Costello and "Australian Values"
Costello has come out with an attack against what he describes as "Mushy Multiculturalism". Specifically, he points to Muslims who believes that their Koran driven "law" takes precedence over the Australian Law - and says such people have no place in Australia. He, the PM and many commentators have said that immigrants should come here and adopt Australian Values.
Well... yes - I agree that when you live in a country, you are bound first and foremost by the laws of that country. I also firmly believe that to live in Australia, you MUST be able to speak english.
Having said that, can SOMEONE please tell me what is meant by "Australian Values"? As far as I can see, Australia has no unique 'values', except perhaps for drinking to excess on regular occasions. If you mean that I (as an immigrant, albeit at 2years of age) should forget my culture and behave like "mainstream Australia" - well, you can forget it. Some cultures don't embrace having boyfriends and girlfriends from a young age - are we supposed to take that up under duress? Some cultures do not look kindly on the consumption of alcohol - should they now drink? In fact, "mainstream Australia" today embraces excessive consumerism - people my age are more often than not already in reasonably deep debt! Are you telling me that that is how we should behave? So what exactly ARE these "Australian Values" that keep getting thrown around?
I read a letter to the editor in the Australian Newspapaper two days ago. The contributor was saying that people coming to Australia must embrace a "Western society and Western Religious construct". Presumably they were talking about Muslims? Well, Islam is a Western Religion, you damn fool! And, if you are telling my that I must embrace religions that have at the basis, the notion that you either follow their god, or go to hell - well, you can go to hell.
What I'm getting at is this : Lets not react to a tiny minorty, and try and assimilate everyone into the Ocker Australia. As far as I'm concerned, the moderating factors that hold Australian society together are largely imported (compare divorce/child abuse/theft/murder/rape..etc statistics between "white Australia" and other ethnic subcultures). Cultures should not exist in Australian in that antagonise or seek to override the rest of the society. But it is equally arrogant to try and assimilate all others into an "Australian culture" - a culture that nobody can seem to define.
Well... yes - I agree that when you live in a country, you are bound first and foremost by the laws of that country. I also firmly believe that to live in Australia, you MUST be able to speak english.
Having said that, can SOMEONE please tell me what is meant by "Australian Values"? As far as I can see, Australia has no unique 'values', except perhaps for drinking to excess on regular occasions. If you mean that I (as an immigrant, albeit at 2years of age) should forget my culture and behave like "mainstream Australia" - well, you can forget it. Some cultures don't embrace having boyfriends and girlfriends from a young age - are we supposed to take that up under duress? Some cultures do not look kindly on the consumption of alcohol - should they now drink? In fact, "mainstream Australia" today embraces excessive consumerism - people my age are more often than not already in reasonably deep debt! Are you telling me that that is how we should behave? So what exactly ARE these "Australian Values" that keep getting thrown around?
I read a letter to the editor in the Australian Newspapaper two days ago. The contributor was saying that people coming to Australia must embrace a "Western society and Western Religious construct". Presumably they were talking about Muslims? Well, Islam is a Western Religion, you damn fool! And, if you are telling my that I must embrace religions that have at the basis, the notion that you either follow their god, or go to hell - well, you can go to hell.
What I'm getting at is this : Lets not react to a tiny minorty, and try and assimilate everyone into the Ocker Australia. As far as I'm concerned, the moderating factors that hold Australian society together are largely imported (compare divorce/child abuse/theft/murder/rape..etc statistics between "white Australia" and other ethnic subcultures). Cultures should not exist in Australian in that antagonise or seek to override the rest of the society. But it is equally arrogant to try and assimilate all others into an "Australian culture" - a culture that nobody can seem to define.
That post was unaustralian, it seemed to discourage drinking. Having said that, I have been drinking, and so I'm not quite sure what you have said.
We need to find a way to immigrate the shire. I'm sure somewhere in Russia they will take them.
You know somethings wrong when Pauline agrees with whats been said....
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