A Nation of Racist Drunks?

[Last Hugh Alive]

I'm Australian, and though I wouldn't necessarily say we are racist (the "drunk" part is accurate though), I've found that a lot of Australians are cynical and resentful of people who don't fit in to "our way of life".

I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we've only been a multicultural nation for, I believe, less than half a century. The close-minded ideals of the past couple of generations is still present, particularly in the media. In fact, our politicians rely on the people's underlying fear of outsiders.

 

[Miles Bruce-Mitchell]

Well, in trying to teach employees how to deal with "racist, backward Australians" they come across as being pretty racist and backwards themselves.

The few Australians i've met and spoken to seemed like very good people.

 

[Sandernista]

I am offended.
We Drunk Racists are a proud people, shouldnt be in the same boat as those damn Aussies.

This made me laugh aloud. Thank you kind sir.

 

[Coldster]

I think we need a team of badass Australians to destroy all Indian call centers. The team will be made up of Saxton Hale, Sam Worthington, a resurrected Steve Erwin, and many others. Whos with me?

 

[Calbeck]

im not surprised

actually i live in Australia and nearly 75% of the people i went to school with hated other people just because of there colour

and i don't know alot of people who are not racist.

I grew up in California amid a very multicultural background. I never judged anyone by their skin color because it never occurred to me to do so, and frankly I've always thought that anyone who did so was being stupid. What next, call them inferior for not having a mullet?

Nonetheless, since I currently live in Arizona, am a white male, and am centrist-conservative, I get called "racist" quite a lot because I don't agree with certain political views.

I've also been told I MUST be racist because it's an automatic function of being in the majority, and that other races CANNOT be racist towards me because "racism requires enforcement by effective control of the social apparatus, essentially impossible by definition for any person of a minority group".

By which lights, in a global village, the Chinese must be the most racist people in the world. -:3

 

[TheAmokz]

Oh... I though you were talking about Finland.

 

[Glerken]

Now as someone who has 5 consoles, a smartphone and a tablet device

That's it? I have 3 phones, 4 tablets, and 17 consoles. So behind the times...

No need to go "mine's bigger than your's," I'm just trying to prove a point.

I don't think he was being serious, rather he was also making a point.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Alcoholism is a stereotypical problem of Australia, yes. Racism is a stereotypical problem of every nation to exist, though in regards to India, the media had fun stirring that one up a little while ago.

In regards to being backwards...compared to India? Fuck off. Compared to the rich parts of India, perhaps, but a massive proportion of their citizens do not have basic necessities.

In general, it's harder to say. There are examples of both good and bad things about Australian development, but weighing each of them up isn't so easy.

 

[Azahul]

I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we've only been a multicultural nation for, I believe, less than half a century. The close-minded ideals of the past couple of generations is still present, particularly in the media. In fact, our politicians rely on the people's underlying fear of outsiders.

Do they ever. I'm Australian, and I never used to think of Australians as racist until I got back from a circumnavigation of the world about six years back. Since then, this country's begun to seem more and more racist as time goes on. I mean, seriously, "Stop the boats" is one of the big issues both sides of the political spectrum love to toss around, and it's the biggest bullshit excuse of an "issue" ever. Started off with John Howard misrepresenting information and playing on an undercurrent of xenophobia that, it seems, is big enough in Australia for a pitifully small number of refugees (not asylum seekers, these guys are almost universally legitimate refugees, even if they haven't been processed and declared as such by the UN) to be one of the most important issues of the Australian government. It's ridiculous.

Then there was high school, where the term "Asian" seemed to be held as the single biggest insult it was possible to give, where a sizeable portion of my grade seemed to hold Aborigines as lazy drunkards living off Government welfare and refusing to do anything to make any money for themselves, and where Muslims seemed to be regarded as 100% terrorists. As someone who'd travelled a lot even then, met enough Asians and Muslims (it says something that I actually sorta wince internally these days every time I use the word "Asian", worried that it might be insulting, just as I'd be rather reluctant to use the term "******") to know that everything said was nothing but a blatant lie, a good chunk of high school was decidedly uncomfortable for me.

So yes, I do think Australia is racist, but that we're conditioned to believe that we're not. All that stuff about this being a multicultural society, how we're told from the day we're born that we Australians are an accepting bunch while simultaneously, it seems, being told to hate anyone who isn't a nice, white, Australian-born citizen, it's all there just so we can feel better about ourselves and feel good while simultaneously being incredibly prejudiced. Now, there's a big chunk of Australian society that aren't racist, but going by the official polls when it comes to the whole refugee business it's obvious that the number of racists in this country could actually be in the majority.

 

[jbchillin]

i've never been there so i dont know what its like, but from what ive been told its a pretty racist place (not that the US is any better).

 

[crystalsnow]

Being Asian, born and currently living in Aus, I have to agree that we're pretty racist. The worst was in high school, where so many people would be plain outright racist to me and I'd just take it because there really was no benefit in confronting it and beating the shit out of everyone.

And yeah, we're pretty backwards. Internet plans guys? Eurgh.

While I can't say much for the racist part, the very fact that you HAVE internet plans means your aren't technologically backwards. Somalia? Now THEY'RE technologically backwards.

 

[Spartan448]

Wait, wait, wait!

Are you sure they didn't say "America" instead of "Austrailia"? Because I could swear that the only nation that can be labled as a nation of racist drunks was America.

 

[Thaluikhain]

So yes, I do think Australia is racist, but that we're conditioned to believe that we're not. All that stuff about this being a multicultural society, how we're told from the day we're born that we Australians are an accepting bunch while simultaneously, it seems, being told to hate anyone who isn't a nice, white, Australian-born citizen, it's all there just so we can feel better about ourselves and feel good while simultaneously being incredibly prejudiced. Now, there's a big chunk of Australian society that aren't racist, but going by the official polls when it comes to the whole refugee business it's obvious that the number of racists in this country could actually be in the majority.

I don't know about that, but, as you say, the most important thing about being racist is believing you aren't.

But just because something is politically valuable, does not mean the view needs to be held by that many people. If, say, a mere 5% of the population was racist, that'd still be quite a number of votes. I've always been a bit dubious about polls, myself.

 

[metal eslaved]

Wait, wait, wait!

Are you sure they didn't say "America" instead of "Austrailia"? Because I could swear that the only nation that can be labled as a nation of racist drunks was America.

no, america is labeled as fat and racist assholes.

edit:sorry i forgot rednecks.

 

[WolfThomas]

It's disheartening, I'm Australian, certainly in the rural areas people are a lot more closed minded, solely out of ignorance, a lot will rarely ever meet someone from another country, so they may spout some racist rhetoric but when they actually meet different people they get along without problem.

But in the cities like Melbourne? Not trying to sell some BS PR but they're actually pretty darn multicultural. You have a great mixing pot of different cultures, you have large Greek, Vietnamese and Sri Lankin populations, some growing ones like Sudanese. I know two guys who like almost like brothers and they're both Sri Lana, but ones Sinhalese and the others Tamil. They always talk about if they were in the home country they might have had to kill each other.

Myself? I have friends from Egypt, Armenia, Botswania and Columbia.

 

[Watchmacallit]

WAIT WAIT WAIT....The Indian call centers claim we are dumb? I call Optus and you think they have ever been able to fix a technical issue? No. I do it, every damn time.

Yeah there are a lot of racists but that's what happens in multi-cultural countries. I'm sure that countries like Croatia or France would be a hell of a lot more racist if you sent all of our Asians and Africans.

I grew up in the Western suburbs and its pretty scummy but there was never any racial tensions. Vietnamese, Phillipino, Indian, Maltese, Croatian, just plain Aussie. Even when we started getting refugees from Africa the only racial tension was actually caused by them because they didn't like white people.


AUSTRALIA IS NOT THAT RACIST! We have been multi-cultural for what, 60 years? Before that only white people were allowed in.

Okay, Australia tried to wipe out the local inhabitants through breeding but I think what the Americans did to the Indians and the Spaniards did to the Aztecs was a little worse.

I'm sick of all these claims of racism, I go to a University and there are a lot of Muslims and there have been NO attacks against them what so ever.

 

[Thaluikhain]

But in the cities like Melbourne? Not trying to sell some BS PR but they're actually pretty darn multicultural. You have a great mixing pot of different cultures, you have large Greek,

Does not Melbourne have something like the 3rd highest number of Greek people of any city, including those in Greece?

Captcha: Mother Country

Yeah there are a lot of racists but that's what happens in multi-cultural countries. I'm sure that countries like Croatia or France would be a hell of a lot more racist if you sent all of our Asians and Africans.

Unless that was sarcasm, those are bad examples of places that don't currently have racial issues.

AUSTRALIA IS NOT THAT RACIST! We have been multi-cultural for what, 60 years? Before that only white people were allowed in.

Not exactly true, the gold rush brought in lots of Chinese immigrants, the white Australia policy was only started after that. Though, things certainly changed after WW2, yes.

 

[TeeBs]

My first reaction.

Aussies are the most racist and stupid people to deal with, damn 'merica isn't even the first in that any more.

 

[BonsaiK]

In my local paper, the Sunday Mail, one article disturbed me. In India, call centers are training their staff on how to deal with Australian customers, saying we're quote "the dumbest continent in the world," we "drink constantly" and are "quiet racist." One comment that got me was that we are "technologically backwards." Now as someone who has 5 consoles, a smartphone and a tablet device, I felt insulted. What do you lot think?

Here's the link to the story http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/indian-call-centre-staff-told-australians-are-dumb-drunken-racists/story-e6freqmx-1226100445960

I'm from Australia and I'm also part-Asian.

Everything in the Indian call centre's training has a grain of truth in it, but everything is also obviously a generalisation.

Australia is definitely technologically many years behind other first-world countries and our uptake of new technology is slow. We get stuff here years after it's well-established in other first-world markets, that's a fact. Also, it's true that many mobile phone customers here will prefer something older and simpler that works reliably rather than an iPhone or whatever. Me included, I don't want some fancy phone that acts like a computer, it's a pain in the ass. I just want to do calls, test and take the odd photo. The iPhone crowd is still a minority here.

Australians are some hardcore drinkers too, documented fact:

http://www.kirinholdings.co.jp/english/ir/news_release051215_4.html

There is definitely a culture of "it's the weekend, let's get smashed" here that doesn't exist in many other countries, including India (who aren't even on the linked list). I don't drink personally and it's really noticeable how much not drinking can make you feel like an outcast here. I think the call centre's advice not to call customers on a Friday night is damn sensible.

And yeah, a lot of Australians are racist. However, they're generally only racist to strangers - once they get to know you, that tends to vanish! I know a guy who is a neo-Nazi skinhead with a lot of very extreme beliefs and will whine on and on about immigrants, gays, aboriginals, etc, yet his best friends are an aboriginal, me, and a gay guy. That sort of selective racism/prejudice is really common here.

Australia has very much a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" kind of culture, that's why the Indians are getting lessons in pop culture etc - because the best way to sell something to an Australian is to convince him that you're his 'mate', and the way to do that is to try and relate to them on their level. Mind you most Indian call centre employees fail at that, hard, because it's clear during a call centre call that the guy is not your friend but just trying to make you switch phone companies. Indians aren't generally hated by most people in Australia, but Indian call centre employees who interrupt you during dinner certainly are. A lot of them get racist abuse but it's not because the Australians really wholeheartedly believe the racism, it's more because the Australians just want the guy on the other end of the line to stop bothering them, and racist abuse certainly works for that.