I got the idea for this thread whilst contributing
to another thread - as well as glancing over some
of the subject matters of recent threads.

Subjects such as -this country's immigration policy,
Jews banning people from their Clubs, Freedom of Speech,
Retiring at 67 and so on.

We preach Aussie values such as a fair go, mateship,
the Gallipoli Spirit. We say that we believe in compassion,
integrity, equality, and so on.

Is it empty rhetoric? And if it isn't,
why do some people treat
philosophical, intellectual and cultural vigor
as if it were a plague?

Why do some of us mistrust anything that differs
from the norm?

Why is multiculturalism still a problem for some
today?

Why do some of us view asylum seekers with such
trepidation?

Your thought please?

We are human.

“We preach Aussie values such as a fair go, mateship,
the Gallipoli Spirit. We say that we believe in compassion,
integrity, equality, and so on.”

I think maybe you just mean those things in relation to other Aussies and your little Kiwi cousins (when not going on about sheep).

Is it empty rhetoric? And if it isn't,
why do some people treat
philosophical, intellectual and cultural vigor
as if it were a plague?

“Dunno. You’re starting to scare me though.”

“Why do some of us mistrust anything that differs
from the norm?”

Cause it isn’t normal.

“Why is multiculturalism still a problem for some
today?”

Cause Aussies (better qualify; the ones I have met) are racist.

"Why do some of us view asylum seekers with such
trepidation? Your thought please?"

It’s all those new bad words you have to make up and the jokes, causes your average Aussie a lot of stress.

You don’t have a firm bonded culture so are scared of being outnumbered and changed. You have been bad to your aboriginals Foxy and until you fix it all other cultures will view you with suspicion.

Quick Story (promise). In my last grove I lived around in NZ was five houses my whitey family, next door was a White woman X Maori family, other side was a big Maori X Samoan Family and next to them was an Asian family, on the other side of the Samoans X Maori was and Irish X Saudi husband.

All our kids played together and in the weekends all the growups would sit and watch our 15 kids play on the street while we had some beers and the most sober woman would go cook a feed or the men would roll out a barbq.

Who would believe Sol Trujillo.It is more about sour grapes.He was paid $20 million pa plus bonuses and still Telstra is not saleable.
I saw the Kevin "adios",there was no racial slur intended.It was more good bye and good riddens.Sol was a failure as a CEO.

We are no more intolerant or racist than the USA.If you want to see real racial intolerance,look at Japan or China.We don't mention the war and their racial intolerances,since they are now our biggest trading parteners and a lot is now allowed to pass under the radar,while we indulge in self flagellation.

I think one of the problems is that Australians don't get out enough. If you want to see a narrow-minded, prejudiced and intolerant society, there are plenty of better examples out there. I have lived in a couple and visited many more.

In the meantime, I can assure you that Jewely's pleasant vignette of life in NZ is alive and well in many Australian neighbourhoods, too. Today, while doing my playground duty at work, I watched white kids (British and Italian descent, primarily), Aboriginal kids, Maori kids, Samoan kids and Torres Strait Islanders kicking footballs around together. I watched a couple of Thai kids playing handball with some white kids AND a Sri Lankan. I saw a couple of black Zimbabwean girls catching up on the gossip with white girls, Asian girls . . . you name it! What is most important is that these kids seem blissfully unaware of any differences between them, even at their most vulnerable and self-conscious stage in life. I don't know how their parents interact - if they do at all - but they certainly aren't passing hatred and intolerance onto their kids.

Otokonoko
Kids are not racists! But when they will grow up they will grab the racial privilages or they will become second class employees or second class citizens!
From statistics we now that racists are older than young people, men than women, less educated than high educated people, unemployeed and unskiled than working or skiled, people from the vilages or small towns, from areas with less migrants, than with many migrants.
Many people are against us (migrants)because they heard something bad about us and of cause they do not know us.
Many ausies whom we (migrants) call racists they are not really racists, simple they know that more migrants means more problems for them, higher probability to lose their job because the migrants work harder under worst conditions and they push lower the general working conditions.
Last years we have had many problems in Australia, as the attack from Howard's government against labors, we had the no choice law which worsen the working conditions, we had the closing down from many industries of cause the cheap products from china, or the transfer of Australian industries overseas, now we have huge economic problems of cause the international financial crisis,etc There is a huge press on the ausies, they do not know how to keep their jobs, they do not know what will happen tomorrow BUT THEY ARE SURE,THAT WITH LESS MIGRANTS, WITH LESS AVAILABLE WORKING HANDS THEY COULD BE BETTER THESE DIFFICULTS DAYS.
Many ausies seem racists but in realy are people under high press in a difficult economic environment. When the crisis pass then I am sure that the realations between Australians will improved.
Of cause there are Australian racists, as there racists in every country, normal they are 4%-7% of the population of a country and their number increased as the economic conditions become worst.
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide