worldwatcher,
I have the feeling that those who try their darnest to promote the flooding of Australia by that religious outfit are in fact members of that outfit posing as Australians. They are nothing short of being traitors.
The whole scenario has absolutely nothing to do with refugees or economic refugees, it
s to do the same to Australia as has been done to the rest of the world. Australia just happens to be the last frontier for them. To their utter delight Australians are too silly to see any further forward than their next investment return by end of day. But then again the stupid have always been fair game for exploitation throughout history.

worldwatcher,
Do you really think the likes of Frank Lowy and his ilk are "good people"

Cossomby,

<<Because whether you are a refugee or an economic migrant, why would you aim for anything less that an affluent country>>
You are still missing the point.The Refugee Convention was set up to provide a safe haven --not a retirement haven for ones old age.
It does not entitled one to by-pass other safe havens simply 'cause you don't like their welfare system.

<< A Kurd, his family fled from persecution in Iraq to Iran. He was born in Iran but is a stateless person - as a non-citizen there>>
Bullsh!t! Northern Iraq is controlled by Kurds --it is for all intents and purposes a self-governing Kurdish state.

<<we should welcome anyone who is smart and cunning enough to get to Australia by their own actions (including paying people smugglers) because they will be smart and cunning enough to succeed here (as long as we don't lock them up in limbo for years)>>

Whoopee-do! so if I rob Fort Knoks, hightail it to the nearest airport, shoot-up the joint and hijack a plane to OZ, Prime Minister Cossomby would be there to welcome me on arrival at Mascot with a red-carpet and brass band [I'd have to be really smart and cunning to have pulled that off!]

And why stop at asylum scammers --as the popular saying goes, you are only tapping half the talent pool-- if you want real *smart* and *cunning* how about the drug smugglers?

I can see it now, a huge new statue of liberty (in the shape Cossomby) standing at the heads with a torch welcoming all and sundry --and I already have the poem to go with it:

"Give me your cunning , your crooks,your con-men
Your gangbangers and your drug peddlers
The car-bombers of a 1000 market-place deaths
Your rapists and molesters, the more violations the better
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Think of all that talent going to waste in the jails of the world!

And I'm sure we'll be a smarter nation for it -maybe!

Belly,

My concern with Rudd is that it may be only an election ploy.
He is a smart and polished performer. He knows what the electorate want on this issue --but is he really committed to it?

SPQR: If you robbed Fort Knox, and high-jacked a plane you would be doing it as a citizen of an affluent western country, and you certainly wouldn't be a stateless person trying to get to Australia to better yourself by working hard. So that's an invalid comparison. Ditto your rave about drug-dealers and conmen.

On the other hand, Australia was established by a bunch of crooks including some of my ancestors. What is quite remarkable is how law-abiding the next and subsequent generations were, resulting in the current do-gooders who whinge about people not sitting in queues and obeying bureaucratic rules.

Our own history demonstrates that when you give 'criminals' an opportunity to live normal successful lives, they and their descendants will grab the chance.

PS there's a more than could be said re robbing Fort Knox - eg why the US has such a high crime/imprisonment rate - extremes of poverty, class and race.

PS2 I probably should have adjectives such as dogged, resolute, gritty or determined rather than cunning

worldwatcher: Why then, instead of a vitriolic display of political preferences, and denigration of each other's posts and personalities, can't you put forward some apolitical and constructive ideas on what is so obviously a very large issue for all of us?

My God I have tried to get that going so many times. The likes of the Potential Terrorists are not interested in finding a solution to anything except bringing as many Terrorists into the country as they can get.

Cossomby: Les Murray and Frank Lowy.

People Smugglers got them out of their Country, not into Australia. They came here with due Legal Process. A misrepresentation of facts, I think, Cossomby. Typical.

Paul1405: I'm sure you must have "experienced" all the "joys" that the catholic clergy could bestow upon a good little altar boy such as yourself.

Yes, I did have a good Catholic education, Marist Brothers. I never received any of the "joys." from the Priests or Brothers. I did from a boy who did though. :-) Not.

SPQR: "Give me your cunning, your crooks, your con-men, etc.

Good one. I like it.

Cossomby: Australia was established by a bunch of crooks including some of my ancestors. What is quite remarkable is how law-abiding the next and subsequent generations were.

True to a point, but they were Christian, not Muslims. Even if they impose Sha'riah Law on Australia, they'll still be trying to kill one another as well as us. The infighting is why they are leaving their own Countries. Then they start it here, as in the Serbian/Bosnian riots a few years ago & now the Sectarian fighting in Sydney & Melbourne now. Do we have to put up with this crap? I don’t think so.

SPQR: My concern with Rudd is that it may be only an election ploy.
--but is he really committed to it?

Yes. A question I have asked myself.