Boat People (2 Viewers)

[Alexander]

I think the media abuses the word 'refugee' when it's more broadly people smugglers bringing comparitavly wealthy people to australia on pre-conceived ideas of a 'western paradise'.
It's not easy to play the racist card here, we're multicultural now...there is no mainstream race or strong cultural identity to be contrasted to.

 

[OZGIRL86]

Originally posted by Asquithian

1. People should not be allowed to come to Australia if they cue jump becasue cue jumping is unfair.
2. People who arrive in boats are sus...they may be terrorists.

I agree with those two things that u said, with point 2- we can never be too careful. other countries could be sending terrorists here, acting like they are refugees.. and with no papers or id, who's anyone to know who they r?

 

[Toodulu]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

 

[OZGIRL86]

whats so funny?

 

[OZGIRL86]

Originally posted by Asquithian
toods found ur comment funny. ... cos my points were examples of the views expressed by the average australian 'who has little knowledge of the real issues...'

just becasue people arrive in this country with papers doesnt mean they are not terrorists

there is less of a chance that people who arrive by boats are terrorists...simply because they have no money

oh yeh so funny...
well I didn't read you comment properly , my mistake.. but I still stand by what i said...
your not 100% sure if they are terrorists or not... and neither am i.. but there is a possibility....they could be arriving by boat to help disguise the fact that they are terrorists.
Well I may be an average australian, but I do not have little knowledge

 

[OZGIRL86]

Originally posted by Asquithian
you think people who arrive by boat are terrorists or could be ?

so its the fact that they arrive by boat makes them sus... so on ur logic its the way in whcih they come >

as u dont seem to worry about the people who come in through the airport (outnumber the people who arrive in boats) that have greater means for terrorist activities...

I told u it's a possibility... are u telling me that your 100% sure this could never happen?
I didn't say that I'm not concerned about people who come through the airport.. but those people need to have id,passport what ever else with them, whereas boat people can arrive with no id, no passport etc..and who knows their identity, criminal offences if any , etc

 

[OZGIRL86]

are u not concerned?

 

[OZGIRL86]

Originally posted by Asquithian
also since u dont have little knowledge....

where do u get ur knowledge from ?

your parents?

the papers?

The TV?

What John howard says?

what you friends think?

I get my knowledge from a variety of sources..
it dosn't matter what my friends think, I don't know what they think, as I've never discussed it with them.. but does it really matter what they think...
where do u get ur knowledge from??/

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Originally posted by Asquithian
you really should be more concerned with those people and the scare mongering of our PM

Yes. Realistically, the number of 'boat people' is dramatically exaggerated by the media.. I believe the figure over an eight year period (1989-1997) was less than 3,000, as compared to sensationalist headlines. [Just returned a book I'd read on this, so I unfortunately can't cite it. There is plenty of information online though.]

The view of 'queue jumping' can itself be hypocritical, accusing them of either stealing jobs or bludging.

And the attitude surrounding refugees is quite frequently one of paranoia. Besides the fear of 'terrorists', some (Like one of my aunts. ) have the belief that 'boat people' bring disease into Australia, among other prejudices. Its sad, insular and bigoted thinking, I feel. [Granted, this is largely concerning extremist views, but nevertheless, what is often expressed is quite harsh.]

 

[reggina_calcio]

John Howard supports the war on Iraq with hummanitarian grounds (after all that WMD BS) and then rejects the results of it arriving at our door step.

Surely, legit refugees, escaping war should be able to recieve asslyum in our great land. As said before we could initiate programs to educate their young, employ their old and integrate them into society. There is always talk here and there of rural development... why cant we spread refugees about in rural areas (not monocultralising - equal spread) to help this??

 

[sophiebear]

This issue is something that i have had alot to say about, and i feel is a deep injustice in Australian society, i think the biggest problem surronding asylum seekers/refugees (whatever the title you want to give them) is mis-information, and the use of language to impose improper and misleading titles and names for example "queue jumpers, illegal immigrants" first of all there are no queue's to jump, these people often come from areas in which government is in turmoil and there is no agency to supply official papers and passports, or otherwise they are fleeing from persecution, due to religion race or political beliefs, by the government they live under and so cannot apply for official papers. So that for these reasons people have no official channels through which to apply for asylum seeker status. secondly most illegal immigrants are not people from third world countries who have arrived on 'leaky boats' they are english, new zealander and european backpackers who are overstaying their visas.
asylum seekers are in a very seperate catergory than illegal immigrants and this is defined in international law.
the other main myth surronding asylum seekers is that they are an economic drain, they are stealing jobs etc etc.
this is in a way true, that they are an economic drain, but not them personally, the current system of detenion costs $104 a day per detainee, other more humane systems cost as little as $3 a day. They are however not out to steal jobs, they are just seeking a better way of life an alternative to persecution, which they have been led to believe they can find in Australia.
Australia has one of the worst and least humane asylum seeker processing systems in the world, especially in that it puts children in detention.
While the Howard government has never said anything openly racist (it's not that stupid) it has worked to promote an attitude of xenophobia, for example with the Tampa/children overboard issue.
The only way we can combat this vein of misinformation in society is with fair and just education that promotes and attitude of understanding in younger members of our society...

well thats my two cents worth

 

[olay]

Heres a stat for the righties to rethink the notion that refugees are tax payer money eaters: Refugees create demand for services and goods, and in doing so,stimulate the economy and generate employment and growth. A study in the US has demonstrated an $800 bn per year boost in the US economy owing to unauthorised immigrants.

Plus, our rural areas are on the decline, if we placed the refugees in these areas giving them a chance to establish for themselves a new life, it could change that around, benefitting both australians and the refugees.

obviously they're fairly selfish reasons, but if people want tangible benefits, there they are.

and yeah, there is no way that Australia'd be overcrowded, the population of california is the equivalent of ours [or larger....? i forget which]. note how teensy it is.... i really don't think overcrowding will happen any time soon.

and as the typical arguement goes [which surprisingly noones brought up], who are we to deny people access to land when we don't deserve to fucking own it? the colonisation was under unfair means.

and we seem to forget that these are individuals, not statistics. its sad, these are individuals that have been to hell and back, and just want a chance to reestablish their lives. give them a chance dammit.

/rant.

 

[Alexander]

Everyone is keen to compare this crisis with how other countries have handled it. Australia is very unique being the largest country-continent and all...it's fairly easy to just 'land' here. Other countries tow the ships out way before they land.
It would be VERY irresponsible for a government to not be in control of who comes into the country, esp. with the current global situation.

And yeah, when my grandmother came out here in the late 40s she signed a statement declaring that she'd live in rural Aust....so did many others, but it didnt work. People try to come to Australia looking for a better quality of life, not labouring on a hot-ass farm in dunnydoon. Our sprawling cities are becoming stressed. We're bloody well running out of water...something california wouldnt have to worry about.

 

[rumour]

I'm a "boat" person, boats is fun 2 ride in!!!

 

[George W. Bush]

Originally posted by olay
Heres a stat for the righties to rethink the notion that refugees are tax payer money eaters: Refugees create demand for services and goods, and in doing so,stimulate the economy and generate employment and growth. A study in the US has demonstrated an $800 bn per year boost in the US economy owing to unauthorised immigrants.

It's more that they take jobs well below minimum wage.

 

[Aerials]

"Originally posted by olay
Heres a stat for the righties to rethink the notion that refugees are tax payer money eaters: Refugees create demand for services and goods, and in doing so,stimulate the economy and generate employment and growth. A study in the US has demonstrated an $800 bn per year boost in the US economy owing to unauthorised immigrants. "

great, now all the Australian government has to do is encourage illegal immigrants to come to australia. I wonder why no-one thought of that before :|

 

[teh winnar!]

Originally posted by rumour
I'm a "boat" person, boats is fun 2 ride in!!!

DIMWIT OVER STARBOARD CAP'N!!!

 

[Enlightened_One]

Originally posted by Aerials
"Originally posted by olay
Heres a stat for the righties to rethink the notion that refugees are tax payer money eaters: Refugees create demand for services and goods, and in doing so,stimulate the economy and generate employment and growth. A study in the US has demonstrated an $800 bn per year boost in the US economy owing to unauthorised immigrants. "

great, now all the Australian government has to do is encourage illegal immigrants to come to australia. I wonder why no-one thought of that before :|

Because the services we need before we start giving them all to illegal aliens are teachers, doctors, train systems, water shortages, etc. The government can't even handle what it has, let alone bring in a few million more.

 

[propagandhi]

"we are all human so how is anybody illegal??"-propagandhi
think about this for a moment, we are ALL human
we support the ravaging of their countries,in our policies,our support for globalisation,our love of sweatshop brand clothing,the ethnocentrism so rampant in a large section of western government,"the words we twist to justify our position of blind airstrikes and mass starvation"(tim mcillrath)....but then, when they come to our shores, we lock them away
WE LOCK THEIR CHILDREN AWAY. why is this alright? is the human heart really so dark as to believe a pregnant mother with four children from iraq is a terrorist?
why dont we lock up the british tourists who overstay visas? they are far more dangerous-they can take the jobs we all seem to be so concerned about (white collar supremecy reins here) because they are white!!
and even if you put all of this out of your mind, as right wing as you want to be you cant argue that an angry young man eventually becomes an angry adult....and you wonder why they hate us so much? they are bombed by our coalition at home, and flee to our shores, hoping to start a new life only to be brutally locked away, made the subject of election policies, and forgotten by nearly everyone. AND YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO ASK WHY THEY GET ANGRY?
you would expect to be granted asylum in indonesia, perchance you need to flee our nation...how would you feel if they called you a fucking terrorist, locking you up and throwing away the key?
"WE ARE ALL HUMAN SO HOW CAN ANYONE BE ILLEGAL!!!!"

 

[lilkatie]

I agree with AGB
We should turn there little boats and send them back to where they came from..or I could go with teh sinking idea i guess
Why should they be let in ahead of everyone else, they'll just become a burden to our society and they will never learn to speak english. Don't get me wrong i'm all for multiculturalism and that but I think people should at least make an effort to learn our language at least!