I have no problem with multiculturalism so long as people who want to come here respect a few things:
- The rule of law
- Freedom of speech
- Observe our laws against violence/terrorism etc

There is some wisdom from our grandmas. Much of this comes down to common courtesy and good manners.

Of course we show Austalians good manners if English is not their first language. In return, we expect some courtesy and good manners too.

When cultures insult our ancestors calling them convicts, or insult our Aboriginal ansestors (1/7 th in my case), do we sit on our political correctness and take it on the chin?

Maybe this is what is upsetting so many people. We have some immigrants here who are rude, say horrible and nasty things to and about those with Australian ancestors and in return, expect us to kiss their bums.

The truce is, no one expects anyone to kiss anyone's bum, or anyone's flag, including ours. That does not mean they should have the audacity to insult our bums or our flags either.

There is an misunderstanding between what is good manners and common couressy and what is an insult. It could be that simple.

Emma you ask "why are we importing arguments against Multiculturalism from countries with real problems such as Britain and France?"

Because Britian and France are way ahead of us in the numbers (in the millions, I believe, we only have 500,000 thousand here at the last count) of a certain religious ethnic group that has failed to intregate. Because they have the vote, sooner or later they will take control of Britian and France either through the ballot box or through demanding a sepratist state if they grow impatient.

My crystal ball tells me that if a couple of these ethnic groups (tribes) in Australia fail to assimilate then in a century or two Australia will be divided up into three countries like the multiple countries in Europe with their adjoining borders.

The situation in Britain and France is giving us a look through the window of the future to what may be our fate.

You also write of "Australias achievment in building a harmonius multicultural society". It's too soon to make that assumption.

How do you know whats simmering just below the surface amongst the different ethnic groups. Anything could happen at any time, look at Cronulla.

The Fabians must be working for the Howard camp because this is the sort of stuff that will keep Labor out of power. Everyone is fed up to the back teeth with the social engineering experiments borrowed from elsewhere.

Spendocrat,
Multiculture is a misnomer, as Batch says. We have been multi-racial since 1788, but never really MC dispite the best efforts of Grassby and Fraser to portray us as such. We were predominantly British culture until Federation when we began to develope our own culture.

Multiculturalism was introduced in the 1970s but not entirely as ALL had to abide by our laws and social standards and still do. A Spaniard, for example, cannot hold a bullfight even though it is a very important part of his culture. There are certain foods not allowed here that are part of others culture. Men and women are equal here but not acording to some cultures. There is a whole range of cultural things that either are against the law of not part of our social standard. So it is a misnomer to say we are MC.

In any case MC would only succeed if ALL people participated and were respectful and tolerated other cultures. Lebanese muslims will not integrate and do not respect any other people. As for accepting intermarriage, forget it. The croats and serbs want to riot and fight each other at every chance they get.

MC has separated us into groups and both the government and opposition are right in abandoning the concept. Promotion of integration is a much better way to go. The nice things that other people bring here can still be carried out, such as dragon parades, folk dancing, children in colourfull costumes, beer festivals, and music, etc.

We need to eliminate the baggage that some cultures bring with them.

Emma,
I was just having a bit of a browse before I went to bed and I saw
'bring a plate' and it made me smile,laugh then shed a tear as I thought of all that implied. Sweet, lovely.
Will I go into my background with the refugee kids that turned up at East Ivanhoe State School from 1950?
Mothers coming down to the shelter-shed at lunch time because they missed their kids, they didn't speak English but their kids were learning fast and could explain and open up the new world they had come into.Their fear, after what they had been through, for their kids in a new environment.
Swapping vegimite sandwiches for Polish salami.Wondering at short grey socks, sandals and hairy legs and warmth and hugs from someone
who spoke no English.
I remember a grey Australia under Menzies. Beer and roast lamb.
And then in 1965 along came wine, Greek and Italian food.Menzies cut that short,he conscripted us and for a while we were cut off from all the rapid changes. But in the Army,luckily, we had representatives from all of those migrant streams that had come into Australia in the 1950's.
My grandfather lost a son at El Alamein and gave land and building materials to a Latvian who had served in the German Army and that when my grandmother was dying how that family gave support to my grandfather.
And from my friend in the army George Bollos who died and my friend Bernard Butner from Berlin who worked with me on the oil rig and who taught me how to carry bags of cement on my shoulders by using my mind; he taught me mental toughness. And Ken Chan who taught me tolerence and gentleness.And so I could go on. But some of those posting comments made me cry at their intolerence.
I just don't believe we need to be cruel to other people, I don't believe we need to hurt people.
So Emma thank you, from my perspective and from the Australia I know, a really good piece.
All the best
Bruce Haigh