Spikey's right about the meaning of 'culture'. It used to be something you'd go to 'get' at an art gallery or the opera. Culture now simply means lifestyle - the things we actually do as opposed to what we think. Values, laws, belief systems and so on are associated with culture only insofaras they impact on lifestyle. Cultures come with commodity or accessory sets which include language - you can easily spot a surfie or a hippy or a geek.

TRTL used the word 'minorities', which is problematic when you're talking about culture. Everyone in this discussion is a member of some minority or other, including the minority that spend time discussing public affairs on the internet. I don't anticipate any suggestion that we need help assimilating, although Stephen Conroy's ISP filters suggest that our government perceives us all to be perverts, terrorists, anorexics and copyright abusers.

"MC was imposed on us"

So was democracy. So was Federation. So are taxes, building regulations, indoor plumbing, advertising, rain, relatives we don't like, our DNA, nature strips, traffic, superannuation. None of those are going away, and neither is multiculturalism.

"it is pleasing to see that this federal government has continued with the dropping of MC in favour of integration and let us all hope that MC just quietly dissappears"

The language has changed, the policy hasn't. Different governments take different approaches, but none actually drop it.

chainsmoker

Ah, a breath of fresh air that smells of common sense. For that relief, much thanks.

Well, I was hoping for something a little more open minded than the basic lump it or like it posts, but each to their own,. There is no point in wasting time debating…

Anyone who is interested in a constructive chat about this, can see the good and bad in both sides etc, please let me know.

This multi generational multicultural policy Chain Smoker mentioned, where is a copy of it online? When was it bought into law and by whom? I am still interested in reading it

The Department of Immigration website outlines the following:

"What are the Australian values?
Australian values include:

- respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual
- equality of men and women
- freedom of religion
- commitment to the rule of law
- support for Parliamentary democracy
- a spirit of egalitarianism that embraces mutual respect, tolerance, fair play, compassion for those in need and pursuit of the public good
- equal opportunity for individuals, regardless of their race, religion or ethnic background

Although these values may be expressed differently by different people, their meaning stays the same. The values may not be unique to Australia, but they have broad community agreement and underpin Australian society and culture.

The Life in Australia book contains information about Australian history, culture and social structures. It is designed to help you understand Australian values before you sign the values statement on your visa application."

http://www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/values/background/index.htm

I would suggest that these are not only Australian values as such but humanitarian values.

Should any group (racial/cultural/religious group) seek to change those inherent values in pursuit of another agenda it would be undesirable for sure. However, in my experience, most immigrants to Australia come here because of those values and the opportunities that living here might afford.

Banjo

Nothing like a few standard stereotypes as substitute for facts and reason.

As for the rest of your nonsense, see Pelican's post on Australia's values which underpin multiculturalism. Which of these values were foisted on you? Which do want to change?

It would be great if in real life we
didn't have prejudices. If we didn't
display bias about religion, gender,
place of birth, nationality and skin
colour.

It would be great if we could deal with
problems in a bias-free way.

The best that we can do is insist upon
respect for the rights and dignity of
each individual person, irrespective of
colour or origin.

Life is ten percent what happens to you
and ninety percent how you respond to it.