Looks like America could learn something from Australia...

[Goodspeed]

so what goodspeed is trying to say is that the 2JZ goes against everything that muslims believe and stand for

That is the most absurd, ignorant, and uninformed comment I've ever read.




2JZ can never lose.




Oh BTW, you're a racist.

[PGK]

Wow, not only is this off topic, but it's off-off topic.

I don't think either Andrew or Derek read TFA.

Basically, the article stated that clerics and religious leaders calling for Australia to fall under Sharia law were not welcome.

Translation: Those wishing to overthrow the government should go someplace else, before we send you.

How, someone tell me, is this *any* different from what *every* country does, except that a very specific finger was pointed.

+1 for literacy!

Although, to be fair, Costello could have worded what he said a lot better. Sharia law, for a majority of Muslims, is the code for how one lives one's personal life, much like Ultra-orthodox or Hassidic Jews. Costello came off as if he was saying that any very conservative or orthodox muslim who follows the rules and guides of the qu'ran should GTFO, as if he was saying "you can have your religion, just don't do any of the stuff you're supposed to do according to your religion".

Basically, the way he worded it was fucking racist.

People who are actively involved in efforts to undermine or topple existing democratic governments or plan and execute attacks on people and property are criminals. There is no need to take it any further than that.

[Evan]

Don't forget that Christianity was forcibly imposed throughout much of the world for centuries.

hah! thanks for proving my point.

"I can make generalizations but you can't!" :roll:

but id love to hear you back up that comment. especially in comparison to the islamic empires of old,and more importantly, present not to mention good old fashioned atheistic oppression.

[Goodspeed]

I was trying to get religion out of the discussion. People were seeing "Islam" and running with it, when that wasn't the point I was trying to get across.

Now, since you seem to know your history, if you or anyone else could answer the previous historical question I posed I'd be impressed.

[Evan]

I was trying to get religion out of the discussion.

funny way of doing it

Now, since you seem to know your history, if you or anyone else could answer the previous historical question I posed I'd be impressed.

IMO Its as simple as failed multiculturalism and the backlash against it, similar to what has been happening in europe. I read a great article on it but cant seem to track it down. Here is a related one.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/0000000CA4C4.htm">http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/0000000CA4C4.htm</a><!-- m -->
The backlash and return to nationalism is a good thing, IMO. Multiculturalism turned out to be divisive rather than unifying, so a return to nationalism only made sense. The australians are just saying "if you dont want to be an australian then gtfo"
similarly, the brits have started stressing the identity of the country rather than dividing it into a bunch of "cultures"


or at least thats how my right wing republican fox news watching gun totin ass sees it.

[Andy]

This immigration/xenophobia thing isn't a new to America. WASP's at the turn of the century were freaking out about the Italians/Irish coming over and taking jobs. Some of the more radical elements of the Italian/German socialist/communists community bombed businesses and there was a similar backlash e.g. Sacco/Vanzetti trial.

Multiculturalism wasn't invented by some bleeding heart liberal. It was a pragmatic attempt at solving some cultural differences. Are there pitfalls/downsides, sure. I don't think anyone will disagree but to link multiculturalism to terrorism is problematic at best.

I could be wrong but the whole muliticulturalism idea is a pretty brand new experiment which is subject to some growing pains. If some feel that it needs to be changed, then good for them. Exercise your democratic right to lobby your representatives but I wouldn't argue for scrapping the project. What would be the alternative? A less welcoming America?

[Kaan]

They just need to take notes from the Turks... genocide. if you kill them all off... you dont have any more terrorists... right?

[Andy]

They just need to take notes from the Turks... genocide. if you kill them all off... you dont have any more terrorists... right?

Ha...You said it wasn't genocide last year.

[Steve85]

They came for the communists
and I wasn't a communist so I did not speak up

They came for the Jews,
and I did not speak up because I wasn't a Jew

They came for the trade unionists,
and I did not speak up because I was not a trade unionist.

They came for the Catholics,
and I did not speak up because I was Protestant.




Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one was left to speak up.

Martin Niemoller.

If you are "white" be careful what you wish for, majority status is fading.