Red herring time is it?
You just need more data. I’m part English, but not at all British, egads! Blue eyes, brownish hair really, it’d be a stretch to call it blond, and I wear xl sportswear. Really!
I tend to think all this would have been a bigger advantage in the Napoleonic age, before the wide application of the steam engine. Nowadays we can burn fuel for work; back then somebody had to do actual work. Anyway, being the Napoleonic age obviously the dominant figure was remarkably small and it is difficult to picture him as an Aryan at all. Hmmm… long ago there was a remarkably large Barbarian soldier who became so popular he wound up Caesar, maybe even Augustus, but in any case it seems the exception that someone’s special strength or size really drives their ascent to the top.
Nor their extreme whiteness. Brits were quite deluded for quite a long time. But it isn’t fair to make such broad generalizations, as 30+% of them aren’t even like that. btw here in the US I am not aware of any special animus toward the Lebanese. I guess they could come across as ‘foreigners’, which doesn’t wash too well in a lot of places, but I can’t think of anything specific. I didn’t even know what a ‘wog’ was before I read this thread. In fact I am still not sure what that means.
You don’t know me yet. Give it time.
FTR, I didn’t say you were an idiot, but that texting abbreviations might lead others to think you are. OTOH, classic internet abbreviations are acceptable. Smilies, not so much. 
When you start to look at who came here you start to see a sense of Australia’s identity. They may have been a bunch of rogues but better them than a bunch Puritans!
A lot of orphans were also sent here, they often had to nick stuff just to survive.
The following is the list of crimes that was punishable by transportation to Australia, anything more serious such as murder, rape, impersonating an Egyptian would have lead to death.
1.) All theft above the value of one shilling.
2.) Thefts under the value one shilling.
3.) Receiving stolen goods, jewels and plate.
4.) Stealing lead, iron or copper.
5.) Stealing ore from black lead mines.
6.) Stealing from furnished lodgings.
7.) Setting fire to underwood.
8.) Stealing letters.
9.) Assault with intent to rob.
10.) Stealing fish from a pond or river.
11.) Stealing roots, trees or plants.
12.) Bigamy.
13.) Assaulting, cutting or burning clothes.
14.) Counterfeiting the copper coin.
15.) Clandestine marriage.
16.) Stealing a shroud from a grave.
17.) Watermen carrying too many passengers on the Thames , if any drowned.
18.) Incorrigible rogues who broke out of prison and persons reprieved from capital punishment.
19.) Embeuling naval stores.
A lot of Irish Catholics were sent here because they looked a bit suss, political reformers were transported to trying to form unions, suggesting politicians get paid and promoting the French revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity.
In 1837, a group of Canadian rebels staged an uprising to achieve reform. 29 were executed and 149 were transported to Australia.
Sorry ya gotta laugh.
1.) All theft above the value of one shilling.
2.) Thefts under the value one shilling.
I have read a study recently (which I’m struggling to find) which nonetheless concluded that while the above (well circulated) list is of crimes for which someone could be transported, the people actually transported tended to be serious and/or habitual offenders.
If it’s any comfort, the American colonies got England’s refuse until that unpleasantness in 1775-83. They just blended in better because there was so much other Eurotrash that actually wanted to come here. That term is not intended to be offensive. Some of my closest ancestors were Eurotrash, on the run from fathers, creditors, and conscription. But they were not fucking convicts!
By the way, why so many Aussies posting this late at night? You’d think is was daytime where they are.
One glance at the huge numbers of US born and bred convicts shows that if any nation needs now to find far flung colonies to house them is the USA.
I gather that you consider an stigma to have a convict as ancestor. There are must be millions of Americans who are the offspring of convicts more than all the convicts ever shipped to Australia.
so which nation is a nation of convicts ?
on sarcasm I presume :rolleyes:
It has become fashionable to claim convict ancestry. If you look at our national icons one is Ned Kelly [a bush-ranger] and another one is our national song [not national anthem] Waltzing Matilda, a song about a sheep thief who kills himself!
Australia received 160,000 convicts, USA received 50,000 so well there ya go. Yes the numbers for the US are a bit rubbery but even so.
OH and about 80% were sent here for larceny, pinching stuff so hardly big time crims.
But today with the sheer number of convicts, the award goes to the USA.
May I ask who this was directed at?
dropzone who btw xls at giving friendly advice on spelling LOL 
we only post during daytime at work. We use the nightime for our private pursuits
If you peruse the Convict records that are available, one of the most common reasons for transport was burglary. The records themselves are often incomplete, and the literacy level is often not great but you can get a feel for the background of the people. Many crimes were not punishable by transportation (prostitution is one, murder is another). And there were far more people arriving after the various gold rushes as migrants rather than as convicts.
Re the convict quip, I have a hunch, just a hunch though, that dropzone might have been having a lend of ya’ mate. Like, making a funny? Like, I don’t really think he feels that having a distant convict in the family is all that much of a bad thing. Y’know, like?
Oh, and re the lolspeak (or whatever you young’uns call it nowadays), you might want to take his advice onboard. The SDMB is a little different to most messageboards: regardless of what we post, our personas are judged on the quality of our ‘speech’ so to speak.
You’ll fit in much better if you a) grow a sense of humour, and b) polish up on yer’ grammar and shit.
I don’t care much about ‘fitting’ or grammar or syntax or style or whatever you think of me.
I just drop in forums post for a while until I get bored and then leave. No hard feelings, no insults. If you don’t like my ‘persona’, if you don’t think I ‘fit’ in here, simply ignore me as I ignore you.
I don’t know why would I be bothered if one my ancestors was a convict?
I would be worried if I were a convict.
I’m a New Zealander who sounds like a Pom. The sort of flak I cop is usually associated with WWII air raids on Berlin. 
And to think today I was saying you were one of the better Australians on the board and you turn out to be a Kiwi! I feel dirty- I’ll need to go and have a shower
HE’S AN IMPOSTER, GET HIM! hehe