Is Australia really a nation of racists?

The short answer is no.

The long answer is the following;

We may not be as sensitive to some cultural differences, sure, but to be condemned as racists as an entire nation over a silly skit on a variety show is a pretty damn big call. A few guys (the frontman being Indian, no less) paint their faces black and we're called a 'backwards, racist' country. Now correct me if I'm wrong but we never had ethnic cleansing like in Africa, wars bred from religious intolerance like in the Middle East, and I'm pretty sure there is nobody walking around in white hoods setting fire to crosses in peoples front yards.

We also don't abuse and spit on black sportsmen like they are known to do in Spain, Italy and Norway.

I'd say, as a country, we're pretty respectful of other peoples backrounds. You want proof? Look at the thriving Vietnamese, Italian and Greek communities. We don't tolerate other cultures, we embrace them.

I can see how the skit on Hey Hey could have been seen as racist to an American audience, since it's a much more sensitive issue there. But here's the thing; it wasn't aired in America! Harry Connick Jr may well have been offended, being an American, but to demand an apology for a very light-hearted form of entertainment, which I might add didn't poke fun at black people or the Jackson family, that's the outrage.

I like Harry Connick Jr, and anybody who knows me knows that I love America. Having said that, they ought keep their opinions to themselves. Yes, I'm talking to you Bill O'Riley you capitalist piece of shit. And Harry, being American doesn't mean you're superior to us backwards outback folk. We have a very different attitude here than you do at home, we're laid-back, 'live and let live' types out here. That might seem backwards to you, but to us it's a very nice way to get by. You want to start comparing our countries and see how flawed your system and way of life really is, America? You all have guns, but not healthcare. Who's the backwards country again?