Australia has a big problem. Prime Minister Howard might not think so, but the Cronulla riots are embedding themselves in people minds around the world. Today, for example, both the New York Times and the LA Times run stories and photos, NBC's Today Show started carrying footage. And Google carries 1017 media stories worldwide. It lead their index. The story count is rising.

Tim Blair's blog leads the Inelliseek Blogpulse story ranking. This is a story that interest people worldwide.

Race Riots. It's an ugly image. Especially for Australia.

Last month France burnt for days. Everyone tut tutted about French difficulties. They mocked the inability of French authorities to get control. Wondered about a society that spawned the problem. 

Well, this problem has been brewing for ten years in Sydney. People who travel to Bankstown and other Western Suburbs destination on trains will tell you that they are often in carriages where ethnic thugs try and intimidate people. Everyone looked the other way. Tried to ignore it.

The West is the NSW Government's Labor Party heartland but they did nothing. It festered.

The gang problem springs from the culture of the disposed young man. Lebanese decent, in this case.  Creeps, who've fed off everything that's good about Australia. Its openness, it tolerance, it's diversity, its rule of law. Used and abused. Mocked it openly.

Young men who've perverted whole suburbs. Turned football clubs into jokes. Raped. Threatened. Intimidated. And in turn been reviled. Back and forth its gone. Unhealthy anger. Resentment. Hatred. Now its broken loose.

Now the gangs needed to be broken by the cops; the culture by the NSW Government.

Even NSW Labor Premier Carr called for Leb gangs to be stopped six years ago. Oh, oh!  Outcry that Carr was being racist by the multicultural, politicians league. He was typecasting these lovely, young men. What nonsense. It was fact. He wasn't attacking Lebanese migrants. As a group, the Lebanese have been remarkable builders, contributors, entrepreneurs. Nor was he attacking Muslims. Or Middle Easterners. It was specific. Lebanese gangs.

This was a problem built by these young men's resentment of falling through the cracks of a successful society. There've been three Sydney riots in the last couple of years. All the same causes. Resentment festering on perceived racial and social slurs. 

Now, some excuse the riots on the Iraq war. No. Its not Howard's fault. Or Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazleys.

And none of this washes away the fact that every Cronulla "Aussie" Sunday afternoon rioter should have been arrested.

Or, that every cockatoo knew and screeched that there was going to be trouble in Cronulla. So, where were the NSW riot cops ready to take charge?

Or that it's a guarantee the Leb gang are getting ready for a big break out. Maybe at Christmas. Remember, in their perverted logic, its their manhood. Their destiny.

Long term, solving this issue will require a lot of pressure to make these guys understand that gangs, intimidation, violence, sexism, racism, rape, isn't going to wash.

But this right now changing a world view about Australia built so successfully by the Olympic games. The Redfern riots and the Macquarie Fields riots will get a run.

It's Time. For NSW Government action to control and subdue. Time for the Federal Government to lead reputation management for the country.

You see, its easy to tarnish a sterling reputation. The stain lasts a very long time. It has repercussions. Australia will find this over the next few days as it becomes an object of world scrutiny. An unhappy scrutiny for all concerned.