freediver wrote on Feb 19
th, 2013 at 8:45pm:
Perhaps this is why Chard has such trouble recognising any novelty in this war. He can't even see it happening.
Perhaps.
But there are a lot of dangerous perhapses.
Perhaps this is peace in our time. Perhaps they will not cut my head off if I smile at them. Perhaps I should put on the veil to keep the peace. Perhaps I should not publish that cartoon, that essay, stage that play, have that conference. Perhaps it's my fault that they can't take a joke.
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. All very dangerous perhapses.
Not quite Doris Day, is it? In the 60s it was an exciting fissure to come across a Mediterranean, Italian, foreign chappie. It was all garlic, hairnets, strong coffee and Cinzano.
Now, foreign means slaughtering a goat for Ramadan in the bathtub on the third floor, demanding veiling an cliteroctomy for women, and beheading for anyone who thinks ill of any of this- or the wafting smell of curry for breakfast, lunch and dinner, turbans and pajamas, if you are lucky.
Australian customs, habits, traditions? Don't ever mention them coz you're a racist if you do.
Stroking our beards at Mrs Kornig’s fondue fundraiser for the Lutheran church is hardly an Australian tradition either, old chap, but don’t let me stop you. Live and let live, that’s my motto.
Back in the gold rush days, you people had your own camp, behind the Germans and in front of the Chinese. Multiculturalism, innit. Rich tapestry and all that.
We do, however, draw the line at people selling cheese laced with faeces. Most unhygenic, but if you wish to savour such delicacies from the old country, don’t let me stop you.