Australia and the Queen

[El Presidente]

This one is still hard to beat.

Represents our Governments interaction with it's people.

Represents what we are all about.

Maintains the Southern Cross

In with some Aboriginal colours.

Perfect!

[Dimmers]

Let me reiterate:

[Ken Gargett]

This one is still hard to beat.

Represents our Governments interaction with it's people.

Represents what we are all about.

Maintains the Southern Cross

In with some Aboriginal colours.

Perfect!

2016-01-29_11-20-15.png

mitchell pearce gives it a big thumbs up!

[Ken Gargett]

Let me reiterate:

not sure you have done much for the cause.

could anything look more 80?

[Jeremy Festa]

i consider myself just as much 'real australia' as anyone. and the same for friends and family. doesn't make any other people/group/whatever any less 'real' but i would most vehemently oppose anything - flag/national anthem/constitution/whatever - that would suggest i am not. i would like to think all australians would feel the same.

as i have said, i do think there should be recognition but certainly not just adopting that flag. that makes no sense to me and i agree with the comments above that suggest the aboriginal community may not be happy if it is usurped, though i'm sure they can speak for themselves on that.

surely we can have a flag that represents all australians and not just a small percentage.

and i do not agree with adopting a flag simply to appease a section of the community. that does not make sense to me and will only result in more divisions in the community, not less.

Ken. Maaaaate. I was referring to the flag. As opposed to having someone else's flag in the corner of our flag, and a constellation shared by many other nations, to which I think you pointed out.

And now, I didn't say or allude, to you, or anyone else living here, being 'unreal.' Which, in our colloquialistic (invented word) culture, is still a good thing...being unreal. But that flag, with the red earth, and a big farken sun, is so spot on in it's representation it's, more real, than anything else I have seen thrown together. Except for maybe Rob's contribution. Which is now in contention.

I also, didn't say that adopting the flag is to appease the aboriginal people. But if that was a bi-product of its adoption, then that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Although I highly doubt it could appease such atrocities.

Finally, everyone saying that the aboriginal people want the flag for themselves and not for all of Australia, show a complete inability to put yourselves in someone else shoes. Think about it. Seriously. That is exactly why it was designed in the first place mates. For crying out loud.

Great chat lads.

[Ken Gargett]

Ken. Maaaaate. I was referring to the flag. As opposed to having someone else's flag in the corner of our flag, and a constellation shared by many other nations, to which I think you pointed out.

And now, I didn't say or allude, to you, or anyone else living here, being 'unreal.' Which, in our colloquialistic (invented word) culture, is still a good thing...being unreal. But that flag, with the red earth, and a big farken sun, is so spot on in it's representation it's, more real, than anything else I have seen thrown together. Except for maybe Rob's contribution. Which is now in contention.

I also, didn't say that adopting the flag is to appease the aboriginal people. But if that was a bi-product of its adoption, then that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Although I highly doubt it could appease such atrocities.

Finally, everyone saying that the aboriginal people want the flag for themselves and not for all of Australia, show a complete inability to put yourselves in someone else shoes. Think about it. Seriously. That is exactly why it was designed in the first place mates. For crying out loud.

Great chat lads.

understand. a few thoughts (last post till tomorrow as i have to head to the coast for a 50th).

i did say that the aboriginal community could speak for itself - that was merely my view of what they might think.

understand what you say re appeasement (not that i wish to stir the pot, of course, but aren't you putting yourself in their shoes with your suggestion and comments?), and agree it is a matter which needs to be addressed, but i don't believe it should play any part at all in the decision for the flag. two separate matters. respect and support for sure but presumably, if/when we get a new flag (and by the way, i doubt it is on the near horizon), this is the flag forever. separate matters.

you said that flag was the real australia to you. it is one aspect of australia to me. if that flag was made our flag, it would not represent the real australia to me, merely one aspect. and it would say to me that i am not considered as australian as other members of our community.

[Smallclub]

.Europe is turning into the next Gaza Strip.

[Fuzz AI]

How about a kangaroo on a green and gold background, holding a chiko roll in one paw and a can of VB in the other?

Or how about a new flag every 12 months, in the style of a Pirelli calendar? A nice young Aussie lass (or lad, for the the ladies) in a picturesque spot with some Australiana.

[CaptainQuintero]

Stop firing rockets at me Frank I'm trying to do my hair!!

[JackFNQ]

JackFNQ, on 28 Jan 2016 - 8:35 PM, said:

.Europe is turning into the next Gaza Strip.

Reported five hours ago.

HAND GRENADE is thrown at migrant centre in Germany as violence against refugees escalates

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3422445/HAND-GRENADE-thrown-migrant-centre-Germany-violence-against-refugees-escalates.html#ixzz3yeH8rA2K

There has been in recent weeks (and earlier) a media suppression of violent 'events' in the EU, but now politicians and the credibility of media have been called into account over various incidents involving refuges.

[Smallclub]

JackFNQ, on 28 Jan 2016 - 8:35 PM, said:

Reported five hours ago.

HAND GRENADE is thrown at migrant centre in Germany as violence against refugees escalates

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3422445/HAND-GRENADE-thrown-migrant-centre-Germany-violence-against-refugees-escalates.html#ixzz3yeH8rA2K

There has been in recent weeks (and earlier) a media suppression of violent 'events' in the EU, but now politicians and the credibility of media have been called into account over various incidents involving refuges.

What's the relation with the Gaza strip, an overcrowded area living under a blockade?

[sengjc]

...surely we can have a flag that represents all australians and not just a small percentage...

It's just a matter of time.

[dicko]

I'm firmly in the "it's a non issue" camp

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[JackFNQ]

What's the relation with the Gaza strip, an overcrowded area living under a blockade?

Snipers, grenades,beatings... somewhere between nitpicking and hyperbole we'll certainly find out how European countries trying to expel 100,000's of asylum seekers that don't want to leave will turn out. An overcrowded area living under a blockade has many similarities to a processing refuge detention centre that is hostile, or worse a defensive stockade. There are already tent 'jungle' habitations as termed by the media. Police hate going into situations where they don't have overwhelming force. This is early days yet.

Just this week, Interior Minister Anders Ygeman announced that Sweden would be expelling as many as 80,000 asylum-seekers. There are so many of them that they are having to set up special charter flights to take them back home, assuming they can find them and get them on the planes in the first place.

http://hotair.com/archives/2016/01/30/6-tall-unaccompanied-minor-refugee-in-sweden-raises-questions/

Shall we reserve judgement for now. Sad days ahead.

Regardless, this just highlights my original post giving a viewpoint on the thread topic: Monoculture vs multiculture.

[winelover]

Just catching up with this thread, what a great read, and fantastic all behaved well despite opposing points of view.

I wonder what Liz really thinks about "ruling" over so many peoples. In a way it doesn't matter and our (British) constitution doesn't allow for her to express her free thoughts anyway. But i think being from the generation that lived through World War II, she will know of the importance of the strong bonds of those who fought and died alongside each other and that it would seem a shame to chip away at it.

That said that those strong historical bonds extend beyond the commonwealth as they bound Canadians Yanks Brits (think of D-Day) Oz as bros in arms, so do not require a monarch, but a common cause.

I was at St Paul's Cathedral in London at Christmas and I was quite moved by the memorial to the Americans who fought in WWII and the book listing the names of all those who served and died and our gratitude etc. Never forgotten.

Anyway Republic or not, i think those of us with Western Democratic ideals need to work more closely together as there is still pure evil out there requiring our common cause to defeat, namely today's Nazi's, the so-called "Islamic State".