The ignorance runs both ways...

[Dracon II]

I'm doing a research task on ASEAN and I came across a speech by Dr. Mahatir Bin Mohamed, the last PM of Malaysia.
It's no secret that he was anti-Australian, and one of the greatest impediments to Australian involvement in regional politics. I understand that Australian history and political culture is somewhat ignorant and fearful of Asia (that is changing...), but THIS is just ignorance:

I asked an Australian parliamentarian who wrote to me complaining about what I do in my own country ... why don't they accept, say, another 20 million Indians and Chinese who wish to migrate to Australia - it's such a big country, it's gone to waste. But he didn't see the point at all. He couldn't understand me

What he couldn't understand, Mr Mohamed was your complete and utter ignorance of Australia. Australia is 2/3rds desert you idiot!!! Supporting 20 million people in this country is difficult as it is!!! Even if we accepted 20 million white people, it would be the same...

.... what an idiot. Of course Australia's immigrant policy is a bit too strict, but that's just taking the piss... especially from a regional head of Government who claimed be such an expert on how Australians think.

Is there anyone here who really thinks Australia is all green pastures and meadows?

[Agathon]

No, but I think a lot of you are racist xenophobes.

Then again we aren't much different...

[Dracon II]

Maybe in the country... but in the cities racial xenophobia is just stupid (well more stupid). There's so many different cultures and races it would simply be unsustainable.... and would likely result in complete exhaustion. I think most Australians have adjusted to and are actually excited by multiculturalism.

... having a Chinese girlfriend, I know I have

[Dinner]

Australia could support more people but desalinization plants and other such measures would be needed. Mathir's claim that the population of the country could be doubled over night without difficulty is stupid though.

[Drake Tungsten]

Mahatir hated Aussies, too? I guess I was too hung up on his raging anti-Semitism to notice...

[Dinner]

He hated white people in general but reserved his special hatred for the Jews.

[Dracon II]

His hatred for whites centred a lot on Australia. Probably because we're a weak enough nation to offend with no repercussions, and he couldn't handle the fact that we were only one door down from his.

..... that and the fact that we sometimes resort to racism and have politicians who say stupid **** about asians flooding the country (Pauline Hanson you all know about.... but John Howard said something similar back in the 80's).

Malaysians did have to put up a fight to the British for their independence... so their might be bad blood there too.

[Dracon II]

But even Menzies-ites like Howard no better than to offend to asians nowadays. He's about as kiss-arse to Hu Jintao as he is to Bush.
Reminds me of a sketch on the Micallef Program a few years back. He was the Foreign Minister Adressing the nation:

[paraphrase] "My fellow Australians. It has come to my attention that recently there has been a lot of racism directed towards our Asian neighbours ... Given our close economic ties to Asia this prejudice has the potential to harm our nation. So on behalf of the Australian Government, here is a list of countries that you can safely feel racist towards"

... across the bottom of the screen scrolled the names of a number of small and insignificant countries. Seemed quite funny... but it kinda rings true