Foxy,
My apologies, I thought you were born overseas. Perhaps it was from you referring to your parents occasionally. Not that it makes any difference to me.

I answered your question, and to PP, by saying it is not reasonable to ask anyone to define their culture in 350 words. I certainly am not smart enough to do a credible job of that. Culture covers such a wide area.

When I was growing up I did not see much intolerance to 'New Australians' There was the occasional reference to 'Wogs' and such things as 'I wish they would learn English' but no violence or anything like that. I can just remember Aussie owned milk bars/cafes and when the Greeks took them over it made a hell of a difference to upping the standard. This was in a fairly large inland city/town. The kids all went to school together and that was that. Later many earned our respect as we saw them cleaning their cafes when we were walking home late at night, so they knew how to work. Of course we learnt about the Snowy scheme and migrant involvement.

It was only when multiculturalism was imposed on us that there became a seperate them and us. MC seperated people into groups.

I see MC as a philosophy that puts original culture ahead of national loyalty. It openly fosters seperate development,as a federation of ethnic cultures, not as one community. The slogan 'Unity in Diversity' has to be the biggest lie ever and excluded non ethnics.
Take the clashes of Serbs and Croats and the anti-social Lebs for example.

I simply disagreed with what that professor said as I believe we must strive for integration. I wish you were right about them adapting to our society eventually, but can you see the Croats and Serbs coming together or the Lebs. What about other ingrained cultural practices.

Despite what others may think, I do not care about race or ethnicity but am concerned that we keep a peaceful society. Don't want to be like France or others where violence is normal.

'Life is only tolerable
when we can look down on someone else.

Oh too true Foxy!

That's why I always feel unappreciated on OLO. The enjoyment so many people have had looking down on me just never gets recognised. But I'm still happy to serve!

Dear CJ,

Thanks for your comments.

Always appreciate your input.

Dear Houellebecq,

You know I just love your wicked sense of humour...

Dear Banjo,

I see things a bit differently to you in certain
respects. The best way that I can explain it
is to quote what Liz Thompson in her book,
"From Somewhere Else," says in the Introduction:

" The multicultural nature of
Australian society means that there is no
single national identity but a gathering of many
cultures, and this is one of the most unique and
rewarding aspects of living in Australia. The
nature of being Australian is to be part of this
diversity. The wide and varied gathering of 'identities'
is in keeping with the sense of potential and openness
so many people enjoyed on coming here. I feel privileged
not only to have been able to make a home here but
also to have found my own sense of belonging."

I can identify strongly with these sentiments.

The violence you speak of - and the problems
between various racial groups,
like the Croats and Serbs, I can't quite fathom.
Except that historically they've been enemies and
at war with each other. The expressed hostility towards
"Lebs," recently, I also don't understand. It belies
the history of Australia, where people of Lebanese
ancestry have lived for more than a century.

Anyway, Thank You for taking the time to respond to my
earlier questions.

Tomorrow morning we're leaving for a couple of days
touring the wine-regions of Victoria so I'll be
gone until next week.

All The Best.

Banjo
The base of our civilization, the base of west civilization is the democracy, the equality betweem the citizens, THE EQUALITY BETWEEN THE VOTERS!
Poor or rich, educated or not educated, black, yellow or white, religious or non religious, cristians or Muslims, women or men, young or old people, ALL WE ARE EQUAL! This is the CORE value of Australian civilization.
For you Banjo Libanese Muslims are not equal with other Australians, You Banjo do not respect the core values of our civilization, YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK FOR Australian values because you do not respect them, because you violate them, your political philosophy is close to Nazi or Phasists! You like it or not, use your brain, read what you wrote for Australian Libanese AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND I HAVE RIGHT WHEN I SAID THAT YOU ARE CLOSER TO NAZI THAN TO AUSTRALIAN VALUES!
Sory SIR but some one had to tell you, who realy you are!
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Antonios,
Are the questions I posed too difficult for you?

In case you cannot find them, the cultural practices I said WE find unacceptable are:- Some culinary habits, honour killings, revenge killings, incest, peadophillia, bullfighting, cockfighting, forced marriages, FGM, suppression of women and a few other alien cultural practices. I can define some of the culinary habits if you want and list others if you want more to choose from.

Now you claim I am racist and like a Nazi because I say WE do not accept these cultural habits.

Now I ask you again. Which of the alien cultural practices do you think our society accepts, and do you think we should accept migrants that embrace these cultural habits?

Banjo
Every one who isolates, rejects, victimizes, attacks persons of cause their race, their religious, their colour etc has nothing to do with western values, with Australian values. People who use cheap, dirty ways have nothing to do with Australian values we do not close our eyes, we do not cover them, we do not use the culture, race or religious differences as an excuse.
Do you know how much I suffered all my years in Australia from persons who have had no idea what is western civilization, what is democracy, what is human rights?
Nazi used the race as an excuse to ATTACK people from other races to destroy them.
"Which of the alien cultural practices do you think our society accepts"
Our society is not homogenous, what you think, what I think is only our personal opinions. I am against terrorists, against criminals, against corrupted people, I do not care very much for other things, I am atheist and I do not care at all for religious matters.
I support the democracy, human rights and I try to promote the understanding and cooperation between australians from different civilazations, from different religious or race background!, I try to build bridges with people of different ideas and opinions, some times without success.
I do not say that it happenes because the other are bad and I am good, I understand that my victimization and humiliation for long time leaved its marks on me! When racists and bullies are covered, when no one is interested for migrants rights, when no one is ready to protect the victims of race discrimination then we create a long term problem!
If you want to have an influence on people from other religious or race background you must respect, understand, support them. Only with a friendly way you can influence on them.
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide