Is tolerance about to enter the cultural arena?

The voting public is a big animal so it takes a while to turn but, when it does, it sweeps everything before it. John Howard won his elections largely on the back of lies. The Labor economic 'black hole', that he was the one to keep us safe from terrorism after 911 and Bali, that wretched asylum seekers were 'baby killers' who would throw their own children in the sea. These are just the 'red letter' lies; he's told so many others it's impossible to document them - perhaps someone will do a book of them for us.

Howard and his so called Liberals have undermined the hard won multiculturalism of Australia. I know many people are uncomfortable with Muslim migrants, however, they've been uncomfortable with most migration that wasn't people 'like us' always. It's human nature to see those who are not like us as a potential threat. The government's job is to soothe those fears and help people understand that they needn't worry, not to whip them up into a frenzy and build the fear out of proportion.

Those who remember post-war migration could tell you that many thought bringing in Europeans, who spoke a foreign language and had different cultures, would displace the Australian culture. Well, they didn't destroy it, they expanded and enriched it while becoming Ozified themselves. When the Vietnamese started arriving in boats, we had a government that reassured the people. Yes, there was still fear and racism but we didn't change our immigration laws to target these people. We didn't make it impossible for them to live by so restricting their access to welfare that they couldn't feed themselves. We helped them reunite with their loved ones so they would make Australia their true home. And they didn't overwhelm us or make us unsafe.

African migrants will expand our culture too. If we give them the chance, they will become as Australian as those who came before them. They're not more inclined to violence and crime than the rest of the population. It's just another lie. They will adapt their own cultural habits to their new social environment over time, keeping what's important to them and moulding themselves into Australians over the generations, usually making huge moves by the time the first generation born here is grown. We'll absorb elements of their culture that suit our way of life and, hopefully, be tolerant of those things that don't.

Religious based intolerance is not new to Australia; we had our anti-Catholic backlash years ago. I grew up to the taunt "Catholic dogs leap like frogs in and out the water". Who knew what it meant? The heat was out of the argument by then, so mindless jingles were just that. I still live in a country that doesn't recognise my religious views as I'd like - and believe they should. I'm an athiest and have to put up with all sorts of religious effects on my life. They're made more tolerable by the religious public holidays, as I look at the Queen's birthday holiday as payback for putting up with the monarchy. Perhaps we could incorporate some Jewish and Muslim holidays into our calendar. I'm sure additional public holidays would help us be more tolerant.

God knows (excuse the expression) what will make us more loving towards our 1st Australians! Tolerance is obviously beyond many of the God-fearing.

Is John Howard actually God?

I have to ask the question because he's showing many of the characteristics of the God we hear about. This came to my mind with the debacle about interest rates and 'sorry' but 'not sorry'. I do understand the distinction he's trying to make and would find it acceptable, except for his whole thing about being responsible for the rates going down - and thus being the proper person to manage the economy - but not to blame when they go up - and thus being the proper person to manage the economy; this is a little mysterious, to say the least.

It calls to mind how we're always told that God is responsible for the good that happens to us - thus gets the credit - but not the bad - thus escapes the blame. Maybe we're just not being good enough, or praying hard enough? Maybe our faith is being tested? Another phrase comes to mind: God works in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform.

I, of course, am an atheist, so it all slides by me... except for the bloody irritation.