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| quote: | Originally posted by echosystm
I think in order for migrants to recieve significant GOVERNMENT BENEFITS (not immigration), they should be required to pass some kind of "contribution to society" test. Understanding customs should be a mandatory component of that, but learning English 110% fluently shouldn't. The focus should be more on the real cost/benefit they bring to our country.
It's all good for you to look at the situation economically, from the comfort of your office chair, like a good little selfish capitalist... But if you were in someone elses shoes, your oppinion would soon change.
My grandfather had been seperated from his family (all dead) since he was 12, running from the army since he was ~15 or so. Can you imagine that? At 12 years old your whole family is dead and you're alone to fend for yourself... He came to Australia when he was 19 and was put to work on a sugar cane plantation by the government. At first, it was all ethnical migrants working on the plantation. Obviously all these guys were FOB and couldn't speak a word of English, but they worked their asses off to an extent that most Australian citizens will never even be able to comprehend. Then they began bringing in poms to work on the plantation, moved the italians & greeks to farming, and the whole operation fell apart. The poms could obviously speak English completely fluently, but they were lazy and did no work. I know who I would prefer in my country...
I think if you ask just about any immigrant about their experience in work camps, their story will be the same. In fact, when I was in Sydney 3 weeks ago, I was talking to an Italian cab driver. He was put on construction sites in Sydney the day he got off the boat. They were later replaced by poms. The project ended up taking years to complete and was over budget, because the poms went on strike 3 times. |
er...what?
I never said anything about immigrants contributing to the economy. I just think that for them to function in our society, they should be able to speak the language. What happens when non-english speakers have to go to their local primary school for a meeting with their kid's teachers, and they can't communicate with them?
Or they can't understand road signs telling them how to drive?
Or they can't read a menu in a restaurant?
Or they can't give directions to a tourist (or local), because they don't speak the same language?
Or they can't strike up a conversation with someone out in public?
It's all about fitting into society. People can only become "Australian" when they interact with people from this country. Hanging out at home all day, or at clubs/bars/workplaces only visited by other migrants who speak your language is not conducive to this. This effectively creates small sects of the community that are living in Australia, but are not a real part of this country.
| quote: | Originally posted by nchs09
idiot. |
No sir, you are the fucking idiot. What kind of retard sees no reason to learn the native language in the country they are living in? It's fairly logical. How can you expect to work and interact if you don't?
| quote: | Originally posted by echosystm
The sad part is that Beat Blog's view is that of the typical Australian. This is how a dickbag like Howard comes to run the country.
Labor isn't perfect, but it is the lesser of two evils. |
er...no.
I'm not racist, and I'm not xenophobic. I'm not some bogan saying "get all those fucking asians out of MY country, they don't belong here".
In fact, I'm all for cultural diversity. But how can I welcome immigrants with open arms if they don't speak my language?
I mean that literally. I LOVE speaking to our local taxi-drivers (yes, I just made a huge generalisation - can it) and finding out where they are from, what they do, what their dreams are, if they have family etc. Every time I jump in a cab I strike up a conversation with the driver, even if my friends are in the car. Again...how can I welcome them if they can't speak to me? Through gesticulation?
...and don't bring politics into this. Politics are inane.
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