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The Forum > Article Comments > This wide, brown, racist land > Comments

This wide, brown, racist land : Comments

By Stephen Hagan, published 31/3/2008

Are Indigenous Australians so economically useless and menacingly unattractive that they need to be relocated away from their birth place or removed from public view?

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“Are Indigenous Australians so economically useless and menacingly unattractive that they need to be relocated away from their birth place or removed from public view?”

Best to stay away from the “unattractive” bit, I think, but “economically useless” part can be dealt with easily.

Apart from aboriginals who live and work in the wider community from choice, we don’t have the faintest idea whether or not the rest of them are useful economically or in any other way. Sitting around on the fringes of society, or in remote communities, getting money for doing nothing where there is nothing to do, they have never been tried or tested.

They have to be relocated away from the place of birth before we can find out. There is nothing for them to do in their places of birth. Opportunities cannot be taken to them; they have to move to the opportunities.

Stephan Hagan moved from Cunnamulla.

The two incidents most of the article is taken up with – which were dealt with about a month ago – have nothing to do with the question in Stephen’s opening paragraph
Posted by Mr. Right, Monday, 31 March 2008 9:40:54 AM
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The author once again has out done himself in writing this nonsense, why do people keep giving this johnny come lately an open space to air his nonsence.

As for the comments of Mr.Wrong, the historical fact of the matter is that these people were placed in these gulags, so that their lands and resources could be stolen by farmers. As the farmers starved and killed these people for going on their stolen land, the missionaries placed them in these gulags to prevent them from being indiscriminatly murdered.

Their cheap labour built this country, from the construction of roads, clearing of land, cattle management and mining and building industry.

As for moving then on to the cities, the developers would love it as the land is worth billions in natural resources and potential housing. Unfortunatly, Indigenous people would not get a fair share of the deal as they do not have the same property rights as whites under white law. A fact Howard was aware of so he wanted leases on the land to remove the people of it to flood the cities, so his mates could make more money once again on the backs of blacks.

How usefull are the people, every heard of north force or the 51 NQR made up of mostly Indigenous people who protect our borders. Why you are sleeping they are out patrolling our borders and keeping the country safe. Thats not new people from those communities left them to fight the Germans twice and then the Japs, communists and others including four generations of my family.

How about asking why white lay abouts with opportunites for education and health in the cities are still on the dole when their are plenty of jobs. As a taxpayer I want to know why the gubberment doesn't apply the "intervention into Indigenous communities across the whole country to the white community. There are far more white bludgers than blacks just look at the casulty war on a saturday night or just look at the no hopers in the streets, its a bloody disgrace.
Posted by Yindin, Monday, 31 March 2008 10:41:45 AM
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I have to agree with Mr Right on the fundamental need for some honesty on the future viability of far flung communities.

That said, Cunnamulla doesn't sound like a very friendly place.

I doubt you see many smiling black faces there, or much social interaction between blacks and whites.

If we stop for a minute and attempt to put ourselevs in the shoes of people who've basically been reminded (expressly or implicitly) since birth they are useless its hard to see how this does not become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In a crude sense, economic self-sufficiency is the leg up people need to start recovering their self-respect.

I think that is more likely to occur when people live closer to the action.

I have no doubt Australia is chockers with people who hate based on race but rather than engage with them in tit for tat let's try to rise above it and focus on helping folks to improve their lives.
Posted by tebbutt, Monday, 31 March 2008 10:46:56 AM
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“ just look at the casulty war on a saturday night” (Yindin). Don’t touch those weekly fertility rights – they’re sacred ceremonies. Start interfering with them, and it will wreck the established environment. The booze, night-club, advertising industries and their affiliates will be devastated; hospital emergency wards will be decimated, most of the lights will go out at midnight, the moon and stars will become visible. The hoot of the owl and the hiss of disputing possums will be heard. The world will be changed. DON’T DO IT!
Posted by colinsett, Monday, 31 March 2008 11:03:48 AM
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>Kevin Wise and the Alice Spring’s backpacker hotel proprietor, Greg Zammit, are the ones who ought to rethink their roles in their respective communities as I’m sure many Australians are of the opinion that they are the ones who should be moved on and kept out of public view.< I agree. But who would have them? Much of this country's wealth has been built on the stolen wages of Aboriginal people. Yet constantly I hear complaints of Aboriginal laziness, refusal to work, and so on. It is nonsense. Racism in Australia is alive and well, I am ashamed to say. But I thought racial villification was a crime? Obviously not, or those responsible in these instances would have been charged. Even if they did not end up in jail, hitting them in their hip pocket with substantial fines may cause a rethink.
Posted by arcticdog, Monday, 31 March 2008 12:59:45 PM
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I agree with much of what Yindin has said above. I fully agree with his historical analysis of the treatment of aborigines. However I think it is overstating the case to suggest that cheap aboriginal labour built this country. Certainly cheap aboriginanl labour played an important part of many industries. Clearly the equal wage decision ( however reasonable it was ) was a disaster for many communities.

Secondly I agree that aborigines have shown that they are, and there is no earthly reason why they wouldn’t be, just as capable as anyone else. It’s actually Norforce, ( also Pilbara Regiment and Far North Qld Regiment) I think and there is again little doubt of the important sacrifice of Australians of aboriginal heritage during all of Australia’s wars.

I agree that the quaranting of welfare should be extended to all people who aren’t fulfilling societal expectations of those who are receiving gov’t handouts. In fact Jenny Macklin has said that her gov’t is intending to do just that, I will however note than in many remote aboriginal communities, the sheer numbers of those not meeting expectation mandated that the intervention be across the board.

It is true that there are far more white bludgers than black bludgers, but it is equally true that remote aborigines are overrepresented in dole and emergency queues and in jail, when you look at it on a per capita basis.

I agree that aborigines not having the same property rights as whites is a significant problem. I disagree that aboriginal lands in general, particularly remote land, have much value in terms of residential use. Whilst ever there is no industry (ie work) out there land value in a residential sense will be very low. The present policy of collective ownership of land prevents aborigines accessing the same advantages as other Australians. Mal Brough was right to try and give aboriginal people the ability to own their own home. What point is there in adding to the value of your land if you don’t receive any benefit from doing so?
Posted by Paul.L, Monday, 31 March 2008 1:01:57 PM
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