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Do you think Oz is backward and racist?

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GumbyLearner

GumbyLearner

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I saw this in the headlines today.

What are your views?

Racist, backward: Sol's parting shot

http://business.theage.com.au/business/racist-backward-sols-parting-shot-20090526-bl3p.html

Controversial former Telstra chief Sol Trujillo has taken a swipe at Australia, describing the nation he called home for four years as racist, backward and like "stepping back in time''.

Asked in a BBC interview whether there was racism in Australia, Mr Trujillo said: "I think it was evident in a lot of ways with me personally but more importantly with others.''

His comments have shocked some, including the head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia.

"I was quite flabbergasted to hear his comments,'' said the chamber's chief executive, Charles Blunt. "And I was quite shocked.''

And Victorian Premier John Brumby said the comments appeared to be nothing more than sour grapes. "I don't know what he's talking about, frankly."
 
Thank god he has left the country with an attitude like that. He didn't have the balls to say it when he was on Australian shores.

Are we racists, well as the PM might say we are in a better position than most countries. You will always find racism in every country if you go looking for it.

Australians overall are not racists, just have to travel around any major city to see we are made up of a huge collective of different races that all cohabit ate without daily blood shed.

Are we back wards, some of us are a little. If we were so back wards, why did he come here in the first place?

Cheers

Glad to see one American leave this wonderful country.
 
satanoperca said:
Glad to see one American leave this wonderful country.
Click to expand...

:cool: To be honest, I don't know why an American was brought in to manage Telstra in the first place. It was never going to work, and the two markets are quite different in terms of telecommunications. Telstra almost went backward under his leadership.

That fact we're not American is probably his main gripe.. this is a good thing.
 
how rude i reckon

we should send the bishop to take back his payout as compensation for the insult.
 
We're certainly not the welcoming multicultural paradise that some make out. Anywhere that has a mix of cultures is going to experience friction. Humans have a strong group mentality.

I wouldn't say we're particularly racist either, at least no more so than anywhere else. Most people are accepting, even if a little xenophobic.

The "Australia Pride" worries me though, and I see it a lot on these forums.
 
Mr J said:
The "Australia Pride" worries me though, and I see it a lot on these forums.
Click to expand...

your not proud to be australian?

not proud of our great land?

not proud of our great lifestyle?

not proud of our people and there abilitys ?

i am
 
I have mates with 'Aussie Pride" tatooed on their arm... some people see that as racist? how so?

its almost as if your a racist if your in the majority and take pride in where your heritage is, but its ok to be racist if your in the minority... I think you will find that the minorities in our country are very racist themselves
 
Backward?

Lay back more like it.

Racist?

Best food courts in the world.

Sol?

Your mother mispelt your name... she forgot the "R" infront of it.
 
Racist? Backward?,,,,,,Possibly, but not such great sins really Consider and compare the USA,,,,,,,,,,,,,, we're not living off the backs of everyone elses savings, we're not the world's biggest debtor nation, nor the most violent and neither do we use 60% of the worlds energy supply and we are not a warmongering nation that solves everything with a Battle Group or Task Force or cause the biggest financial balls up in living memory!

Just go home please Sol,,,,,,,Take it somewhere where it's relevant,,,like the USA maybe?

I'm not a racist but you're a typical Yank!!

BAWAAAHHAAHHHAAAHH!!! :p:
 
GumbyLearner said:
And Victorian Premier John Brumby said the comments appeared to be nothing more than sour grapes. "I don't know what he's talking about, frankly."
Click to expand...

Me neither! :confused:You'd be hard pressed to find a better westernised country on all fronts. IMO they should revoke his right to re-enter Oz, he needs to take a long hard look at the US before making such comments.

Ditto everything Bilbo said.
 
It appears that the thing that really upset him is any reference to his Mexican heritage. He thinks K Rudd is racist because, "In February, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd selected just one word to respond to news that Mr Trujillo was leaving Telstra and Australia: Adios."

That's like calling someone racist because they said "G Day" to an Aussie.

What a buffoon.

Mike.
 
Aurum said:
"In February, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd selected just one word to respond to news that Mr Trujillo was leaving Telstra and Australia: Adios."
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It was very unprofessional and immature. It should not have been said by our prime minister.


Is Australia racist?

Great question, depends who you are, and what is being racist. there are aspects of racism from across all ethnic groups towards all other ethnic groups, and it will always be there.

Sure is a lot better here than in other countries though.
 
Aurum said:
It appears that the thing that really upset him is any reference to his Mexican heritage. He thinks K Rudd is racist because, "In February, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd selected just one word to respond to news that Mr Trujillo was leaving Telstra and Australia: Adios."

That's like calling someone racist because they said "G Day" to an Aussie.

What a buffoon.

Mike.
Click to expand...

Trujillo is a sad little burrito to be calling us racist.

gg
 
Actually, he's far from a typical yank. Go there and talk to "a typical" yank and you'll see he is nothing like them whatsoever. Can americans be arrogant, well of course. Can aussie's be arrogant, well of course.

But american is far from the most violent country. They do not force everything via a battleship.

Stating opinions I reckon is fine, but stating an opinion as fact is not.


To me, he's (sol) definitely arrogant and pompus.



Bilbo said:
nor the most violent ... and we are not a warmongering nation that solves everything with a Battle Group...
Just go home please Sol,,,,,,,Take it somewhere where it's relevant,,,like the USA maybe?

I'm not a racist but you're a typical Yank!!

BAWAAAHHAAHHHAAAHH!!! :p:
Click to expand...
 
Racists are in every society an in every country, IMO its how the words are spoken and how you know the person, i get called a Pom all the time and i don't think it racist in any way most of the time, although a few occasions it has been said in conjunction with insults so when said in the that way then it is racist, its were you draw the line with it though, is calling someone from England a "Pom" racist in all ways ?, if the Police put out a description of someone who is wanted for some crime by saying they are of "middle Eastern appearance" racist ?.

I see that Kevin Rudd keeps popping up on the news saying adios, is that racist, if he said Au Revoir to the French President when he left would that also be racist ?.

Must be lack of actual news today as this is very petty stuff imo.
 
Soft Dough said:
It was very unprofessional and immature. It should not have been said by our prime minister.


Is Australia racist?

Great question, depends who you are, and what is being racist. there are aspects of racism from across all ethnic groups towards all other ethnic groups, and it will always be there.

Sure is a lot better here than in other countries though.
Click to expand...

I doubt it was a "slip up" by Rudd

would have been a spin doctors line, calculated, for political effect.

I think most Oz would think Sol was overpaid, arrogant, and managed Telstra in a way that was not productive to shareholders or customers..good riddance

He is probably being quoted out of context, but I reckon he would be a sore loser as well, like most big ego execs.

IMO xenophobia is a deeply ingrained cultural trait, so you find it everywhere you go.

Sol would no doubt have sensitive antenna, as I would be surprised had he not encountered at least some slights in the US during his earlier career
 
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