Burning Giraffe

link


What? What!??! An english speaking nation wants immigrants to speak their language? How insulting! How Racist!

Advertising

Invayne

I guess Muslims are going to have a hard time passing that one. Or, maybe that's the whole point?

Good for them!

ilikeGW

Go Aussies, go Aussies.....

Ausinus

Clearly you have never learned about the White Australia policy.

Ausinus

Back in the old days, the government went to extreme lengths to prevent the immigration of non-anglos. They gave the immigration tests in languages that the applicants couldnt speak deliberately, even if they spoke english. The critics of the new test believe this is going to happen again, especially considering Howard and his cronies are extremely racist.

Idletime

Well, as a non-english speaker, I don't feel the problem.

I also come from a country with 3 official languages, with 1 dominant language that immigrants are required to understand and use. It's a written test you have to go through in order to get permanent residency, but you can get up to 1500 hours of language training for free to help you master the language before you take the test.

But, we also produce all the important official material in many languages because immigrants are in different stages of aquiring the language skills.

I have no problems with language as a requirement, quite the opposite, I think it is vital in order to integrate immigrants into the society.

"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country…" - Propaganda, 1928

Leo

Actually I think the proposed immigration tests are ludicrous, but not because they expect prospective immigrants to learn a modicum of English. That, IMO, is entirely sensible, as no one but the immgrants themselves are disadvantaged (economically and socially) by being unable to use the lingua franca. No one, other than refugees, should reasonably expect to immigrate to any country if they do not speak the language to some degree.

The ludicrousness (if there is such a word) of the proposal is suggesting that someone who knows who was the first Australian Prime Minister will become a model citizen. A familiarity with the principles of Westminster parliamentary democracy, our legal system, and the social structures of Australia would be far more important.

And the concept of 'mateship' is neither peculiar to Australia nor invented by Australians. As with nearly all aspects of Australia, 'mateship' was inherited from their Anglo-Celtic forbears, as was the concept of 'a fair go', and many other virtues that some Aussies consider peculiarly Australian. I hate this form of neo-jingoism, wherever it occurs. And I hate the term 'un-Australian' as in the form of criticism, e.g: "That's un-Australian." A statement which implies being Australian is intrinsically good, and that Australia is the fount of all that is virtuous and decent. Rant over!

Some corner of a foreign field ...

Kyryahn

Questions about history, institutions and culture? If Australians are like the typical french or american, I bet most of the aussie citizens couldn't pass this test themselves.

It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind.
- Voltaire

The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border?
- Pablo Casals

Violet Crumble

We did the test today at work, and the two Muslims in my area passed with flying colours, while I failed. And the reason I failed was coz the questions are general knowledge of Australian history and politics, and while I got all the political questions right, I failed the history ones coz I like many other Australians went to school in an era where we weren't taught about our own history...

Arguing on the internet is like competing in the Special Olympics. Even if you win you're still retarded.

Ausinus

Well said Leo, well said. Im just glad I got out of that fascist hellhole and escaped to a country where at least I have some constitutional protections!