I’ll let you judge whether I could just recycle this every year at the same time:

(from “Nathan’s random roundup week ending 21st Jan 2007″)

This week had multiculturalism at its finest on display for the tennis. This is what happens when you a policy of encouraging other people to completely retain their culture: warts and all. Serbs vs Croats vs Greeks was the real battle..
Why the fighting? Because there’s a tennis match scheduled between their national teams.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/tennis/open-rocked-by-ethnic-brawl/2007/01/15/1168709679372.html

Ball boys ready? Umpire? Police?

To be honest (and I’ll go out on the assumption limb here) I’d almost lay money than none of these people brawling are actual born-there Serbian/Greek or Croatian.
They’re usually second generation Australians who have probably never visited their pseudo-homeland, yet describe themselves as “Greek”, “Serb” or “Croatian” and feel the need to continue on the long tradition of fighting for reasons unknown.

Turned up in same outfit to kick the shit out of each other

Although I think the two guys kicking at each other are just having a dispute over wearing the same outfit to the tennis. Look how one has draped himself in a flag to try and make it a bit less obvious that the greeny-grey cargo pants, black t-shirt, white shoes and no brain combination is the same as his.

To give you an example, from the article as to how wars get started elsewhere in the world (Australia doesn’t start wars, we just get dragged into them by everyone else).
“Leaders of Melbourne’s Serbian and Croatian communities accused each other’s compatriots of provoking the fracas.

Melbourne’s Serbian Cultural Club president, Toma Banjanin, said while the fight at the tennis was “deplorable”, old enmities could be stoked by overzealous Croatian flag-waving.

“Probably a few of those Serbs they say, ‘OK, you want a fight, let’s have a fight’.”

The Croatian Community Association’s secretary, Tom Starcevic, believed it was the Serbian supporters who were the aggressors. He said his daughter, Emilija, 14, had seen a Serbian supporter strike a Croatian fan on the head.”

Must certainly be some zealous flag waving. Perhaps it was the beating someone over the head with the flag that got things started?

From another article (http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/01/15/1168709679555.html):
“But another Serb supporter said the violence was organised days ahead. Text messages saying “come to the tennis and punch on” had been circulating, and would continue.

“We hate those Croat c—-, we want to smash their heads in after the game,” he said. “We knew they were coming, tomorrow there will be more. There’ll be 200 Croats, but that doesn’t matter, we’ll bring shanks and stab every one of them.””

Yep, it was *them*.. *They* started it first! Always the other side, but no one can be sure.. Blah blah blah.. Rumours and unverifiable statements (much like the stuff I spout out in the weekly roundups) used as justification to bring the quaint rest-of-the-world charm to Australia. That is: self sustaining tribal wars and disputes based on nothing more than some 1000 year old bickering.
Yep, hooray for multiculturalism’s stupid side..

Citizenship test

Can’t we just all get along? Fair enough: you have a background from somewhere else, bring your skin colour, funny customs and tasty foreign food with ya: leave the violent ethnic grudge bullsh*t at the door..:)

Or maybe they should just give the supporters at the tennis game flares. Like with this soccer/football match:
http://www.glumbert.com/media/flare

Scary how applicable it is..

Although my comment about flares at the Australian open was obviously taken on board:

The mob, who were ejected for disruptive behaviour and smuggling flares into Melbourne Park on the first day of play, seemed to have learned nothing from past years.

Or how about the constant stream of scumbags who do the cowardly hit and runs on pedestrians and cyclists. Like on the 27th of October this one who hit and killed an elderly man got out and then took off. Or on the 12th of November an 11 year old girl hurt out the front of a school by a driver who got out and then again took off. Or 18th of  October another elderly guy hit, broken pelvis and leg and the driver “reversed, drove around the victim and left the scene”. A 9 year old was hit by a car driver who then “sped from the scene” in Brisbane.

Or let’s look at cars vs cyclists: 19th October teenager charged with killed 39 year old cyclist via hit and run. A cyclist suing the RTA over unsafe road where he was hit and run and left blind and brain damaged by a car driver.

Too true.. Particularly in Sydney.

Or we could even look at motorcyclists (presumably motorcycle thieves I should point out): police search for motorcyclist who hit and with assistance from two men in a car fled the scene.

I mean fair’s fair: How many cyclists have done hit and runs leaving people dead and in hospital? It’s pretty hard to hit someone on a bicycle and not end up about as damaged yourself.

I’m sure there are some, but compared to the deluge of drivers just doing hit and runs on pedestrians that make the Sydney Morning Herald for just the last month: shouldn’t we be calling for a ban of cars from roads? Instead we have twits like the (thankfully)EX transport minister Carl Scully stating emphatically “Cyclists do not have the same rights as motorists on the roads” and uttering such utter garbage as:

.. also acknowledge that it is motorists who pay fuel levies, tolls, registration and licence fees, as well as the huge cost of buying and running a motor vehicle. Apart from a negligible amount of GST on their equipment, cyclists pay nothing towards the cost of the roads they wish to use and rely on motorists to fund most of the cost of cycling infrastructure. Being more aware of this may make more cyclists a little more sensitive to the needs of the motoring public.

I barely know where to begin with this stupidity:

• Cyclists pay taxes, unless, like in Carl Scully’s world they’re all dole bludging hippies.
• Cyclists also pay for licences, registration, tolls, fuel levies if they own a car.
• The personal cost of buying and running a motor vehicle as something worthy of respect by cyclists (who presumably get their bikes left by santa claus) is about as relevant as stating the running costs of a lawn mower. No one twists your arm to buy your vehicle, just like no one twists your arm to buy a bike
• Complete ignorance of the taxation system is how I’d sum up the notion that roads are paid for entirely by motorists’ fuel levies, tolls and registration. Cycle ways aren’t funded by car drivers, they’re funded by TAX PAYERS which happens to include a mix of car drivers, bicycle riders and non drivers/non riders.
• Seemingly complete ignorance of the notion that people ride bikes for more than just recreation. For a minister of transport it boggles the mind to realise that this numpty doesn’t realise that people ride to work and that people WANT to ride to work more.
• Ignorance of the fact that car drivers are the ones that need to be more sensitive to the needs of cyclists who are exposed on the roads and who can have their lives snuffed out by a moment’s inattention by a driver (who might, as the articles I listed above, just drive off and leave them bleeding in the gutter)

Anyhow, it’d be nice if there was even the slightest attempt of fair coverage without the hysterical “cyclists are evil and must be banned from the roads” when there’s a one off  incident. After all, for every cyclist that’s a healthier (well.. aside from breathing petrol fumes.. but that’s another issue) and not burning petrol to get to/from work or using up space on public transport: that’s better for society.

So how about a bit less demonising in the press of those who are doing the more noble thing and pedalling to work.