Originally Posted by chris955

I think that really is semantics, obviously noone thinks the country itself is racist but we all know what the it means if someone asks whether a country is racist.

Originally Posted by Pom_Chch

Hello again!

I really did not mean to cause offence here, perhaps I should have worded my first post differently. I did not mean it as a controversial statement and it was not intended as flippant. If some of you on here really thought it was a post designed to get a reaction then why bother posting? If you genuinely thought that then why not just read the OP, think "what a tw**" and then move on? I've seen many posts on here designed to flare up emotion and are purely designed to piss people off. I read it, laugh, call them a tw** (in my head!), then click on the cross and forget about it. This was not one of those and I can only apologise if it case across that way.

My friend had heard Oz is racist because she works with a girl who used to live there up until the age of 21 and she commented on it before. I am not sure where she lived or what she experienced, which is why there was not a lot of detail in the first post. This same friend is now looking at moving abroad, possibly Oz so naturally she would like to know if it is true. Something you will not find by googling it as someone suggested. I like to hear opinions and experiences straight from people living there at the time.

To be completely honest I don't know why some of you have gotten your knickers in a twist about it. If someone posted the exact same thing in the UK forum asking if the UK is racist I wouldn't be offended, I would give my honest opinion on the matter. In fact people suggest the UK is racist and xenophobic and I answer that with my honesty - no I don't think it is and then move on. I'm not really sure why this couldn't happen in this instance...

Originally Posted by Pom_Chch

Hello again!

If someone posted the exact same thing in the UK forum asking if the UK is racist I wouldn't be offended, I would give my honest opinion on the matter. In fact people suggest the UK is racist and xenophobic and I answer that with my honesty - no I don't think it is and then move on. I'm not really sure why this couldn't happen in this instance...

Originally Posted by Mr Grumpy

Many people get angry because there is a constant attack on Australia by international vested interest groups who benefit by creating bad images of other countries. China in particular is known to have an entire cyber army of hundreds of thousands of people constantly spreading lies about other countries online trying to subvert them in any way possible. For all I know you could be another Chinese cyber agent spreading more misinformation about Australia.

Originally Posted by Mr Grumpy

Many people get angry because there is a constant attack on Australia by international vested interest groups who benefit by creating bad images of other countries. China in particular is known to have an entire cyber army of hundreds of thousands of people constantly spreading lies about other countries online trying to subvert them in any way possible. For all I know you could be another Chinese cyber agent spreading more misinformation about Australia.

Originally Posted by Zen10

No, a reasonable question is "is racism a problem in Australia?" Saying that you have heard "Australia is racist" is flippant and offensive, even if not intended to be. South Africa was a racist country during Apartheid. That is the difference. "I've heard Britain is racist" - think about what that is implying for a moment.

Originally Posted by Beoz

Agree .... and why post the question on a public forum if it wasn't intended to spark contraversy, especially when it's for a friend rather than her/himself.. A simple google search would have done the trick.

Originally Posted by Pom_Chch

Hello again!

I really did not mean to cause offence here, perhaps I should have worded my first post differently. I did not mean it as a controversial statement and it was not intended as flippant. If some of you on here really thought it was a post designed to get a reaction then why bother posting? If you genuinely thought that then why not just read the OP, think "what a tw**" and then move on? I've seen many posts on here designed to flare up emotion and are purely designed to piss people off. I read it, laugh, call them a tw** (in my head!), then click on the cross and forget about it. This was not one of those and I can only apologise if it case across that way.

My friend had heard Oz is racist because she works with a girl who used to live there up until the age of 21 and she commented on it before. I am not sure where she lived or what she experienced, which is why there was not a lot of detail in the first post. This same friend is now looking at moving abroad, possibly Oz so naturally she would like to know if it is true. Something you will not find by googling it as someone suggested. I like to hear opinions and experiences straight from people living there at the time.

To be completely honest I don't know why some of you have gotten your knickers in a twist about it. If someone posted the exact same thing in the UK forum asking if the UK is racist I wouldn't be offended, I would give my honest opinion on the matter. In fact people suggest the UK is racist and xenophobic and I answer that with my honesty - no I don't think it is and then move on. I'm not really sure why this couldn't happen in this instance...

Originally Posted by derab

But parts of the UK are racist, how is an Englishman treated in Glasgow, or aberistwyth (pardon the spelling) or more to the point, Belfast? thats kind of the point some of us are making.. everywhere is racist, sometimes, like in Zimbabwe and Alabama its right there in your face.. other places its a bit more subtle, but it exists everywhere.

Originally Posted by moneypenny20

Doesn't stop it being wrong and me being over an oft repeated query.

Originally Posted by the troubadour

This being a forum I don't believe it matters a great deal the wording. A number of people have the impression Australia is racist.They don't necessary refer to government policy just run of the mill comments on a street level.

Originally Posted by Zen10

Again, that implies that Australia is a racist country, when it is no more or less racist than any other place. Racism is in every society at all levels, and is only reduced by education. It gets worse when economies go down the pan as those at the top seek to redirect blame from them and pit the races against one another. Done since Roman times and probably earlier. It has nothing to do with any particular nation and I for one am tired of the lazy, hackneyed and defamatory attitude that Australia is "a racist country". People want to go to some eastern European countries if they want to see real racists, or the Deep South of the US, for example. Both these locations have problems with racism that make anything you find in Aus look pretty tame.

Originally Posted by knockoff nige

I think the OP is more positive than it's being made out to be. Instead of saying 'Australia is a racist country, I'd never recommend moving there' they are asking the question that will give them more insight into how things are over here. If you don't like having to respond to these things, why have you posted so much on it?

Originally Posted by knockoff nige

I think the OP is more positive than it's being made out to be. Instead of saying 'Australia is a racist country, I'd never recommend moving there' they are asking the question that will give them more insight into how things are over here. If you don't like having to respond to these things, why have you posted so much on it?

Originally Posted by bcworld

Exactly. The OP did nothing wrong - that is completely obvious. If the Deep South of the US is racist...someone might not know about the extent of that until they ask. Apparently that would be reasonable. But not so if they ask if a similar question about Australia.