brilliant stuff,spindoc ;)

Being Australian means adopting American style ultra patriotism and draping yourself in the Aussie flag while beating up on anyone thats different from you because its their fault that your personal life is crap.

‘morning Foxy,

Your post sets the scene very nicely. Firstly you post a link sourced from an “anonymous” email and a page from Facebook that denigrates all Australian’s as Bogans and you think that’s funny?

Then you post a link from the Conversation that further supports Islamification of Australia and reinforces the message that Australians are racists, bigots, and anti-Islamic.

The Conversation levels accusations that the non-left are re-writing history about the Cronulla Riots, it appears that we are all wrong and that the riots were not caused by social tension between Islam, the PC Left and real Australians? The Conversation proposes that we mush “teach” Moslems to be Australians. What?

What your two links really say is that Australians are not intelligent enough to have an opinion but the regulating class will provide you with one and we will correct your dim view of Islam by “teaching” them to be Australians.

Do you mean teaching them to be bogans like us?

It’s interesting that whilst re-writing history about the Cronulla Riots, they fail to recognize that real Australians now associate Australia day with the riot started by our first communist PM, Julia Gillard.

Your post is a very poorly constructed distraction from the role progressives have played in supporting policies that attracted mass immigration of non Australian values, defending the non Australian values they represent, excused their excesses of barbaric butchery, rhorting our social safety net, establishing Halal Certification, imposing disproportionate social division and public angst from a minority of less than 2% of our population, creating Islamic victimhood and targeting fellow Australians who progressives describe as “threats” for extremists to attack.

And you have the audacity to ask posters to tell you what it means to be Australian when what you really mean is “I am now going to tell you what it should mean to you”.

Why don’t you get back to us with more sickly sweet platitudes and some “feely” responses that avoid the real issues?

You are so transparent I could still watch the test match if you stood in front of me.

Dear spindoc,

What a pity that all you're seeing is negativity
and trying to bring me down to your sad level of
existence. I can't really help you.

Cheers.

The fact that you feel the need to even ask the question belies a certain insecurity. Why does it matter to you either way? Why waste time asking such a question unless you are trying to check whether or not you meet the criteria? Only those who are insecure about themselves as a human being need to try and validate things like their culture or nationality. You are a human being and that is all you need to be – anything else is purely an accident of birth or a simple preference of place to live. Such preferences are just a matter of taste and no more significant than taste in music or art. No one needs to justify such preference. A more reasonable question might be what do you like about living in Australia as distinct from other countries? Answers might include the climate, the food and other such variables. Things like pluralism, freedom or opportunity are hardly unique to Australia.

Such a fascination with national and cultural identity is the hive of people who are not comfortable in their own skin. They are looking to justify their life. I am a proud Australian – therefore I am. This is what inflames tensions and riots such as we saw at Cronulla. People on both sides clinging to their national or cultural identity like their lives depended on it. Emotional security does not come from these things but from an overwhelming sense of being a human being and having every right to exist for no other reason than that.

Dear Suse,

I agree with you - being Australian to me means
feeling privileged not only to have been able to make
a home here but also to have found my own sense of
belonging. I was born in Australia - and my parents
also became Australian citizens. For them however, they
did face some adjustment difficulties in the
beginning. They suffered from a sense
of guilt at having left their people to continue the
struggle against a repressive communist regime.
They found a greater
physical freedom in Australia, in that their lives were
no longer in danger, but the struggle they commenced with
their conscience allowed them no spiritual freedom. It took
them many years before they felt at ease.

Growing up - there are so many memories, from Manly Beach, to
the Royal Easter Show, to going to my first ballet with
the school and my music teacher explaining things to us.
My first experience with the theatre, my girl-friend intorudicng
me to tennis - and taking me to watch a game,
learning to play squash, my years at university, then travelling
overseas, and gladly coming home again.

I remember seeing -
The Australian Women's Weekly in New York, and bursting
into tears, I was that home-sick. My loyalty is totally
with Australia and much as I've travelled - I could not
see myself living anywhere else. I love the openess here,
and I love the city of Melbourne in which we have our home.