Dear George,

Banjo keeps complaining on about how no one is able to tell him
the contributions that migrants have made to this country.
He's been told many times.
Plus - the historical record is there all one has to do is
Google it. Migrants like my parents helped solve an acute
labour shortage in Australia, especially in outlying areas.
They had an enormous economic impact on the country and
joined with other migrants in the rebuilding of Australia's
capital structures that were to serve the nation for many decades
to come. The same migrants could have accomplished a great deal
more, if the Australian authorities had made full use of their
skills and knowledge, instead of treating them all as unskilled
labour. Nevertheless, their economic contribution was
significant at a time when Australia needed it most.

Many newcomers established building companies, new factories,
retail shops, service and repair centres,
skating rinks, tailor shops and
even a complete town (Eucla).
Many more became self-employed in
small business and in all kinds of trades. They also created
secondary jobs with their high levels of demand for goods
and services. Many artists have contributed to the forefront of
Australian sculpture, painting, photography, and
other fields of the creative arts. Many also became art lecturers
and teachers and have influenced new generations of Australian
artists. Then we have literature, ballet music, and theatre
as well. Migrant dancers danced in leading Australian companies -
The Borovansky Ballet Company was founded by a migrant renowed
ballet teachers in Australia are immigrants.

Migrants have greatly valued education and training. They are
said to have sent more children to higher education and trades
than the national average. Many migrants have entered the
professions (after years of arduous study and sacrifice).
Some of the country's leading doctors, dentists, lawyers,
and others whose qualifications were not recognised in Australia,
went back to universities here and qualified again. Some
laboured during the day and studied at night.

But enough said.

You can't convince some people with blinkered views.

Foxy "Apart from food, many Australians seem to know very little about non-British migrants or their cultures."

Then you could refer to Australia as having culinary diversity or a multidietary society, but not cultural diversity or a multicultural society.

"already our nation has been enriched by the artistic, intellectual, and other attributes of migrant cultures"

Of migrant cultures, or migrant people?
There's a difference.

We can only be "enriched" if their conceptions are made appreciable to the Western mind.
Otherwise it's just incomprehensible gibberish.

It is your attitude that will die out.
The more unrealistic, chaotic and extreme immigration becomes, the sooner people will get sick to death of it.

The bonds of genetic kinship will never be "outmoded".
They are much stronger than any airy-fairy "global" identity.

I don't say anything "new"?
An honest awareness of history and human nature can't be "new", just accurate.

Your own comments are nothing new.
They're not even your own words most of the time.
Just copy-paste government/interest group propaganda ad nauseam.

You seem to think your opinion is unquestionable, self-evident and the future already decided.
You use this forum just to pat yourself on the back.

You forget about the many people reading these threads who aren't convinced or convicted either way.
Your arrogant, evasive tactics are not going to win them over.

Sun Tzu said the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
My side doesn't have to "win", you just have to lose, and you are doing a fine job of that.

Foxy, do not ever ask me to define or clarify anything ever again.

I have concisely and coherently defined my opinion (which is not "nonsensical" or extremist) and you just ignore it.

Foxy,

You have been asked this before, but do you have a script that you have followed relentlessly for years?

Lexi, Tuesday, 23 August 2011 8:09:41 PM
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=4653&page=7

With you it is like addressing a recorder on continuous loop. Or, more likely, a Xerox.

Contrary to what you imagine, the Australian people your cultural elitism causes you to denounce as 'nullaboring' and worse, actually do have traditions of worth and a culture that are worth retaining and they might have made some contributions too. Inconvenient facts you might concede, unless your goal is as it seems, to diversify your disliked 'whites' -who appear to be of British ancestry as you see them- out of existence.

Dear Shocker,

I won't be asking you anything else.
You've made your position crystal clear.
Thank You.

otb,

Stating things as they existed, is not a form of any sort of
"elitism," nor is it any sort of attempt to
denigrate Australian monoculture of that period.
It was simply the way things where at that time.
Therefore it shouldn't be surprising that the
same facts are repeated.

Unlike the "guest-workers" in Europe, the migrants (like
my parents), arriving in Australia after the Second World
War were expected by the Australian Government to settle
permanently and to assimilate. This explicit policy was
highlighted by the creation in 1947, of the Assimilation
Branch of the Australian Department of Immigration.

Assimilation meant blending into the Australian monoculture,
"with everyone living in the same way ...and sharing the
same aspirations."

This official attitude was supported by many "old"
Australians understandable determination to retain their
traditional Australian identity, even though such identity
was difficult to define.

Richard Boyer, the chairman of the ABC complained in 1956
that, when "invited by a group of new Australians to tell
them what the Australian way of life was," he found "putting
it into words was one of the hardest tasks that...(he had)
ever faced."

Let's get one thing straight for the record (again).
I am not anti the Brits or any other group.
Immigration has always been an important element in
Australia's nation-building.

We have integrated millions of people with diverse
backgrounds from over 200 countries and we have drawn
from diversity of build a successful nation.

We all recognise the values and principles
that reflect strong influences on Australia's history and
culture. These include Judeo-Christian ethics, a
British political heritage, and the spirit of the
European Enlightenment. Distinct Irish and non-conformist
attitudes and sentiments have also been important.

Today most people do not see as mandatory the quest for
conformity or a common set of beliefs as was the case
in the past.

On the contrary, today, respect for the free-thinking
individual and the right to be different (subject to the
law) are foundations of Australian democracy.

Foxy,
You said,"Banjo keeps complaining on about how no one is able to tell him the contributions that migrants have made to this country.
He's been told many times".

Now you know that is a lie. You deliberately change what I have said.

What I have said, and will keep repeating, is that you cannot show what practical benefits we have gained from multiculturalism. Certainly migrants have contributed, especially those post war up until MC was imposed. But the imposed ideology of multiculturalism has gained us nothing in practical terms. All MC has done is soak up vast amounts of funds and divide us into a nation of separate tribes. As you have acknowledged, MC was to foster the original cultures of migrants.

The diversity and enrichment benefits you spruke about is all in your mind and has no identifiable or practical application.

On top of that you completely ignore the detrimental aspects of many alien cultures. That is the price WE pay for your enrichment.

So we spend millions and experience anti social behaviour and alien cultural practices simply so middle income people can have a wide choice of eateries.

Foxy, "..the migrants (like my parents), arriving in Australia after the Second World War were expected by the Australian Government to settle permanently.."

You are forever making things up. That is demonstrably untrue for your Lithuanian parents. There was one flow of Lithuanians immediately post-WW2 when Arthur Caldwell, whom you inexplicably hate, offered sanctuary to the Lithuanians and some other ethnic groups after seeing them in camps, while he was overseas visiting. I previously supplied a public photo of Lithuanians thanking Mr Caldwell on their arriving ship.

The offer of sanctuary for whatever time they liked, citizenship as well if they chose, and work as well was very generous and open-ended.

Proof of the happiness of the Lituanians' experience in Australia was evidenced by the indisputable fact that very few left although they could easily have done so when independence was again restored. Also, as has been pointed out to you numerous times before, there is NO evidence whatsoever of the largest Lituanian community in Australia, in Sydney, ever claiming the discrimination and victim status you yourself are constantly demanding.