Boat people are easy targets for bigoted Australians. They're readily visible, desperate, almost always get caught and make GREAT cannon fodder for the tabloids.

Most people who readily and eagerly criticise these desperate people in leaky boats, are at the same time quite happy to ignore the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of people currently living illegaly in Australia. Just look at the responses to my earlier posts. These posters seem to be in DENIAL - - - - one even gave the impression that he believes virtually ALL people who try to enter illegally at airports are sent back. You know what they say, ignorance is bliss. It's the EASIEST THING IN THE WORLD to have documents that are, or appear, to be in order. Once in, they then disappear into Australia society, and become "honoury" citizens, with most of them never being caught.

But I really don't think those attitudes are "ignorance"; surely the posters couldn't be that stupid. I think these posters really KNOW that there's many, many thousands of people living illegally in Australia. But these illegal entrants won't be criticised with the same brutality that's shown against the boat people. Why? Because thousands and thousands of these illegal entrants are WHITE skinned and/or come from cultures that have a lot in common with Australia: While the boat people are mostly darker skinned people, often from Muslim cultures, and they're desperate in the extreme in order to escape their often brutal past existence. They make perfect cannon fodder for hard nosed, paranoid Australians to whom basic humanity comes second to "FORTRESS AUSTRALIA". We're lucky though that not ALL Australians are like that.

M: while I largely agree with you, I think you’ve missed an obvious point. The reason those over-stayers etc aren’t noticeable, or threatening, is because they fit in, they assimilate, and become just another face in the crowd, whereas most of the others, boaties et. al. DON’T. They want to carry on their culture and social attitudes here, and stand out by doing so.
I say, scrap multiculturalism, and re-introduce assimilation, if you want to be a part of this country, do so, if you want to live as you did elsewhere, go there. What does it benefit anyone to have enclaves of foreigners amongst us? The previous waves of immigrants gradually adapted, to the point where no-one cares about an Italian or Greek name, fr’instance, and it’s rapidly becoming true of the Vietnamese etc too.
If the Islamic groups would only do the same they would see less strife.
To criticize us and our society, to demand WE change to suit their ideas, to allow them to continue practices we abhor, and to reject assimilation, all guarantee trouble.
All our ancestors were immigrants, once, and they sweated blood, gave their sons and daughters, suffered hardships, and struggled mightily, to build this nation we all love.
Are we now to allow another bunch to come in and wreak havoc on what they built, change it beyond recognition, reduce the standard of life that brought them here in the first place, because of an out-dated Ideal?
Stuff that for a game of soldiers!

Sancho did you want to say half a million illegal migrants came here via planes?
Or are my eyes playing up.
Now remember the wars that have driven these people out. compare our numbers to those of other western nations.
And as said very well up the thread see how we are first choice for some because we are closer.
Rubbish! the idea John Howard could stop them, unfortunate remark A S but not worth debating you your mind is closed.
There is an answer we do not yet know what it is, but it is not open door, not increasing intake, and not blind stupidity, I may be one of CJM,s usual suspects but while I would go hungry to feed them I will never pretend we can solve it.
Every one we save will see 20 die in poverty.
Skilled migration is not such an issue while we are in recession, but much needed until we return to training our own.
IF the UN cared, a big if and had true power, we could with confidence help build better life at home for these people.
We can not turn our backs as Bazz said and get over it, we humans are no better than any animal if we can watch so much pain and not be moved.
Last I say again I never want to see my country and culture swamped by do gooders good but blind intentions.
If I am biased it is against no race.
I am however biased, against EVERY form of religion that calls for separation of the human race.
Some cultures are so very different I can not understand them, just as many, thinking of you AS, can not understand mine.

Max wrote "All our ancestors were immigrants once, and they sweated blood, and they gave their sons and daughters, suffered hardships, and struggled mightily to build this nation we all love?"

My comment - - - yes that's true Max, the ABORIGINAL people 'the original migrants' did all that

Max wrote "Are we now to allow another bunch to come in and wreak havoc on what they built, change it beyond recognition, reduce the standard of life that brought them here in the first place?"

My comment - - - and then "OUR" ancestors came and did to the aboriginal people what you don't want done to YOU from the boat people.

Think about it Max.

Then when you're through 'thinking about it', think a bit more about your absurd "BELIEF" that, in modern times, immigrants (be they legal or illegal) will "wreak havoc" on society, change it beyond recognition and reduce the standard of living". That's EXACTLY what the more ignorant among us in the 50s believed about the Italians and Greeks. We called them "WOGS", and felt threatened by their culture. Later on we felt threatened by the Chinese, in the 70s it was the Arabs. We're now scared of the people from Somalia. Have you read the recent press about the Indians? We're attacking and vilifying them now. ALL these races, covering diverse cultures, have been BENEFICIAL for Australia. Any boat people who eventually legally gain residence will be BENEFICIAL for Australia.

'New' Australians often work a damn sight harder, and make better citizens, than 'some' whinging, pampered 'old' Australians.

Fear of other cultures was what the White Australia Policy was based on. There's plenty of Australians who would like to see a return to those paranoid days.

Belly & Squeers:
It will not matter what anyone says there will be a
die off, or a large reduction in world population due to infertility
caused by malnutrition.

We can join them by allowing millions to come here or we can survive
by keeping our population to manageable levels.
Thats the way it is, the earth has reached maximum sustainable level and
from now on growth will be history.

There is no way the UN or anyone will be able to do anything about it.
You may have seen the UN Food organisation warning that they are
scrapping the bottom of the silos.

Sure it is dismal, but there it is. How soon ?
Not long before it starts I think, but hard to be certain.

M:
“the ABORIGINAL people 'the original migrants' did all that”
: Actually, no, they didn’t. They arrived, did the absolute bare minimum to survive, and stopped there. They contributed a lot of names to this nation, and the odd individual has made contributions, but overall there’s little to reflect them in our society. Sad, but true.

“and then "OUR" ancestors came and did to the aboriginal people what you don't want done to YOU from the boat people.”
: And then you go on to deny that it will happen, make up your mind. The destructive influences are inherent in having a culture among us that insists on difference, that holds as a basic tenet the god-given superiority of its religion and culture. They look down on our way of life, our dress, our liberties, our religions, or lack thereof, just about everything, yet they come here? Read the Q’ran, it is no “love n’ kisses” tome like the New Testament, it’s a warriors tale, and a strict guide to life, the universe, and everything!
Times past have proved that Islam CAN co-exist, as long as it takes an adaptive, moderate course, yet with the Wahabi sect and it’s worldwide net of oil-funded madrasahs pouring out fundamentalists at an incredible rate, what hope of that?
That flood influences things here, makes for tensions, and misunderstandings.
As for the Somalis, they present a particular problem, not unique, but intense. They come from an extremely violent place, where life is held to be of little value. Many have problems adjusting, and the lost ones among them can inflict terrible suffering upon innocent people here. I’m fully aware that the numbers involved are tiny, and I have worked with a really nice family guy who happened to be Somali, and have no problems with they, or anyone else who’s willing to join us, coming here as an individual.
But I refuse to close my eyes and not see the storm on the horizon, as many prefer to do.
“Those who fail to learn from the mistakes of History are doomed to repeat them”