I'm still with you Missus.

CJ's just now distancing himself from his endorsement of the 'small dicked redneck' callings of Marieke Hardy. He's a slippery sucker.

'ugly Aussie racist minority'

That's a turnaround for you CJ. You've always implied that you thought the majority is racist. Or Australia is a racist country at least.

Or is it only the bogans that are ugly racists while the upper classes are still racists but not so ugly.

Cornflower et al
I'm with foxy here. As I said originally the whole point of a *national* flag is a symbol that *everyone*, at least a vast majority can identify with, as an inclusive symbol.
My point was that the current flag isn't that. It has nothing to do with P.C.
Did any of you note that I didn't mention specifically signifying the aboriginal flag being included?
I didn't because that would also be proffering a myth.
- The aboriginals were several nations not one the flag is a notional one.
- They are *part* of the whole as are all the rest. Not a singled out race like the union jack symbolizes.

As for making the refugees welcome....hah! They were seen as a necessary evil and treated likewise. Go to Bonagilla (Wodonga) camp and have a look at their conditions read their history. corrugated iron Quansit huts on concrete bases....consistently 38+ in summer and below zero in winter. Heat stroke an pneumonia were common.

And there were the predatory camp officials, demanding favours from women. Oh yes, there were the second hand uniforms.Which were dealt out. And the inmates were made to wear their best and national dress on special visitations like trained performing monkeys.

I'll bet you don't know about the riots and revolts over the sub human condition there (for our friends). The forced adoptions etc.

Oh yes, the patronizing Australian matrons who come to the camps to teach culture.... Bollocks! read the history its there and not the white wash utopian generosity you're proffering.

That was in addition to the blatant prejudice foxy mentioned and your WASP/C daughter fraternizing/marrying a refo Oh my god the shame. But it was ok for the lad to sew their wild oat with them after all they're refos.
I remember the Govt programs trying to get Aussies to accept the migrants. It took a lot of effort.

Like foxy, I am one such progeny, I was adopted out to Aussies, bitter no! just realistic.

C J

I am a druggie then? LOL You are addicted to pigeon holing people tut tut, not nice. I do not do drugs, I have a tendancy to get myself into enough trouble without them. Certainly far too early in the day to drink, still working. Wait, maybe that's the problem lol

Houellebecq,
I find the so called bogan type more likely to be the local SES volunteer, more likely the one to be doing the real hard yakka the nations' wealth is actually built on, and more likely to be the one to help a neighbour.

I think perhaps pride in being Australian also has it's benefits in the contribution they make to society in traditional ways. Take away the pride I doubt you will find some sand bagging your house for free if flood waters rising or helping you out when you get stuck in mud while touring the outback. So if a few get a bit "too" nationalistic on occasion we should remember that passion, though sometimes misplaced, is more often than not well placed.

I also accept that the integration process of newer migrants is largely left to the working class. Crude and rude at times true, but what are the alternates? The paternal racism and everlasting victimisation that the so called race relations experts have foistered on Indigenous? Ethnic cleansing if I may call it, is required if any migrant wants to be accepted into the cultureless Smarmy Army Class called Capitalism with a Latte, afterall they would never entertain a mosque in their midst, as you quite rightly point out. Please filter out the negatives and arrive with ethnic restaurant only!

Simply cultural cringe but we are nation built on resources, not accountants and lawyers. If they want to get paid they should really start kissing Bogan Butt.

Foxy

Why cherry-pick and generalise to disgrace a whole population, just to savage a long gone Prime Minister?

To re-cap, within five years of war's end Australia welcomed nearly 200,000 refugees from the shambles that was Europe. This was after Australia had lost thousands of its able young men liberating Europe from a tyrant. If you read newspapers of the time, you cannot but be affected by the descriptions of the sight that confronted the observer: Australia was a nation of women and old men, the young men that were seen were crippled by the ravages of war, often without limbs and using the most primitive of supports to help them.

Australia in the Forties and Fifties was far behind Europe in its industrialisation, business, cultural alternatives and so on and it was sorely stretched to even house and provide the essentials like medical care to its own people. Australian hospitals, the undeveloped post war infrastructure and the immature economy were desperately trying to cope with thousands of ex-servicemen broken by two successive world wars.

Australia had decimated its male youth twice in the carnage of WW1 and WW2. Then there was the Great depression in between that was cruel to a developing nation. During WW2, all production had been directed at war essentials including food for Europe. Later, industry and factories had to be re-directed and re-tooled. Providing employment for migrants was a priority, the de-mobbed soldiers were not always so lucky, many had come from the country and could not claim the industry skills such as metal turning that migrants from more highly industrialised European countries could claim.

Unemployment in Australia post-WW2 was endemic for the local population and it is a myth that men turned their noses up at manual work, as evidenced by the overwhelming number of Australians working in (say) stevedoring, railways, slaughterhouses and on farms. It could be argued that Australians did the lion's share of the unskilled dirty, disgusting and dangerous work.

Strange how people’s memories differ.

We lived in a Nissan hut when we first migrated. Migrant hostels were charming places. Yuck really (understatement). We then went upmarket to a 2 room shed, no bathroom but we had the outdoor dunny. They called it a temp. Road was dirt, pot holed and no sewerage system. Had the time of my life. There was lots of bush to explore, tadpoles to catch and dogs to terrorise.

“ Go home” yes a bit, but less than what history suggests. It neglects to acknowledge the kind freckle faced neighbours that were there come thick or thin. It also neglects that is was nothing compared to the scenes that were left behind.

My father never ever complained, not once, and was eternally grateful to this nation where he could finally build a future for his children. If still alive, even as an immigrant, I am sure his chant would be the one he first learned when he arrived. If you do not like it, leave! Stop your whining and get on with it.

I guess if you came from a very oppressed background it was and/is wonderful. If you come from privileged background and are a bit precious then maybe Australia may not live to up to expectation.

From my experience as a migrant though I see no reason why Australians cannot wave their flag, have a beer and a bit of a back slap, they bloody well deserve it !

Dear Cornflower,

Professor Algis P. Taskunas from the
University of Tasmania, in his book,
"Lithuanian Studies in Australia,"
tells us that:

" The initial two-year work contracts were the
Lithuanian migrants' first major contribution to
Australia. They helped to solve an acute labour
shortage in Australia, especially in outlying
areas. Along with other European migrants,
they 'relieved the shortage of domestic staff in
hospitals, increased the output of building
material, helped to build Australian homes, roads,
saved fruit and sugar crops... maintained railways,
worked in sawmills, brick factories, cement works,
on sewerage projects, water conservation, salt and
brown coal mining, clearing land, quarrying, etc.

At Wooroloo T.B. Sanatorium in Western Australia,
the migrants solved a real crisis when the Sanatorium
staff had shrunk from 80 to 13. The Sanatorium was
on the point of turning away patients when 40 Baltic
women were allotted to it and normal resvices were
restored.

At Gippsland Hospital, Victoria, 28 Balts made possible
the opening of a new T.B. ward. In New South Wales,
60 Balts enabled hospitals to keep several wards open.

A report by the Commonwealth Emplyment Service dated
Sept. 1948 stated: "They (the first 4000 displaced
persons) are everywhere employed upon work for which
sufficient Australian labour is not available...
This review of their activities over a very short period
suggests how much impetus their availability in large
numbers is likely to give to our housing program and to
our production in other industries which are vital
to the Australian economy.

The fair-skinned Lithuanians and other European arrivals
were seen as a tangible response to the popular call of
the day, to "populate or perish." Their presence
helped to allay the Australian population's fears of the
"yellow hordes in the north."

When speaking of the Baltic migrants contribution to
Australia, the politicians and others usually emphasise
the newcomers' economic impact. This is true, but is only
a part of the full story. On arrival in this country,
Lithuanians had joined other migrants in the rebuilding
of Australia's capital structures that were to serve the
nation for many decades to come."

cont'd ...