Asylum immigrants - Green Light

[bunyip]

Indonesian people smugglers have resorted to sending asylum seekers to the small Pacific island state of Yap.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-...n-small-micronesian-island-tyring-to-/5908060

Can we count to 10 before SHY suggests we offer assistance ?

Good job we got rid of Gillard/Rudd - they would have flown this mob to Australia by now if they were still in power. Come to think of it, they would have sailed here direct without going to Yap - Labor would have sent our navy out to welcome them and ensure safe passage.

I see the Indonesians are now complaining about the illegal refugees they've been landed with since Abbot threw a spanner in their usual practice of sending the illegals on to us.
Tough luck boys - you sent us 50 thousand of them without giving a thought to how we'd look after them or what effect they'd have on our economy. Now you can deal with the problem and come up with a solution that discourages them from coming to your country.
The problem will be solved for you though if Shorten wins the next election - it'll be straight back to the good ol' Rudd/Gillard days when you could send us as many illegal boat people as you wanted, and we'd take the whole damn lot!

 

[bunyip]

The following is pretty long but well worth a read. It’s the perspective of an American who loves Australia and Australians, and urges us to hang on to what we’ve got.
I posted it over on the religion thread and I'm posting it again here so as to get the message out to as many people as possible, in particular to those who think we should lay out the welcome mat to everyone who wants to come here, regardless of whether or not they're from religions and cultures that are compatible with our way of life.

Although I can see many changes for the worse since my childhood, I agree with the American that we’ve got a great country and a great lifestyle.
I implore each and every one of you to hang on as hard as you can to what we have in this great country Australia, and strongly resist religious fanatics who would change us into the sort of troubled countries they came from.

As the American said in his last line.... 'Just value in Australia what you have here and don't give it away.'

David Mason is a Writer, a Professor, and a Poet Laureate of Colorado

There's a lot to admire about Australia , especially
if you're a visiting American, says David Mason.

More often than you might expect, Australian friends
patiently listening to me enthuse about their country
have said,''We need outsiders like you to remind us
what we have.'' So here it is - a small presumptuous
list of what one foreigner admires in Oz.

1.. Health care.
I know the controversies, but basic national health
care is a gift. In America , medical expenses are a
leading cause of bankruptcy. The drug companies
dominate politics and advertising. Obama is being
crucified for taking halting baby steps towards sanity.
You can't turn on the telly without hours of drug
advertisements - something I have never yet seen here.
And your emphasis on prevention - making cigarettes
less accessible, for one - is a model.

2.. Food.
Yes, we have great food in America too, especially
in the big cities. But your bread is less sweet, your
lamb is cheaper, and your supermarket vegetables
and fruits are fresher than ours. Too often in my country
America , an apple is a ball of pulp as big as your face.
The dainty Pink Lady apples of Oz are the juiciest I've had.
And don't get me started on coffee. In American small
towns it tastes like water flavoured with burnt dirt,
but the smallest shop in the smallest town in Oz can
make a first-rate latte. I love your ubiquitous bakeries,
and your hot-cross buns. Shall I go on?

3. Language.
How do you do it?
The rhyming slang and Aboriginal place names are
like magic spells. Words that seem vaguely English
yet also resemble an argot from another planet.
I love the way institutional names get turned
into diminutives - Vinnie's and Salvos - and
absolutely nothing's sacred. Everything is an
opportunity for word games and everyone has
a nickname. Lingo makes the world go round.
It's the spontaneous wit of the people that tickles
me most. Late one night at a barbie my new mate
Suds remarked: ''Nothing's the same since 24-7.''
Amen to that.

4.. Free-to-air TV.
In Oz, you buy a TV, plug it in and watch some
of the best programming I've ever seen - uncensored.
In America , you can't get diddly-squat without
paying a cable or satellite company heavy fees.
In Oz a few channels make it hard to choose.
In America , you've got 400 channels
and nothing to watch.

5. Small shops.
Outside the big cities in America corporations
have nearly erased them. Identical malls with
identical restaurants serving inferior food.
Except for geography, it's hard to tell one American
town from another. The ''take-away'' culture here
in Australia is wonderful. The human encounters
are real - people love to stir, and stories get told.
The curries here are to die for. And you don't
have to tip!

6.. Free camping.
We used to have this too, and I guess it's still free
when you backpack miles away from the roads.
But I love the fact that in Oz everyone owns the
shoreline and in many places you can pull up a
camper van and stare at the sea for weeks. I love
the ''primitive'' and independent camp-grounds,
the life out-of-doors. The few idiots who leave
their stubbies and rubbish behind in these
pristine places ought to be transported in chains
to the penal colonies.

7.. Religion.
In America , it's everywhere - especially where it's not
supposed to be, like politics. I imagine you have your
Pharisees too, making a big public show of devotion,
but I have yet to meet one here.

8.. Roads.
Peak hour aside, I've found travel on your roads pure
heaven. My country's ''Freeways'' are crowded,
crumbling, insanely knotted with looping overpasses - it's
like racing homicidal maniacs on fraying spaghetti! I've
driven the Hume Highway without stress, and I love
the Princes Highway when it's two lanes. Ninety minutes
south of Bateman's Bay I was sorry to see one billboard
for a McDonald's. It's blocking a lovely paddock view.
Someone should remove the MacDonald's Billboard.

9.. Real multiculturalism.
I know there are tensions, just like anywhere else,
but I love the distinctiveness of your communities
and the way you publicly acknowledge the Aboriginal
past. Recently, too, I spent quality time with the
Melbourne Greeks, and was gratified both by their
devotion to their own great language and culture and
their openness to an Afghan lunch.

10. Fewer guns.
You had Port Arthur in 1996 and got real in response.
America replicates such massacres several times a year
and nothing changes. Why? Our religion of individual
rights makes the good of the community an impossible
dream. Instead of mateship we have ''It's mine and
nobody else's''. We talk a great game about freedom,
but too often live in fear. There's more to say - your
kaleidoscopic birds, your perfumed bush in springtime,
your vast beaches. These are just a few of the blessings
that make Australia a rarity. Of course, it's not paradise -
nowhere is - but I love it here. No need to wave flags like
the Americans, and add to the world's windiness.

Just value in Australia what you have here
and don't give it away.

 

[drsmith]

The government has turned back another boat, this time to Sri Lanka and the best Labor can do is complain about secrecy.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-...urn-back-37-sri-lankan-asylum-seekers/5927436

 

[SirRumpole]

The government has turned back another boat, this time to Sri Lanka and the best Labor can do is complain about secrecy.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-...urn-back-37-sri-lankan-asylum-seekers/5927436

Why shouldn't people complain about secrecy ?

As the old saying goes "if people don't know what you are doing, they don't know what you are doing wrong".

 

[drsmith]

Why shouldn't people complain about secrecy ?

As the old saying goes "if people don't know what you are doing, they don't know what you are doing wrong".

We know what Labor did wrong when in office and so did the people smugglers. The results spoke for themselves.

If the people smugglers don't know what you are doing...............

A level of secrecy is required because to deal with criminal activity effectively, one does not broadcast their punches in advance or encourage such criminal activity by announcing goods delivered immediately upon receipt as Labor did in office.

 

[noco]

We know what Labor did wrong when in office and so did the people smugglers. The results spoke for themselves.

If the people smugglers don't know what you are doing...............

A level of secrecy is required because to deal with criminal activity effectively, one does not broadcast their punches in advance or encourage such criminal activity by announcing goods delivered immediately upon receipt as Labor did in office.

+ 1 Doc......Those ex union hacks in the Labor Party would not have the common sense to realize that and that is why the people smugglers loved the Labor Party....easy pickings.

 

[SirRumpole]

We know what Labor did wrong when in office and so did the people smugglers. The results spoke for themselves.

If the people smugglers don't know what you are doing...............

A level of secrecy is required because to deal with criminal activity effectively, one does not broadcast their punches in advance or encourage such criminal activity by announcing goods delivered immediately upon receipt as Labor did in office.

Doesn't make sense.

If the government's tactics were so successful, wouldn't it make more sense to publicise them ?

I mean if asylum seekers were locked in a dark room for a month as a deterrent surely more people would be deterred if they knew about these tactics ?

 

[sptrawler]

Doesn't make sense.

If the government's tactics were so successful, wouldn't it make more sense to publicise them ?

What they are doing is successful, why change it?

 

[noco]

What they are doing is successful, why change it?

Exactly my point too.

 

[bunyip]

Doesn't make sense.

If the government's tactics were so successful, wouldn't it make more sense to publicise them ?

I mean if asylum seekers were locked in a dark room for a month as a deterrent surely more people would be deterred if they knew about these tactics ?

I'd say the deterrent value of the LNP's strategy has been very well demonstrated indeed.
Constantly broadcasting what they're doing would only give the idiot human rights lawyers and the leftie journals more incentive to criticise the government.
Results are what count, and even Labor has conceded that the government is getting results in stopping the boats.

 

[SirRumpole]

Constantly broadcasting what they're doing would only give the idiot human rights lawyers and the leftie journals more incentive to criticise the government.

Yes, the government doesn't need any more criticism does it ?

Politically speaking, the government is closing down discussion on about the only topic it has had any success in.

If that's how they want it, so be it.

 

[bunyip]

Yes, the government doesn't need any more criticism does it ?

Criticism is never good for any government but there's nothing wrong with fair criticism. What's disappointing is when some people stoop to outright lies in their attempts to discredit the government. Like Gillian Triggs for example.
http://pickeringpost.com/story/the-flagrant-fibs-of-gillian-triggs-/3706

Politically speaking, the government is closing down discussion on about the only topic it has had any success in.

Oh I don't really think so. There's been endless discussion on the illegal boat people issue since the LNP got in.
I'm amused by people who attempt to throw mud at the government over the very efficient way they've dealt with the problem created by Labor. Compare Abbot's effort in this regard to the stumbling, bumbling efforts of Rudd, Gillard and Bowen in creating the problem in the first place and then being totally clueless about how to fix it.

 

[sptrawler]

Oh I don't really think so. There's been endless discussion on the illegal boat people issue since the LNP got in.
I'm amused by people who attempt to throw mud at the government over the very efficient way they've dealt with the problem created by Labor. Compare Abbot's effort in this regard to the stumbling, bumbling efforts of Rudd, Gillard and Bowen in creating the problem in the first place and then being totally clueless about how to fix it.

Well the reason for that is simple, bunyip, Labor didn't want to fix it. They were quite happy, with thousands of probable factory foder/ welfare recipients, flooding in, it bolsters Labors voter base.

 

[Tisme]

Doesn't make sense.

If the government's tactics were so successful, wouldn't it make more sense to publicise them ?

I mean if asylum seekers were locked in a dark room for a month as a deterrent surely more people would be deterred if they knew about these tactics ?

If you want to know what is going on in open for business, closed for busybodies Australia you might need to look to overseas outlets for the facts, coz the local rags aren't gonna tell ya.

Scott ""We're taking the sugar off the table. That's what we're doing" Morrison is merely a servant of the crown, he doesn't have to answer to the Australian public and let's face it the Australian public don't want the burden of guilt that comes from knowing the living hell refugees are consigned to.

 

[Tisme]

thousands of probable factory foder/ welfare recipients, flooding in, it bolsters Labors voter base.

You do know that the LNP base voters include the same people you just denigrated? The true toffs in Oz are a miniscule fraction of the voting public, but the vagabond princes are many and living in poor town Australia dreaming of their riches by association.

 

[sptrawler]

If you want to know what is going on in open for business, closed for busybodies Australia you might need to look to overseas outlets for the facts, coz the local rags aren't gonna tell ya.

Scott ""We're taking the sugar off the table. That's what we're doing" Morrison is merely a servant of the crown, he doesn't have to answer to the Australian public and let's face it the Australian public don't want the burden of guilt that comes from knowing the living hell refugees are consigned to.

Well if you're burdened by guilt, you could always go overseas and do some voluteer work, N/W Africa is screaming for aid workers, or maybe Syria.
With your skill set, they would all welcome you with open arms.

You guys are so full of it.lol

 

[Tisme]

Well if you're burdened by guilt, you could always go overseas and do some voluteer work, N/W Africa is screaming for aid workers, or maybe Syria.
With your skill set, they would all welcome you with open arms.

You guys are so full of it.lol

I'm not burdened by any guilt, not full of anything that you don't also have in the same proportion, but you apparently have an issue with semi literate erudite people who don't think likewise? So disappointed a sublime (light hearted) post would cause the knives to come out based on jealousy. Glad I didn't post my career highlights and the other tertiary stuff I "did".



No way am I risking my health mixing it with primitives who think low level, act low level and are comfortable dragging others down to their own levels, by force if necessary. I will leave that to those better experienced at such things than me.... got anyone in mind?

 

[overhang]

Well the reason for that is simple, bunyip, Labor didn't want to fix it. They were quite happy, with thousands of probable factory foder/ welfare recipients, flooding in, it bolsters Labors voter base.

I was going to address this but surely this comment is in jest?

 

[sptrawler]

I'm not burdened by any guilt, not full of anything that you don't also have in the same proportion, but you apparently have an issue with semi literate erudite people who don't think likewise? So disappointed a sublime (light hearted) post would cause the knives to come out based on jealousy. Glad I didn't post my career highlights and the other tertiary stuff I "did". :

What knives? I believed you.
Now you tell me you were telling porky's, is there any wonder it is hard to believe your sincerity.

No way am I risking my health mixing it with primitives who think low level, act low level and are comfortable dragging others down to their own levels, by force if necessary. I will leave that to those better experienced at such things than me.... got anyone in mind?

That would be the Labor Party, take everyone down to the lowest common denominator?

 

[Tisme]

What knives? I believed you.
Now you tell me you were telling porky's, is there any wonder it is hard to believe your sincerity.

I must admit I don't understand what you are trying to put forward. I haven't lied and I don't know why you accuse me of doing so. I'm man enough to confess I made a mistake in revealing too much to an error of judgement ... so snipe away if you must.