A Nation of Racist Drunks?

[android88]

In my local paper, the Sunday Mail, one article disturbed me. In India, call centers are training their staff on how to deal with Australian customers, saying we're quote "the dumbest continent in the world," we "drink constantly" and are "quiet racist." One comment that got me was that we are "technologically backwards." Now as someone who has 5 consoles, a smartphone and a tablet device, I felt insulted. What do you lot think?

Here's the link to the story http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/indian-call-centre-staff-told-australians-are-dumb-drunken-racists/story-e6freqmx-1226100445960

 

[Zeema]

im not surprised

actually i live in Australia and nearly 75% of the people i went to school with hated other people just because of there colour

and i don't know alot of people who are not racist.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

I wonder if they're using th Fosters adverts as case studies?

But seriously that's kinda sad...

 

[ShindoL Shill]

my mother's family comes from australia and they're nice, smart and rarely drinks. and one of my ancestors founded the town of Mackay there (points if you guess my surname).
then again, i found out that another ancestor disowned his daughter because she married a Jew... people are racist. and if a few are aussies, then thats how people see you. which, ironically, is racist.

 

[OldAccount]

I have heard about racism being a problem over there but in my experience some of the nicest people I've ever met were Australian so I find it kinda surprising.

 

[JRCB]

Everyone's a little bit racist.

And isn't telling someone that all Aussies are drunks and racists kind of ironic?

 

[Testosticore]

I am offended.
We Drunk Racists are a proud people, shouldnt be in the same boat as those damn Aussies.

 

[The_Ghost_Ninja]

It's so blatantly hypocritical. There isn't much else I can say about it without falling into the many pitfalls surrounding that topic. But you gotta have a laugh at stereotypes, everyone has them and uses them.

 

[manythings]

My aunt moved there about ten years ago and says that not one "Australian" (as in born there) treats her (we're Irish) with anything other than contempt. Same with virtually anyone who isn't Australian. Melbourne, I think.

Also there were some pretty racist laws still in effect even in the 70's and 80's like how the children of aborigine and white parentage were seized by the government and put into, basically, indentured service.

 

[Woodsey]

"Now as someone who has 5 consoles, a smartphone and a tablet device, I felt insulted."

Yeah, they don't mean every single person in the bloody country (and I'm making this point regardless of the validity of what was said).

I have heard Australians are pretty racist though. From other Australians. And you are technologically backward (mainly in relation to the internet), relatively speaking when compared to other first world countries .

 

[android88]

My aunt moved there about ten years ago and says that not one "Australian" (as in born there) treats her (we're Irish) with anything other than contempt. Same with virtually anyone who isn't Australian. Melbourne, I think.

I live outside the big cities, so maybe that's it

 

[Arkvoodle]

All the non-racist drunks were too busy trying to keep the dingos from eating children to be surveyed.

 

[Booze Zombie]

Racist is actually one of the few things I can say a vast majority of the population contained on planet Earth is, obviously not everyone, but quite a few of us.

 

[Sougo]

I've only known 1 Australian in my life. That was back when I was in the middle east, in high school. He was pretty nice, but then again, I don't think he would have gotten away with being racist, with him being in the obvious minority.

Generally, Australia is thought of as the more 'backword' first world country. The Aussie way of thinking is sorta close-minded and while Aus is probably not Technologically backward, they are definitely not anywhere near leading the way in tech.

Its kinda like a first world country, thats lagging behind the other first world countries, in both thought and facilities.

 

[Kolby Jack]

Now as someone who has 5 consoles, a smartphone and a tablet device

That's it? I have 3 phones, 4 tablets, and 17 consoles. So behind the times...

 

[android88]

Now as someone who has 5 consoles, a smartphone and a tablet device

That's it? I have 3 phones, 4 tablets, and 17 consoles. So behind the times...

No need to go "mine's bigger than your's," I'm just trying to prove a point.

 

[Merkavar]

i dont know anyone who drinks constantly. and i cant see how australians are any more racist than say america.

the problem with call centers is they are hard to understand, dont give you a chance to say no and ring too often with "free" holidays or other products i would never want.

 

[RicoADF]

I've only known 1 Australian in my life. That was back when I was in the middle east, in high school. He was pretty nice, but then again, I don't think he would have gotten away with being racist, with him being in the obvious minority.

Generally, Australia is thought of as the more 'backword' first world country. The Aussie way of thinking is sorta close-minded and while Aus is probably not Technologically backward, they are definitely not anywhere near leading the way in tech.

Its kinda like a first world country, thats lagging behind the other first world countries, in both thought and facilities.

Different isn't necessarily backward. Most fellow aussies I know aren't racists. I have friends from all walks of life and all over the world, thats not to say there aren't racist aussies but like anywhere on earth it depends on where you are. I agree aussies are too much into the booze tho, atleast as teenagers and young adaults. And we're not technologically backwards, we may get some devices a few months later due to the way businesses deploy them thanks to our distance, but we're up there with other nations when it comes to developing technology & medicine etc. A good example is the NBN (National Broadband Network). Fibre optic internet right up to your door and to a wall pluging. 100mb internet for 99% of Australian homes. Currently being deployed.

 

[Raziel Paragorne]

Hmm...interesting thought really. Our government bandies about the slogan of multiculturalism so often that you'd hope we weren't all significantly more racist than other countries.

That being said though...our two major telecommunication providers (Telstra and Optus) have a bad habit of farming out all their tech-support and billing jobs to Indian call centres. So if you were judging it based on the number of irate customers who call up Telstra/Optus billing and scream at the poor bastard on the other end as our national standard then we probably would look racist. Both companies have an atrocious history for incorrect billing and playing "Pass the buck" with responsibility so that by the time you get to talk to anyone you've already talked to five people who couldn't do anything but transfer you.

As far as technologically backwards goes...yeah, that's partially true. See the continuing comedy of errors that is our our national broadband network for proof of that. That's largely the fault of our stagnant parliament system though, they think that using five plus year old estimates on the cost of the system makes them progressive. It's not really your average users fault though, Telstra/Optus also happen to be our two largest ISP's and they have done everything humanly possible to gouge people. That combined with an ageing population doesn't make the problem any better,

So technically you could blame our TelCo's for part of this problem -_-'