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'Straya - Love it or leave it.

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  • 'Straya - Love it or leave it.

    Since we're captives of culture we can't really leave it. Even when relocated to another Anglophone sphere, it remain with us but why? Not so long ago, before cheap jet travel, it was a backwater - we had censorship, an ex military officer public service, backward views on just about every social issue from Apartheid to women's places in society. We were/are frightened of the other but paradoxically self satisfied. What did those displaced from Europe make of us?

    “Australia” by Anna Walwicz.

    “You big ugly. You too empty. You desert with your nothing nothing nothing. You scorched suntanned. Old too quickly. Acres of suburbs watching the telly. You bore me. Freckle silly children. You nothing much. With your big sea. Beach beach beach. I’ve seen enough already. You dumb dirty city with bar stools. You’re ugly. You silly shopping town. You copy. You too far everywhere. You laugh at me. When I came this woman gave me a box of biscuits. You try to be friendly but you’re not very friendly. You never ask me to your house. You insult me. You don’t know how to be with me. Road road tree tree. I came from crowded and many. I came from rich. You have nothing to offer. You’re poor and spread thin. You big. So what. I’m small. It’s what’s in. You silent on Sunday. Nobody on your streets. You dead at night. You go to sleep too early. You don’t excite me. You scare me with your hopeless. Asleep when you walk. Too hot to think. You big awful. You don’t match me. You burnt out. You too big sky. You make me a dot in the nowhere. You laugh with your big healthy. You want everyone to be the same. You’re dumb. You do like anybody else. You engaged Doreen. You big cow. You average average. Cold day at school playing around at lunchtime. Running around for nothing. You never accept me. For your own. You always ask me where I’m from. You always ask me. You tell me I look strange. Different. You don’t adopt me. You laugh at the way I speak. You think you’re better than me. You don’t like me. You don’t have any interest in another country. Idiot centre of your own self. You think the rest of the world walks around without shoes or electric light. You don’t go anywhere. You stay at home. You like one another. You go crazy on Saturday night. You get drunk. You don’t like me and you don’t like women. You put your arm around men in bars. You’re rough. I can’t speak to you. You burly burly. You’re just silly to me. You big man. Poor with all your money. You ugly furniture. You ugly house. You relaxed in your summer stupor. All year. Never fully awake. Dull at school. Wait for other people to tell you what to do. Follow the leader. Can’t imagine. Workhorse. Thick legs. You go to work in the morning. You shiver on a tram.”

    Anna's is a pretty good description of what is meant by the word "Sheeple".




    Last edited by Paddo Colt 61; 09-06-2022, 03:24 PM.

  • #2
    add that poem to wake in fright ...

    i love australia and don't want to leave it and i hope our shoulders are broad enough to take on board that sort of criticism

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    • #3
      C-
      Lacks balance. Could do better grammatically. Needs better descriptive language.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by mightyrooster View Post
        C-
        Lacks balance. Could do better grammatically. Needs better descriptive language.
        no doubt it lacks balance but it's a well, brilliant, description of what it could mean to be a migrant here. it's a vailid personal take. the experience of 'new australians' after the the war wasn't always an easy one. grammar is kind of stream of consciousness and what it lacks in descriptive language it makes up for with from the heart honesty

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        • #5
          Originally posted by zac View Post

          no doubt it lacks balance but it's a well, brilliant, description of what it could mean to be a migrant here. it's a vailid personal take. the experience of 'new australians' after the the war wasn't always an easy one. grammar is kind of stream of consciousness and what it lacks in descriptive language it makes up for with from the heart honesty
          You are correct Zac and I have great empathy for those who are marginalised. In fact my empathy for such things often gets me in trouble in here. But mostly my response was just me having a sly dig at Paddo. His general response to a point of view he doesn’t agree with is to critique or disqualify the source and the poster rather than their actual argument.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by mightyrooster View Post

            You are correct Zac and I have great empathy for those who are marginalised. In fact my empathy for such things often gets me in trouble in here. But mostly my response was just me having a sly dig at Paddo. His general response to a point of view he doesn’t agree with is to critique or disqualify the source and the poster rather than their actual argument.
            that's well and good but sounds like you're playing the man and not the ball yourself but paddo's his own worst enemy

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            • #7
              Originally posted by zac View Post

              that's well and good but sounds like you're playing the man and not the ball yourself but paddo's his own worst enemy
              Yes I am, on purpose. It’s meant to be a joke Zac. Maybe I should not do jokes. Seems like I’m failing miserably.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by mightyrooster View Post
                Yes I am, on purpose. It’s meant to be a joke Zac. Maybe I should not do jokes. Seems like I’m failing miserably.
                haha - no, jokes are good

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                • #9
                  Love love love Austraya But coming from a migrant family Yes yes yes to Anna Walwicz whom by the name I guess shares the same migrant culture as myself

                  PS looked her up yes she is from Polish descent like myself
                  Last edited by Andrew Walker; 09-06-2022, 07:40 PM.
                  When you trust your television
                  what you get is what you got
                  Cause when they own the information
                  they can bend it all they want

                  John Mayer

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by zac View Post

                    haha - no, jokes are good
                    Lol, I think the irony was lost somehow. But you’re right Paddo can be his own worst enemy at times, but I’d like to think I’m one on here that’s always tried to give him a fair go. Caused me some trouble and damage that too!

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by mightyrooster View Post

                      Lol, I think the irony was lost somehow. But you’re right Paddo can be his own worst enemy at times, but I’d like to think I’m one on here that’s always tried to give him a fair go. Caused me some trouble and damage that too!
                      PC caused you no trouble that was someone else who did that

                      PS Walwicz from a migrants perspective in those times has nailed it Sounded no different to my Grandmother and Father later on Bravo to Anna
                      Last edited by Andrew Walker; 09-06-2022, 08:11 PM.
                      When you trust your television
                      what you get is what you got
                      Cause when they own the information
                      they can bend it all they want

                      John Mayer

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Andrew Walker View Post

                        PC caused you no trouble that was someone else who did that

                        PS Walwicz from a migrants perspective in those times has nailed it Sounded no different to my Grandmother and Father later on Bravo to Anna
                        Yep you and Zac are right. I was just too focused on playing games with Paddo than the actual content. I love Australia and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in the world, but hearing that from a migrants perspective is raw and confronting. I’d like to think as a country we’ve made a lot of progress in that regard, but..

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by zac View Post

                          no doubt it lacks balance but it's a well, brilliant, description of what it could mean to be a migrant here. it's a vailid personal take. the experience of 'new australians' after the the war wasn't always an easy one. grammar is kind of stream of consciousness and what it lacks in descriptive language it makes up for with from the heart honesty
                          Do you have Polish roots Zac?

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Well the glass seems half empty here cats, let's fill it up. Open your eyes a little.

                            Australia is an amazing country for one so young, the strides its made and opportunities provided are unmatched anywhere in the world.

                            We are a beautiful mix of indigenous peoples, colonial voyagers and post war migrants. And the generations that follow on, all three broad groups are equally important and crucial to the benefits we all enjoy today. Respect and honour them all. Look at that amazing speech and proud colours worn by Dai Lee and what it demonstrated...a true independent not fake, so appreciative and so positive. So proud of her country and her people, and her Vietnamese heritage.

                            The migrants who came here would have been far, far worse in probably any other country. And their hard work and appreciation of our blended culture is a huge part of Australia today.

                            Have a drink and be thankful....out of that glass, it's half full remember.
                            #We Stand with ourJewish community#

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I like this part...

                              > When I came this woman gave me a box of biscuits.

                              > You try to be friendly but you’re not very friendly.

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