One of the main fears about the forthcoming resource crisis or the manifestation of our unsustainable lifestyles will be the proliferation of hate and divisions of all sorts.

The urgency to get onto a genuine sustainable basis is not just about matching resource demand and supply, it is also very much about minimising the proliferation of the hate factor, which threatens to tear our society apart, just as surely as restricting or cutting access to basic resources.

We could very easily find ourselves in a state of implosion or perhaps virtual civil war. All sorts of divisions could open up, not just those to do with religion. We could see city against country, citizen against bureaucrat, state against state, region against region, haves against have-nots and so on.

I think that addressing hate-mongering as it has manifest itself under the name of Islam or whatever is like dealing only with recycling and thinking we are addressing all of sustainability. It’s basically addressing a symptom of a much larger disease.

As we become less able to support ourselves and our families, tolerance is going to go out the window. We haven’t got a hope in hell of reducing hate-mongering until we address the fundamentals of our quality of life...by making sure that the transition off of the cheap super energy package that is oil is as quick, smooth and fair as possible

Ludwig

On this thread, I think we are in agreement.

Once upon a fairy tale time, Australians did get on together, played together , worshipped or not together. In fact had a pretty peaceful time without too much worrying about anything in particular.
Then came Multiculture and the fine fairy tale ended "not happily ever after".
Because we had drugs, gangs,drive by shooting,Cronulla, thugs gang raping etc. All the horrors of ethnic wars enacted on our once peaceful streets.Demonstrations.
Still there is plenty of ethnic restaurants, that must mean something. Doesn't it?

Dear Jeff

the best thing you could do re helping, would be to write and mobilize a few others also to write to our Premier.. letting him know that you are incredulous about this vile RACIAL and RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE ACT 2001. The only effect it has is to INFLAME ill feeling rather than subdue it. Refer posts above for details.

This is the act.. take note of section 8 and 9 specially.
http://tinyurl.com/p2khb

Here is the premiers email steve.bracks@parliament.vic.gov.au

If you have any issue you wish me to write about to your congress, let me know mate.

LUDWIG... very perceptive.. about resources etc.. and I can assure you from personal experience.. the greater the emphasis on cultural DIFFerence, the greater will be the suspicion etc. Scout might get along well with her Muslim neighbours.. as we all would most likely. But the problem is NOT with the one on one neighbourly relationships, it is with the COMMUNITY groups, leaders councils etc... Scouts Muslim neighbour is not going to whinge to Scout about some aspect of our law or foreign policy but they WILL more than likely voice their feeling via their community associations.. examples
-Change our assessment of Hezbollah from Terrorist, to 'Political'.
-Blame Israel completely for the outbreak of War.
...wake up Scout. Be friendly....but don't be naive.

To those of a prayerful inclination.. remember me 2night, I'm going to the Wheelers Hill hotel on a 'freelance journalist' assignment to dig out some info if possible on the 150 person riot there last week.
Wisdom, Love and discernment from above are my greatest needs.

cheers all.

Boaz, I just came home from work and will start emailing some bloggers, and website owners and try to get a paltalk room to do a "show" that airs on the internet, maybe with a guest or 2. I'll see what I can mixup. Best of wishes.

Jeff

BD

Wake up - don't presume to judge.