Monday, January 23, 2012

What obsesses the political class on Australia Day?

You would think that Australia Day would be time for a little patriotic pride. Unfortunately, that's not how it's treated in the media. The media is obsessed in the week leading up to Australia Day with endless handwringing about whether Australians are racist or not. They just can't leave the issue alone - which reveals, I think, where their heads are at. Even in a relatively conservative paper like the Herald Sun, you just can't escape the obsession - in today's edition, for instance, there are no less than three columns all boringly saying the same thing. It's not that they are sinking the boot in, it's that their frame for discussing Australia Day is limited to the issue of whethr Australians are or aren't racist in response to diversity and multiculturalism.

10 comments:

  1. It is becoming a bit of a tradition for this to happen every year now.

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  2. I saw something about a Chinese surgeon being a headline speaker about racism this year.

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  3. Yes, he's a good example of the emerging trend. It's not that he bagged Australia - it's that he turned the focus to how he as an immigrant was either helped or impeded by the presence or absence of racism. And that kind of thing represents the bulk of what we now get in the lead up to Australia Day.

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  4. I'm sure he was too superior to openly bag Australia. *Sigh* We have so much to learn from someone like that.

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  5. It tends to be denounce the typical 'Aussie ethno majority' day, to me. Seems more of a mind game really.

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  6. "Racism rife in finance and IT hiring policies in Australia"

    "The survey of 895 workers revealed 72 per cent believed racism exists in hiring practices in Australia.

    Those who felt racism was a major issue came from backgrounds including Anglo-Saxon, African and Asian."

    Umm did they just say Anglo-saxon. Pinch me I must be dreaming.

    but wait the first part of the article says this

    "India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and China were more likely to suffer the prejudice.
    "

    I'm confused.

    So did they just accidentally let slip at the end of the article the practice of Indian racism against other ethnic groups in IT and Finance.

    Read more: http://www.news.com.au/business/racism-rife-in-finance-and-it-hiring/story-e6frfm1i-1226250941760#ixzz1kHCOQFt9

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  7. Maybe it was self-immolating Anglo-Saxons that perceive racism exists...but only from other Anglo-Saxons against other races?

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  8. People need to recognise that "racism" is simply a shaming device to undermine the moral legitimacy of any group and their right to exist.

    Adopt the approach of the Japanese or South Koreans. They value their own culture and recognise that unlimited immigration will invariably undermine that in the long run.

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  9. its simple, these issues keep coming up because our country tries to hide it under the carpet, Australia has never tried to deal with racism and our terrible past, so naturally it keeps poping up, its only a mystery if your ignoring the issues

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  10. Australia has never tried to deal with racism

    Contemporary Australia is utterly obsessed with racism. Try being a high school student - it's an ever present issue.

    our terrible past

    And then people deny that there is a "black armband view" of Australian history.

    Really, why bother having a country if that's the best way to summarise its existence.

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