Dr Dillon, Aka is not me and I am not her, but we have a common understanding of you're motives and grand standing. Most of all I thank the great spirits that I am not you. I doubt very much that your father would call people on Palm Island part of the 'victim brigade' or any other community where police corruption and their 'racist' actions have contributed to a death in custody. He (unlike you) has a very grounded understanding of the dynamics of institutional racism. Anthony, I can only feel sorry for you, I really do. How sad that someone who could do so much for our people is focused on publically chiding us just to win favour with scum like Andrew Bolt and others. Shame, shame, double shame.

Rainier, you were caught out lying and now add heaping abuse on Andrew Bolt. Mate you are a coward hiding behind your silly nick name. Well of course all liars are cowards it goes with the territory.

Jay of Melbourne

I think you must have been responding to some-else's question, because your response seemed to have no relevance to my simple question - or were you responding to something I had posted earlier - for I don't see how what you had to say has any relationship to what I have asked or written.

Keep this in mind, however, "we do not see the world as it is, but as we are" and "the judgement we make of another's intent - which cannot been seen directly - is a projection of what our own intent would be if we put ourselves in their shoes" - hence when we a judging another's character we are really just judging our own - but are unwilling to really be honest enough to accept it. This is a psychological law and it applies to all - including me.

"the judgement we make of another's intent - which cannot been seen directly - is a projection of what our own intent would be if we put ourselves in their shoes"

That's extremely relevant to the core of this discussion. A perception by someone that they have been the subject of racism does not necessarily indicate that's what's occurred.

There are cases where racism is blatent and can't be confused with much else but my impression (allowing that I can't judge intent either) is that the majority of what's considered racism is about other stuff.
- cultural differences being probably the biggest. Culture often being identified in language by racial characteristics.
- starting from a confrontational position. Someone who is taught from an early age that Australia is an intollerant racist country is going to struggle to interact with others not of their own racial grouping in a positive manner. When that's responded to in kind then it reinforces existing perceptions.

R0bert

• To JBower, up until now I have chosen not to respond to your childish interjections on this topic. When you have something substantial to offer this discussion I may just engage with you on an intellectual level that is worthwhile.

• For the record, nowhere in this discussion has Dr Dillon shown any evidence that racism IS NOT a systemic, societal, institutional, omnipresent, and epistemologically embedded phenomenon that pervades every vestige of our reality.

• Instead he chooses to simply deny it exists, has ever existed, or impacts on the daily lives of many people and shifts the burden of explaining and providing evidence onto those who experience it.

• Indeed there is scant evidence of any sociological framework for discussing this topic from Dillon, just his common sense anecdotal observations and prejudices. But hang on- he wants those who question this methodology to provide him with scientifically approved evidence? Go figure?

• The media construction of Aboriginality over the last decade has been a very public scrutiny that utilizes quasi-psychological methods to demonize 'all' Aboriginal people (except those who have 'made it') as dysfunctional and abhorrent, stuck in a quagmire of self loathing and welfare dependency, unable to understand or comprehend the brave new world that awaits them -where Dr Dillon and other middle class blacks live and prosper every day. Hip hip Horray!

• Be aware that Dillon sets out to target the mainstream imaginings of who Aboriginal people are through his very abstract definition of us as an all encompassing collectively -rather than specific Aboriginal individuals. He uses no examples, data, or geo political evidence, just a pan Aboriginality; devoid of any inter class or ethnic differences, histories or cultures.

• From this approach Dillon’s creates his own dogwhistle,(or borrows’ one from Noel Pearson) and thus creates himself, as a new beaut-aborigine, not like those dirty, good for nothing lazy one’s and especially those noisy race blaming ‘activists’.

• So just what is Dr Dillon’s cure for the Aboriginal problem?

No, Rainier,

Dr Dillon has not denied that racism exists, in its many forms, but he has denied that it MUST keep people down, that nobody can escape its force, and that all Blackfellas are therefore its permanent victims. If you like, he is denying the right of many Aboriginal people to cry into their beer.

Don't try to squeeze something out of nothing. He doesn't write what you would like him to, just so that you can sink the boot in.

I'll repeat: if you were honest enough to admit it, you, Aka, Dr Dillon and I all fundamentally agree that racism exists, but that it need not crush people and make all Aboriginal people its victims.

As for 'solutions', I can't speak for Dr Dillon of course, but I imagine that he would suggest respectfully that he doesn't, and shouldn't have to, propose any solutions - these are up to the Aboriginal people, as long as they put effort into their lives, and if they resist playing the roles of victims or stereotypes.

To realise how complex such a task would be, like the one that you are demanding of Dr Dillon, (and ultimately how inaapropriate it is to ask any one person) try it yourself:

* So just what is Rainier's cure for the Aboriginal problem?

A better question would be:

* What are some of the cures that Aboriginal people themselves might - in the spirit of 'self-determination' - propose to alleviate their problems ?

Cheers,

Joe