Another reason to love a sunburnt country

Further to my last post http://guambatstew.blogspot.com/2005/08/question-of-identity.html, the Howard government ministers have been sown to engage the community in the new spirit of the Australian dream. His Education Minister, Brendon Nelson, has directed that Australian values will have to be taught in Muslim schools, whatever that means. (You might remember him from a prior post http://guambatstew.blogspot.com/2005/08/i-yam-that-i-yam.html. He's the guy who has imported the IDiotic "debate" from America.)

Well, among all the commentary that has generated, I think this letter to the editor in the Sydney Morning Herald (Aug 27-28) is pretty much spot on:

"Australian values in Islamic schools? Crikey, cobber, what next? Australian values in federal cabinet? Sure, sport, they are all for a fair go for their mates at the big end of town. And it's just bonza how they wrap themselves in the flag and milk every veterans' turn-out for all it's worth, even though none of them have been within a bull's roar of a gunshot.
But how fair dinkum is participating in wars of aggression in the Middle East, destroying the industrial relations system, hanging up the phone on the outback and creating a society in which young people are reduced to being stressed out workaholics who still can't afford a house, a wedding or a family?
Stone the crows, mate, if Brendan Nelson represents Australian values, then we could all learn something at the mosque. Eh?"Phil Gregory, Narrawallee