Melbourne writer, Travis Kelly, describes multiculturalism as a “crisis of self”. Australia is a country without convictions, and multiculturalism is filling the void, with foreign cultures being placed on the same level as its own, irrespective of how repugnant they are.

Multiculturalism is a weakness of our political class, which “requires” the rest of us to compromise our freedom of speech in favour of avoiding “Islamic sensibilities”, perhaps one of the reasons the current government is hesitant to confront the growing antisemitism in Australia?

There is a “desperate need” not to offend other cultures - in our own country. Except for Judaism and our own Jewish community?

Will we really follow Europe, and allow ourselves to be weakened “in the face of diversity pressures? It looks as though we might be on the way to that, under the uniparty.

Particularly under the Albanese regime we seem to be sacrificing our own values to accommodate others.

As Travis Kelly rightly says, immigrants with foreign cultures should be wary of offending the host culture, not the other way around.

Do we want to become like some countries whose cultures have been so watered down we won't remember our culture?

It seems to me that the number of people having to ask ‘what is Australian culture’ every time this subject comes up indicates that we have already reached that low point.

(Source: ‘Multiculturalism is a crisis of self’, Spectator Australia)

Australia has never been a ‘mono-culture’. I remember when you were judged (and often harshly judged) by whether you drove a Holden or a Falcon, whether you were a Catholic or a Church of England, whether you followed rugby league or ‘aerial ping pong’, whether you were an unmarried single female over 25, whether you were Indigenous or a white fella. All very ‘mono’ and accepting of difference … Not!

Personally, I welcome and celebrate the Australia of today. No longer bound to boring meat and over cooked 3 veg for evening meals, I am free to explore the extraordinary culinary world right outside my front door. I can now easily observe (and sometimes participate in) the wisdom, the traditions, the costumes, the vibrant life of peoples from places I have never visited, or even likely to visit. How fortunate am I to be living in this country right now.

Thank your god, or kama or whatever, that some politicians had the foresight to end that shameful white Australia policy.

Aries54

Like many people you have an immature and superficial view of multiculturalism. It's not about what you eat, drive or wear. I suppose it's nice to have different choices of trivia if you are really that bored. It causes no problems. And it's about ethnicity, not culture.

Culture is not about race or colour, or cooking; it's about belief and behaviour. It should be as obvious as the nose on your face that there are enormous differences between the Anglo/Saxon/Celtic culture on which Australia was built and some of the cultures dumped on us without our permission.

And some, not all, of those cultures are deadly to Australia and the West in general. You don't get it, and you probably won't until it is too late. At my age, it is highly unlikely that I will be around to say ‘told you so’. Good luck.

Oh dear ttbn, you have overlooked an important piece of my post. In addition to all the ‘trivial’ (as you call it) aspects of multiculturalism, I included traditions and wisdom of other cultures. I wholeheartedly embrace some of the wisdoms and teachings from other cultures – how the Hindu tradition sees God in all things, the Buddhist teachings of non-violence, our own Indigenous people’s respect for country.

As obvious as the nose on my face, there are actions and beliefs I reject completely – i.e. the rejection of my lifestyle by some. I see that today from both hard-core western sects of the Judeo-Christian tradition as well as from Middle Eastern cultures. I see hard-core western zealots endorse a world leader who is a proven rapist and corrupt. Aspects of western culture to admire and promote? I don’t think so.

I hope that you might understand that human beings all across our tiny little planet are human beings. Some are good, some bad, some kind, some violent etc. etc. I think it is entirely dangerous to ignore Carl Sagan’s observation that western culture alone thinks it has all the answers.

This is why I embrace multi-culturalism.

If you prefer foreign cultures to your own, that's your business. I think my culture is best, and it has produced the society, the wealth and the democracy that immigrants seem to be attracted to.

Hindus see “God in all things” do they? Well, they certainly have enough godS to cover everything. There is no one God. Just lots of things they call different names.

Non-violent Buddhists? You obviously haven't been to, or read about Tibet.

But, you have your opinions, as have I. And probably the twain will never meet. I do note, however, that a majority of Australians are sick of multiculturalism, and time will sort everything out one way or the other.

I just hope that it will be sorted peacefully before we reach the violent state of affairs in other countries who started experimenting with and manipulating cultures before we did. We have already had our first taste of the downside of multiculturalism on Bondi Beach. Violence towards and hatred for Jews is increasing. Jews now are reported as feeling safer in Israel than they do in the country of their birth, Australia. They would obviously not share your enthusiasm for multiculturalism

In the short term, extended migration can be vastly unsettling.
But over a longish time, it all settles down.
We reach a kind of 'averaged out' way of life.
Then we will all be the 'same' again.
So in a thousand years time our descendants will no doubt thank us for providing such a wealth of input to our society.
However, in the short term it is a debacle.
A debacle we must learn to live with.
And simply do the best we can with it.