Barfenzie, that's the funniest post I've read on OLO in ages.

And it's so true.

Barfenzie, you are the most pathetic, ignorant bigot I have yet come across on OLO. Although Tapp is still in the frame. It seems you hate Aussies and Australia so why don’t you F#CK OFF somewhere else.

Your mendacious approach to Australian society is the result of either complete ignorance or a twisted ideology. Talk about cultural cringe. We thought we’d shipped the lot of you wannabees off to Europe somewhere to experience your Superior Cultures and seen the last of you.

Just for starters the “cultured Europeans” you so admire have higher domestic violence rates than here in Australia. In Portugal and Spain they are much worse as the problem is considered private. The French suffer DV at a rate of 1 in 5 and the Germans 1 in 3. This makes our 1 in 16 rate seem tame by comparison.

Second, The French are good with razor wire. As are the British and the Germans. The Europeans have fought more wars in the last couple of centuries than anybody else.

Third, Alcoholism is a fact of life in European nations The French suffer alcoholism rates of 16.6% of the population, The Germans 11.2% but Australia only 6.7% These are WHO statistics

I won’t even go into sport.

Get your facts right before you start mouthing off. What surprises me is that we ever get anything done when there are people like you around.

Goodness, Paul.
You showed em
However,the topic here is violence and how to minimise it and getting snarky about a few stats won't help.
Have you personally been the recipient of a vicious beating and the horrible aftermath of someone who did it just for fun?
Not a nice one.

Barfenzie

You seem to have hit a raw nerve with some of our more vocal posters.

But a bloody spot on post I must say.

Paul L

So up-to-date with statistics on a global scale. Were you not the poster I asked in an earlier post to provide your source? Again, credible, not a blog-bloke opinion.

Goddess,

Yes I actually have copped more than one beating in my life. Its never fun. This fact should not surprise anyone since men form, by far and away, the largest group of victims of violence.

Violence in any form is unacceptable. Please explain to me why this needs to be a gender issue? Are female victims more important? Because they are certainly not more numerous. Nor are they overly represented when per capita rates are examined.

Barfenzies argument was that Australian society was the cause of DV and that if only we were more like the “Cultured Europeans” we would have less DV. I think I showed what a gross misrepresentation of the facts this was. I hope I also got across that you actually have to have some evidence to be credible. Bigotry in all its forms is unacceptable. Who knew the cultural cringe was still alive and well and being fanned by a new generation of bigots.

Liz

No you have never asked me to provide a source. And it’s so easy for you to check. It hardly surprises me that someone who thinks Barfenzies post was spot on did no research before opening their trap. Engaging the mouth before the brain seems to be fairly common on OLO lately.

Where is your evidence or Barfenzie’s? Do you really think people should be allowed to say crazy, derogatory things about Australia, without providing any evidence? If I said things like Barfenzie did about Muslims I would be considered a racist, for good reason.

My statistics on alcoholism and domestic violence both came from the World Health Organisation, where I did some research before deciding to post. Look it up yourself. A bit of research on the topic your discussing would be a good place for you to start too

Paul, sorry if I made this sound gender biased.
I was one of five kids. The eldest one was male and profoundly developmentally retarded. He copped the worst of the beatings because he couldn't talk to beg him to stop.
Here is an interesting fact, There was no alcohol involved.
This bastard did it for the power and sheer joy it gave him.
My eldest brother has been in an institution since his teens and is being looked after brilliantly.
He learned a few words to speak. They are "Mummy" "car" and "he hit me" This is a true story.
I am proud to say I have never hit anyone in my life.
By the way, my brother is now 50.