withoutaface said:
I don't have a problem with Asians, nor with "wogs", nor with the bulk of Lebanese. But there are issues in the community that need addressing, not by sending them to Lebanon, but through proper dialogue with the community.
Okay, I agree with you here. There are definitely some issues that need addressing; not ignoring.
I think a good discussion would be something like "We need more criminal enforcers out there" which is something that has clearly not been done with success. Another one could be "What are their socio-economic conditions?" which I'd imagine to be relatively poor, because I'd imagine some crime happening from those who've been disadvantaged in some way. "What about education?" - it's clearly failed in handling this portion of society. "What can we do to fix it?", well racism will get us no where, ignoring these problems will get us no where, and the media will almost definitely never get us anywhere.
withoutaface said:
The Keating days was heaven?
No, if you read 5 more words on, it says "to where we're heading now", because I am sure he did not intentionally try and create an "Us" vs "You" philosophy. It ends up creating fear which is only going to separate us more, and make discussing the issues a lot more difficult.
withoutaface said:
What is multiculturalism? Define it for me and I'll tell you whether I support it or not, and if the latter case, what the exact problems with it are. I'd also appreciate it if you'd stop referring to me as a conservative.
Multiculturalism - the act of being multicultural.
No, just kidding. For me, multiculturalism is the presence of maintaining our different cultures/religions whilst all living in harmony, and are able to practice these simultaneously while also being Australian! In other words, people can maintain their culture as they choose, and yet still abide by our laws and values.
Hence multiculturalism opposes
nothing about integration. They both work together in fact! In other words, different components all coming together to form one greater whole! That is multiculturalism! That's how it's been in Australia and Canada for so long, so I don’t know why we keep beating ourselves up about it.
Assimilation on the other hand means that all other cultural elements that are present in this country must be removed and taken over by the dominant culture. It has never worked anywhere in history, and wherever it has taken place, has resulted in great loss and pain.
Australian history has actually shown that we integrate brilliantly and are much better for it. Sure, nothing is 100% perfect, but hell, I think it's damn close! Why is it though all of a sudden we're now deciding that we've had it all completely wrong? What, because some minority of stupid assholes try and make their ethnicity an issue and act like thugs? (ie, "leb" gangs.). And then another group of stupid asshole have to retaliate (ie. drunken "Aussie" thugs). Sure, it's disgusting, but it's not the end of multicultural Australia!
I got sick last week – doesn’t mean I am going to die. It was a cold.
withoutaface said:
Including (I think it was) Pakistan up until recently, when they had a law that a charge of rape could not be brought against a man unless the woman who was raped had 4 male witnesses? That doesn't exactly seem compatible.
I definitely agree here that such a law is extremely pathetic and stupid.
But if the case here is with Pakistan and with some Muslims, then why would people want to flame multiculturalism as a whole, when it's just a cultural clash between multiculturalism and some Muslims? It's just one grape gone sour, not a bunch! Smack into shape the 0.1% of assholes who “won’t toe the line” – but don’t punish those groups who live their culture as they choose and thus are great Australians.
Our history of the last 50 years shows it works 99% of the time – that’s brilliant. Let’s fix the 1% - not destroy what works.
withoutaface said:
You've implied that an individual needs a family to validate themselves. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a conservative trait?
Family does not only imply husband/wife/children. Do you think caring for a brother or sister or mother or father is a conservative trait, for instance?
Isn't that a universal trait, to care about what happens to people we actually care for? Unless if one has a fallout with them, I'm sure we'd still want the best of them. And I have no idea why you pin pointed that out when it was hardly even the point. I could have replaced that word family with friends, and it'll still mean the same thing. Political correctness gone mad it seems.
withoutaface said:
???
I've said we should address the issues, not deport the entire Muslim population.
Addressing the issues is one way we definitely should be trying to solve the problem. Inciting fear, racism, and watching Today Tonight every day will not make it achievable however. (I'm not implying you watch it or do those things but just stating what I think is obvious).
withoutaface said:
You just committed the same fallacy you accused others of using, being that of taking a handful of people and extrapolating to the rest of the refugee population.
No, there are people out there who will be of the impression that refugees are perhaps ungrateful and responsible for huge cases of crime which I'd disagree with. Having met quite a few and finding that all the ones I've met were so grateful to have escaped persecution to settle here, and then to have other bitter people try and attack them is something I take a little more seriously. There may be some ungrateful people, but that can be said for all criminals in the Western world.
withoutaface said:
What is multiculturalism?
Already defined it. But to ellaborate on the difference of integration with assimilation together with multiculturalismm integration (not assimilation) is what we should want and want multiculturalism ends up achieving anyway, and also addresses the issues of other people having their culture and abiding by "our laws" and "our values". For a majority of cases, there is no clash, because working hard, doing the best for yourself and your family (I put "yourself" in there especially for you), not breaking the law, and treating others well is not some unique Australian trait but are UNIVERSAL policies! My friend who has spent basically half of the last 15 years living, working and studying in other countries such as Germany, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Fiji (if you want to know) would agree here.
I understand that some individuals don't live up to some of these ideals, but that's individuals! Australians can be assholes in Australia too!