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The Forum > Article Comments > The myth of a new paternalism > Comments

The myth of a new paternalism : Comments

By John Hirst, published 28/6/2007

The Prime Minister's emergency intervention will preserve traditional culture.

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Patrimonalism and kin altruism are cultural constructs that pertain to ealier forms of socialisation, whether one's sixteenth ancestors were born into an Australian Aboriginal clan or a Scottish Celtic can, we now live in the twenty-first century.

We can respect and reinact past traditions, but that old familial collectivism has reached its used-by date. Most Scots realise this to be true. Too few indigeous Australians do. Being a traditional society, within the most advanced civilization in the History of History wont work.

Harry Triandis, a socio-anthropologist, who has studied acculturation notes, particularly with Hispanic Americans: A first generation needs to fully indwell in the host/dominant society, the second or third generation can then discover their roots and secondarily keep their treasured traditions alive.

The "invasion" of Australia has come and gone and the outcome clearly determined. It has happened.

Newly born aboriginals are born into Anglo-Western Australia, and, it folly for aboriginal parents to suggest otherwise; else, the children in a sense become immigrants in the country into which they born, "still" their country and where they "still" are righful [twenty-first century] citizens. Herein, modern Australia Anglo-Western core values are Australia-based, not race nor clan based.

By remaining patrimonal and kin based, it is the dysfunctional family, which is fed, perpetuating and the fueling of racism against whites fuelled. Every other race in the world coming to Australia seem to fit-in. So, who is out off step
Posted by Oliver, Thursday, 28 June 2007 2:36:46 PM
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To DavoP
"You can't keep building houses for anybody until they are trained to maintain it".
A lot of community houses were built in the 70s and new houses get built each year, existing houses are constantly being repaired after being trashed. Houses should last longer than 30 years. There are Indigenous training houses in the NT, where families move in and are shown how to look after them, there is one two doors down from where I live in Darwin.
I own a very basic ex government house which was built in the 70s and my house isn't destroyed. I look after my home. I have lived in this house for 16 years.
Indigenous houses dotted around in the urban areas also get trashed and are filthy, broken windows, beer cans and rubbish everywhere.
If white people treated their housing commission houses like this they would be kicked out.
It's not a healthy environment for their children and there is no excuse for this. If they do not have employment, they get welfare payments, and very reduced rent on their homes. The urban Indigenous housing commission homes are absolutely no different than the housing commission homes rented to white people.
Posted by jackson, Thursday, 28 June 2007 3:08:20 PM
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Speaking of paternalism ... apart from the well-rehearsed comments-on-cue from the Howard government’s Child Abuse Task Force pin-up boy, Noel Pearson, and the odd comment or two from a few token indigenous alcoholics, the Aboriginal community has not had much of a media voice in all this kerfuffle.

In terms of the many professional indigenous women who have spoken out repeatedly, and called for action, on these issues for several decades – Naomi Mayers, Gracelyn Smallwood, Boni Robertson and Pat O’Shane among others – there has so far been an uncanny media silence.

Interestingly, Ms O’Shane's view – expressed in an open letter to Opposition Leader, Kevin Rudd – was published in a newspaper today, but not an Australian newspaper. To our national shame, the newspaper in question is The Tapei Times:

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2007/06/28/2003367200
Posted by MLK, Thursday, 28 June 2007 3:12:58 PM
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John Hirst, dinasaur, geriatric writer, thanks heavens he is nearly ready to put into the ground. Unfortunately in will be in this fine country. RIP.
Posted by Rainier, Thursday, 28 June 2007 3:18:18 PM
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What has a full time uni student on the "dole" got to do with this (he could have been on austudy legally)except to reinforce a welfare bludger status on indigenous Australians.

Given the recently released ABS stats on the indigenous labor force, 8.6% unemployment in remote areas, it shows many do have jobs. That makes Hirst's dole bludger analogy rubbish.

Even the "children are sacred" report says that they have no reliable statistics on child sexual abuse. Hirst has attacked the Family Court for the ease with which false reports of sexual abuse are allowed to be investigated, yet he does not question the assertions of Howard and Brough.

Mal Brough said in Parliament in October "Yesterday I announced the appointment of an independent auditor of remote Indigenous communities so that we can better ascertain the real policing needs for those communities, and that person is Mr John Valentin. He is the former Deputy Commissioner for the Northern Territory Police. His appointment has been welcomed by the Australian Police Association, as it has been by many others. His task over the next three months will be to determine what policing levels are needed to ensure the safety and security that most of us enjoy, and all of us deserve, in our communities. It will help us to be able to determine, with state and territory governments, where the $40 million that we have allocated to new police stations and new police houses will be used, so that it is on the best advice that these communities can enjoy a safer future and these young Aboriginal people can have the same sort of future that the rest of us expect throughout Australia."

What happened to this report? Why the "emergency"?

John Howard got some polling that showed he needed to lift his credentials on "social issues" so we have this ill conceived policy on the run.
Posted by ruawake, Thursday, 28 June 2007 3:55:49 PM
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I work in the NT in child protection - the inside of this issue. Enough with the excuses and the politicking and the blame-gaming! I despair of a nation where boundary-stalking and patch-guarding and position-defending overide the horror of the daily circumstances of so many children and women. And I despair of a nation where misguided do-gooders have created a two-tiered set of rules about public health, child welfare, substance abuse, and so many other social issues - where it's OK for some people to suffer horrendously so long as their and their parents' traditional culture is preserved. The significantly lower standards we are all prepared to accept for certain vulnerable people because of their racial/cultural origins is nothing more than socialist/reverse racism. Try listening to a 7 yr old tell you about the several men who interfered with her and see if you care what colour they all are or what creation myths they believe! And then see if that girl at 14 or 21 or 28 would happily trade her culture and her uranium-free outstation for a safe and protected and healthy childhood for her and her kids.
Posted by Tired Social Worker, Thursday, 28 June 2007 4:19:58 PM
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