this piece is.

I don't think your racist either, you just don't like people until you get to know them. You may be unsocial but not really racist.
I'd only think you were racist if you actively discriminated against certain people because of their race even when you did know them. Doesn't sound like you do that at all.

Hey, I don't like teenagers either, they tend to hang around each other and speak their own language. Except for my nephew of course, and that nice kid who delivers my papers. And that one who works at the local cafe.

Am I ageist?

Australia is a great country and gives oppurtunity to her diverse population. But what if we open her borders to all and sundry? Will the opportunity be the same? Will living standards be the same? Will housing affordability decline? If the benefit to some comes at the expense of many, then shouldn't the decision be a democratic one?

It seems that everywhere I look, some ratbag leftie is spreading propaganda that all white Australian's are bad and that it is our reasons that immigrants are not fitting in. In reality, they refuse to fit in due to this enforced segregation of people and genocide of Australian and Aboriginal cultures.

I always love how these self haters are keen to ignore the rate of hatred pushed onto the white Australian by those immigrants who refuse to adopt Australia as their own. You only have to look at Sydney where Asian store owners refuse to serve us unless you yell at them.

When I worked for a government corporation owned by the federal government, Asian's constantly slandered the few white Australian's there while management and government turned the blind eye to such racial prejudice. And here's a landmine; when I worked for Australia Post in Sydney, they were illegally employing Filopino's who were still in the Filopines. Politicians ignored that too while OUR unemployed were refused such employment, only to be slandered as welfare bludgers.

I hope Australia First Party gets their candidate for Cronulla up. Australia needs a shake up.

Spider... who are thes lefties who are saying White Australians are bad? Judging by your post, there's loads of them out there.

It's strange, because I don't seem to come across them.

I sometimes see examples of people pointing out unpleasant bits of Australian history... I sometimes see people questioning our migration policies... I sometimes see people who happen to be white, being criticised for their attitudes.

There's probably a random nutter or two out there who does attack whites as 'bad.' But they're certainly not common.

Who are these lefties with a white bias?

I can't help but wonder if you're simplifying things somewhat to make the majority of lefties seem worse than they really are.

Mr Ring is obviously correct, but - the smugness, the smugness ....

I'll loosely quote a very close to my heart Yorta Yorta woman,
on her opinion of these issue's,
she may have been quoting someone else,
either way I couldn't agree more.

"Integrate, not assimilate,
tossed salad, not melting pot."

Until the 1967 con-job referendum Aboriginals were constitutionally equal as any other Australian, then we had this con-job referendum and subsequent legislation caused them to loose their citizenship.
As a grandmaster “constitutionalist” and Author of the INSPECTOR-RIKATI® book on CD series I have deplored the deception upon not just the Aboriginals but upon the electors to vote in such con-job referendum.

The Commonwealth of Australia was created upon a basis of racism and subsection 51(xxvi) in the Constitution makes this very clear. The colonies (now States) also supported this and till to day remain to do this. Therefore were a racist, regardless if we may not be willing to accept this.
Sure, personally I deplore racism, well when it comes to religion, colour of skin, nationality, but I do support racism (as it now is dubbed) to deny gay people equal rights as married people, as the institution of marriage is for different purposes. A judge in the High Court of Australia now seeks to pursue that gay people are a “race” in the sense of discrimination but reality is they are not a “race” within the meaning of subsection 51(xxvi) regardless of his spin-doctor tactics seeking to be applied.

See also my website http://www.schorel-hlavka.com and my blog
http://au.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-ijpxwMQ4dbXm0BMADq1lv8AYHknTV_QH

Lets be realistic discrimination is generally in the eye of the beholder. Again, while I personally oppose any discrimination in regard of race, religion or nationality I do accept that people may discriminate within the constitutional provisions provided for.
If people don’t like this, then to amend the Constitution should be the first thing they should pursue.
It is like smoking. I gave it up more then 20 years ago, but would not oppose someone to smoke because it is not unlawful then I have to recognize their right to smoke.
See also my 6-7-2006 published book;
INSPECTOR-RIKATI® & What is the -Australian way of life- really?
A book on CD on Australians political, religious & other rights
ISBN 978-0-9751760-2-3 was ISBN 0-9751760-2-1

Well done Mr. Ring,

This shows that Australians, and I mean the Vaaast majority do not have a problem with immigrants of any description.

The problem is the numbers! Everyone loves Tran and Con and Gino and Yusef and have them round for a barbie with halva anytime. After all, the kids all go to the local school.

When you have 13,000 Gino's, Tran's or Yusef's living in the next suburb (all renting from their countryman Sulliman who owns the buildings and runs the sweat shops) and gang warfare with the Grigor's or David's, we have a BIG problem.

When are we going to wake up to the very real fact that it is NUMBERS and not the WHO that is causing the problems. Australia can not solve the world population problem by bringing in one more person from anywhere, so why try? We need to do our best to get people to have a better time in their own country which, if you take the time to ask, is quite often what they would prefer.

Not many people wish to leave their home and kin to move to foreign land unless their home conditions are atrocious which is most often the case.

This article was awesome! Simply stated but directly to the point. Loved it, thank you.

Original purpose of Constitution subsection 51(xxvi) was mostly external affairs to stop Chinese and Melanesians being imported as cheap labor so damaging the developing Trade Unions and undercutting workers standards of living; Problem requiring this clause was limiting migrants to only British citizens would not work as they were ALL British citizens and as such they could migrate here... so racial clause to apply to persons not already in Australia was used so as to prevent more from coming... those already here ok to stay.

The "except Aborigines" bit was to also to ensure no laws could be upheld which diminished rights and responsibilities of Australians who happened to also be Aboriginal persons.

Shamefully the High Court allowed state's claims overturning this when defending their States denial of rights and responsibilities to Australians who were also Aboriginal. A mess still being repaired...

This abuse achieved with reference to census section which was to prevent Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland padding their population counts with inaccurate A+TSI population counts to effect their House of Representatives numbers.

Supporters of racism defend measuring rights and responsibilities of Australians and others using same old excuses "we are doing this to help you"...

Australians want no such help on racial terms, or religious terms, or..

Ringy,

Most of the posters here on OLO come across as insightful and intelligent people with a real concern for the down trodden, the poor, the disadvantaged, and those who are unjustly treated in our society.

Its just the others I don't like.

Hahahaha :D Very droll Rainier!

Where I live and conduct my business, I know numerous people who could be quite accurately described as 'rednecks', yet I find in most of them enough commonalities that we are generally very friendly to each other. As is the case in small communities, we in fact often socialise with each other - and nearly all of them are customers of mine.

I won't stretch the analogy any further, but suffice to say that (as most regular OLO participants would be aware) I'm not generally thrilled by their demographic ;)

But individually they're mostly good blokes. Then again, I'm a particularly tolerant sort of chap :)

Go figure.

CJ, the small town not far from my hometown is full of them too.
the rules of interacting 'strategically' with 'blacks' are grudgingly adopted by new comers.(with quiet tutelage from locals) In this historically significant town apartheid is so deeply entrenched in social relations that it draws connivance and silence from even the most ardent anti-racist. Every now and then something happens which disrupts, ruptures and reveals this insidious pattern of toxic cohabitation. And then someone always whispers "Keep your eyes down, mind your own business, don't get involved, if you know whats good for you".

Whenever I have worked somewhere there are a lot of ethnics usually Asian or Arab, I am always told that we have to change to meet their needs. That they are here now and Australia is their's.

This does not happen to me. It is common. It is reason to tear up apart our immigration policy and abolish this self destructive multiculturalism.

The presumption of ‘racism’ is in itself ethnically libellous against white people. No one accuses Asian or African nations of ‘racism’ for their refusal to allow ethnic diversity. Like being endlessly self critical, diversity is a white only duty.

It is a ready made insult that infers white majority populations have no right to self determination and a homeland – unlike everyone else. This occurs in both new world and old world white majority countries, whether they have been colonialist in the past or not. The only time when self determination doesn’t draw the ‘racist’ accusation is when it’s between two white groups, eg. ETA in Spain or the IRA in Ireland.

The ethnically libellous slur of ‘racist’ is fed largely by Hollywood. One immediately identifies white self determination with images of movies full of slow witted ‘rednecks’, ‘hillbillies’ or ludicrous men with German accents. Claim self determination, and one is almost certain to draw such insults from people who’ve grown up watching these (mostly fictional) American movies. On the other hand, Hollywood has presented non-white self determination as noble. There is yet to be a movie about the millions of white slaves taken from coastal Europe by North Africans, a slave trade that preceded America’s and was infinitely more brutal.

Regarding the premise of the article, of course most people can get along on a one to one basis, but this has nothing to do with large scale demographic change. When you find yourself in a minority position, this airy fairy rhetoric means nothing. It is an feel good exercise in self flagellating white competitive altruism...the equivalent of slaves singing the joys of slavery to appease massa’. We climb the social ladder by degrading ourselves.

I am white, therefore I am racist by default. No buts about it

It is people like this that damages the great reputation and values of this country. Most of the people here don't realise that we are living and surviving economically due to the great Asian economic boom. Tall Poppy Syndrome strikes again!

The interaction between cultures and people in Australia is simply amazing! We have developed a seperate identity that makes us unique. Our multicultural society is a fantastic model to achieve peace and tranqulity amongst race, religion, values and belief.

Not one of your best Mr. Ring

Graham,

best article published on OLO for a long time.

Peace,

T

I laughed out loud Graham! Though you do seem to have touched a raw nerve here and there amongst some fellow Aussies.

Incidentally, re a previous post. Sorry, racism is not a 'white only' trait. And it is not only 'white' societies that have multiracial societies and discuss the implications. Some more successful than others, some less so. Suriname is one, Brazil,Singapore, Malaysia, Madagascar come to mind.

yes but it is a problem here.

Fiji is another good example. Not denying that some Australians (of all skin colours and religious inclinations) are racist, but I really believe its a minority that are truly racist. There is a general fear of arabs at the moment (otherwise referred to as muslims, despite the fact that plenty of other "races" are muslim) - but that is fed by fear of terrorism and pumped up by the media. I wouldnt consider it endemic racism. I've pointed out on another discussion that fear and wariness is not racism. Yes, it can LEAD to racism, but is not in itself racism.

Why is it that those who have never really experienced racism on a continual basis always profess to be experts on when or where racism happens?

But that's not all- they want all people of color to pretend to be white just to keep them comfortable with their apparent expertise.

And why is something called "racial" difference so important in these people's sense of their own identity as white people - but then they have difficulty explaining 'what it means to be white'.

Go figure?

CountryGal,

Good comment. A minor historical correction if I may: Muslims are not a race. This comment was valid when Muslims were only arabs. Now the whole Arab world is only 16% of the world's muslim population and approximately 15% of the arabs are Christians.

Peace,

T

Yes CJ, no doubt the 'rednecks' have more than a touch of grimace in their smiles when they are in your company, too.

Go figure.

And white Anglos only represent 19 % of the world's population and despite their historical record of being involved in some the most racist atrocities 99 % of them are not racist,(just ask them):)

Rainier, you are pretty nifty with stats, now tell me the percentage of black people in the UK, then tell me what percentage of crime is committed by this ethnic minority. This is something I would never normally bring up, but your smugness is becoming unbearable.

whatsamtter trueaussie, not feeling comfortable and relaxed anymore?

1) VERRRYYY comfortable and relaxed, thank you very much.
2) didnt answer the question, did you?
3) Why DO people who have never experienced racism profess to be experts? (A little old redneck like me would know nothing of these things.....having spent the last 6 years or so living, working and travelling around Islamic countries...my wife and I currently being in one of the most fervent on them)
And you dare to think that someone such as yourself with your self serving 'insights' into the Australian psyche could make me feel 'uncomfortable'? You've got the wrong 'redneck', mate

TrueAussueredneck,

Unless you can provide scientific / biological evidence of a link between ‘race’ and a predisposition to ‘crime’ to back your pathetic question I’m not going to bother indulging it.

Why? Because this link is fundamental to your assertion and the direction you want to steer this discussion. But that’s not all - you think you’re so damned clever that you want me to engage in this kind of discussion and thus validate its relevance (as well as your own racism). Sorry, didn’t come down in the last shower, been here a long time actually so do you own dirty work mate.

Moreover, I can only imagine that taking you along to Muslim communities must be a right pain in the backside for your good wife.

I bet she has had to whisper ‘shut up’ to you ever time you put your big true Aussie foot in your big true Aussie mouth.

Please say hello to her for me, tell her I reckon she deserves better

As a non-white i have had the same comments made about me being ok, but the others they don't like. Loved the article.

Rainier,
“Why is it that those who have never really experienced racism on a continual basis always profess to be experts on when or where racism happens?”

Please tell us what special insight(s) you have which allows you to determine that others have not experienced racism on a continual basis?

“And white Anglos only represent 19 % of the world's population and despite their historical record of being involved in some the most racist atrocities 99 % of them are not racist,(just ask them)”

I would think that white Anglos are no more prone to commitment atrocities or be racist than any other group…

“Unless you can provide scientific / biological evidence”, To propose otherwise, would be racism -and we know your not racist don’t we !

Go figure!
( but in view of some of your earlier determinations -please use a calculator!)

Rainer wrote:

"And white Anglos only represent 19 % of the world's population and despite their historical record of being involved in some the most racist atrocities 99 % of them are not racist,(just ask them):)
Posted by Rainier, Saturday, 10 March 2007 4:47:05 PM"

When we talk about racism why do we forget Tutsi and Hutu, Turk and Kurd, and places like Dafur?

Yes, white Anglos can be racist, but we are not the only ones.

Now who's rattled, Rainier. Actually, I could be considered a pillar of my community. Liked and respected both as a person and as a professional by all in the places I have lived and worked. You keep trying to confuse me with something I'm not. Oh, for the record, my wife was a 'muslim' by birth and converted to christianity quite a few years before I met her. She is far, far more vocal than me on this subject (after all, ahe had to endure such lifestyle implications, albeit fairly liberal ones).
Keep trying mate.

Oh I get it, you're a missionary in a missionary position.

So there is no need for me to tell you to...

Horus et al, been there done that with you all before ...yawn.. whatever, knock yourself out, have fun.

People PLEASE!

You are all right depending on your individual experiences. However, I think you are all missing the point. It doesn't matter where people come from, it is how they react and behave in their new environment that matters. If someone comes to Australia because the land they left is untennable, why would they want to change the land that gives them succour and a quality of life far above that which they left.

As I have said before, it is a numbers game. Too many people from one origin is definitely going to cause agravation. Look at English football hooligans. We need diversity to give us perspective, variety and a bit of spice (especially food) to our lives, but why jepardize our quality of life by increasing the NUMBERS of people.

If you wish to live in a culturally diverse country, this is it, but if you want to change it to the stultifying, poverty stricken culture from which you escaped due to luck, good management or money, get on a plane and go back to where you came from. We should be working to improve the lot of people in underdeveloped countries by offering free education and back up resources for when they return home.

Educated people in their own country can have a far greater influence than foerigners trying to do the same thing. Then people would be happy to stay where they are.

One in, one out and educate!

Long shot.....yes, but at least it is an alternative to the mess we are rapidly heading towards now!

Missionary? Please just give up. Whilst you are unintentionally very amusing, it's about time you got your coat, mate.