My theories concerning racial prejudice have to do with bodily (permanent, internalised) memory segments, and the inability of one person in a limited, conditioned culture, to automatically see another person’s subjective experiences. One would have to access their memory banks to do it.

The best we can do is understand the limits of our rational intelligence and stop pretending rationality extends into areas which it doesn’t.

Alternate headline: “Vietnamese fall victim to Ruff trade”

Flash: ouch. 😀

I was in a bike store here in Sydney a few years ago when a Vietnamese woman came in wanting to buy a bike for her son. The proprietor pretended he couldn’t understand her, even though I could and tried to help by repeating what she was saying, thinking he might have a genuine hearing problem.

I just couldn’t believe that he was pretending so he wouldn’t have to serve her, even though it was costing him a sale. And he was a euro-migrant, too. I’ve never gone back.

tt, really sad tale, far too similar to Mr Ruff’s justice. You’re wise to buy your bike parts elsewhere.

I wonder what Ruff would do if a mute person wanted to go fishing.
And why only ban migrants who can’t communicate in english? Why the necessity to restrict it to migrants? Cripes, I’ve met a lot of white Australians who couldn’t speak english properly either.

aketus, The Enemy invades our shores as small families, breed like rabbits, refuse to integrate into Australian society, speak their own language, have their own religion and will take over if we don’t fight back.

Change the date on the calendar… and you find the same threats associated with Irish Catholics in Australia. Now it’s Muslims and Vietnamese…

Same xenophobic shit, different day.

And it seems to be forgotten that it was the English that did that exact invasion onto Australian shores in the first place – difference being, they were the only ones who actually ever posed a threat, and after killing most of the native Australians off, took over. Only one race has every posed such an invasive threat and that’s the same one that’s making the complaints now. Irony.
Been listening to an excerpt from the Bob Francis show in a Combat Wombat song – he actually declared that the country is not Aboriginal land. He actually thought it justification to say that it’s not Aboriginal land, because, specifically, ‘they learnt their lesson, they lost their country, we arrived and took their country.’
He’s absolutely right but I had never heard it used as a justification for invasion and genocide before. Fascinating

The thing I find most repugnant is that the invaders have never been benevolent. Aborigines have an average 20 years shorter lifespan than other Australians, the very shortest lifespan of any group in OECD countries.

And it carries on… John Howard has systematically destroyed the Aboriginal advocacy system, commingling it with the utterly incompetent Immigration department, as though Aborigines are from somewhere else. Howard has demonstrably got nothing but contempt for Aborigines through his refusal to acknowledge suffering caused them by European settlement.

The gubmint spent some $60million on the ‘Work Choices’ scam. Wonder how many hospitals and mobile healthcare units (hopefully with helicopters) this would have bought for the Top End.

The drongo at the baitshop obviously failed Small Business 101.
As you suggested, all he has to do is learn a few phrases, and he gets all the trade.
I am pleased to think that guys who can stomach working a slaughterhouse all day, are debriefing themselves by the very zen activity of fishing.
And it says something that they would rather eat fish too.

Count on you to cut through the crap, Brownie. 🙂

Indeed, the fact that the abbatoir workers would like a fish for dinner is absolutely telling!

well im no expert im only 14 but, my sisters boy friend is Brazilian and hes a really kool guy if you have one conversation with him/ or try to communicat with them, you would know that they know more then we give them credit for. he tries hard to communicat he tells me the names of animals in portugue. Beleive it or not he has even learnt, though weeks of practise, english songs lile “i beleive” from shreik. He has a mate that is from Brazil too, he has a wife and chidleren that he dearly misses and supports from another country. Let me ask yo uif you would humbly and most couragously leave you’re country and get familar with a whole new culture… all within a few months. these guys i know only had a few months notice before they left the lives, their love one, homes, their wifes and childeren. for what… for money, and why do we have to make it so damnn difficult for them to survive and keep their heads high over here. i no for sure that we should no be holding our heads high unless we try communicat in return. an old saying goes “it takes 2 to tango” SO LETS TANGO!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for dropping in, Ali.

I am an immigrant to Australia. Despite me having English as a first language, the culture shock I experienced when first in Australia almost 10 years ago was substantial. I couldn’t imagine the shock and bewilderment I’d have experienced had I not spoken English when I got here.

I’d like to see Mr Ruff do something about his discomfort with non-English-speaking migrants… like learn to teach English as a second language.