Racial clashes in Sydney Australia

I have a question for my fellow Americans: Is there any "Arab" gangs in your city? I live in the Southwest where there is a very low arab population so I havent heard of any type of arab gangs in my part of the country, just wondering if you guys have heard or seen any. I cant imagine an arab gang in the US. In the US we have a very stereotypical view of ethnic gangs. The hispanic gangs look a certain way, the black gangs look a certain way...........and so on. Its hard for me to picture what an arab gang would look like. I personally dont think arabs would start a group with a hostile position here in the states just for the simple fact that I believe theyre smart enough to know that they probably would receive very harsh treatment from americans due to their arab ethnicity due to the 9/11 atacks.

Edited by arch.buff

Interestingly most Anglo and East Med. Aussies are educated and middle class also, unfortunately there are always idiots who get into the gang culture just to be part of that scene.

In Australia the Muslim Lebanese haven�t been as lucky as other immigrants from their area and therefore in general terms reside in lower social-economics neighborhoods. Though I've worked with many and know of more that don�t fit in this model. But it generally does apply to many of these �gangs� and not the rest.

The Muslims Lebanese were victims of their situation, let me explain what happened: We all came over when Anglo�s needed cheap labour for their factories, any poor uneducated fellow from a devasted country could get a job and work. Wogs worked very hard and saved harder. They got their kids an education and invested in this country�s future when many others at that time didn�t. Muslims came in big numbers, from the mid 70's and later on, at least 10 -15 years after the others. Unfortunately at the same time those factories closed down and moved to Asia, so they didn�t get that 'opportunity' to work hard and save like we did in the previous decades. Australia didn�t have work for such migrants anymore and eventually only allowed educated, wealthy and highly skilled migrants in. These were mainly sourced from East Asia aswell as South Asia

So the Muslim Lebanese community on a whole has a harder time settling in and there are parts of it that is introverted and not integrated in any meaningful social way. Most of the �gangs� that people are talking about are mainly just cousins and relatives and nothing more. Real criminals have better things to do than hang out and give girls sh*t. These boys are generally from conservative families where they are only allowed to hang out with their own family (very big extended families). The culture these boys grew up in is very much influence by US gangsta stuff and not Islam (atleast in any positive way). If that was the case then they would be saving themselves for their wives and respecting everyone else females as if it was their own.

In saying that when these guys were just coming in the 70's, the greeks were the bad arses that eveyone hated. So i think this will all work itself out like it has for every other 'out'  group. It just may take a little longer than others due to the slow start and the situation i described above.

Edited by Leonidas

In Australia's case I want to point out, once and for all, that poverty is extremely rare here. Australia is one of the wealthiest nations on the planet and continues to be economically very dynamic. Moreover, this is coupled with a welfare system which outdoes all but a handful of nations on the planet and makes the US welfare system look just about neglectful. You would actually have to try quite hard, through a display of flagrant ingratitude towards the state, to actually have your welfare benefits cut.

I think that poverty in this country is an issue I can speak on with a good understanding. I was born poor, my mother was a young and recently arrived migrant while my father was (still is) a locally born Aussie from the country with no understanding of things like responsibility, planning, integrity and hard work. This mix inevitably led to great economic difficulties. By age three me, mum and little brother were effectively dependent on the state. We had gone from being poor to being very poor. Mum's family was on the other side of the planet, dad's was of little help; we were on our own. I didn't begin noticing until about age 6, but the vast bulk of my mates had a clean house with nice furniture, not so many people screaming at eachother, no infestations, better food, nice appliances, money for school excursions and all the other crap which steadily made me realize just how little we had compared to most in our society. At 16 the chance to break free and take hold of my own destiny lay at hand, and I snatched it eagerly. I moved out, I quickly found myself homeless and impoverished. I was by that stage already malnourished. But I patiently endured in the knowledge that if I worked at it I could change things.

But the state was always there. Shortly after a stint in a homeless refuge (state supported) for 6 weeks I had government assistance and completed my final year of high school on schedule with a tertiary entrance score in the top 5%. In the span of 4 years I worked on demolition sites, did tree lopping (helped rebuild my starved frame), washed cars, even made public presentations to hundreds of people as a sales rep. All this for a pittance of a wage to give me just enough to subsist and study. But throughout I received sufficient government assistance to keep me alive and build my future. I was accepted into a double degree at one of the nation's best universities on the basis of my high school score, the government is loaning me the money to pay my fees.

The point I am making at the end of this anecdote (which is probably too indepth) is that the Australian government has always looked out for its people regardless of their ethnic origins. Any person here who was in the same circumstances as myself would get the same assistance. The fact that I am fairly European look also goes to prove the point that those citicens here perceived as Anglos will end up poor just as easily as anyone else if they (or their parents) do not provide well and participate sufficiently in the labour force. Poverty in Australia is a result of the individual slipping, child poverty is the result of the parent not doing enough to provide.

 Yes, the suburbs in West Sydney are poorer than most and alot of newly arrived migrants live there. But do not anyone think they are slums for a moment, that is simply a lie. Anyone with a stable family and food on the table during adolescence received a far better deal than I did, they all have access to a nurturing state welfare system that can pride itself on giving everyone the opportunity to an excellant education. Even if you don't want to go to university, drop out at 16 and take up a trade; tradesmen here are paid pretty well (usually not less than 50 grand per year). The government will help fund that as well.

The problem in Australia is not a result of poverty. The thugs on both sides who went rampaging did so transported by their cars, texted eachother on their mobile phones, fuelled themselves up with alcohol and are not lacking in cash or opportunities if they really want to make it in this country. The problem is simply the lack of education, lack of understanding, a history of racial attacks by both sides etc. The state and economy are well geared to distribute wealth and opportunity to those willing to work for it and I applaude the state machinery which gives any newly arrived migrant or poor Australian the chance to excell and enjoy prosperity.