Meg,
Being Australian means speaking the same language. I am a commercial sales rep dealing with purchaising managers. We sell our product in units of six. I deal with one a NZ'er when I ask how many? They make suggestive requests, "S** please". We speak English here and unless you can speak English, then you are not really Australian.

Being part of the Australian "we" means being able to shout, "Grind those Bl** All Blacks into the turf!" or when Warne is bowling against the NZ "Come on Aussie come on". Until you can learn our humour you are still an alien. All aliens out!

be,
Are you actually a security risk as you state in your own words?
Quote, "I'm a 'security risk'. I do not support the occupation of Iraq."

Again you state, "We [Australians]... have blood on our hands", what act of terrorism have you been involved in?

be, Since you have regrets of being Australian Maybe there is a more appropiate place where you will feel at home with this statement. Quote, "I am an Australian by choice, but now I begin to regret having made that choice".

How sad is that...

Philo,if you don't like it here,do a good deed and go to France and sort out their racial/religious tensions that are now on the brink of civil war.France has had years of weak leftist rule and "Come one come all mentality," will now destroy their society and economy.

You see the intellectual elite mix internationally on an inter-racial basis and in theory with everyone having the same education and genetic disposition i.e. tolerance,work ethic,religious background etc all races should get on.The problem is that the masses must compete and create enough wealth for the intellectuals to live in their refined and protected existence.When you have to compete to survive on low incomes and little education,tensions will flair.The leftist intellectuals had no grasp of the complexity of such an ill planned immigration policy.

Had the French invited the Chinese into their country they would be complaining about them being so successful and running all the businesses.There would be no civil strife had they invited the Chinese.They don't have a victim mentality or use their religion as a crutch,they are polite ,well mannered ,work hard and mind their own business.

A multi racial society will work if it is well planned without political correctness,[ie don't let ideals cloud your judgement]with good education for all and economy that that can gainfully employ everyone.

I think in the real world of pragmatic decisions certain philosophies and races should be mostly excluded, since they are both incompatible and a negative influence on the general lifestyles and philosophies of our culture.Let them evolve on a different continent.The world is not languishing in a people drought.

If it is alright for intellectuals to look down their noses and ridicule "Rednecks",is this not the same attitudes that others decry as racism?"Redneck" is an American term describing the burnt neck of an ignorant labourer toiling in the sun.It is a form of social typing akin to racism.

It seems strange that Australia has consistently not met its set quota of refugees and yet there is such hysteria over those refugees "being let in". If your not meeting a quota why not find the rest of the quota and help the genuinely suffering!

Here's a thought - I'll send 25 Aussies to the Congo, Zaire, or Zimbabwe, and see how long they live? Welcome to the life of many in the world.

Corin you are amongst many of the left looking for simplistic solutions.Open borders,open hearts and closed minds to the complexities of our evolving societies.

Corin wrote "Here's a thought - I'll send 25 Aussies to the Congo, Zaire, or Zimbabwe, and see how long they live? Welcome to the life of many in the world"

Not need to go that far Corin. Many on this forum against refugee immigration wouldn't last two days in many parts of Australia.