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The Forum > Article Comments > An island fortress mentality > Comments

An island fortress mentality : Comments

By Peter van Vliet, published 25/5/2009

What it is about Australia that makes us so alarmist about our relatively small number of asylum seekers.

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While ever the Australian Government continues its policy of using its Defence forces to invade other sovereign states,then, we, as a nation, must bear responsibility for the refugees created by these actions. The manner in which they arrive is irrelevant. The idea that we can choose or in some way influence the method by which people flee their homeland, is nothing more than self-serving fatuity, on the same degraded moral level as the invasion itself.This country was founded on the moral policy of "always blame and punish the victim." Little has changed in 200 years.
Posted by ocm, Monday, 25 May 2009 1:33:21 PM
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ocm, when did we invade Sri Lanka..? That doesn't make sense, what about Turkish people coming in, as they have int he past, a Turkish people smuggler in Sydney was charged - now you can say we invaded turkey in WW1, but we were successfully fought off and anyway that was 90 years ago.

I get it that it's a long way around just to protest about war though, complaining we should take people from any country Australia has fought in. So what do you say to Kosovans etc who languish in refugee camps, sorry we only take people from countries we fought in. How mean is that!

Can we set up a booth somewhere to check the credentials of those hoping to come without invitation?

I know most come by plane on tourist or other visas and then overstay or apply for refuge visas then, but they do get checked into Australia, whereas those arriving surreptitiously by boat, obviously plan to sneak in.

Should we trust folks who thus sneak in, to become honest citizens? I think that's where you'll find the source of the common Australian sentiment against Illegal Emigrants (that's the government term, not mine, they also call these vessels, SIEV - Suspected Illegal Emigrant Vessel)

My family are migrants, we arrived at the invitation of Australia, we were not uninvited nor did we break any laws or put at risk any other person in our transit. We filled in all the paperwork and waited in a queue, we were welcomed.
Posted by rpg, Monday, 25 May 2009 1:50:18 PM
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ocm,

I know exactly what you are saying, and you are correct.

This thread will inevitably attract the same posts from the same posters;-it's done so already.

As you say.., its gone on for a long time and will continue.

Thankfully there are some that will always provide a balance
Posted by Ginx, Monday, 25 May 2009 2:05:15 PM
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ocm and ginx, you must be so pleased that there are other posters, to sneer at from your moral high ground.

ocm "This country was founded on the moral policy of "always blame and punish the victim." Little has changed in 200 years.", oh please - this country was founded as a penal colony, but please do rewrite our history in your own awkward view.

ginx "As you say.., its gone on for a long time and will continue.", yes it will as long as there is an opportunity to improve yourself by shoving others aside, you betcha! Or did you mean the Australian suspicion of boat people?

Your self hatred is astonishing, why not look at how you can improve the plight of refugees as the author is trying to do instead of whining about your countrymen and women.
Posted by odo, Monday, 25 May 2009 2:37:19 PM
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odour,

Have you been on the woojoo juice?
Posted by Ginx, Monday, 25 May 2009 3:19:01 PM
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Leigh,
You seem to have a fixation about arrivals by boat.
No opinion about those coming by air?
Posted by rache, Monday, 25 May 2009 4:25:04 PM
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