‘Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated,’ is a well known quote from Mark Twain. This quote came to mind while reading Craig Emerson’s column – Why Australia Day will just die of old age – in Monday’s edition of the Australian Financial Review.
Emerson’s column argues that the Grim Reaper of demographics is stalking old Australia, its people and its national day. A new cohort of settlers will arrive to replace us and usher in a republic, he asserts. When, you may ask, will this happen? The answer: sometime in the middle of this century.
Reading Emerson’s column reminded me of another prophet of doom, aka a frustrated republican. Some decades ago, the author Thomas Kenneally blamed the lack of movement on an Australian republic on an older generation. Musing about the coming death of that generation, who he saw were holding back republicanism, Kenneally’s appeal was to their children who he thought would readily throw off the “colonial shackles,” once their parents were gone.
With still no actual movement for change on the horizon, Emerson realises a “Plan B” will be needed. To see in an Australian republic and deliver the coup de grâce to our constitutional monarchy and national day, immigration, he argues, will be that weapon.
Quoting from the most recent Intergenerational Report, Emerson writes:
‘It’s not that the citizens who oppose change to any of these absurdities will have changed their minds by 2050, it’s that there won’t be many of them around.
…net overseas migration is projected to contribute a whopping 75 per cent of Australia’s population growth in 40 years’ time.
The two biggest source countries for immigrants nowadays? China and India. And the fastest growing countries of birth between the 2016 and 2021 census periods were India, Nepal, the Philippines, Vietnam and China. Not many monarchists there.‘
To assert that our Constitution and national day will not last, because we will not last, shows how unconvincing is the republican case for change.
Moreover, the lack of grace to his fellow Australians and exultant wish to replace our people – our families, friends and neighbours and those who have fought for this nation, who have protected its people from natural disasters and from wars and conflicts- to bring in a republic, is distasteful.
Distasteful as well and also presumptuous, is to assert that new immigrants, wherever they may come from, will not share a regard for our institutional arrangements, traditions and culture. What Craig Emerson forgets is that some of the most ardent supporters of this nation and our way of life are its most recent arrivals who see a just people and place of opportunity and safety. But like all collectivists, Emerson does not accept that everyone is an individual and differences of opinion can and do exist.
On one thing Emerson is right: death (like taxes) is certain. But he should know that nothing else in life is inevitable. I can think of many things that were claimed about the future, until they were not. And what about Global Warming in all this? Are we not all due to expire well before mid century, thereby making a future republic academic?!
Left out of Emerson’s presumptions about what Australia will be like mid century is that medical advancements and better nutrition have greatly increased the span of human years and made old age a much more active and engaging experience. Maybe our immortality will be just around the corner, to the chagrin of every republican who, with Craig Emerson, desires to be rid of us all and the old Australia!
Dr Emerson is a spiteful mediocrity but I have no doubt the spiteful mediocrity’s views very much represent the ANU mindset and that of Canbra in general. I guess that’s what happens when you’ve never had a real job. Remember how Emerson made a joke about Whyalla steel workers losing their jobs. Unbelievable really. Shows they really do hate us.
So, more of a “cultural genocide” than a cultural “suicide”, then?
Hearken back to the Poms’ experience with this.
The Brit “Labour Party” openly set out to remake the entire country in their own toxic image. Mass immigration from ex-colonies was the primary weapon of choice, backed up by massive skewing of the taxation system.
They thought that they could import an entire bloc of people who would be SO grateful to the socialists that they would vote them back in forever. Importing a “new electorate” seems to be a major item in the socialist / statist handbook.
How to keep these pawns voting down-the-line Labour in the usual way.? Prevent them “rising above their station”?
This is a bit of a global thing.
See the USA and Australia, (with a twist). Here in Oz, the bolshevists spent decades ranting about the “White Australia Policy”, with the clamour deliberately intended to hide the fact that it was the Australian LABOUR UNIONS, in ownership of the “Labor” Pardy, who had INTRODUCED that policy decades before. Antique buffs can still find “Australian-made” items adorned with a little “sticker” that proudly announces; “This item was made with all European labour”. Basically, no “melanin-enhanced types” were involved.
How many of these little bits of history have been “scrubbed” from their rightful place on items from a time when Australia actually made “stuff”?
Something about:
“Those who control the past, control the present. Those who control the present wish to control the FUTURE.” This philosophy takes no account of errant comets or space-rocks, as one would expect.
I don’t even like the Windsors btw but with the likes of Emerson and Kennelly against than they’ve obviously got something going for them.
Top stuff BBS!
Mind you, we do need some concerted action on the school education front, like a coast to coast revolt by parents.
Calling all liberal/conservative organisations, when are you going to form a coalition and get serious about the schools? This means planning years ahead to get decent education ministers who are prepared to rewrite the common curriculum and replace the vandals in the education departments of the nation. Not an easy task and the time to start was 20 or 30 years ago.
But as the saying goes, the best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago and the second best time is now.
Well said BBS.
Emerson’s diatribe was, incidentally, the most open support for the “Great Replacement” theory that I have seen. You know, that eeevillll right wing “conspiracy theory” of a planned replacement of the “Old Australia” by immigration. Emerson might have let the cat out of the bag!
Thank you!
There appears to be some disjunction between what the ‘liberals’ believe the immigrants think, and what they actually think. Do they not realise that these people voluntarily left/fled the exact same systems that the Left wishes to impose on us/them.
Correct Damon. It’s like the American left and Latinos in the US.
Very well written, BBS.
It’s obvious that Emerson, and his class who invoke the Almighty Hand Of Government, don’t get to the council chambers on Australia Day and witness all the happy, smiling, flag-waving people who are thrilled to jump aboard Australia as she is right now, and has been for centuries. (That’s why the Left want to shut down the tradition- not apathy or anachronism, but because it’s a snook cocked at everything they believe in- community, nationalism, and rules-based immigration.)
The condescending republicans do themselves a yuge disservice.
ALP: We love Australians so much we need to replace them to change everything.
Then it will be worthy of our love.
Distasteful is several orders of magnitude too polite.
The silly silly boy fails to mention that, ageing, our views often change.
This blog and its commenters a case in point.
Emerson, for all his “letters”, has forgotten a simple question to ask the replacement population in his haste to frame a personal fantasy.
Why do they come here?
Milton, lefties see only inputs and outputs. Chess pieces, is what we, and these replacement people are, to the “Great and Good” who want to control our lives. We won’t do what they want so we will be flicked off the chess board, as will the new crowd, if they don’t succumb.
As BJ points out, Emerson’s crowing about how this all will be done is the most up front I’ve seen.
It’s a wonder he’s not arguing in favour of a solvent green approach. It also makes a mockery of what we were told through the pandemic – “we all need to look after grannie!”
Bruce:
This is a bit of a global thing.
It’s so strange that these ideas have such widespread appeal among the “movers and shakers” across the western world and especially in the Anglosphere. How can a single policy/idea be “just the ticket” for everyone, everywhere – like global warming/covid policies?
What this shows is that Donald Horne was right about Australia and second rate politicians (and, it would seem, everywhere else). Completely full of self-superiority, intellectually lazy and at the same time without morality or even common curtesy.
This history of Australia post colonisation is a story of struggle, suffering, building, nurturing and achieving. Australians are great people – Craig Emerson has shown that he’s not among them.
One thing Dr. Emerson is apparently too conceited to recognise is that migrants from China and India will not necessarily share every element of the Australian prog-left’s worldview.
They tend to be socially conservative & family oriented, to begin with. And they will generally not indulge the liberal white guilt that drives much of indigenous policy.
Predicting the furure is a risky business.
Rafe:
Mind you, we do need some concerted action on the school education front, like a coast to coast revolt by parents.
Rafe, (to be a bit presumptuous for a minute, and showing my ignorance if it’s already being done), maybe climate sceptics groups should start thinking about putting “stuff” into the school system?
Probably a big ask, I know. But I was thinking about that (private?) school in London somewhere, which over the last half dozen years or so has brought in school discipline, a traditional teaching method etc, and has had amazing results. May be one school at a time.
solvent green
*soylent green*
Emerson is a particularly nasty pow. Getting quite old too. Obviously angry that the Australian people don’t recognise greatness when they see it. Says a lot about the ANU too.
Great post btw BBS
Oh yes and what do economists actually do?
I seem to recall Evans had a similar hissy fit about 20 or so years ago. You know the Cheryl kernot one.
Top post BBS !
A bit of optimism wouldn’t go astray on this blog once in a while, although, I reckon this decade is going be a hard slog.
Perhaps that contact lens of Miss Gillard’s is stll lodged in Dr Emmerson’s fundamental orfice and it’s through lens that he views Australia hence his shitty point of view.
oops …through THAT lens …
WolfmanOzsays:
February 3, 2023 at 11:47 am
A bit of optimism wouldn’t go astray on this blog once in a while, although, I reckon this decade is going be a hard slog.
That’s what your movie reviews and Rabz’s music vids are for, Wolfie; allows us all to unwind a bit!
ps I thought the tenor of my post was a bit more upbeat than that. We’re still here, whether Craig Emerson likes it or not!
Miltonfsays:
February 3, 2023 at 11:27 am
Oh yes and what do economists actually do?
Gee, Milt, you’ve hit on a real conundrum!
I was going to say something about their work on inputs and outputs, such as:
In the absence of real work they sit on their arses and figure out how long it will take before the pain in their rear will make them move.
But then I remembered that I’d said to HB the other night about lawyers I was trying to say something witty…but I got nothing.
Nicely put, BBS.
I believe what we’re seeing the Australian “cringe” magnified by 1000. There are many of us who abhor certain aspects of Aussie “culture” — personally, I can’t stand the “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie … Oi, Oi, Oi!” nonsense – but who still respect and want to see maintained other aspects, such as mateship, a fair go, individual liberty, respect (for culture, religion, politics) etc. Regrettably, I think these attributes are under direct and deliberate attack in an attempt to remake Australia into something entirely different from what we were.
Annoy the hell out of people while making grandiose pronouncements on a wide range of topics that are invariably wrong, wrong, wrong.
P.S. BBS, the next radio show is tomorrow evening and I’m still struggling to come up with a genre.
Emmerson, a trougher, with only two points of , remembered, infamy .. eating his contact lenses and nights with Gillard ….. sez it all, really! ..
It’s just like how suddenly every city had to have a toy tram line, no matter what the cost or utility. They get together and it becomes apparent who is at the big kids’ table and who is not. Infantile, but there you go.
No need for conspiracy theories – human nature does the trick just fine.
It’s depressing how childish senior politicians and bureaucrats are. They want what the cool kids have, want to do what the cool kids are doing.
Simple as that. 🙁
Rabz, you could always do an Open Thread for people’s faves, if no theme becomes apparent.
Cheers BBS.
It’s so strange that these ideas have such widespread appeal among the “movers and shakers” across the western world and especially in the Anglosphere. How can a single policy/idea be “just the ticket” for everyone, everywhere – like global warming/covid policies?
This history of Australia post colonisation is a story of struggle, suffering, building, nurturing and achieving. Australians are great people
BBS – you think it is “strange” that the ideas had appeal for so many “movers and shakers”. I do not. This is the result of globalisation. It was always going to provide a forum which would enable the “crowd effect”to homogenise opinion on a broad range of things.
As for Australians being “a great people” – I would have agreed with you some three years ago. But the experience of watching Australians accept, uncritically, medical and political enforcement – changed my opinion of this country completely. Too much affluence seems to rob otherwise sensible and well educated people of their understanding of the world.
Hi Rabz,
Music theme suggestions:- Heavy metal, or non-Anglo rock bands, or songs/bands that had biggest influence on your life, or female rockers.
Cheers
Vicki:
As for Australians being “a great people” – I would have agreed with you some three years ago. But the experience of watching Australians accept, uncritically, medical and political enforcement – changed my opinion of this country completely. Too much affluence seems to rob otherwise sensible and well educated people of their understanding of the world.
Australians have been dudded over these past three years.
I don’t think Australians accepted “uncritically” medical and political enforcement, although I know personally a number who were happy to put up on FB them getting the jab. But I still believe these types are in the minority. Sad, stupid, lefties to a one.
What happened was that the country were initially frightened and quickly bullied – no work, no job, no business, no seeing family. Financial destruction does that to people. This has been a great lesson to us all.
The other day I read somewhere that the level of vitriol against politicians etc is at an all time high with the authorities concerned about where it could lead. Abuse of people does that. I can’t see Australians ever accepting that type of sh1t again.
Now, that’s not to discount in anyway what the real casualties of this shocking time are still going through – the vax injured, the non-complying unemployed, the broken businesses and family breakups. These people are all still there and need acknowledgement and a formal response from government. While Joh thinks we have too many RCs, this one is absolutely needed – not saying you don’t agree, Joh.
But when it comes to Aussies helping each other; that’s what this country does and will continue to do while still the Old Australia exists.
Joh, I didn’t mean to infer that there’s some great big conspiracy moving this all the same way – although covid does have some iffy individuals and groups behind it. My Donald Horne comment should have been the stronger point – most pollies and “Sir Humphrey types” – all dumb f*cks using OPM.
BBS I certainly hate are political class and the pubes that actually pull the strings. It’s not just the last three years either. More like the last fifty. I think the last three made a lot more of us realise how rotten, venal and despicable they really are and have been for decades.
Correct.
At the moment, all the cool kids want electric cars, even though they’re useless in Australia for anything other than as glorified shopping trollies for ducking down to the shops.
The cool kids in advertising are selling electric cars as just the coolest thing you can ever buy — perfect for the simpletons who have scooped deeply into their well of self-hatred to conclude they can control the weather, if only enough cool kids buy electric cars, put solar panels on the roof and vote for renewable energy to replace our electricity with a hippie grid that supplies power only when the wind blows.
BTW, the cool kids in advertising now loathe Australian culture so much they’re inserting non-existent West Indian women and children into their depictions of Australian daily life on TV.
BBS when I saw adults and kids walking outside and in parks with masks I Kew we were doooooomed.
I see No reason to change my mind
Does Emerson realise that the great replacement will replace him and his family too? I wonder how our betters are going to survive?
They ain’t gonna be Kangz and sheeit in the new Wakanda.
Some funny lines from Michael Smith re the Gillard/Emerson affair and Craig swallowing her contact lenses:
1. Gillard opened up about staying together in hotel rooms, swallowing contact lenses and not blurring the lines between work and play with other women’s menfolk
2. life is like a glass of contact lenses
HOP Time™, hopefully.
Thanks eb, some interesting suggestions there.
Is Emerson still colouring his hair, badly?
Albino
That hair Color is a shock a.
Typical wanka spreading hated upon his people.
This article is an arguement for a mono culture and why Australia should only have been settled by English.
Emerson is a throwback.
Like labor around the world they forward candidates who loathe their country and people and the masses vote for these “people”.
Remember Emerson – the labor party imported migrants from middle Europe to shore up the Catholics against the English Protestants . That did not go too well for Labor.
The Vietnamese were the bastard Balts of Asia.
The Indians wont vote Labor due to no
social security net, being entrepreneurial, the Hindi impact on behaviour and outlook.
Look at the demographic for Australia Day, WW 2 migrants, Vietnamese, Indians.
Yes Emerson your ridicule of Whyalla shows you are an idiot – you do not understand real industry, productive work, community, the ability of man to thrive and create beauty in a harsh environment.
BBS, Aussie culture is in its death throes. Our major cities are diversity cesspits, parts of Melbourne and Sydney are almost exclusively Chinese or Indian, the Africans are making headway as well. In Elizabeth St in Melbourne a while ago, it was crowded and nearly every face was Indian or Chinese, both Melbourne and Sydney had distinctive cultures now all gone.
This is their end game, the abolition of the descendants and the culture of those who settled here and made Australia a great place to live. The end game for our elites is the replacement of European heritage white people. Just look at the world and how whites everywhere are painted as evil, neither the left or right defend us, they see themselves not as Aussies but as Internationalists. Our elites have no connection nor loyalty to Australia, they’re loyal to Davos and the UN.
It’s over for us, we will submit and abandon our heritage, it will live on in some rural areas but it will be a deformed sad version of what we were.
sfw, living in regional NSW, I seldom get to the “big smoke” so I don’t get to see the inner city changes that are going on, although there’s some small changes in this next of the woods.
We went to Melbourne a couple of years ago to go to the footy and stayed in the city in a high rise. Lots of Chinese students in the building and on the streets there.
Culture is a funny thing. Try going back to where you came from and discover quickly that it’s you who have changed. Granted, there are always spongers no matter where they live and where they’ve come from – there’s Aussie ones, too. But living differently – in a different place does change people.
Some years ago I was quite friendly with a Grik lady who, though having been born here, like her husband, was very Grik. (In fact, her husband’s parents had returned to Cyprus when they retired because they didn’t like all the recently arrived! Though, I think it possibly was because of the Australian pension benefits that could purchase a better standard of living in the old country).
This couple had worked very hard in private enterprise and were well off. I remember her telling me that because of the GFC, some of her rellos from Greece wanted to come here. Though very sympathetic and ready to help them in any way she could, she wasn’t having it – implying that they did not have an Aussie work ethic.
Australia, up until these last few years, was widely understood as free, prosperous and, within limits, a welcoming nation. As long as people* – any people – contribute, and don’t try to change us by imposing their values^, this country and its people will survive. (This is where Emerson, and the left, doo not get it, and was part of my argument against his presumption that any new arrival will vote for a republic.
We forget that the sons and daughters of the original settlers found away to live together, though there was high levels of sectarianism in the 19th century. Gold brought new settlers, some of whom were repelled. Again, we were able to develop a particularly Australian way of life despite this melange. Then, post war, new arrivals became Aussies – even though originally we were very concerned at this influx.
*a caveat: they can’t be from a certain religion; no country can survive that influx.
^all politicians who are not “Australia first” should be voted out. Australians need to be more assertive of their representatives.
sfw, we shall see; tell’em we aren’t dead yet!
BBS, I can only hope you’re right, I’m not at all optimistic.