Australian Values

Did anyone else catch Jeff McMullen’s new show, Difference of Opinion last night?

I had a difference of opinion with one of the panelists, who said that migrants only had a hard time if they didn’t assimilate properly.  Her family were migrants, and because they learned English as soon as they could, she now has an Order of Australia.  Now, I am sure that learning English is a valuable skill for migrants.  But I am also sure that this crazy old bat hasn’t had her finger on the pulse of multicultural Australia since she “assimilated” in the 1950’s.  I think things have changed since then – I’m pretty sure there were no race riots in Cronulla in the 50’s.

One of the other panelists pointed out that the migrants felt excluded form beach culture, and Professor Helen Hughes OA replied, “don’t be silly, anyone can surf”, proving that she had her head up her own arse for the entire event.  She must have not read a single newspaper or watched television for months to be so bloody ignorant about a major blight on our idea of ourselves as an inclusive society.  If I, as a teenager from the suburbs felt excluded from beach culture when I was growing up, I dare say it would be a hell of a lot worse if you don’t look like a skippy, and worse still if you have a natural tan.  Or, god forbid, an accent.

And I won’t be using the word tolerant to describe my attitude to people from other cultures any more.  An audience member pointed out that expressing tolerance implied that there is something wrong.  I used to say that I could tolerate anything but intolerance, but I can see how bloody insulting “tolerance” and “acceptance” are in the face of difference. 

Discrimination has two dictionary meanings

1. to make a distinction in favor of or against a person or thing on the basis of the group, class, or category to which the person or thing belongs rather than according to actual merit; show partiality: The new law discriminates against foreigners. He discriminates in favor of his relatives.

2. to note or observe a difference; distinguish accurately: to discriminate between things.

So while it’s natural to observe differences, and it’s natural to favour people who look like us over people who don’t look like us, grown up people have to look beneath the skin and look at values.

Which is where the racists are having a field day in Australia at the moment.  Ask for a definition of Australian values, and you get a string of words like, mateship and a fair go.  For fucks sake.

What do you think are “Australian Values™”?  Beyond charring mammal flesh on an outdoor fire, drinking beer, getting sunburnt, playing cricket in summer and footy in winter, and calling everybody a poofter, I am not really sure.  And I don’t see how making migrants ascribe to these values makes them more valuable citizens.  And let’s face it, besides drinking beer, I’m a pretty sad excuse for an Aussie under that definition.

And for a lighthearted ending to this rant, visit The Department of Citizenship and Fair Dinkum Values.

I’m going back to bed, as soon as I finish coughing up this lung.

PS.  I once heard someone talking about racism, and specifically that we are all programmed as humans to protect and foster people that look like us.  Our immediate family first, then our extended family, then our community, and then our nation.  It’s been pointed out that most Scandinavian countries have generous social welfare schemes – this person conjectured that this is because all the welfare recipients look like the people who are contributing to the welfare system through taxes.  In America, white politicians use this to get re-elected on anti welfare platforms. No references, because I can’t remember who said it, what program they said it on, or even what radio station I heard it on, but I believe it was either Radio National or ABC local radio.  They tend to have more crazy intellectuals than rock stars…