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Last time I listened to the parliament on newsradio they opened with the Lord's prayer (ie. the standard Christian prayer), and funnily enough, every other day I listened to it, they did the same...

soren,
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That's a little absolutist isn't it?

At any given time in the world, there's perhaps only one dominant civilisation, but to suggest all other civilisations are not civilisations is a little self-centred don't you think?

freediver wrote on Oct 5^th, 2008 at 1:52pm:


I believe i said that multiculturalism relativises values and THEREBY presents them as equal. I DO NOT believe that values are equal. I do not believe that the values I gave as examples are equal.

I responed to the original question by pointing out that it is framed wrongly. Monoculture is not the response to multuculturalism, civilisation is - which is also the right response to monoculture.
I am trying to draw attention to the difference between culture (the local practices, customs, habits, etc) and civilisation.

Another stupid bloody title fd?

How do we get rid of Multiculturalism.

Replace it with its former policies either assimilation or Integration

Stop the wasted spending on it and sell off SBS.


It'll save us billions, better spent on real things and real social harmony for a change.

multiculturalism talks up the 'Other' too much, as if every cultural practice deserved  the same respect and room at the table

Not exactly every one. Only those that fall within the law. At least, that's how it works in the west. Within that, most cultural practices are baggage that are fairly neutral in terms of 'civilisation'. Perhaps the law is equivalent to what you see as civilisation. Or maybe you should give an example of a cultural practice that is better than others.

Most of those are not 'practices'. The ones that are, are pretty trivial. The rest are values that tend to transcend culture.

If someone wants to stick a bone in their nose, why shouldn't they? Does it actually harm society?

freediver wrote on Oct 6^th, 2008 at 11:27am:



You asked about "cultural practice that is better than others".

Not every practice that is worse is to be prohibited. Sticking bones iin your face is primitive, sticking itemss of ironmogery in your face iss primitive and stupid. Corse, stupid and primitive and other inferior practices harm society by making it also corser, stupider, more primitive. But of course it is not possible to prohibit stupidity. Luckily for the rest of us, it is mostly its own punishment.

One significant drawback of being excessively deferntial to the cultural 'other' is that by now many people are unable to bring themselves to identifying primitive, backward or corse and stupid cultural practices out of multicultural piety.
As with almost every cultural aspect of our lives, we happen to speak in terms of categories when in fact things are, like colours, on a scale.

"Buying your meat at the butcher's rather than slaughtering it in your bathtub."

Fair few small Australian farmers do home kill and butchery for themselves and friends. Nothing wrong with saving some money and hassle.

As for "practical steps towards monoculturalism" canceling dual citizenship would help.