Stony

Bit of a silly comment really, given that the extent of most british travels is 2 weeks in either spain or greece, with the odd day trip to france to stock up on the booze.

Oh and lets not forget the brits who 'cant stand all that foreign muck' and go to Disneyland instead - excellent cultural influence there apologies to any americans reading this

Yes I'm generalising (hugely) but so were you with your comment.

Most people dont like to travel outside of their 'comfort zone', be they aussies, brits or whatever.

The peeps on this forum, are I think a bit more open-minded than the norm about travelling outside their own country.

HiddenPaw

But there is, and have been, real threats.

Bali was a real wake-up call that Australians are a terrorist target. There have been numerous 'suspects' questioned in Australia over terrorist links, and Australia is on medium-security - no it's not 'high' and it's not 'extreme', but it's not 'low' either.

You cannot possibly say that Australia's national security does not have weak spots that can't be exploited, nor that Australia is not a target. (Look at Spain, bet they didn't think they were a target. )

kiwichild

yep ain't television a wonderful thing: can take you all around the world from the comfort of your own lounge room

kiwichild

Not a silly comment at all, and judging by some of the comments by some australians on this thread, if they have travelled they must have stayed pissed 99.9% of the time, cos it surely doesn't look like they learnt much.

kiwichild

Actually I think its called "building" and I understand more than you might think.
Back to mainpoint,Australia cannot adequately defend itself with only conventional weaponry and a few political "arrangements". I agree with Sir Michael Dean, that Australia should have its own independent nuclear arsenal.

kiwichild

Agree with the abandoned cars thing. can't agree with the first part, ASIO have found evidence pertaining to the development of terrorist cells here.

Love you location description

kiwichild

I can appreciate your affection for Australia. It's your homeland, and we all hold our place of origin in a special light. Uk/Europe is certainly a lot different but that difference also adds something to the landscape that Australia lacks.

For me personally, the heat and the lack of friendliness towards people from outside one's immediate social circle, depress me. Australia is not an easy society to live in for one who's roots ( family of origin)/adolescent friendships do not lie here.

It is not a particluarly warm and inviting culture, though it likes to believe otherwise.

And the government here seems to think human rights belong in some kind of sub-portfolio that must be controlled by the bigger party policies of whoever is in power.

There are equal rights here if you are , male, white, middle class, and heterosexual.

eatstatic

OK "mate" whatever makes you happy! Is'nt it your bedtime now anyway?

HiddenPaw

Your communication skills really are limited aren't they, sour-puss!

Stony

You are generalising again luv Big time !

Some of the comments by non-aussies on this thread and forum also would indictate they've pissed away 99.9% of their time in Spain, Greece, France and Disneyland Mind you thats probably a good thing (or maybe the only way they know how to cope) Miaow

kiwichild

TOUCHE !!! But I bet they really originated somewhere back of West of the Nullabor

Vinny van Gogh

May have a point there...but I seem to remember that the Aus troops were and are also in Iraq..and by default on the "muslim" hit list.
I also seem to remember that just recently the Aus courts have "ordered" that the dreaded asylum seekers must be allowed into Aus. Hown many will be genuine and how many will be "muslim" insergents setting up terror cells?
Now when they join up with the Aborigines who have been treated worse than dogs from Captain Cook landing to present day authorities, you will have the same problems. Did I read recently that Aboriginal "youths" have taken to beating up white guys. The bush fires that threatened Sydney in 2004 were reported to have been started deliberately....by whom? Aboriginals have used fires long before the "settlers" to clean the land.
Its not just the "muslims" its any group of dis-functional mis-fits with "cause" justified only between their ears or by oppression ( real or percieved)
You should also remember that these groups feed on this oppression and seek help from other "oppressed" groups who have access to weapons.
The IRA and other terror groups can never be defeated as Tony Blair and others have found..because you can never find them all.
Now imagine your worst fear...aboriginal terror squads armed by Osama bin Laden reaking havoc on the OZ tourist industry, wonder how much financial strain that would give the Oz authority when 600,000 per year Brits alone return to Benidorm! Its not impossible.

HiddenPaw

JI is known to have been actively recruiting Australian muslims and establishing terror cells in Australia for the last 10 years or so (although a lot of this was only uncovered post-Bali, due to a step up of govt anti-terrorist activity). ASIO pumps an incredible amount of resource into uncovering terrorist cells in Australia - the threat is already there.

I don't really know what's been going on in thelast 12 months but a French muslim was deported during the RWC - not sure of the final conclusion of the episode but wasn't it discovered that he was facilitating an attack on Sydney during the RWC?

ASIO also discovered an AL Qaeda operative working as a Qantas baggage handler......one of many more Australians with links to Al Qaeda.

wombat42

Aboriginal terror squads yeah right, they only make up 1% of the population,
if you have ever been to OZ and seen aboriginies you will know that the only people they bash or kill are each other in drunken fights. Aborigines are'nt muslim and have nothing in common with Bin LAden and islam why would they want to join his terrorist group and attack their own country and die for bin laden and islam, Aboriginies own 30% of the land mass of OZ and get large mining royalty payments , and would have nothing to gain from terrorism and have never engaged in terrorism before.
Most bushfires are set by white fire fighters or drunken white youths not aboriginies.l have'nt heard anything about Muslim asylum seekers being set free, we lock them up and deport them soon as they enter OZ, unlike in the Uk where you give them a house and stacks of cash. There has never been any terrorist muslim attack in OZ, there are far more muslims in the UK then OZ so there is more likely to be a terrorist attack over there.

HiddenPaw

I agree with you about the aboriginal terror squads!! I won't discredit them all as unintelligent drunks, but regardless of the disquiet in Aboriginal neighbourhoods, I just can't envisage Al-Qaeda armed aborigines. (Mind you, in my profession I was always taught to 'expect the unexpected' so I guess it's a remote possibility.)

As regards asylum seekers, Australia does NOT lock up and deport asylum seekers, although it will deport those who don't qualify for asylum.

A greater population of muslims does not equate to a greater chance of terrorist attack. 99.9% of muslims are not terrorists. Vigilance is key. If a terror cell is undetected, then it can attack in any country, regardless of how many muslims there are amongst the poupulation.