Dr Morton

Thank you for your article. Indeed thought provoking.

Rancitas: thank you for your posts. Have you ever been to Jack Beetson's Linga Longa Philosophy Farm?

Cheers
Kay

To Wendy Lewthwaite.

Thanks for the compliment, Wendy, especially concerning historical knowledge, but it is not much good acquiring historical knowledge without gaining the insight that such study should give. Have been fortunate to gain Honours in International Relations in retirement, the study changing one from a boring back-country smart-arse to become humbled enough to have been called a bleeding heart.

One thing we must not forget, Wendy, is that the Aborigines are a conquered people who have no way of fighting back. You only have to look into their eyes to read their minds. They are beaten, and will often try all the tricks they know to put it over you, as it is their natural way. Yet it still pays to treat them kindly, and never cruelly, because they hurt very easily and always will.

In some ways, we also owe it to them, Wendy, for after all one could agree with them when they have the courage to say, well, you took our country

To Bush Bred

Your knowledge and expereince is greatly required. I wish I had you available with me today as we meet with a large group from china with regional interests regarding aboriginal and lease hold farming including cojointly owned or leased farms and abattoirs such as fish farming vegie and cosmetic products for export.

What was it they said> Give me the child between the ages of one to seven and i will give you the man.

Bush Bred we are putting a proposal together for Mal Broth and The Minister of education along with the Minister for Agriculture and Minister of trade.
I also have a great interest in re opening abattoirs and introducing roo ranches for aboriginal people and farmers to be paid for the roos on their land by contacting us to engage profeshional shooters .

The project is to improve animal welfare and give aboriginal people the tools to own their own destinys with a partner to help with the managment side for their export products such as meat vegetables fish and non animal tested cosmetics.

I see you are or were a sheep farmer as well and you may not agree with me regarding live exports but i would also be honoured if you would email me. www.livexports.com

People with some real knowledge are hard to find and again I thankyou and would vaule your thoughts.

Take that as a offer of involement should you be interested.

www.halakindmeats.com

'What a significant and truly amazing cultural heritage that, although degraded, must be preserved. This will contribute to making our country one with more spirit and soul - rather than a monocultural 1984 style place'

Rancitas,
I think we need to stop talking about Aboriginal “culture”- singular.
As you have pointed out with different languages, and other have pointed out with different waves of immigration. It would probably be more correct to talk in terms of Aboriginal cultures –plural.
If they had left to their own devices they probably would have developed in to nations as distinctive and antagonistic as those of Europe.
The idea of one peaceful monolithic Aboriginal nation is a construct of leftist “intellectuals” who have sought to remake/repackage them according to own agenda and prejudices.

,-And as an aside-ironically, it has been issues like the Aboriginal cause which have taken us close to a 1984 style society:
First we were told that to discriminate against anyone on the basis of race was bad-and all laws, job advertisements etc had to be adjusted accordingly. Most Australians being fair minded accepted this. Then the very same groups told us we must now give some races/groups special benefits. Which they termed “positive discrimination”. (An example of doublethink & newspeak at its best)

More recently we have had the related concepts of “racial vilification” & ‘harassment’ which have been used to control expression.
All designed to make us a more caring and tolerant society- I guess as they say, the pathway to hell is paved with good intensions.

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20010329010
For dial up-folk:
“In January this year the United Nations named Aboriginal teacher Jack Beetson an Unsung Hero of Dialogue. ... The United Nations has identified what it refers to as "examples of human courage—the unsung heroes of dialogue who have faced adversity and looked beyond cultural, social, economic and racial issues to find a solution". Only 12 people in the world have been recognised as unsung heroes of dialogue.
….
The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has said:
I see … dialogue as a chance for people of different cultures and traditions to get to know each other better, whether they live on opposite sides of the world or on the same street. What Jack Beetson has done and continues to do is incredible.
…
His achievements include establishing the philosophy farm Linga Longa. …The Linga Longa Aboriginal Philosophy Farm was established by Jack and Shani Beetson in December 1996. ....

It is a 40-hectare property in Birpai country and is open to all people all year round. Jack and Shani invite people to visit for a few hours, a day, or overnight. Linga Longa is a venue for school and cultural awareness camps catering for all ages of the life cycle. Bush tucker walks, bush medicine walks, art workshops and storytelling are among the activities offered at Linga Longa.

Jack's philosophy on life is:
Life is about human rights and education, and education is a critical component for people to access these rights. The right of self-determination is also important, as a part of education. The other thing I see as important through my life are street kids. Basically what I want to do is to give street kids the opportunity that others gave me and the patience that others offered me.”
END

Kalweb - Rancid here. Mr Beetson and I would probably be pulling different strokes on most things but we have many other things in common. Just like the Indigenous folk who have had a mostly traditional background and others. Answer to your question: NO.

Horus: Your post is evidently trying to remake and repackage my ideas according to your own agenda and prejudices.

You say: "It would probably be more correct to talk in terms of Aboriginal cultures –plural."

I clearly said: "There was 500 DISTINCT groups using 200 distinct languages. Now I have no figures but at least 50 are extinct and hundreds more wrecked or struggling."

I mostly use the plural adjective peoples' or the noun peoples when referring to Indigenous peoples'. Both plural. Note the word DIVERSITY in my posts as well. "Peoples" refer to the groups like the ones named.

"Five hundred DISTINCT groups..." should equate to many different cultural differences. In today's context there is also the offshoots of colonisation - like the urban Indigenousculture.

You say: "If they had left to their own devices they probably would have developed in to nations as distinctive and antagonistic as those of Europe."

Indigenous people have been around for yonks and seemed to be able to sort out their differences without total war. Indeed, the way that the remaining various peoples' have united to fight for justice is a positve example of different cultures maintaining their own cultures whilst sharing an ideal.

Horus says: "The idea of one peaceful monolithic Aboriginal nation is a construct of leftist “intellectuals” who have sought to remake/repackage them according to own agenda and prejudices."

That was your construct - not mine. Re read.

It was the European invasion and the atrocities against them that united the Aboriginal peoples. Not politics. Indigenous peoples' had no choice but to engage the Europeans in their construct.

You say: "And as an aside-ironically, it has been issues like the Aboriginal cause which have taken us close to a 1984 style society."

Rancitas said: "What a significant and truly amazing cultural heritage that, although degraded, must be preserved. This will contribute to making our country one with more spirit and soul - rather than a monocultural 1984 style place."

Horus: See the word "RATHER". That means not like.

It is right-wing propaganda that pushes hardest for a monoculture.

Please rethink.