Banned
Potential problems
This kind of thing will not help matters.I fear this country will become too devided and potential for riots and other situations arising in future are growing by the day.
THE symbol of Australian pride is being hijacked by a new breed of hooligans who drape themselves in the national flag before embarking on hate-filled rampages.
The show of patriotism has resulted in a surge in the number of young people getting Australian-themed tattoos, including the boxing kangaroo and the Southern Cross.
Mobs of youths who marred Australia Day celebrations with drunken behaviour, brawling and abuse were yesterday accused of hijacking the "Australian brand".
Racism and death: The dark side of Australia Day
Critics warn that some Australia Day celebrations now have the look of a "drunken Contiki bus tour of Europe."
Returned and Services League of Australia NSW president Don Rowe described the louts as "bloody ********s."
Australia Day debate: Blog with Piers Akerman
"They need to wake up to themselves. The flag is the symbol of our nation, it's not an excuse to get drunk and do loutish behaviour," Mr Rowe said.
His view is echoed by Australian businessman Dick Smith, who said those responsible brought the flag into "disrepute".
Paul Kent: Thugs ruined our national day
"When I see what some of these louts are doing draped in the flag, it is disgusting," he said. "People have fought and died under that flag."
Did you see any loutish or racist behaviour? Tell us below
The rise in national pride has led to a boon for tattoo parlours, with many reporting a massive demand on Australia Day.
Tattoo Temple in Parramatta was swamped from 10am to midnight on Australia Day after offering a 10 per cent discount on Aussie-themed tattoos, while Warpaint Tattoo and Body Piercing in St Marys said they are doing several a day.
"Since Cronulla, we could pay our rent on southern crosses alone," Kevin Randall, son of Warpaint owner "Noddy" Randall, said.
But those sporting "patriotic" tattoos deny it is about anything other than celebrating the nation they love.
At Warpaint yesterday, Josh Twigg from Silverdale spent $240 on a Southern Cross tattoo. "It shows patriotism. It says that there might not be many of us but we will always be here," he said.
Urban studies expert Professor Kevin Dunn believes there is no question some young people who opted for tattoos had done so to advance their own racist agendas.
"Some of it is national pride . . . but some of it is to do with assertions of Anglo supremacy - there's no doubt about that," he said.
By late yesterday, almost 75 per cent of voters in a Daily Telegraph online poll believed the Australian flag had been hijacked by extremists.
Source: The Daily Telegraph
Your freedom ends where mine begins
^^^ Completely agree...
Every Australia day you get a bunch of idiots wearing australian flags, tattoo's etc being racist for one and complete hooligans.
We had this discussion at work actually.
I think that all this flag loving rubbish IS un Australian...
Its too American...
The australian thing to too on australia day is have a good laugh about what an easy day off work it is, have a couple brings with mates with not a flag in sight!
Thanks me anyway
Well i can also understand both sides of the argument!
I have heard blokes joking @ work about playing the game "spot the aussie" down at the gold coast as its over run with chinese ect now i dont hate on other races ect but i can understand why some people get so heated about these issues!
Edit: I will also add with that said i dont condone racism or bashing of other people and i do think that sort of behavior is un Australian!
MY RIDE 96 calais
http://forums.justcommodores.com.au/...96-calais.html
ALSO MY 1972 VALIANT CHARGER IN THE BUILD
http://forums.justcommodores.com.au/...t-charger.html
Infidel Bear
Mini Putt 2 Champion!
lol, love how people cannot display patrotism, not everyone gets drunk that has a flag draped over them. I had one flying out my car window, I have a beach towel with the aussie flag. guess i am racist because I am proud of my country and enjoy a few beers. If people want southern cross tatts so be it.
FFS, people can wear their burka's, they can preach on the streets, people can preach hate in the name of religion, yet an aussie cant display a little bit of patrotism?
All i seen on Australia day was a bunch of Aussies enjoying their nations national day.
Original post is just full of politically correct tosspots. Maybe they should look at the riot at the cricket or the riots at the tennis caused by immigrants. Nothing but racism there, or perhaps they should witness a white couple leaving a cinema and being hell abused for being an aussie. Bunch of wankers.
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
- Theodor Seuss Geisel
Your freedom ends where mine begins
^^^ I think in this topic we need to differentiate between those who are actually patriotic like yourself Minux, and those who use events such as australia day and the australian flag as a tool to provoke and intimidate.
I think in this thread we are talking about the later.
I was at the beach Australia day in Mornington... there was mostly a bunch of wankers, running around in australian flags, p!ssed of theire head yelling abuse.
Thats NOT what australia day should be in my eyes.
Floating the flag at a BBQ with your mates... go for it... if that floats your boat... I'm all for it.
moderator- for now anyway
I think the display of patriotism these days is bloody brilliant. Its cool to love your country now, when I was a teenager it was a different story, Australia was daggy and we all got around in basketball jerseys listening to rap music thinking Australia sucks and we want to move to America. I don't think it is racist at all. So what if some of the patiotism emerged after the Cronulla riots. Cronulla was a wake up call, some people get it some don't. What are these do gooders calling racism anyway? I bet they think the popular slogan "Love it or leave it" is racist, I'd argue it isn't at all.
Why is it you can get all the ethnic groups displaying the flag of their country and what not and not an eye it batted? I have seen so many cars getting around with Italian flags and colours and stupid stickers that read shit like 'Italian Princess' or 'Italian Stalion'. These tossers are usually born and bred in Australia, I know this because I personally know some of these tools. So many people nowadays won't even identify themselves as Australian if they have an ancestry from another nation. A great deal of people even on this forum have this lousy attitude. How many people do you know that label themselves a 'leb' for eg. even though they were born and bred here?
So now the tide is turning and young people are standing up and saying it is cool to be Australian, I am proud to be Australian if you don't like it **** off. I think its about bloody time young people got patriotic and the more of it the better!
Why exactly are they idiots for wearing the ozzie flag??Originally Posted by Jesterarts
why cant aussies love their flag? what makes it rubbish??
i agree about taking it easy on the day off with a couple of beers ect but not having a flag in sight is rubbish, it is australia day after all and i think if people want to fly the flag then so be it
Totally agree
MY RIDE 96 calais
http://forums.justcommodores.com.au/...96-calais.html
ALSO MY 1972 VALIANT CHARGER IN THE BUILD
http://forums.justcommodores.com.au/...t-charger.html
Infidel Bear
Mini Putt 2 Champion!
Well said Jules!!!
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
- Theodor Seuss Geisel
volunteer firefighter
so all the people who went out and got that discounted Sthrn Cross tatt, does that make them "tough" now?
dont worry, il start a ride thread soon.
Your freedom ends where mine begins
They are not idiots BECAUSE they are wearing the flag... they are idiots who ARE wearing the flag.
Wearing the flag didn't make them idiots... they were idiots to start with...
As I said and I'm going to stick to it.
MOST of these people are not being patriotic... they are being American.
Having the in your face "Yeah, we're Australian... what are you gonna do about it..." attitude.
They are not being patriotic... they are trying to provoke a reaction... which they are obviously getting... otherwise this thread wouldn't exist.
As for my comments about the BBQ without a flag in site. I had a BBQ with mates on friday arvo... generally drank alot listening to jimmy barnes most of saturday... with a dash of spear fishing... sunday was about the same and Monday was lunch with my gf's parents followed by a BBQ at my place.
Guess what, not a flag in sight... does that mean I'm not patriotic? No, just means I don't see the need to fly the flag TO be patriotic. Unlike those who thing that just because they have the flag over their shoulders or at their BBQ makes them patriotic.
I think the Australian thing to do is have two blokes looking at a flag pole... with no flag... saying "Ah well, we'll remember is next year mate.." and having another swig of their beers.
Being in tune with our laid back way of life...
Thats what I think anyway.
SkyFall
i think thats BS, i was at Cronulla all day, Plenty of Aussies Celebrating draped in Australian flags and also plenty of people from other backrounds i saw wearing aussie flags celebrating with them.
The Black Beauty
yea mate makes em real tough...wanker
what julie and minux have said sum up my thoughts on this.
346 cu/in
saw a funny sight on australia day. saw a bunch of blokes with flags. on elizabeth drive.
they had a sign saying honk if you love australia.
i thought that was awesome.
i bet half the migrants dont even know why they get the day off work and just treat it as another day.
and as long as they do it with respect i reckon its allright.
DoNothing Member
i think this thread needs to make a distinction between patriotism, and nationalism
i love australia, but i'm not blind to see some aspects of it that aren't so great. i think real patriotism comes in standing up and fighting for change where its needed to improve this great country.Patriotism is proud of a country’s virtues and eager to correct its deficiencies; it also acknowledges the legitimate patriotism of other countries, with their own specific virtues. The pride of nationalism, however, trumpets its country’s virtues and denies its deficiencies, while it is contemptuous toward the virtues of other countries. It wants to be, and proclaims itself to be, “the greatest,” but greatness is not required of a country; only goodness is
to those holding a 'love it or leave it' mentality no such advancement is necessary, but applying that standard at any point in our past and where would we be? women might not have the vote, aboriginals might not be citizens to name a few.
i think we should be proud of our flag, but it shouldn't be a case of (loving) 'my country, right or wrong' but rather loving it enough to fight it's flaws
Site Administrator
Most Aussies don't know either.
Selling FG G6E Turbo and buying a N/A Supra
Your freedom ends where mine begins
Powerslave, I'll agree with that...
So in a nutshell... (And I could have this wrong) my understanding of it is ...
Partiotism = wanting the best for your country
Nationalism = thinking its the best, no expections
??
Nil Bastardo Carborundum
Jesterarts
Well summed up. This issue has clear distrinctions to be drawn between wearing the flag because you are proud to be Australian, and can behave in a proud and patriotic manner, causing no harm to others and enjoying the national day, or you can use the flag as a mask, behaving in an anti social, irresponsible and thuggish manner, under the auspices of "patriotism", whilst actually doing serious damage to what the day and being Australian represents.
Banned
I have to agree.
The "Love it or leave it" slogan can have an aggressive undertone to it.
Though, I'd also agree that if you don't like it, you're quiet free to leave. It just seldom seems to be used in such a light manner.
Personally I Identify myself as an Australian Italian. I do so because I am quiet proud of my ancestory and the effort my great grandfather went through to give myself the opportunites I have today.
In the same note, a lot of people my age use their ancestory as a sign of devision, more or less a gang.
Which is unaustralian.
I hear people use the phrase "Spot the Aussie" often. It honestly makes me laugh, how can you NOT spot the aussie?
Anyone living here is an Aussie. Regardless of the colour of their skin, or the shape of their eyes.
Blanned
Wasn't going to mention it as I am sure some "spin doctors" will misconstrue my words but **** it!
I hade some of these toss pots that call themselves Australian come up to me in the middle of the day in the middle of the street and tell me to "get the **** out of my country you dirty ****ing leb **** before we kick the ****ing shit outta you", now I will admit I am olive skinned but I have no ****ing lebanese in me, I am second generation Australian (with mostly English friggen backround) and I love this country (Yes the "love it or leave it" slogan has inferred racism behind it but its true, don't love it leave!), I would not live ANYWHERE ELSE and I would die for this country!
These people are a ****ing embarrassment to this country and they tote the Australian flag as a symbol of superiority, not with pride as it should be held with.
Australia day is just another **** up to these supposed "Australians", I spent my Australia day with my family and friends having lamb and a few drinks, with the Australian flag flown proud and high not draped over my back and stained by vomit and spilt drinks! With a game of backyard cricket almost continuously being played!, not getting ****ed and abusing people! I celebrated how great we have it in this country and how truly lucky we are!
Your freedom ends where mine begins
I think this thread has gone off the rails somewhat. I'll have no further part in it.
Last edited by Jesterarts; 28-01-2009 at 01:59 PM.
Beer, barbie, AC/DC on the radio and cricket on the TV. Thats Australia day to me. Always has been, always will be.
And id have it no other way.
I respect our flag, my country and heritage. My family who fought in wars to defend this land.
While im disgusted at the people who come here from other countries and try to implement the awful facets of their former cultures, im just as disgusted as the people of this land who forget that we built this country on certain values, on respect, and on giving people a fair go.
Infidel Bear
Mini Putt 2 Champion!
I think that is the main problem, Australians more so young ones are fighting back against those who want to remove freedoms and make things like their homelands etc.
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
- Theodor Seuss Geisel
hmm well im still pretty young (22) and what minux has said there is pretty much the thought that goes through my head...(probably get drilled for admitting that :P)
Banned
Its true.
Although its the governments that will do that, and I don't see to many "boat" people running the country.
I really do worry about how this country will be in 25yrs. It's not looking too flash at the moment.
Swerves for gay koalas
Mind Me Bloody Beer Champion!
Most were, it was the guys "screaming out 'If you're Aussie and you know it clap your hands' and 'If you're white and you know it clap your hands'" who made the headlines here.
Nothing wrong with the flag, nothing wrong with having one on your car or at the beach or on your back or in your dacks - just don't go around spouting that kind of crap.
Posting Permissions
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Reply With Quote
