Cultural Death
Monday, September 01, 2003
I suspect that most people have not yet realized that after only three more generations, the descendants of today's Australians will be in the minority. Of the 1.7 children we are having today, at most 1.5 will breed. That's three-quarters of the parent population. Do this three times, and you're less than half of what you were.
And if our population is going to increase to the much talked-about 25 million, we will be outnumbered even quicker. We are engaging in slow racial suicide. Some people say this doesn't matter: just get more immigrants.
Now I have always celebrated racial diversity. My personal circle is multicultural. I have always felt that variety enriches the human species. But since I suddenly realised recently that my own race and culture was on the way out, I admit I feel a kind of grief.
When you reflect where our new Australians are coming from, China and the Middle East, how sure can we be that tomorrow's Australia will uphold the values we hold dear. What other cultures actually champion democratic government, personal freedoms, equality for women and multi-culturalism?
Alas, it seems it's not just a racial slow death, but a cultural death too.
Philip O'Carroll