In his book, "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order", Samuel P. Huntington, American Professor of International Relations, claims that Australia is a "torn" nation - a nation attempting to redefine its civilisational identity. However, unlike other "torn" nations such as Russia, Turkey and Mexico, Australia is not moving closer to Western civilisation. Rather, it is attempting to distance itself from it.

Huntington notes that Australia has been a Western nation since its inception, but under Paul Keating, Australian political leaders decided that Australia should "defect from the West, redefine itself as an Asian society, and cultivate close ties with its geographical neighbors." He then notes the Australian public's antipathy towards the imposition of an alien, non-Western identity and the implacable refusal of Asian leaders to accept a European-derived nation within their region.

Huntington predicts that if this trend continues, Australia will be irreparably torn between its "branch office of empire" heritage and the "new white trash of Asia."

Huntington dubs Australia's delusions as "cultural schizophrenia" and concludes that Australia should seek closer ties with its traditional Western allies, rather than engage in an ultimately deleterious attempt to fundamentally reshape its identity in the futile hope of gaining membership into Asian trade blocs.

In all, Huntington's views regarding Australia's place in the world are highly thought-provoking. I agree with Huntington that Australia does have a major identity crisis. We live in a nation unwilling to teach its history or embrace its Western culture and heritage. Multiculturalism has eroded the nation's identification with Western civilisation, denied a common Australian culture, and promoted ethnic and non-Western cultural identities and groupings.

If demography dictates all, then Australia's declining Anglo-Celtic/European population in combination with high Asian immigration may indeed result in Australia becoming "torn" in several different ways. As the Chinese are reputed to have said: "May you live in interesting times."

The answer is NO.
Other western counties have greater problems than we do france,usa,uk,holland being so called torn nations.
As for the white trash of asia what crap. lots of black trash, asian trash ,hispanic trash, moslin trash, so on but you carn`t say that can you

Oli
Australia does seem torn, but not so much between an Asian or Western Identity, its more just plain confusion due to the lack of a firm moral and spiritual foundation, which has been undermined continuously since Philip Adams and Terry Lane were pups :)...

I don't think it should ever be a matter of 'Western' or 'Asian' identity, they are not mutually incompatable. In any case, 'Asian' is not monolithic. Personally, I feel quite at home in Asian countries as an Aussie, because I learnt long ago they are just as smart and fair dinkum as us, and have the same struggles. Its no biggy to find 'good blokes' and good mates who can be as close as an 'Aussie' mate.

We need to strengthen our ties with the West for sure, but only those aspects of the West which truly serve our long term interest. To me, strong ties to the UN and its brain damaged, historically and culturally naive 'conventions' would be the WORST thing we can do.

Lets re-define ourselves as 'Australians' and this should simply mean we pick and choose our allies and enemies in terms of our perceived national and cultural interest.

I would not feel comfortable identifying myself with 'all' the baggage of Western history, such as Commodore Perry of the US navy standing off Tokyo bay in 1859 basically 'telling' the Japs to open up 'or else'. I'm sure the Japanese share my discomfort there.

At the same time, I feel no longing to identify with Japanese Nationalism as manifested during the last world war.

The key to a rich and fulfilling future for Australia is to be fair yet responsible, compassionate for righteous causes, humble in strength and prosperity, and as far as it depends on us, to live peacefully with all.

With such values, we need not struggle to find identity, we would have one to be admired.

One person thinks we are torn between western and Asian identities. The next person says multicultural and racial composition is what is tearing us up. And finally it is a lack of moral and spiritual foundation that is doing us in.

Well I reckon its all a load of old bollocks.

What is really screwing us is the constant conflict between the push for maximised economic growth and the need to live within our means, the battle between unfettered capitalism and effective democracy, or the war between sustainability and antisustainability. This is far far more important than any other stresses in our society.

I wonder if Huntington even gave this a passing thought?

aussiedave, the "new white trash of Asia" was a quote from Singapore's former Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew.

Australia is hell bent on committing cultural and national suicide. Social cohesion is already in tatters. The country is stuffed, to put it mildly.

While politicians argue about AWA's, aboriginal handouts and other minor irritations, foreigners are taking our jobs, our industries and our identity. And in this century - the next at the latest - all people living in Australia will have their bums in the air and their heads pointing towards Mecca five times a day.

Again, I have to say that I'm glad that I am on the downhill run and will not be around when the nasty stuff really hits the fan

Leigh, our politicians ignored Geoffrey Blainey back in the 1980s when he presciently forewarned of the very problems that Australia is now facing as a result of high immigration, from water shortages to social dislocation. Although its out of print, Blainey's 1984 book "All for Australia" is certainly not out of date and is well worth the read. According to the book, the Immigration Department began practicing a new form of discrimination when it decided to accept 900,000 Indochinese refugees in order to boost Australia's Asian population, but rejected Polish refugees fleeing martial law on the dubious grounds that they didn't qualify for refugee status. Blainey claims that Australia's "immigration policy has moved from one extreme to another, from a policy that told Asians to keep out, to a policy that now gives the [then] tiny Asian portion of the Australian population four of every ten migrant places."

In the end though, I'm not blaming minorities for Australia's problems. Rather, it is our politicians which are solely to blame. Fraser, Hawke, Keating and now Howard have done more damage to the fabric of Australian society than any external force, Islam included, could hope to do.

Everything that has been said here, has been being said for thousands of years.
Actually, probably earlier. I dare say the Greeks had similar worries.

No doubt it will continue for many more.

-We will continue to face challenges.
-We will learn from some, yet not from others.
-Everyone will have a different idea of what is wrong and many will attempt to force their view on others.
-Many will express their doom and gloom for the future, yet few will realise this means they should relax and enjoy the present.
-We will never be able to experience a definitive apocalyptic moment - either we will decline and argue on pinpointing it, or we won't have significant time to reflect upon it.
-Some will always be more fortunate than others.
-There will always be those who treat all who are different with suspicion.

A torn nation? Seems pretty good to me. Ironic that those who are so fond of protecting some kind of anglo-saxon Australia seem to think it's already in the crapper.
I wonder if hypochondria is a term that can be extended to politics and academia...

Oligarch
It is dishonest and misleading not to attribute quotes, as soon as you attributed " poor white trash of Asia" to Lee Kuan Yew I had some idea as to how many grains of salt I should accord it.
O' boy hasn't this flushed out the luddite's, racist's, Hansonite's and the general rabid ratbag right wing rabble.
People are people, just cos' you have a white skin and an Akubra doesn't make you superior, a pox on all bigots

Alanpoi just because you claim that white people are racist and supremists doesnt mean that you arent as well, in fact you just showed your bigotory towards white people when in fact their is not a race on this planet that isnt racist and bigotied towards their own race.

Turnleft, Turnright,

Without intregation the country will simply divide into two or three separate countries eventually but not without bloodshed. History repeatedly demonstrates that. Who are you to fly in the face of history? You must be a lot more superiour to other men who walked before you on the earth if you think this wont happen but then perhaps you want it to happen, why else would you object to a dominant anglo-saxon culture.

I bitterly resent the politicians who engineered the coming bloodshed my grandchildren or their children will have to live through. And who still fail to act while bringing cheap foreign labour into the country. They had 100.000s of thousands of mexican workers bought into work cheaply who marched in cities across American refusing to go home as theyve lived and worked in the country for 20years or more. Thats whats going to happen here too when the companies and bosses keep renewing the visas when they're happy with the workers they bring in rather then go to the trouble to get new ones

Oh dear, poor Alanpoi is still living in the 1980s. Rather than engage in a rational debate about the collective interests of the nation, he is capitivated by the cult of the minority and attempts to stifle any dissenting opinions by labelling his opponents as "racist." Absolutely pathetic. In reality, such scurrilous insults simply expose Alanpoi's intellectual bankruptcy and his aversion to reasoned discussion.

There is nothing "racist" about a country seeking to maintain its predominant culture. Each nation has its own traditions and culture, and there seems nothing undesirable in wishing to retain them, instead of being overborne by large immigrations of disparate and perhaps culturally hostile groups. Asian nations understand this and have no hesitation in exercising immigration controls to perserve their own cultural and ethnic compositions. But then again, Alanpoi knew that already, right Alan?

By the way Alan, most informed Australians would already be aware of the "poor white trash of Asia" quote. Not that I would ever imply that you are ignorant.

Mutual friends have recently informed me of a builder, who under existing provisions is allowed to import/sponsor ‘skilled labour’ supposedly needed to complete his projects.
The rub is, their skills are concocted & each individual he imports gives him a kick-back of $30,000.His current employee is his third successive import- sounds like a lucrative sideline!

And I recon I could safely say he would not be Robinson Crusoe.

Alanpoi
its true what you said.. to a point. But I say the reverse is true, and just because you have brown skin, sloping eyes, and speak a different first language does not make you superior.

Your argument is the typical one that 'minorities' use to gain social and political advantage. Characterizing themselves as the 'marginalized victim' by the 'Superior self regarding majority'.

Now "THAT" is a load of bollocks. The reality is this, all people are equal..sure, but in distinct socio/cultural/linguistic groups they tend to see the world through THOSE blinkered eyes. Hence they pick on the majority for perceived maginalization. Why ? simple, they want to be top dog in the junkyard.

Most members of majorities don't have any sense of 'superiority' they just have a sense of 'equalibrium and normality'. I doubt they/we go to the mirror each morning and thank God we are 'wasps' or the such like. No, but when one small group suddenly tries to change our laws and culture...AAH THEN you 'feel' it.

At that point it is not about superiority or inferiority its about a direct threat to your culture !
Now.. you might feel ok with that, but many of us don't and we are not so stupid as to allow a bit of harsh (and vested interest) criticism from historically ignorant, socially naive, idealistic loony lefties change us.

The whole point about protecting a culture is to protect it for ALL.
How dare anyone come to this country with the idea that they have a superior culture or language or value system ! They come as it is, and then participate as equal citizens but NOT to make it a clone of 'their old country'.
PS. yes, the whites did just that, but they won, now we live with that legacy and unless you want to change it by firepower, I suggest you learn to live with it.

500 Edinists=integration,
50,000 Edinists=a ghetto
500,000 Edinists=an invasion.
Speed of change is everything.

BOAZ said: "I don't think it should ever be a matter of 'Western' or 'Asian' identity, they are not mutually incompatable. In any case, 'Asian' is not monolithic."

Australia is not an Asian country, neither geographically nor culturally.

Although Australia is sometimes categorized as belonging to the so-called "Asia-Pacific" region, the term "Asia-Pacific" itself is geographically erroneous. It's a bit like lumping Morocco, Libya, Algeria etc. with Europe as "Europe-North Africa".

Australia's position in the world is unique. From Sydney, one looks out towards New Zealand; from Perth, towards southern Africa; from Brisbane, towards the Pacific nations and the Americas; from Melbourne, Hobart and Adelaide, one faces nothing but Antarctica. Only from the sparsely-populated northern edge of Australia do you see the gradual transition from Melanesia to Asia’s outer rim. Beijing is closer to London, Paris and Berlin than it is to Canberra.

Rather than try to be something that it is clearly not, Australia should accept its own unique identity - a European-derived Pacific nation on the edge of Asia's outer rim but with both feet in the Western world.

Speaking from a position of being 'past it' and full of 'I remember when', I can say that I am glad that I am past it and can no longer grieve when I see what my country is becoming.
I think Australia's best years were post WW2 when there was an excitement around, we offered European migrants a new life IN RETURN for what they had to give [and not just we give and they take.]
We had full employment, no civil unrest, no ethnic gang war,no drugged or drunken teenagers to cope with and somehow life was simpler, more law abiding and a bloody sight more satisfying than now.
We were poorer financially but richer in all other ways, we were more innocent but we never doubted who we were. I wish we were there still.

The idea that Australia has no sense of cultural identity is total nonsense that was popularized in Donald Horne's patronising Book The Lucky Country published in 1963. For someone who claimed to care about his country he did a rather admirable hatchet job by focusing on our 'failings' and 'lack of culture' while ignoring the very real achievements made by generations of Australians. Horne's twisted view of Australia was built up to even greater heights by Paul Keating, who promoted multiculturalism to garner votes himself and his party. Keating and his mate Leo McLeay held neighboring seats with a large lebanese muslim population and they knew that by importing hordes of immigrants who'd vote labour they would eventually build up enough numbers to shore up the Labour party's core of supporters. Keatings also the man who overrode the department of immigrations decision to deport Sheik Hilali in spite of evidence that Hilali was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, who were influenced by the writings of Sayyid Qutb, an Islamic theologian who promoted violence and who's writings influence Islamic terrorist groups, including al-Qa'ida. Today we are left facing the legacy of self serving politicians with entire suburbs becoming enclaves to people who have no interest in becoming Australian, and their cause is supported by leftists who silence criticism of their multiculturalist policies with thought control tactics, crying 'racist' at the merest suggestion their policy is flawed. The current government has made steps in the right direction towards a immigration policy that focuses on assimilation, rather than self-segregation which only weakens the shared values that made this country great.

From the UK:

Disintegration Britain: Report blames mass immigration

The UK faces political disintegration in the face of "unprecedented" levels of immigration, a report has said.

Today's study from think-tank Civitas dismisses claims that mass immigration to the British Isles is nothing new and that the UK is a "mongrel nation already".

Its author David Conway, emeritus professor at Middlesex University, also opposes the Commission of Racial Equality's view that "everyone who lives in Britain today is either an immigrant or the descendant of an immigrant".

In his report, Professor Conway says that Britain's "cohesion" as a nation is under threat.

"The country may possibly have already reached a tipping point beyond which it can no longer be said to contain a single nation," he writes.

"Should that point have been reached, then ironically, in the course of Britain having become a nation of immigrants, it would have ceased to be a nation. Once such a point is reached, political disintegration may be predicted to be not long in following."

http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/health/politics/disintegration-britain-report-blames-mass-immigration-$1078167.htm

A "nation of immigrants" - where have we heard that before?

"Should that point have been reached, then ironically, in the course of Britain having become a nation of immigrants, it would have ceased to be a nation. Once such a point is reached, political disintegration may be predicted to be not long in following."

But then: Is that not a method to "force" England into the EU via the backdoor?
Besides: Has anyone thought of what happens to the Australian Constitution which was never australian anyhow? Might be time to write us some Constitutional Laws of our own...FINALLY!!

Any thoughts?