Redneck,

Once again you have shown demonstrated commendable patience with poor old TRTL by responding to his last embarrassing post. You have given him the explanations he so craved, but it’s unlikely that he will cotton on.

Boys! The article was not about racism, nor was it much about immigration. Its about the stoppages to progession within a society. Much of this (IMHO) relates to intrenched beliefs at varying levels of that society. Where intergenerational poverty is rare, those living in poverty will always be able to see a path to the top (or at least further up). You will find few attitudes of hopelessness and despair. Where intergenerational poverty becomes entrenched, then the problem we face is that any children being raised in these families will tend to inherit the sense of despair and hopelessness, which are self-defeating. Think about it, if you cant see a way out of your situation, why bother at all. Lots easier to sink into crime and drug abuse. We are not yet at this point in Australia, but probably are not far from it. For the benefit of Australia as a whole, we need to do our best to stop this slide. Think of social policies that are designed to address inequalities not as robbing you of your hard-earned dollars, but investing in your childrens futures (or in the future of our society).

For the record, I've always enjoyed debating with you TRTL, whilst not always agreeing with your opinions.

Country Gal, very well said.

R0bert

Yes, I agree - very well said indeed CG.

TRTL, you've got a tag team of intransigent bigotry there, old son. I don't waste effort on boofheads who only ever post hateful ideas in order to get noticed by the rest of us - it just encourages them.

Redneck

You write 'The funny thing about TLTR and his comrades is that they will never tire of attacking white western society which is the most tolerant, most gender equal, and most enamoured of “human rights”, on the grounds that it is not perfect. Yet they will ignore every other failed culture where such concepts are rudimentary or vestigial. That looks like racism to me.' You sum things up extremely well.

However it is not just the success of the western white society that these people detest but the biblical principles that made us so successful. The dogmas that they promote in the guise of intellectuals have proven to be a miserable failure.

So many comments, such tight limits.

CJ: I'd like to let it pass, but I know too many people of the races these people are damning. I'd hate to think they'd look at these threads and see this sort of crap going unchallenged.

Leigh: I disagree with redneck, but at least now he's belatedly making a proper argument. As ususal, all you do is insult or barrack for a side.
Oh, and jumping in before I have the chance to respond by hypothesising on my behalf is a pretty poor debate tactic. So is constructing some weird crap about me wanting people to have a bad health system.
If we're just going to make up arguments about what people think then where do we stop? Shall I just say you think the ku-klux-klan should be a political party then demolish the position I attributed to you?

Largely agree with countrygirl - it's about background, and there are a larger proportion of people from these other races coming from harsher backgrounds.

redneck:

I find it interesting that you have to construct some white hating view for me, when all I'm doing, is calling for those precise values of respect for human rights and tolerance, that has made our civilisation the best of the lot. Dunno how that's 'hating' the west.

You've acknowledged that some members of these other races are just as capable as white people, but said we should ignore that. Our society is built on the idea that anyone who works hard and honestly can get ahead.
You're the one rejecting the basis of civil rights.

I never said I was flat out opposed to screening processes for migrants.
I reject that we just do it via a blanket condemnation of certain races because as you acknowledge, some people from these groups do just as well as the rest of us, that is at least a partial acceptance that all people are capable of being equal even if there are demographic shifts.
What, exactly, is wrong with deciding each individual case on merit, and treating people as individuals?