A Nation of Racist Drunks?

[Trippy Turtle]

Well... That's a bit racist but I don't care what people think of my country. I will not act like something just because of where I was born.

 

[tthor]

(my honest first thoughts when i read the title: "Huh, Irish people are racist?" [no hate towards Irish people])

As much as i'd like to comment on this, i really don't know much about Australia and their social norms (tho I doubt they are anywhere near as stupid/backward as those people made them out to be). A lot of what I do know about Australia and its norms is from my parents after they went vacationing there twice.
..One weird thing my parents told me their tourguide in Australia said, was that if they ever came across a native on the road while driving, that they shouldn't stop but instead just run him over I'm still not sure if the guide was joking or if he was serious about how violent the natives are, could someone from Australia comment on this?

 

[Strazdas]

like india is the one to talk about being technologically backward.

 

[Pat8u]

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.

you speak the truth but I still think we are mre tech advanced than poor parts of india

 

[Spineyguy]

To be perfectly honest, the Aussies are drunks and racists, but they don't have as big a national drink problem as the UK, and there are parts of Europe that are far more racist. Compared to India where everyone lives comparatively pure and pious lifestyles the west is practically hell, the only reason that part of the world deals with us at all is because we prop up their economies with our thirst for consumables.

Don't let it get your goat, India is a rising star on the world stage, and is bound for as much greatness as the west used to enjoy. Soon enough we'll be the ones producing the designer clothes for the Indians and Chinese to wear, and then we can all feel very superior in our squalor.

 

[Pegghead]

Yeah, I guess a nation that classifies people at birth can really talk about prejudice.

Sorry, I just hate people bringing up that stereotype. I love all races: white...other...

 

[tobi the good boy]

I'm not racist and I don't drink drink ... Am I an endangered species or something?

 

[Craorach]

To be perfectly honest, the Aussies are drunks and racists, but they don't have as big a national drink problem as the UK, and there are parts of Europe that are far more racist.

That depends on what you consider a drink problem.

Sure, in the UK people have really bad problems with getting smashed constantly.. that happens here in Aus as well.

But, while growing up in the UK, I never witnessed the number of people who are seriously unable to consider socialising without a drink in their hand. In the UK, telling people I don't drink was met with a shrug. Here it is met with a look that makes me feel like I confessed to buggering small cuttlefish in my spare time.

 

[Guffe]

Well this is WRONG!!!
IT IS WE FINNS who are Racist Drunks!!!!
(well not all but very many are ^^)

 

[AkaDad]

As an American, who lives in a country that committed genocide on the native Americans and kept slaves, I don't think I'll be making any judgements about racism in Australia.

 

[manic_depressive13]

I'd love to say "no I'm not like that!" but unfortunately a lot of people around me are, so my protests wouldn't count for much. So yeah, a lot Australians are unreasonable morons, but I'm certain that's true for just about everyone everywhere. The world ain't made of sunshine and rainbows.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

To bloody right!
Damn Aussies...

Just kidding, but that seems pretty backwards to say that, how are AUstralians backwards?
I mean, sure, all the ones i know really like to drink...
but none of my aussie friends are racist!

Pah!

 

[n00beffect]

Stereotype much? Not surprised really, considering the stereotype of your country is a rustic, dumb-ass aligator hunter guy, who happens to conviniently mention kangaroos at every bloody sentence:

Spoiler: Pretend Douchebag

Still wrong though.

 

[Canid117]

As an American I have these words of sympathy.

HAHA SUCK IT!!!

Now you know how Texans probably feel.

In all seriousness thats too bad. Sorry buddy but honestly feeling offended by this kind of stuff gets old after a while and you will learn to just ignore it.

(not that the US is any better).

I believe the major difference is that we call ourselves out on it regularly while it seems that Australia doesn't.

 

[TheFinalFantasyWolf]

I've lived in Australia all my life and yes, I can say that there are alot of racist drunks roaming the streets. I mean ALOT!

In the area that I live which is around the outer suberbs of Melbourne, everyone here is quite multicultural, so everyone is very accepting. However for example, places like the Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise, (I have also lived there before) are absolutely filled with racist drunks and people with an IQ below 30. -_-

Obviously not all Australians are like this, but when you visit Australia you will come across at least some of these morons.

 

[Jimmy T. Malice]

The hypocrisy in this is hilarious. To quote Mass Effect, "All you humans are racist!"

 

[Astoria]

Ok I find that really offensive. Yes we have a drinking problem here but not everyone is a drunk and I haven't met anyone that could be called a racist. The reason they find Australians rude is because they get called about 10 times a day (no that is not an exaggeration). I doubt that Australians are any worse than other countries. And to the people saying the 'stop the boats' thing proves Australians are racist it is not the fact that they aren't white that people have a problem with, it's that they basically end up with more rights than Australian born citizens and it isn't fair to people who go about things legally.

 

[Treefingers]

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.

This.

I had a couple of Aussies visit me (in Auckland) a few months back, all they could say for most of the day was "Wow there's SO MANY ASIANS here!" They later moved on to going on and on and on about how Aborigines are a terrible blight on society, following their rant up with "Oh but I hear you guys are much friendlier with your natives...?" apparently not realising that I myself, am Maori (native NZer).

I was quite stunned. Their racism shocked me, of course, but even more shocking was how casual and open they were about it.

I've also spent quite a lot of time abroad, travelled through Europe and lived in the UK for a while. I met a lot of Australians on the way. Us NZers and Aussies seem to be everywhere heh. But I've never met an Australian who was able to bring up Australian Aborigines in anything but an extremely negative light, and they always felt that their opinion was 100% reasonable and justified. (Not all Aussies I've met brought the 'issue' up of course, but any who actually did, it was negative.)

Of course, not all Australians are racist im sure, and my own country has a lot to answer for on the issue of race too. But still, the Australian attitude to race is something I have continually found quite shocking.

EDIT:

(not that the US is any better).

I believe the major difference is that we call ourselves out on it regularly while it seems that Australia doesn't.

Yeah, this too.

Oh and the whole drinking thing. Yeah Aussies drink a lot. NZers have a horrific drinking problem too though, as do the British, in my experience.

 

[Engarde]

I find it funny that in Aus and I immediately thought of it on reading the thread title. Way to go, guys!

 

[lighto]

Honestly?

The only racists I've ever encountered were when I was waiting for a train, they'd come up. sit next to me, and start bitching about the government being unfair, and these people don't treat us right and those people don't treat us right and blah blah blah, and these guys would swear, literally between every word.

I have a hard time comprehending how someone could get to that point, but I really havn't seen alot of people i've met or seen being racist.

(Nor backwards, fucking EVERYONE has an iphone nowadays.)