A world made in England is probably more apt in India (another former British colony) than here? That said, there could be some lessons that might transfer to an older much more primitive stone age culture? But before we do any of that, we need to address other failings, the suicide rate, adequate housing and deaths in custody?

And that in my view, is best achieved in the Indian patriarchal model replete with very fair minded public servants and unimpeachable jurisprudence!

Otherwise, the only advancement will be in self serving control freak activist outcomes, replete with endemic nepotism and rampant corruption?

There is only one Australia, one dominant culture and one lawgiver, not several dozen conflicting imperatives!

It may be tough and not well liked, but some folk need to be dragged kicking and screaming straight out of the stone age into the 21st century, while preserving their language cultural history, the emphasis being history!

Given some of the traditional stone age customs, incest, acceptable domestic violence, historical color coded infanticide/antisocial demography and polygamy don't transfer, nor violence as entertainment!

While it may be paternalistic?

Joe's example worked and gradually brought in changes in a timely and acceptable manner? And a good workable humanitarian template?

And appropriate where all else seems to have failed! As has leaving these folk to rot in far flung failing communities, trying to hack out a failed 10th century existence in the 21st century!

There is not a white way nor a black way, just a right way and by definition, staying with what worked!?

Even if that doesn't suit wife beating, child abusing, control freak addicts, whose serial activities would be seriously curtailed or ended in larger better serviced/policed communities!?

And the one common underlying resistance theme, throughout the so called objections or humbug!?

There is only one constant in the entire universe and that one constant is constant change! We need to adapt and change with it or join the Dodos and the others who couldn't or wouldn't!
Alan B.

Without disrespecting the culture of the indigenous I think that they are well advised to become part of the wider Australian community. The government should recognise that they can never compete with white Australians and create a situation where they can work for a living at a lower level of rewards. After 40 years it is obvious that something has to be done about the labour market as far as indigenous are concerned.

I wonder how many of the 500,000 or so people who voted for the One Nation party listen to Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart or any Western classical music. Or read Shakespeare or any other of the classics of Western literature either ancient or modern.
Do they even read to their children, or do they like most normal moderns in the "lower" socio-economic scale of things plonk their children in front of a TV set or a computer screen, thus to be brainwashed into being "faithful" consumers, which is the REAL purpose of commercial TV.

hi Daffy,

I hesitate to make any criticism of you since you are obviously a superior person, deeply knowledgeable, wise, probably extremely good and kind as well, probably someone who will make a great difference with a single gesture too.

I had been thinking of getting a tattoo, and your attitude to the lower classes has reinforced that: in addition to an Aboriginal Flag over my heart, I am seriously thinking of getting one which proclaims "Proudly Bogan".

Amazing: as Nick Cater wrote in today's paper, the old left fought to keep people's jobs; the new 'Left' and greens fight to close up enterprises, mines, farms, factories, ports, and their attitude to the old working classes is indicative of their new class position. I would hazard a guess, Daffy, and suggest that you are either a junior bureaucrat or a final-year student of Cultural Studies ?

Be careful what you wish for ......

Joe

Only a duck would be as ignorant as Daffy.

Well this would have to be one of the silliest post even on OLO. As would be expected the usual crowd make their uninformed comments not least of all Runner.

It really defies logic that such a person can function in the modern world. Runner you do understand that our country was founded as a secular country from the start. so there is no before when the Christians run it?

But then someone new pops up Gadfly42 to make a truly remarkable racist suggestion. Are you really suggesting that people should be paid according to their skin colour/heritage?

In the end the biggest mistake ( at least the only one worth talking about in an article full of factual errors) is she believes Aboriginal people speak with one voice. They don't, just like all White Australians, just as the author doesn't speak for all Indians........evens the ones that have turned their back on their heritage.