littlewing69 said:
Howard's hijacking of implicit characteristics of the national psyche into shallow, propagandistic drivel is depressing.
Speaking of depressing, every time I see stuff like this I die a little bit inside. Such ridiculously pretentious and hollow language is better saved for your exams. I don't mean to single you out, just that yours was the post I was on when I decided it needed to be commented on. Seriously people, next time you string a whole lot of words together, try to *say* something.
Anyway, seeing as I'm feeling moderately constructive...
Should Australia introduce a formal citizenship test?
I'm undecided on this, the idea certainly has its merits, but on the other hand I have my reservations as to its application.
What level of English is required to participate as an Australian citizen?
A level whereby people who you interact with in your daily life are not greatly inconvenienced by your inability to comprehend the simplest of communication. I don't think there should be a rigid one-size-fits-all level for this, as individuals will take to the language differently due to various factors. I see this as working in same way that we don't expect the same level of English proficiency from those with various disabilities as we do from an "average" member of the community. At the bottom of it all though, I don't think anyone living here on a permanent or even semi-permanent basis should do so without being able to communicate with reasonable efficiency.
How important is knowledge of Australia for Australian citizenship?
Mixed feelings on this, I think it's important in that I would like to think that most people living here should have at least have some interest in the history of our country, but I'm not really convinced that it is a fundamental component of citizenship.
The reason for this is that basically I don't see that those who are lacking knowledge of our history will be any less able to function appropriately in our society, aside from being at a distinct disadvantage at trivia nights. At the same time however, I think it's *probably* reasonable on the most part to expect people not to be completely oblivious to the country around them. I guess my point here is that it's something which I think is desirable, but not really all that critical, to an extent at least.
How important is a demonstrated commitment to Australia's way of life and values for those intending to settle permanently in Australia or spend a significant period of time in Australia?
Very important. I think what has been said in relation to this seems a little wide of the mark so far, and I'm fairly doubtful that this wording is intended to imply that everyone is expected to get pissed, eat pies and go to the beach a lot. I'd be inclined to suggest that people making comments along these lines are confusing identity with stereotypes, and similarly I'd assume that "way of life" refers to something a little deeper than what you do to fill your day. In the same vein, I don't think that the people interpreting this as an attack upon other religions have quite grasped the point which is being made, at least not the point which I'm seeing here.
The Australian culture as I see it has a lot to do with letting people enjoy the freedoms which they have, with the sole provision being that they do not impinge upon the rights of others. As most reading on this topic suggests, Australia *is* a relatively new country, and as such our image may not be quite as easy to pin down as other countries, but I find one of the things which is most strikingly obvious is the diversity which does exist, and the fact that for the most part (and when things are running as they should) this diversity goes all but unnoticed by the people involved. While this isn't as successful as it should be so far, due largely to sadsacks trying to ruin it for others, I think as time progresses this combination of identities will become a lot more cohesive and gradually become something of an identity on its own. It seems to me that our identity hinges a lot more on how we interact with others rather than specifically what we're doing, with factors such as religion being of much less relevance than they may be in defining the identity of other nations.
With this in mind, I think that the requirement for demonstrated commitment to this way of life is an absolute must. I think what's being said here is that people simply aren't welcome if they're not prepared to coexist with others which are already here, or others who will be arriving. We do not welcome anyone who can't handle the thought of living near a synagogue. Anyone who does not like the thought of women being able to dress in whatever manner they wish and participate in society as they see fit is similarly unwelcome. If they're not willing to peacefully live with x race and like it, then they don't make the cut. Those who despise democracy should probably try a different country, and save both us and themselves the trouble. Those with fundamental grievances with Australian law should not come here with the intention of breaking it. If none of the above requirements sounds objectionable, then chances are you have "demonstrated commitment to Australia's way of life and values", seriously, I don't think they're talking about VB.
Basically, we do not welcome people who will not respect the rights of those around them, and the structures which are in place within the country. I don't think this is really an outlandish request, quite the opposite in fact. If there was a way to introduce a test which addressed *this* issue I think it'd be the most appropriate path here, as this is of much more functional importance than knowing the history of the country, though of course the history and the ingrained diversity are related.
Note: Typos and blatantly broken sentences are courtesy of me being on my way to bed. Enjoy, and I'll fix anything that's glaringly bad when I get up.