Australian Racial Violence?!? - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Agamemnon · 12-12-2005, 08:21 AM

In the NY Times today there's a story about thousands of white Australians descending upon Sydney beach to beat the crap out of anyone they considered 'of Middle Eastern descent'.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/inte...Unrest.html?hp

I always thought Australia and Canada were very close in terms of cultural assimilation/maturity. Can you see something like this happening in Canada? Has this always been a problem in Australia, but 'swept under the carpet' when it comes to their national image? I don't think so... but this story is pretty wild.

Cowperson · 12-12-2005, 08:40 AM

I always thought Australia and Canada were very close in terms of cultural assimilation/maturity.

Mmmmmm . . . . .why?

Never been there myself but I always thought things were pretty tense under the surface. I'm making that statement based on nothing more than snippets and passages I've read through the years.

Police, meanwhile, formed a strike force to track down the instigators of the attack, some of whom were believed to be from white supremacist groups.

That would explain a lot.

Cowperson

Agamemnon · 12-12-2005, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cowperson

I always thought Australia and Canada were very close in terms of cultural assimilation/maturity.

Mmmmmm . . . . .why?

Never been there myself but I always thought things were pretty tense under the surface. I'm making that statement based on nothing more than snippets and passages I've read through the years.

Well... I've always figured Canada had the same 'tension' under the surface. Both countries have aboriginal/native populations that got screwed over (Oka was 'tense'), both have predominantly white-Christian heritage/backgrounds, both have experienced massive immigration over the same time-periods. I suppose that's why.

Incinerator · 12-12-2005, 10:52 AM

as a visible minority who visited Australia a couple times I will say that they are certainly not that friendly to coloured folks as a society in general, I get the same feeling there as I do in Montana, people look at you with a different expression when they're talking to you. This is of course just my personal experience.

Hakan · 12-12-2005, 11:23 AM

I have heard from numerous sources that Australia is very racist towards Asian citizens. All you have to do is take a look at their record with the aboriginal people there, it's worse than Canada's.

CaramonLS · 12-12-2005, 12:16 PM

Australia has also has also had extremely strict immigration policy as well.

I remember there was that dispute about the boat loads of refugees they wouldn't allow into their country a while back because of the dangerous precident they thought it would set.

Winsor_Pilates · 12-12-2005, 07:28 PM

Well, just crossed that off my "want to visit" list.

FlamesAddiction · 12-12-2005, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hakan

I have heard from numerous sources that Australia is very racist towards Asian citizens. All you have to do is take a look at their record with the aboriginal people there, it's worse than Canada's.

Ever see the Australian movie "Romper Stomper" with Russel Crowe? It was not completely based on fiction. I really recommend seeing it if you haven't.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0105275/

RougeUnderoos · 12-12-2005, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Well, just crossed that off my "want to visit" list.

You aren't going anywhere then if the presence of racial strife and hooliganism is enough to keep you away. Hell, you can't even go to Edmonton, considering their famous Canada Day riots.

I've never been to Australia but I don't for a second believe that these losers represent the country. Did you happen to hear any of them on the TV? We've got plenty of fools just like them in Canada but ours don't have that cool accent.

Hakan · 12-12-2005, 08:08 PM

I always thought the Australian accent was more aggravating than cool.

Footscray · 12-12-2005, 08:27 PM

I used to live in Melbourne and it was noticeably worse than here, many aussies at my school referred to the numerous greek and italian people in the city as "wogs" and the mediterraneans called the locals "skippys", which is apparently the name of an old kangaroo show. New immigrants seemed to make little effort to assimilate which the aussies really resented.

Hack&Lube · 12-12-2005, 08:31 PM

Canada is different in that our overwhelming influence is the United States which just simply dominates everything.

Australia, as a classic Anglo-Saxon country is somewhat of an abberation, in the south-pacific surrounded by Asiatic influences and with underlying ethnic tension especially with the influx of immigrants.

This happens to many countries, look at France a few weeks ago. Things just get out of hand if they bubble under the surface for too long.

Winsor_Pilates · 12-12-2005, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

You aren't going anywhere then if the presence of racial strife and hooliganism is enough to keep you away. Hell, you can't even go to Edmonton, considering their famous Canada Day riots.

I've never been to Australia but I don't for a second believe that these losers represent the country. Did you happen to hear any of them on the TV? We've got plenty of fools just like them in Canada but ours don't have that cool accent.

I was kidding. I know they're just a few idiots

RougeUnderoos · 12-12-2005, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

I was kidding. I know they're just a few idiots

Whoops sorry.

Anyhow, I saw some more footage of this thing tonight. It looked like a Girls Gone Wild scene but instead of nudity there would be the occasional beat-down of someone with black hair. They were all chugging booze, laughing it up, screaming stupid chants and assaulting random people and vandalizing random cars and businesses. In other words, really doing a lot to further their ######ed "cause".

The funniest thing was seeing the pictures of the white guys (who had been participants) getting into their own car after it was all over and all the windows were broken out.

Shawnski · 12-12-2005, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Canada is different in that our overwhelming influence is the United States which just simply dominates everything.

How in the world to you think the States impacts... no.. dominates our immigration policy? This one needs some support for your argument.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Australia, as a classic Anglo-Saxon country is somewhat of an abberation, in the south-pacific surrounded by Asiatic influences and with underlying ethnic tension especially with the influx of immigrants.

And Canada is different how?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

This happens to many countries, look at France a few weeks ago. Things just get out of hand if they bubble under the surface for too long.

And you do not expect something like this in Canada any time soon? Small tremors are already happening... do you not see the quake about to occur?

RougeUnderoos · 12-12-2005, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawnski

And you do not expect something like this in Canada any time soon? Small tremors are already happening... do you not see the quake about to occur?

I don't know about Hack&Lube, but I don't see any "quake about to occur".

Do you? If so, where? Why?

Canada has it's share of dumb racists, but I think you'd be pretty hard pressed to round up 6000 drunken fools to rival the display we've seen in Sydney.

Incinerator · 12-12-2005, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawnski

And you do not expect something like this in Canada any time soon? Small tremors are already happening... do you not see the quake about to occur?

No, I don't, actually. The Anglo-saxon caucasians are declining in number at such a rate that in 10 years the visible minority might just be renamed the visible majority. By then your typical KKK member would just become a rare random nutjob rather than a racist picking on the "minority".

Flame Of Liberty · 12-13-2005, 03:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Agamemnon

In the NY Times today there's a story about thousands of white Australians descending upon Sydney beach to beat the crap out of anyone they considered 'of Middle Eastern descent'.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/inte...Unrest.html?hp

I always thought Australia and Canada were very close in terms of cultural assimilation/maturity. Can you see something like this happening in Canada? Has this always been a problem in Australia, but 'swept under the carpet' when it comes to their national image? I don't think so... but this story is pretty wild.

You know whats funny? When white Aussies hold protests against violent Arab immigrants, thats immediatelly called racims (fair enough) but no one calls it racism when Arabs terorize white citizens - heck it started when the Lebanese beat up white guards on a beach, proclaiming it is "theirs." Looks to me that only whites are always labelled as racists, when they are sick and tired of immigrants who are not willing to blend in their "new" country, not even a bit. Instead they are stiring up crap and spreading violence (rapes and what not).

Flame Of Liberty · 12-13-2005, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Footscray

I used to live in Melbourne and it was noticeably worse than here, many aussies at my school referred to the numerous greek and italian people in the city as "wogs" and the mediterraneans called the locals "skippys", which is apparently the name of an old kangaroo show.

Are you serious? Thats racism too? Last time I checked, Italians and Greeks are whites. Melbourne is doing a far better job integrating all cultures into one big melting pot that Sydney, thats for sure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Footscray

New immigrants seemed to make little effort to assimilate which the aussies really resented.

Thats true. Is it surprising though? If someone thinks that is is "cuturally OK" to beat the crap out of his daugher for wearing tight fitting T-shirts, then he better stays in the cave he came from.

Footscray · 12-13-2005, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flame Of Liberty

Are you serious? Thats racism too? Last time I checked, Italians and Greeks are whites. Melbourne is doing a far better job integrating all cultures into one big melting pot that Sydney, thats for sure.

I'm not really trying to get into a debate over the difference between race and ethnicity. Melbourne is a wicked place to live and I would go back in a second - it goes on under the surface and didn't colour my time there at all but it does go on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flame Of Liberty

Thats true. Is it surprising though? If someone thinks that is is "cuturally OK" to beat the crap out of his daugher for wearing tight fitting T-shirts, then he better stays in the cave he came from.

You must know yourself that this example is not justification, it could as well be some drunken farmer doing the same thing to his daughter somewhere out in country victoria. It may not be surprising at all but I think we can agree that it is less than ideal, you should never have a pre-determined notion about a person's nature before you meet them because of where they come from, it is a kindergarten morality lesson.