"We're in uncharted waters now, Captain" said the First Mate.
"The lookout has reported seeing icebergs."

"Icebergs!" scoffed the Captain of the SS Watermelon.
"This ship is unsinkable!
Full steam ahead!"

FrankGol, “Notice how easily you elide 'ethnicity' and 'culture' - four times no less? “ Please show me where I left out 'ethnicity' and 'culture' - four times no less? Please, if you don't know the value of a word don't use it. The word elide means to suppress or alter, to strike out, to leave out of consideration.

FrankGol, “They are different. “ Ethnicity is an ethnic quality or affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties. While culture is the attitudes and behaviour that are characteristic of a particular social group including those behaviors directly relating to or including ethnicity and or religion. Not different. Included.

FrankGol, “the mere existence of 'ethnic and cultural councils' does not render them 'another layer of government' any more than a national network of RSL branches makes them another layer of government.” In that your argument is semantics and word play, and states “the mere existence”,”does not render them another layer of government”. I agree. However as other posters may well read, what I actually posted does not include your special deconstruction to 'mere existence', rather a list of activities that are agency of the government. A list of agency that does not require duplication by an ethnic and cultural council to effect such services that are not ethnic nor culturally specific. Where as your inclusion of the RSL Branches and equating them with ethnicity and culture is determined misdirection. The RSL make no cultural or ethnic discrimination. You don't even have to be Australian to join. And the RSL does not duplicate any agency of government. But ethnic and cultural councils do. And they do it for each ethnicity and culture represented by such councils, not to forget the inclusion of the representation of religion.

aqvarivs

I apologise for over-estimating your English language comprehension. To 'elide' is indeed to omit - as in the omission of the letter o in isn't and don't, and the running together of two words as if they're one (another example for you). In this case I thought you might understand that you had omitted the difference between 'ethnicity' and 'culture'. While on English lessons, my Oxford Dictionary gives this meaning of 'elide': 'join together, merge'. So your error was in omitting the difference between two distinctly different words and merging their meanings.

Thank you for making my point clearer. The words 'ethnicity' and 'culture' are not a couplet. They bear different meanings and come from different derivatives.

Your semantic ploy is inadequate - to claim that 'ethnicity' is included in 'culture' is to say that the finger is part of the body but it's hard to kick a goal with just a finger. Justr as the human body is made up of many different organs, so culture is made up of and influenced by many more things than ethnicity.

As to your assertion about the power of ethnic and cultural councils, even if I agree that it is not their mere existence and accept your 'list of activities that are agency of the government', my position is still valid - they are not 'another layer of government'.

Please tell me what are the government services or powers that ethnic and cultural councils duplicate? Where would you rank these services and powers in the hierarchy of government decision-making in Australia? Are you including organisations run by people of Scottish and English background?

Frankgol, save your semantic game playing for those who think your clever. Your not. You reformat to suit your hypothesis and you can't even keep that straight. I'm not going to rewrite each post five times so you can make a non-point. You can not separate out ethnicity and culture, they develop from the same place and time.
Get a new dictionary.
"Any observer can plainly see such ethnic and cultural councils "AS" another layer of government" Is my actual statement. The implication of government or the wearing of that authority when speaking of matters of ethnicity and culture. And Frank, I'm talking about ethnic and culture councils period. I don't give a rats tooth who's ethnicity or culture. Save your reverse racism for the other racist who measure their worth by their numbers with in the national make up. We are all equal with one vote each. Observe your environment Frank. Why should any one get more than the any other based on cultural or ethnic considerations. Ethnic and cultural councils are about special considerations based on that ethnicity or culture. Nothing more. They are advocates for that ethnicity and culture. Unless your suggesting these councils dictate ethnicity and culture and with out them the myriad ethnicities and cultures would fail to exist. Tell us Frank does all ethnicity and culture emit from these councils. Give your head a shake and see things for what they are, not what you hope balances with your socialist utopia. Scroll up a couple of post the list of duplication is in plain english.

One day Henny-penny was picking up corn in the cornyard when–whack!– something hit her upon the head. “Goodness gracious me!” said Henny- penny; “the sky’s a-going to fall; I must go and tell the king.”

Wow Rainier, You do know your stuff. Got any other nursery rhymes. Dazzle us with quotes from shakespeare?

If anyone need reminding - it is the far left, and more recently the soft left, who are squealing that the sky is falling. The tyrant Bush is ruling his evil kingdom inventing enemies as he goes. The lackey Howard is spellbound. Both of them are planning the devastation of our environment.

Oh, and APEC is the coordinating organisation for GLOBAL DESTRUCTION, not a trade body.

You really are joking aren't you?

Anyone remember the boy who cried wolf?