Good One, Abbott
Violence erupted between rival groups at the ‘Reclaim Australia’ yesterday.
Guest blogger Melissa Frost gives her views.
Are you happy, Abbott?
Australia is in the middle of a civil war it doesnt need to have.
An ideological civil war and today 4th April 2015 a near riot nationwide between those wanting multiculturalism and those opposing multiculturalism. And yet globally Australia is seen as one of the most successful multi cultural societies.
Sitting here in my living room following Twitter this rainy Sunday afternoon of the Easter weekend holiday. I was horrified to read my fellow Australians threaten, push and scream at each other at Reclaim Australia protests around the country. Organised over the internet, these protests were initially cancelled. Yet protesters turned up at Martin Place, Sydney and across Australia as well as other organisations and community groups opposing the Reclaim Australia mantra.
In 2012, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said: “Multiculturalism is the word that we use to capture our love of the things that bind us together and our respect for the diversity that enriches us”.
This is a humanist definition of the word “multiculturalism”. And Julia Gillard’s definition of the word I particularly like. It encapsulates the right of all human beings to be heard. For all human beings to be considered and honoured. It speaks of dignity and our lifetime common goal of living life with love, care for each other and above all, respect.
Yet, over the last 18 months this definition of multiculturalism has changed. Abbott like his sensei Howard, loathed the “m” word and avoided multiculturalism discussions at every turn. Abbott in the Howard years described multiculturalism as “My view was that Australia should emphasise the common characteristics of the Australian identity. We should emphasise our unifying points rather than our areas of difference.” Which is not a definition of multiculturalism , it is a definition of nationalism.
As soon as Abbott became Prime Minister his definition of multiculturalism translated into action, with his government’s abolition of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Bureau of Immigration, Multiculturalism and Population Research.
Abbott’s minister’s took to Twitter with tweets such as “Note burqa wearers in some of the houses raided this morning? This shroud of oppression and flag of fundamentalism is not right in Aust”. A Corey Bernardi tweet from September 2014 following the anti-terrorist raids in Sydney and Melbourne. A very publicised tweet supported by the Murdoch press. A tweet suggesting all burqa wearers in Australia were terrorists.
Bernadi himself the son of an Italian immigrant Leon Bernardi, who came to Australia at 16, worked his way from the David Jones food counter to running his own hotels and restaurants, and succeeded well enough to send his three sons to the exclusive Prince Alfred College is an excellent example of multiculturalism succeeding.
And yet Abbott, another successful immigrant story and Bernardi will not afford their successful multicultural examples to others. Instead inciting fear and loathing through the different mediums of the press, Twitter and Abbott’s six flag national addresses on new anti terrorist laws on our TV screens.
These constant, daily, visual cues by this Abbott government and their “Team Australia” rhetoric give those who are disenfranchised, ie young caucasian males, a licence to invoke thuggery. To project their discontent of their lives onto Australia’s Islamic community and organise rally’s Australia wide calling for “Reclaim Australia”.
Good one, Abbott.
19 comments
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Bilal
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pamelac65
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philgorman2014
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Rosemary (@RosemaryJ36)
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LOVO
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mars08
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rob
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lyne fomiatti
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lawrencewinder
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marwill10
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jane
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Mark
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gangey1959
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xiaoecho
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mat
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townsvilleblog
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townsvilleblog
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townsvilleblog
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jimhaz
Return to home pageThe Nazis created street violence in their anti-socialist, anti-Jewish, anti-unionist rallies to divide the nation, create fear and uncertainty and to win the cretinous vote. They played upon the anger of those who were unhappy with their living conditions in 1920s Germany, particularly the officer class, which felt betrayed and overlooked in the post-war crisis. As the Abbott led economy turns belly up and our debt increases to dangerous levels, as the front bench starts to feel threatened, “national security” becomes the catch-cry and the internal enemy, the Muslims this time instead of the Jews, the focus to divert attention from the mess being created. History has lessons for us and we should beware of what is happening. It is a danger to our way of life and to social cohesion.
Bilal – absolutely correct assessment. The Abbott Government is picking up where Howard left off in stirring the nation against itself.
The miracle that was multiculturalism is being destroyed by the toxic hatred stirred up in the masses by politicians who know exactly what they are doing.
Furthermore mainstream media is in thrall to these brutes. Where is the critique of a nation stalled, a budget rejected, legislation not passed, an inept stupid government unable to act in the nations best interests? If this was a Labor government there would be no stopping the vitriol- the Liberal Government gets a free ride.
You nailed it guys.
“Patriotism – the last refuge of the scoundrel.” Dr Johnson
Civil unrest and hatred are exactly what despots want when they’re looking shaky. “Rally round the flags boys and girls, only we can keep you safe! We will fight the enemies without and within”. It’s the oldest trick in the book; and it works every time.
We are being dragged into a fascist black hole. I dread the future.
Hate campaigns must be stopped before they cause the problems they falsely claim already exist.
It’s too…too late ….. I HATE TONY ABBOTT SO F*ing MUCH…… and that claim ain’t false, by the by and by!!!!!!
Not only would I not piss on him if ‘he’ were on fire…… I’d light the flame…………. *my bad* 👿
“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”
»Voltaire
Nice article. However it is sad that our society defines success by wealth regardless of character or deed. The first truly successful immigrant that came to my mind was victor chang (this was partly because he was murdered on my tenth birthday) and a positive product of immigrant would be charlie teo. abbott and bernardi are two cases that would turn anyone against immigration. God forbid we let any more like them in.
My defence against the aberration that Abbott represents, is to stay strong, informed and retain faith in caring, intelligent, sensible Australians who will use their democratic vote to rid Australia of this coalition government..
Sheet music Copies of the Horst Wessel still available…..Brown Shirts in production in L, XL & XXL .
It is not only multiculturalism that is at stake here. I listen to Joe Hockey rant and rave at every opportunity about the age pension being unsustainable. My feeling of being someone of worth, someone who worked and paid taxes for over 40 years and now, through some bad life choices relies solely on the pension am being told that I am costing this country too much. I have been on the pension for nearly 15 years and have never felt so worthless before.
We are unsustainable, we are a liability, the sooner we pass away the better. That is the message I am getting nearly every day.
@marwill10, I suggest you raise your middle digit to Eleventy. You are worth a million times more than that fat corrupt rorter and the rest of his equally corrupt leaner colleagues.
Jane, You are absolutely correct and marwill10 you are worth more than 10 Joe Hockey’s, What you gave every week in taxes over forty years he steals in 6 months for doing nothing… You hold your head high, and be proud of your past… Joe on the other hand will be sacked at the next election, and be remembered as someone who couldn’t hold down a job. Shame to them.
@LOVO. I’m learning to pee petrol. I’ll give free lessons once I’ve learned how.
@marwill10, you worked and sweated for 40 years, and paid your taxes every week to now be subjected to an immoral man, the countrys treasurer, to denigate you and devalue the hard work and effort you put in to make Australia the wonderful country it is. It is just plain ugly!!!
The treasurer, who by the way, we, the public, pay him $270 a day to sleep in his wifes house, who has the gall to insinuate against you and by extention others like you!! It makes me sick.
We have a mafioso running the country, aided and abetted by their cronies in the mainstream press. They are protected by the press, not just Murdoch, but television, Fairfax press and good old Aunty. By the way she is not our Aunty anymore, she is captured by the Liberals – an example? Yesterday on Q+A when Van Badham (an independant journalist) tried to tell the viewers about the 4 billion in tax evasion by Rupert Murdoch, she was immediately shut down by the moderator of the panel, Tony Jones. That is one small incident in the last few hours. It is going on all day every day – the press in evey direction protecting LNP interests and preventing the awful truth from getting to the public.
Today armed militia in the form of the AFP were placed in the Press gallery wing to prowl about with assualt rifles over their shoulders.
Our beautiful Parliament – the peoples house – is now crawling with police militia in every nook and cranny. It is not our house anymore, it is the LNP’s. A commentator said, soon after this government were elected “They treat parliament like their personal fiefdom” Now they have armed guards protecting them from the public – from people just like you marwill10, an ordinary Australian. It has been 18 months and look what they have destroyed, so far? How much lower will they drag Australia? Will we even get to vote them out? If there was a terrible terroist attack they may declare martial law……yes, I am getting ahead of myself but remember the fable about the frog and the scorpion!!? In such a short time they have wound back democracy and hard won freedoms and limited the publics right to know what they are up to and they will continue to decieve because it is in their nature.
Sorry for the rant, it all came spilling out
X that is not a so much a rant rather a well grounded prophecy!
its not multiculturalism that we oppose, it is the prospect of becoming a Muslim nation in 50 years that frightens up, we have seen what has occurred in Endland and Belgianstan.
xiaoecho I’m in full agreement with you mate.
marwill10 Stay strong mate, only 18 months to go and we will be rid of our tormentors I too rely solely on the humble pension and am not looking forward to it being devalued in 2017, we hardly survive as it is, but hopefully Australians will rally at the 2016 elections and send this lot of mean and nasty bastards to history as a one term government. The hopefully they will remember the Abbott government and encourage their children never to vote LNP in future.
Multiculturalism is now a load of crock – I oppose it, however I do accept it was once good for Australia – we did need to be forced by the catchy niceness of the meme to go along with it.
The problem with it is the lack of necessity to assimilate (once a cultural critical mass is obtained) and that it is being used by BOTH business and left leaning folk to shut down ANY discussion about immigration levels. Cultural groups generally only mix on the margins and it is dependent on the degree of assimilation (or cultural attitudinal similarity). Yes, many/most 2nd and 3rd generations do mix quite well but these folk tend to be fully assimilated.
Now I see it as community destroying abuse of the masses. Far too many negatives involved than positives. Halve immigration and cut down on 457 style visas for 10 years and I would be prepared to review my opinion.