If not, what?
What are we going to do? Offshore — everywhere — there's all these people dead set keen on coming to Australia or Britain or any location offering a shot at three meals a day and an indoor toilet.
Not that that's guaranteed, but that's the promise in the promised lands. And whether you recognise it or not what we've got here in the way of material pleasures is as good as it gets. Yesiree, it won't get any better than this. Enjoy.
You may have misgivings. You may be one of those who harps on and on about how hard done by you are. Get a life! You're one lucky bastard. Haven't you been listening? Ask the RSL any day of the week: "we are young and free, girted by sea, da de da dee."
Instead of being born into a triple-fronted brick veneer low set and a regular breakfast of Weetbix plus choice of beverage, you could have been stuck in the household of a landless peasant from Upper Volta with early tuberculosis and a nasty case of intestinal worms. Get real, matey! You've got it good.
Not only is this the best of all possible worlds under capitalism in the 21st century, but there's millions of others out there — offshore, overwhelmed and underfed — who are dying to be in your shoes. (Now there's a luxury — shoes!) And they are!
While the free exchange of capital is very much the in-mode of entrepreneurial existence as we speak, people are supposed to stay where luck or misfortune has put them. Money can go wherever it pleases but your run-of-the-mill, down-and-out Third World-type person of slender means has gotta stay put.
Why? (a) Because they no speak English? (b) Because they're too exotic for the suburbs? (c) Because there are too many of them?
Whatever. It doesn't really matter. From Philip Ruddock to the greenie who lives down the street, there's sure to be a favourite reason why those "less fortunate" than ourselves can't come in. If they're "less fortunate", now they better get used to it — their luck's not going to change. To hear Philip Ruddock tell it — come here to Australia and your luck is going to get worse!
Ably assisted by our surfeit of sharks, saltwater crocodiles, snakes, stormy petrel and the Boogey Man, you'll rue the day you ever thought of coming to Australia!
But I've got news for the locals: your standard, everyday, Third World-type person of very slender means is going to keep on coming. That's a fact. They have no choice in the matter.
So, you there! Australiana type personage of nationalistic bent! What you going to do about it? (a) Increase your pledge to the Save the Children Fund by a whole $1.25 a week? (b) Lock every one of them up as soon as they come within cooee of Terra Australis? (c) Vote for Howard or Hanson or Beazley to keep these migrant types at arm's length and locked away from the rest of us?
I ask you: if not these options, what? Surely you can do better than Philip Ruddock?
By Dave Riley
<http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dhell>