Existing Users: Because of an update to the forum software you will need to reset your password. Please use the "Forgot?" link on the sign in form to do so. If that doesn't work, send me an email at feedback@forzaminardi.com and I'll sort you out!
What The Hell Is Going On Down Under?
Any of you Croc Dundee types have some input on the "riots"? Looks pretty serious.
Comments
Sydney is approaching 5 million people now. Guess they can't get a long after all.
What is interesting is that the ethnic Arabs are travelling out of their areas, down to where the surfies live, to beat up on them.
This think has been siommering ever since a gang-rape trial a few years ago when a bunch of middle eastern types figured (as you do when your culture is as fucked-up as theirs is) that if a girl wears slutty clothes and is a prick teaser, then she's fair game. Their community couldn't understand why they were all jailed, some for very long terms.
Add to that the suspicion that hangs over these communities post 9/11, and police raiding houses looking for bombs, and it's always going to be a case of 'light blue touch paper and stand clear'.
Next, we'll find westies jumping into their cars and heading down to the Arab areas and taking out some form of retribution. Dickheads.
All my life I've tried to maintain an even view of different cultures, and been proud of the great influences brought to this country by people from all over. But I find my Anglo-Saxon feeling of superiority emerging when this sort of crap goes on. Last week in Melbourne a bunch of young guys were giving their taxi driver a hard time. He told them to stop smoking (as is the law), and they told him to take a running jump. Cab stops, guys get out of cab, and driver Ahmed drives off, turns around, and ploughs back into them. One dead, three injured. I just cannot dig this attitude where violence and killing are the natural repercussions to injured pride.
So, as the half century approaches, I find myself turning into a racist. I look at shit like this and think, these clowns from the middle east aren't worth anybody's respect or sympathy. Not that they don't have legitimate grievances, but because they don't have any sense of right and wrong, or any sense of balance.
....oh, and they smell. I was thinking that immigration tests should be abolished in favour of a sniff test.
Problem lies with the locals Their attitude is "It's our beach, so fuck off" regardless of race or colour. Even if you were a white Anglo Saxon from the outer suburbs you were told in no uncertain terms that you don't belong.
This "Racist" tension has been brewing for 40 years. First with the Greeks and Italians and Lebanese (Christian), then Vietnamese, now with Lebanese (Muslim). I make this distinction because it's an important one. The Christian Lebs came here in the fifties, the Muslim Lebs (which the Christian Lebs call Syrians) are the most recent of arrivals.
You can't stop racism, you can only try to prevent people from acting out on their beliefs.
Problem lies with the youth of the Muslim lebs. For whatever reason these kids are filled with hate. Hate for everybody. They have no respect for the law, nor for their parents. I have a lot of middle eastern friends and even they do not understand why it is this young generation has a different mind set.
So, the Anglo locals drew a line in the sand and attacked (while fuelled with alcohol) anyone with middle eastern apperance. Problem now is that the Muslim youth will retaliate 10 fold, and on it goes.
I'm so happy I moved from Sydney, and my family don't live close to this. Unfortunately I think this will escalate.
1. Australia is a great country, probably the best place in the world to live.
2. If you find something isn’t working, you fix it.
3. Australia is a more interesting, stronger and better place for the diversity that has come from immigration policies which have accepted people from many lands.
4. You come to Australia, you accept it as it is and don’t impose foreign values or practices.
5. You’re entitled to your own views and religion as long as that doesn’t affect others. Don’t try to impose your views on others.
6. If you can’t control yourself on the beach, even with a bit of nudity around, get off the beach. It’s your problem not the girls.
7. If you have a problem with alcohol, or someone else drinking, stay home.
8. Cops have got a job to do. If they don’t do it, don’t then blame the mob for standing up for their rights.
9. Political correctness, like most things political has got a lot to answer for.
10. If the pollies don’t listen to what the voters are saying, and represent the views of a) the majority, and b) fair claims of other significant minorities, then tensions will build.
11. The length of my fuse relate to your tolerance. If you don’t respect my views, don’t expect any agreement or compromise.
12. Baseball bats, knives and guns are weapons of cowards.
13. Eat Aussie food, vegemite sandwich, malt sandwich or knuckle sandwich.
An Aussie appreciation test should be mandatory for visitors, immigrants and childen of immigrants.
If we went to middle eastern or asian countries, or England (as an example) we have to live by their rules, or we get shot, hanged or fingers chopped off. i'm
pissed off every time someone comes here and wants to change the rules, to suit
their little agendas. We have a guy at work here who's mum is Lebanesse and she
hates what they are doing. She says they wouldn't last a day back where their parents come from. So I 'll put the problem down to a piss weak government that
won't lay down the law incase thy are seen as being "racist".
Of course the troublemakers are breaking the law.
Unfortunately with riots, that's the idea.
Strengthening the law after the event, is going to be like trying to put a lid on a boiling pot.
More police, doing their job, might have prevented the current problem, if they had acted to stop gangs getting out of hand, and building up community resentment.
For once, I agree with the French approach when after their riots, Chirac acknowledge that there were problems and said they had to address the concerns.
Of course some minority groups will plead discrimination , racism and infingement of religious freedoms (?) if they are told they have to respect the majority Australian views on issues like dress, drinking, location and activities at places of worship, but ..TOUGH.. they should have thought of that when they wanted to come to Australia. The Government should be prepared to advise aggrieved parties to direct their concerns to understanding how their host country works, or should work, more to the point.
It is encouraging to see the surfer group speaking calmly about the concerns, apologising for the hoons who went too far and calling for solutions.
Demonstrators occupied their head office in Australia and the twist to their name RIOT INTO was coined.
My friend was their PR man who addressed the unruly crowd in the lobby. "You are trespassing" he declared in a strong loud voice. "SO ARE YOU" came back the unanimous response.
Aaaah! Freedom of speech !
Community at work.
Never leave it all to the politicians, or even other governing bodies. We're all stakeholders, but you don't want to go down the Cronull beach on Sunday holding a stake, ...
or you'll be arrested.
Spin