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Interesting about that , when I was in South Africa I was told a anecdote about how it was the English trade union guys at the turn of the 20th century who organised and pushed out the African miner who worked harder etc and so got a apartheid type system in the mines and look where that went, the same English unions 70 years later put a blacklist on those mines!!! IronicQuote:
Originally Posted by gusthedog
It's an endless cycle of stupidity.
I find it scary to think that the same hippies who protested anything and everything back in the 60's are now lecturers and professors in universities throughout the world. Back then they were spewing anti-establishment dribble about not listening to those who try to educate but now it's a case of only listen to us as "we know best".
It's even scarier to think that William Ayres, member of the weather underground who back in the 60's was bombing government buildings and killing people is now a professor of a university in Chicago. He also happens to be a pal of president Obama.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sashadidi
Apart from Land Rover the good old Poms have a lot to answer for over the centuries;
Slavery
The Opium trade
Aparthied
Government sanctioned Pirates
and maybe worst of all ...Posh Spice & Becks!
Where will it all end?
cheers,
Terry;)
How snobbish is that, la de dah "I've got a coffee machine in my office".Quote:
Originally Posted by BMKal
I just go down to the local family restaurant (Maccas) and buy a coffee, no snobbery there they are throughout the western suburbs and bacca beyond.
- all red neck territory! :wasntme:
[QUOTE=gusthedog
And that is where Australian whinging began. Did you realise that one of the main reasons that they miners rebelled was to try and get the chinese miners off the gold fields?? This was soley due to the fact that they worked harder, got more gold and spent less than the lazier anglo miners. Racist and whingers. ..[/QUOTE]
:spudnikconfounded:
The rebellion had nothing to do with that, although those sentiments were there, please learn the facts before making such a statement. Bob
www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/eureka-stockade
Wasn't the Eureka rebellion about taxation?
Mind you, there is a historical noticeboard in Albert Street Brisbane City Centre giving the details of anti-Chinese riots there.
Bob,Quote:
Originally Posted by bob10
Right you are sir. I was merely stirring the pot :wasntme: As you are aware though, anti-chinese sentiment was strong at the Eureka stockade. And from this anti chinese sentiment on the gold fields the white australia policy was born and influenced.
from White Australia Policy - From Convicts to ChineseQuote:
Once Convict transportation came to an end, businesses started importing Chinese and Pacific Islanders. The Chinese were under contract to those who paid their fare and this contract prevented them from joining unions. As for the Pacific Islanders, they were sometimes sold by island chiefs and therefore they were culturally bound to do as they were told.In addition to causing problems by not joining unions, the contract labourers and Chinese were causing problems by spending very little money in Australia and instead saving almost all of it for their planned return to their home countries. For a real economy to emerge, the fledging businesses of Australia needed some of the profits of the gold rush to be spent in Australia. As was to be expected, local service and retail industries were not fond of the frugral nature of the Chinese and did not rejoice when Chinese found gold as they rejoiced when other nationalities found gold.
In response to the non-white threat to their power, unions started campaigning for a federated Australia with uniform immigration laws that could keep out the non-whites (or anyone that wouldn't join a union).
I admit I made a rash statement and apologise. The anti chinese sentiment was there but it was not one of the 'main' reasons for the stockade. That was inflamatory.
I was merely trying to point out that perhaps Australia has a history of whinging and trying to create legislative change when situations do not suit it or its loudest citizens. I enjoy the diatribe and making people think outside the square though. Apologies if anyone was offended.
No offence taken, the White Australia Policy wasn't one of our finer moments, but it must be seen in context with what was happening around the World at that time,[ roughly around the same period] with the genocide of the Native Americans, the Zulu Wars, our own harsh treatment of our Native people. The Asians were seen as a threat to National Security, and the quaint notion of "racism" was not an issue back then. Thankfully we have moved into a more enlightened period, although "boat people" seem to create an hysteria all of their own. The more things change, the more they stay the same, as my old Granny would say.Quote:
Originally Posted by gusthedog
Well, I'll get the kids to unload the flintlocks, pull down the barricades, and I'll put the old BLF flag away , 'till neaxt time, Cheers, Bob :beer:
;)Quote:
Originally Posted by bob10
I agree Bob, times were pretty tough back in that era and one never knew what invading mass hordes of coloured people might come charging over the hill and strike fear into everyone at anytime. :angel:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmuYkYnxeBE&feature=related"]Zulu - Final Zulu attack - YouTube[/ame]
Still a good sing along always helped when times got really hard... ;)
cheers,
Terry
By the way this ia an attempt at humour...
As they used to tell us in the Navy, if you don't have a sense of humour, you shouldn't be here. [ they also said if you were meant to have a wife , the Navy would issue one, when I asked for a request form for said issue, turns out the Chief G. I. clearly should have been somewhere else] I recommend a book on Rorkes Drift, but having said that, can't remember the title, but google search will find it.The two officers, Chard and Bromhead, were actually misfits, very senior Lieutenants with no hope of promotion, shoved into the backwater of Rorkes Drift to get them out of the way. When they were decorated for the action, it sent a generation of Ruperts, who went to Africa for glory, into fits of apoplexy.It was the Senior N.C.O. ,[ Isn't it always:angel: ] and the Natal volunteer Officer, who saved the day.The Natal officer was virtually ignored in the awards washup. Such is life, Bob :twobeers:Quote:
Originally Posted by TerryO