Double standards

[dpastern (Dave Pastern)]

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

My family were originally from Wollongong. Living right next to the Steel Works in Cringella. In my brothers class, he was the only one who had English as his first language. Our neighbour across the road was a German lady, her family escaped from East Germany through a tunnel under the Wall. There were Greeks, Italians, Poles, Hungarians. Everyone making a small safe haven within the community. Keeping their values, their customs and most importantly, their cuisine alive.
Marvelous!

Agreed.

Look, by nature, humans are racist. It's a broad comment that I make, but I stand by it. At least to some degree. Some are more tolerant than others, some aren't. Like most things in nature, it varies.

gman - a person is a person. Doesn't everyone deserve a fair go? Or do we pre-judge them on country of origin? How fair is that? How just is that? Does that make us any better than the tyrants they are escaping?

Dave

[stephenb (Stephen)]

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

Unless you can trace your bloodline back 40,000 years to the first boatload to Australia, I reckon we're all immigrants.

And really, even the Aborigines are immigrants of some sorts. They migrated across southern Asia, island hopping.

[astroron (Ron)]

Vars, your one eyed view of history is both wrong and very badly distorted
It was not only English convicts who where transported to Australia,they came from all the countries of the UK.
Also Brutality was the norm for most penal colonies all over the world.
A lot of convicts had done very little crime to get transported, but with the judicial system being as it was and the jails over flowing it was a solution to a problem.
Some of the best administrators and architects and other fields where former convicts.

[Octane (Humayun)]

All I can say is that I am so thankful to have been born in Australia. Thanks, mum and dad, for migrating, when you did!

This, seriously, is the best country in the world (even if I do want to move to New Zealand, lol).

Good luck, Duncan. I sincerely hope it all works out for you.

Regards,
Humayun

[Fossil (Jonathan)]

I'm not a racist... I hate everyone equally

Once, in a previous life, I had cause to lock up an Aboriginal for a serious assault and I copped all the abuse in the world. There were far too many expletives used to relay what he said, but basically he called me a racist bast**d!

I calmly looked at him and asked "Since when has a***hole been a 'race'?"

He gave me a blank look for a moment and asked "What do you mean?".

I replied "I'm locking you up because you are an a***hole, not because you are Aboriginal!"

He didn't say another word after that

[Karls48 (Karl)]

After living in Australia (and in other two countries before) for over 40 years I have to defend born Aussies. They are not racist. Current (stupid) political correctness labels anyone who disagrees with some minority group philosophy as racist. Then it suddenly jumps to label same groups as terrorist when they cross some legal boundaries. Without realising that it was those groups philosophy the led to the crossing the legal boundaries in the firs place.
I’m yours typical Wog. I speak with fossilised accent and I never learn English grammar (as Ron and few others surely realised). As for spelling, I use spelling checker and I get at lease one red underlined word in every second sentence. I do admit those shortcomings to establish my credentials to judge if the Australians are racist or not. I have been called wog in distant past on occasion, but never in the way I would not interpret it as insult. It was more like – Hey mate you got still long way to go before you can call yourself Aussie.
Almost all of Europe, America, Australia, some countries in Africa and at least two Asian countries have their government and judicial system based on Judeo- Christian philosophy. Regardless that I have been atheist all my life (lately I admit to be agnostic) I can not deny that my moral values (or lack of it, from other groups point of view) is essentially based on Judeo – Christian religions.
What is called racism is a reaction of established majority against attempts of the minorities to change status quo.
To my experience, any one that comes to Australia and is prepared to accept Australians values and hopefully enrich it by their ethnic knowledge, experience and wisdom is welcome. Those who come here and hope to change basic philosophy of this country or those who want to use Australia as launching pad for the attack on their country of origin you better go back where you come from. We are Australians and we will not let you change what made this country great.
My only grieve with Australians. For God shake do not pay too much attention to the B S that is coming from USA and Europe.
As for Duncan.. Mate that four years wait is worth of it

[Fossil (Jonathan)]

Hey Karl... what's wrong with a 'Fossilised' accent ???

[AstralTraveller (David)]

Originally Posted by dpastern

Look, by nature, humans are racist.

If you said xenophobic I'd be more inclined to agree. Racism is based on ignorance and the best cure is exposure to people of other races.

[toryglen-boy (Duncan)]

Originally Posted by Karls48

After living in Australia (and in other two countries before) for over 40 years I have to defend born Aussies. They are not racist. Current (stupid) political correctness labels anyone who disagrees with some minority group philosophy as racist. Then it suddenly jumps to label same groups as terrorist when they cross some legal boundaries. Without realising that it was those groups philosophy the led to the crossing the legal boundaries in the firs place.
I’m yours typical Wog. I speak with fossilised accent and I never learn English grammar (as Ron and few others surely realised). As for spelling, I use spelling checker and I get at lease one red underlined word in every second sentence. I do admit those shortcomings to establish my credentials to judge if the Australians are racist or not. I have been called wog in distant past on occasion, but never in the way I would not interpret it as insult. It was more like – Hey mate you got still long way to go before you can call yourself Assise.
Almost all of Europe, America, Australia, some countries in Africa and at least two Asian countries have their government and judicial system based on Judeo- Christian philosophy. Regardless that I have been atheist all my life (lately I admit to be agnostic) I can not deny that my moral values (or lack of it, from other groups point of view) is essentially based on Judeo – Christian religions.
What is called racism is a reaction of established majority against attempts of the minorities to change status quo.
To my experience, any one that comes to Australia and is prepared to accept Australians values and hopefully enrich it by their ethnic knowledge, experience and wisdom is welcome. Those who come here and hope to change basic philosophy of this country or those who want to use Australia as launching pad for the attack on their country of origin you better go back where you come from. We are Australians and we will not let you change what made this country great.
My only grieve with Australians. For Got shake do not pay too much attention to the B S that is coming from USA and Europe.
As for Duncan.. Mate that four years wait is worth of it

isnt it wierd? the differences in language and culture? i have heard people here say "wog" and its a word that i find deeply, deeply offensive, almost as offensive as other words that i would NEVER use in any form of communication, spoken, written or otherwise.

what a strange and wonderful world we live in.

[AstralTraveller (David)]

Originally Posted by Fossil

Hey Karl... what's wrong with a 'Fossilised' accent ???

There is nothing harder to shift than an ingrained accent, especially a Scottish accent. My grandmother arrived at the age of 14 and lost her accent completely. Grandad arrived at 18 and never lost it. He died at 84 and was still so broad that my wife had trouble understanding him. I also know another family where the older children never lost their Scots accent but the younger ones sound completely aussie. My German mother-in-law arrive when she was 20 and still has a bit of an accent but not that much. (With her you can understand the words - just not the logic And, yes, my wife would agree).

[toryglen-boy (Duncan)]

Originally Posted by AstralTraveller

There is nothing harder to shift than an ingrained accent, especially a Scottish accent. My grandmother arrived at the age of 14 and lost her accent completely. Grandad arrived at 18 and never lost it. He died at 84 and was still so broad that my wife had trouble understanding him. I also know another family where the older children never lost their Scots accent but the younger ones sound completely aussie. My German mother-in-law arrive when she was 20 and still has a bit of an accent but not that much. (With her you can understand the words - just not the logic And, yes, my wife would agree).

i sound very Scottish, think Billy Connolly, with Gerard Butler, and a hint of Ewan McGregor. i will never lose my accent, and i wouldnt want to, its part of me. If we go shopping and go to the mall food court for lunch, my partner has to ask for something for me, as they cant understand, especially at Gloria jeans. But then again, i speak Scots English, where the vowels ahve different sounds, i say "ey" as "a" whereas Aussies say it as "ee", you would say "Syd-nee" and i would say "Syd-nay"





FREEDOM !!!

[Fossil (Jonathan)]

Originally Posted by toryglen-boy

isnt it wierd? the differences in language and culture? i have heard people here say "wog" and its a word that i find deeply, deeply offensive, almost as offensive as other words that i would NEVER use in any form of communication, spoken, written or otherwise.

what a strange and wonderful world we live in.

He he... Duncan, don't ever watch an episode of Kingswood Country then

[toryglen-boy (Duncan)]

Originally Posted by Fossil

He he... Duncan, don't ever watch an episode of Kingswood Country then

Kingswood Country?

[Fossil (Jonathan)]

It's an old TV show (1970's) starring a grumpy old bigot named Ted Bullpit (Ross Higgins), whose daughter was married to an Italian. Poor old Ted never could warm to his 'wog' son-in-law who drove a purple valiant.

Worth a look if you ever get a chance to watch an episode

[toryglen-boy (Duncan)]

Originally Posted by Fossil

It's an old TV show (1970's) starring a grumpy old bigot named Ted Bullpit (Ross Higgins), whose daughter was married to an Italian. Poor old Ted never could warm to his 'wog' son-in-law who drove a purple valiant.

Worth a look if you ever get a chance to watch an episode

Ah thanks for that, we had something like that in the UK that i can jsut remember, as i was a wee boy when it was on.

"Love they neighbour"

at the time it was funny, although now when you see it, its absolutely appaling !!

[Fossil (Jonathan)]

Apparently, Kingswood Country is available on DVD.

Here is a link to some of his 'quotes'.

[Fossil (Jonathan)]

Originally Posted by toryglen-boy

Ah thanks for that, we had something like that in the UK that i can jsut remember, as i was a wee boy when it was on.

"Love they neighbour"

at the time it was funny, although now when you see it, its absolutely appaling !!

I remember it well, and On the buses, Curry and chips, To the manor born, Some mothers do 'ave 'em, Keeping up appearances... I still reckon you can't beat pommy humour.

[stephenb (Stephen)]

Originally Posted by Fossil

It's an old TV show (1970's) starring a grumpy old bigot named Ted Bullpit (Ross Higgins), whose daughter was married to an Italian. Poor old Ted never could warm to his 'wog' son-in-law who drove a purple valiant.

Worth a look if you ever get a chance to watch an episode

Brilliant show, although dated noow, it was an extention of the beginnings of multicultural Australian television.

A common term of the day for the valliant was the "wog chariot". I don't know if it still gets used.

I went to school in the NW 'burbs of Melbourne with many Italians, Greeks, Turks and Lebanese. They all collectively called themselves wogs and everyone was even comfortable for the Skips to call them wogs.

Same goes for "Pom". I will use that phrase when I work with my pommie work collegues - even they use the term.

I think Australians use words like "wogs" and "poms" as terms of endearment, almost affectionate, and they are not intended to be or sound racist or polotically incorrect.

[stephenb (Stephen)]

Originally Posted by Fossil

I remember it well, and On the buses, Curry and chips, To the manor born, Some mothers do 'ave 'em, Keeping up appearances... I still reckon you can't beat pommy humour.

And the best of them all - "Mind Your Language" - but bloody funny. Should be more of this classic TV.

[cohiba (Robert)]

Duncan Im not with you here if you are a permanant residant as I have been for 26 years why can't you get citezenship ? you are intitled to it after being a PR for 2 years thats the law in fact the govenment encourages you to do it