Runner

Good on you for speaking up. Multiculturalism. Inappropriate migrants. Never should have happened.

Yes well we can't put the toothpaste back in the tube can we.
Problem is some pollies just want to keep squeezing the tube.
Aussies are almost a minority now.
Those who are immigrants or kids of immigrants outnumber the originals.

Hi AC,

"Aussies are almost a minority now. Those who are immigrants or kids of immigrants outnumber the originals."

To right, the originals only account for 3.8% of the population, the other 27 million are blow ins or the kids and grand kids of blow ins. Hardly any of the blow in's can speak the native languages, they all speaking gubba! In fact they're even typing on this little old forum in gubba. Although a few here do speak gobbledegook, but that's not native, its from the land of stupidity!

Just the other day, there was me sit'n in the sun enjoying a fair dinkum Aussie meat pie, it was fresh, no more than a fortnight old, I got from Aussie Wong's Take-A-Way, when this original came up speaking native, I'll put it in English for those who don't speak the language of Nullawadda tribe. "Fella, why ya eat'n dat discust'n thing for?" I said quick as a flash; "I don't know". With that he offered me a couple of juicy witchetty grub he'd got from a nearby rotting log. Naterally I threw away that disgusting Aussie crap I got from Aussie Wong, and proceed to munch on the delicious native tucker, BTW it tasted better than that disgusting 2 week old PIE! I'm sure like me you enjoy a juicy witchetty grub or three, but I must warn you, they're high in cholesterol, so no more that 10 at a time, live ones straight out of log are best.

Hi Paul

I most certainly do not think than nasty and vicious speech should be condoned. But it should not be illegal, unless it does tangible harm. 18C is problematic, as even many on the left acknowledge, e.g.
http://www.crikey.com.au/2026/07/30/pauline-hanson-racist-tweet-one-nation-free-speech/

The alternative isn’t no law at all – we already have laws against inciting violence, slander and libel, and racial discrimination. I support all these laws.

Your question about how far nasty vicious speech should be condoned in society touches on another of my concerns. This behaviour should not be condoned, nor should it be without consequences, but it is “in society” not in the courts that those consequences should occur: social sanctions, not legal sanctions. We are losing the distinction between things we ought not to do, and things we ought not be allowed to do.

Hi Rhian,

I agree, as a moderate that there has to be consequences for defamatory speech directed towards individuals, and we have laws and a court system to deal with that. What is difficult is how to deal with vilification against a group within society. You said; it is “in society” not in the courts that those consequences should occur: social sanctions, not legal sanctions. To give you a hypothetical; Radical Ted is out addressing crowds of supporters and onlookers with hate speech directed at the Oompa Loompa group in society; "kill the Oompa Loompa's" he rants continually. We agree its unacceptable, but how do you apply social sanctions, to such an individual, when he has a supporter base, which agree with him. What could possibly be the social sanctions that could be applied, and how are they enforced?

Hi Paul
“Kill Oompa Loompas” would be an incitement to violence, so I’d be happy for Ted to be prosecuted for that. “Oompa Loompas eat babies” would be slander, so Ted could be sued for that. “I’ll never employ an Oompa Loompa” would be racial discrimination, and that could be prosecuted too.

“All Oompa Loompas are lazy and stupid” could have different consequences depending on context. If Ted is employed in a job where he must deal with Oompa Loompas, he could be sacked (in an earlier discussion I supported the sacking of the two nurses who claimed to have killed Israelis). Likewise, if he is a prominent or public figure in an organisation whose reputation could be damaged by association with him. He could be expelled from a social club or political party, deregistered from a profession, barred from sporting events, admonished in social gatherings, or just lose friends. These last two may not seem like much, but sociology suggests that social sanctions can be powerful in enforcing social norms and cohesion (though not always in a good way)