Hi Andris,

The problem with the apologists and their "nothing to see here" attitude is very difficult to overcome. For modern day deniers genocide didn't really happen, any deaths among aboriginal people were unfortunate, regrettable, but accidental, besides aboriginal disadvantage is completely overblown by the new left who simply want to profit from some concocted 'Aboriginal Industry' where the greedy partake of a pot of gold thanks to the misplaced generosity of decent White Australians. How can they believe that, in Victoria alone the aboriginal population was reduced from 30,000 to 300 in about 70 years. The extent of the massacres of aboriginal people, the deaths from starvation and disease was completely hidden from view for over 150 years. Today, the disadvantage of aboriginal people through the 'Closing the Gap' report, and other studies is well known, yet some will still deny what is fact. The conservative side of politics can't bring themselves to a position of public recognition of past wrongs, so all Australians can move on and destroy the barriers that are dividing us.

Australia (Invasion) Day is symbolic of that division. Its like as if every Aug 6th an American plane was to be flown over Hiroshima and drop a dummy bomb, followed by a brass band parade down the main street, just to remind the Japanese of who won the war.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/mar/04/the-killing-times-the-massacres-of-aboriginal-people-australia-must-confront

Thank you PAUL.

I think you are spot on as usual: I could not agree with you more.

What interests me is the underlying but unstated 'world views' as lenses through which we judge events and which make our responses quite predictable.

A stunning example of this can be seen in comparing the comments under this article on Barty and the 'Does BLM' discussion.

The same people emerge to make the core contributions and the basic values implicit there and here seem interchangably identical in nature.

I think behind the ultra-Right world view is the authoritarian personality, (also behind the ultra-Left) who perceives the world as if it was inevitably an arena of perpetual warfare, based on an assumed, unresolvable class war between top dogs and underdogs, between winners and losers.

To them this seems to be the truth and no facts will sway them because what is important to them is the victory of the 'truth' and lies are justified to make such 'truth' victorious.

To them those who advocate win-win justice for all, seem as hopeless idealists, hypocratic cretens; a fair game for bad-mouthing.

Please see my numerous articles on Trump here:

https://startsat60.com/author/andris-heks

such as this:

https://startsat60.com/media/opinion/bloggers/the-fat-lady-has-sung-trumps-moment-of-truth

STEELREDUX: I also want to thank you for your brilliant contributions.

At least THINKABIT is willing to recognise that he is wrong on certain 'tangible' facts.

Pity, that he seems to be unable to access 'depth facts' relating to spirituality.

To him Aborigine kids being able to name hundred stars and constellations without books seems to be a 'trivial' fact!

Please see:

https://startsat60.com/stories/opinion/have-i-now-grasped-the-secret-of-happiness

and further here:

https://startsat60.com/stories/opinion/how-did-we-lose-the-plot

They made a treaty with the Maoris in 1840.
Andris,
By that time the Maoris had already silenced the indigenous & were advanced enough to get the meaning of a treaty !

INDIVIDUAL.

Are you aware that once again you belittle the Aborigines in your statement that the Maories 'were ADVANCED ENOUGH to GET the MEANING of a treaty?'

Was lack of advancement why the Aborigines were never offered such treaty to this very day?

Their lack of advancement or our lack of justice?

But Individual, you said that we should not try to re-write history.

Andris,
Since when is stating fact belittling ? Advanced is an English language term for any living cell that has developed past the stage of grazing i.e. made tools, shelter & generally plan for the next day.
Some, as the Westerners, the Chinese (for the 2n or even 3rd time now) the Greeks the Egyptians, the Aztecs, the Incas & Mayas etc etc. have advanced to a point where they lost control of their success. The Aborigines & others will be in the next lot to go through this cycle.
Yes, rather belittling, in your idealistic dream world !

Dear INDIVIDUAL.

You ask: 'Since when is stating fact belittling ?'

The 'fact' you claim is not a fact:

For example, they did have simple tools and high precision hunting equipment; finely prepared spears used with expert skills for hunting with amazing accuracy to spear fish.

They also knew from years of accumulated knowledge, where to hunt for what, what bush tuckers were in abundance where and when.

Your narrow concept of what constitute progress and civilisation was utterly irrelevant and contrary to their nature attuned civilisation.

They required minimal possessions so that they could move around efficiently in their walk about life style.

Why did they not go on to horses, carts etc?

You can't appreciate that for their treasured life-style, these would have been hindrances not advances.

Have you ever gone for a beautiful bush-walk for a day?

Feel your lungs expand with fresh air, your mind cheered by the smell of eucalypt, your eyes amazed by the intricacy of bush flowers, your thirst quenched with fresh springwater?

You might have caught a few fish and BBQed them on a simple stone bed? And you felt stronger from the good walk in nature and you felt, just for a few hours at least, to be part of nature and nurtured by it?

Can't you undertand that their civilisation here (65.000 years or so) valued simplicity and communion with nature so much that the last thing they wanted was to 'fix' that which was NOT broken?

Their enormous achievement was in the preservation of a civilisation which sustained them for longer than any other civilisation that had existed on earth.
www.history.com/news/dna-study-finds-aboriginal-australians-worlds-oldest-civilization

I have described this to you before and to thinkabit, but both of you seem to be able to see'progress' only in material terms.

Having lived with traditional Aborigines for the purpose of comparing their cilvilisation to others, civilisations expert, Dr E.Nandisvara Nayake Thero concludes that the Australian Aborigines are 'one of the most civilised and cultured of all peoples in the world today.'
(See: 'Shamanism' by Nicholson P 233)