@Rainier.

What is the game you guys are fighting at?

Grateful if someone could explain the term 'silo' culture. Miacat mentioned the term. Did a search on it, it was mentioned numerous times, but no explanation aside from 'aquaculture using large vertical cylinders', and I don't think we're talking about aquaculture here :-)

palimpsest,

In short its a game about who the fk we are against how public discourse defines us, imagines us, talks about us, writes about us for their own benefit.
The Left blames complex problems entirely on the past; the Right looks to that same, discredited past, for solutions.

However, enters Noel Pearson who argues that that black communities are solely responsible for solving their own problems which then offers an excuse for the wider society to do nothing.

Howards is looking backwards because those where the halicon days of 'Aboriginal affairs'f or the Right.

The Left gives its usual lip service before elections and then abandons us when they win government. (Qld is a good example)

So the game is called 'piggy in the middle' and we didn't put ourselves there.

I don't agree with Howard's interventionist approach on child abuse. Its very similiar to the Iraq approach. But he's been clever enough to mix an emotional and moral arguement together with this shoddy approach, so much so that many are agreeing here but disagreeing.

Where is the consulation with the people most effected?

Rainer,
That's easy there isn't any, a purely authoritarian approach, with punitive measures vilifying Aboriginal people for child abuse when the balance of Australia is also rife with it. To me it's reverse discrimination and patronising, just as all his moves have been for the past 11 years.

I am angry that criticism is seen to be politically motivated. Howard would have motivation, without a doubt. Even if it is all good he would see integration as good result here. He dislikes multiculturism and lets face it we really only have 2 cultures, aboriginal and western.

How long how we trusted governments on this issue and at what cost, human and financial?

So we should just let the policies go unchallenged like we have for how long now? Do we as a people still prefer to just let governments do whatever and have a whine at the end of the day when the policies have failed? I do not think we have that option anymore, we have lost the the right to complacency.

I can't see criticism as being political, I see those that say we should not criticise as having political interests at heart though.

I can't see criticism as not wanting improvements in aboriginal communities. I see it as a desire to ensure government is kept to it's humble promise and accountable all the way.

Verdant,
I want advances in child abuse not to be confined to the N.T. I want it to be applied to the other 21,000,000 of us. Of course this is political, Howard does nothing without seeking a result for himself, everything is political. For example the $25 million he is spending on Ballymore Rugby Union grounds, it could be better employed at Townsville Hospital.

These are his priorities look after the well heeled and treat the lowest socia-economic class like dogs. The White man bought a Bible and alcohol
we know what the result has been on the Aboriginal population. Aboriginals are Australian citizens and have been since 1967, this is an attempt to drive yet another wedge in Australian politics by a mean and nasty little man.