David the carrying of knives had been introduced by importation with the new cultures you so like.

When I was a boy, & well after that, arguments were settled with fists among those inclined to physical settlement of such things. Those involved would often end up drinking together.

Any Ozzie bloke who pulled a knife in an argument would have been beaten with in an inch of his life, & that would have been by his friends, to "educate" him in gentlemanly behavior. All "men" shunned such a coward’s weapon as a knife. Glassing is an extension of this use of weapons, which would have been abhorrent to Ozzie men just a generation ago.

As I don't like WOG food, I can see nothing that has been of value come into our culture with any of the more recent migration.

Dear Hasbeen,

I am an immigrant to Australia - one of those people you apparently are excited about. I am from the United States and am English speaking. However, I am nonetheless an immigrant.

I generally don't use such terms as wogs. I find such words offensive. I hear my homeland denigrated in Australia, and I don't like it. I am unhappy with chaplains in the schools and subsidising private schools. That is against the law in the US. I am trying to do what I can do democratically to change the law so those things are illegal here. That is my right as an Australian citizen. There are some things I don't like about my homeland, but separation of church and state is something I like.

However, I like to try new things like foods of another culture. Bangers and mash are from another culture. So are meat pies. I like both. I eat apple pie with a fork rather than a spoon. An Australian friend asked me how I scoop up custard if I don't use a spoon. Until she served apple pie with custard I never heard of such a thing. However, I tried it, and it tasted good.

Although I think footy is a silly thing to get excited about I like many things about this new culture in Australia. I don't appreciate the bar scene and have only been in them if I have to urinate and there is no other place near by. That separates me from the Aussie culture in that way. Sobeit.

You, of course, have a right to reject the food and other aspects of a difficult culture. Nobody is forcing it on you. I think you are missing out on something good, but that is your business.

First, can the leftist PC followers here note.
The thread refers to a court case, charges have been laid.
Is that bigoted anti migration support, mentioning that.
As Banjo admits his sin,once votering for my side, can I tell a truth?
I always am the first, in real life to welcome and try to build bridges with any Muslim I come in contact with.
A truth here, it must be from within that comunity, not out side, that change comes.
And it will not, EVER , come from a belief we are the enemy's of their God, in our country.
It will not come if generation after generation of these people inflict forced marriage and FGM on each female generation.
To stop, it is true,women enjoying sex.
As strange as it sounds, Muslim Migration to the west is social engineering.
Both an attempt to breed understanding in both sides.
And a betrayal of the very idea all can live together while in our country we are the ones asked to change.
And the truth, we would be killed for doing that in the country,s they came from.
Why do some come?
If we are so bad they want to turn our country in to one like the one they left?

Dear all,

I'm sorry to be the one who has to tell you this but multiculturalism is here to stay so everyone is just going to have to adapt to living in large scale societies marked by social inequalities reckoned along lines of race and ethnicity.

The multicultural city (eg Sydney) mirrors the multicultural nation which in turn mirrors the multicultural (globalised) world we live in today. At the moment there are overt congereis of different practices which seem hard to assimilate. But don't worry Belly et al one day you might learn to like someone arranging a marriage between you and someone like Elle McPherson or last year's Miss World winner. Multiculturalism could have its upside!

Dear Belly,

You wrote: "If we are so bad they want to turn our country in to one like the one they left?"

Apparently you have bought into the fear and hate. If they were satisfied with the country they left why would they have left it? There is no reason to think they want to turn this country into a country like the one they left. If they were satisfied with the country they left they would not have left it.

You also wrote: "Both an attempt to breed understanding in both sides.
And a betrayal of the very idea all can live together while in our country we are the ones asked to change."

Please tell me one way in which you have been asked to change.

You are buying into crap.

Dear david f,

I didn't know you could read Belly. I'm still waiting for English subtitles.