Carlo's Corner: 'If you don't love it' — the patriotic slogan explained

October 24, 2014
Issue 

Cairns Woolworths caused outrage recently by stocking a singlet with the Australian flag and the phrase “If you don't love it, leave...” But let no one be confused by such a slogan, which, at first glance would seem a little reminiscent of “Fuck off, we're full” stickers or even the infamous “I grew here, you flew here” slogan that raised its head during the 2005 Cronulla race riots.

That is just a misunderstanding, it seems. Because an online poll of Daily Telegraph readers on October 15 found an overwhelming majority believe "If you don't love it, leave..." is not racist at all, but merely patriotic.

I think we can all admit that many frequent readers of the Daily Tele know a thing or two about racism, so it seems to me the big problem here is confusion over the slogan's meaning. “If you don't love it”, it says, but what exactly is “it”?

In the interest of clarity, I hereby provide some concrete examples of the slogan's meaning to clear up all misunderstandings and explain to the possibly confused reader what it means to be patriotic in Australia ... or else fuck off.

If you don't love labelling newborn babies “unauthorised maritime arrivals”, leave...

If you don't love jailing children in isolated prison camps, leave...

If you don't love ignorant hysteria about “halal” food, leave...

If you don't love racist abuse on public transport, definitely leave ... Seriously, get the fuck out now…

If you don't love threatening physical violence against foreign heads of state, leave...

If you don't love shirt fronts, leave...

If you don't love bombing the Middle East, leave...

If you don't love ASIO raids, leave...

If you don't love media beat-ups about terror threats involving plastic swords, leave...

If you don't love crackdowns on freedom of speech, leave...

If you don't love banning freedom of association, leave...

If you don't love jailing whistlebowers, leave...

If you don't love slashing foreign aid, leave...

If you don't love refusing to assist countries devastated by Ebola, leave...

If you don't love spending billions on a new war, leave...

If you don't love paying for visiting the doctor, leave...

If you don't love working till you're 70, leave...

If you don't love deregulated university fees putting many university courses out of the reach of all but the rich, leave...

If you don't love forcing the jobless under 30 to starve, leave...

If you don't love more than 2 million people living in poverty, leave...

If you don't love politicised witchhunts against trade unions, leave...

If you don't love corporate interests buying politicians, leave...

If you don't love corporate tax evasion, leave...

If you don't love huge subsidies to big polluters, leave...

If you don't love mining companies, leave...

If you don't love Gina Rinehart, leave...

If you don't love coal, leave...

If you don't love logging old-growth forests, leave...

If you don't love destroying the Great Barrier Reef, leave... Really. Just go. You are not welcome…

If you don't love climate denial, leave...

If you don't love sabotaging global talks on climate action, leave...

If you don't love more and more roads, leave...

If you don't love trying to dump radioactive waste on Aboriginal land, leave...

If you don't love stolen land, leave...

If you don't love apartheid-style laws in the Northern Territory, leave...

If you don't love Black deaths in custody, leave...

If you don't love creating a new Stolen Generation, leave...

If you don't love domestic violence, leave...

If you don't love slashing funds for victims of domestic violence, leave...

If you don't love blaming women for rape, leave...

If you don't love rugby league players getting away with gang rape, leave...

If you don't love Rupert Murdoch monopolising our media, leave...

If you don't love Andrew Bolt, leave...

If you don't love Alan Jones, leave...

If you don't love celebrating a national day on the anniversary of the start of a genocidal invasion, leave...

If you don't love the Cronulla race riots, leave...

If you don't love ALL of that … get the fuck out!

Now you might be saying “OK Carlo, we get the message, but where can we go?” That is neither mine nor the Daily Telegraph's problem. If you are so clever as to know all about what's wrong with Our Great Nation™, you figure it out, smartarse.

I know your next question because I know the way you left-wing traitors think: “Will our air fare be paid to assist us in fucking off?” Jesus Christ, you bloody bleeding-heart, pinko, nanny state-loving bludgers even want a handout when getting thrown out of the country! Christ, just go!

I mean what the hell do you think this is? Some sort of democracy where if you don't like some, or even most, of how things are, then you have some sort of right to take part in a process of seeking to convince your fellow citizens and peacefully organising for change? Get out now!

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