Giving multiculturalism a bad name

[erudito]

So, the Gillard Government, starting with the PM herself, is already distancing itself from a taxpayer-funded study which claimed that celebrating the centenary of ANZAC could be divisive. This shows that the Gillard Government is not suicidally stupid

Comments

[quatrefoil]

As an Anglo-Celtic Australian, I deplore the celebration of ANZAC Day. Not its quiet rememberance with regret, but the nationalistic, jingoistic celebration it became under the Howard era at a time not co-incidentally when the last veterans of the Gallipoli campaign no longer had a voice to protest (and protest they did). I loathe the glorification of war in all its forms, and I fail to see that we should be spending any more money to 'celebrate' such an anniversary. (Note, I'm not objecting to the kind of dignified commemoration that was held for the 75th anniversary, though I think it's kind of pointless when there's no longer anyone who remembers it

[quatrefoil]

Oh, and my views have absolutely nothing to do with multiculturalism, which since the Turks and the Japanese have been marching on ANZAC Day for quite some time now, seem to be an entirely moot point.

[jordan179]

You don't think that Australia (and New Zealand) should be proud of the courage shown by their troops in the First World War? Why not?

As to why Australia should "celebrate" this courage, for oen thing it is the reputation for that sort of courage which helps keep Australia free, by convincing potential aggressors that she would not be a pushover.

So what was it that our ANZAC heros were fighting for again?

What, preventing Germany from using military aggression to dominate the Continent isn't good enough for you? You would prefer some sort of fantasy-war with a Dark Lord and his demon-hordes?

(And yes, I know that the battle most commemorated was against the Turks, but Turkey was at the time part of the German coalition, the "Central Powers").

[cutelildrow]

I rather wonder if, by naming oneself a 'member of club virtue' one immediately assumes in one's own mind that their opinions are rendered irrevocably fact (as if simply expressing dissent against war were enough). The illogic had me blink.

Australia's pretty darned good about integrating its' (willing) migrant populace; it's the unwilling and unaccepting belligerent migrants (refugee, legal and illegal) that Australia and Aussies very rightfully have an issue with. I hope that Australia continues to hold fast against the xenophilia that seems to have seized England disasterously to the detriment of her people.

[yamamanama]

Australia has a culture?

[jordan179]

Aren't you supposed to be digging a tunnel into Federal prison with your keyboard? Get to it, man!

[yamamanama]

I didn't know insulting Australia was illegal.

[jordan179]

No, just stupid. And you missed the point. And I don't care, really.

[cutelildrow]

...multiculturalism is the process whereby the residents are required to adapt to the newcomers

Rather sad really, since originally multiculturalism meant the adaptation and harmonious integration of the migrants to the residents, and the good aspects of both newcomer and local cultures melded together into new traditions that served to improve the whole. I find myself wondering sometimes if at some point the Agenda-Driven Club Virtue hijacked it, or the ideal was the sweetly worded trap which was meant to ensnare.

The only thing that keeps me from accepting this cynical belief are the memories of the Turkish, Iranian, Iraqi and other families working hard to integrate in West Germany when I lived there as a child, The men were vehemently teaching sons to behave respectfully in front of other women, and letting, indeed, encouraging girls go without hijab except on Ramadan (making it a cultural practice). They believed in the ideal, even if in the end it may not have worked for everyone. I hear it's changed a lot there now

[yamamanama]

The problem is Merah integrated into French society a little too well. Or he was mentally ill. Or both.

[jordan179]

Ah, so French culture is one of the many foreign cultures you hate, along with Australian and Filipino? Just keep hating foreign cultures, you ... xenophile? Hmm, something doesn't fit there -- are you sure you didn't mean to type "xenophobe?"

[oronoda]

Yama just hates countries that host people who call his bullshit. That's all.

[cutelildrow]

...they were citizens who put their hand up because they felt the country they called home was more important than the risk to their own lives.

That they also spent it to protect the freedom of speech of mealy mouthed pacifists who clearly have no idea what was paid to protect those freedoms... and also don't value the price paid for their continued freedom...

Ah well. Freedom of speech. They can be as ungrateful as they like. That doesn't stop other people from judging them as utterly contemptible either however, despite the fact they seem to want to wish otherwise.