re:rabbs: reardent germans lose respect brits get
Sorry for the delay, Rabbs. I didn't realise you've posted again. The problem, as I see it Rabbs is that we swallow generalisations too easily. A sentence like "muslim wasn't so easily taken to violence and bloodshed" is clearly wrong because it is a generalisation. I remember once a woman criticising me for being a "chauvinist." She said, "all you Greeks are chauvinists!" I asked her, how many greeks did she know and she said "none but I know an Italian and you're all the same!" Let me give you another generalisation: What good attribute are Australians known for? Answer, for giving everyone a fair go. It's how we all survived through hell here. Now let me give you another: What are Americans hated for? For shooting first and asking questions later!
It's hard to do either, agree or disagree with either of these generalisations. But it is clear that one is a good thing whereas the other a bad one. Worse is to believe that all Americans shoot first and ask questions later, or that all aussies are great folk, particularly when they exclude a whole religion and a whole race. Bring them to your lounge room mate, have a BBQ with them, open your arms, smile at everyone. And like Zorba said, undo your belt and look for trouble. You'll discover there's no trouble to be found anywhere? A wonderful country is one where no-one suspects anyone. Australia won't be torn apart, if the politicians do the right thing, and that is to have a coherent and sensible immigration policy. Unfortunately, they just woffle on about the terrible people these "others" are. Build some good, sensible laws into your democracy and again you have no trouble, have a decent education system and all is well. "Bad" man? I wouldn't know what that is. We are all sometimes good and sometimes bad, good at some things, bad at others. I hate pretty much everything that Snooks has uttered so far but if I met him in the street without knowing who he is, we'd probably exchange a dirty joke or two but also argue a great deal -until the following day when all will begin aknew.
