"The destructive forces threatening the planet are not difficult to identify. All destructive power and viciousness is concentrated in the corporate US empire of evil."

Savage Pencil: This is precisely the sort of nonsense that doesn't help anyone (especially on this topic) and that also makes a lot of people see the left as loony. Clearly there are many problems with the west, perhaps most easily identifiable in the U.S. However, whether we're talking human rights or the environment, China is hardly a barrel of laughs either (to mention but one non-western nation/civilisation).

About the topic though...

Personally, on this (and just about every single political issue), I'm sick of the finger pointing and mud slinging from both sides these days. Maybe I've reached my cynical zenith (or should it be nadir?), but I think very few people -- the left, right, or Aboriginal leaders -- who have anything to say on this matter genuinely give a crap about the Aboriginal people. They're all protecting their own power.

What I'm sure would make a difference would be to seek out anyone who has made a positive difference somewhere -- community leaders, doctors, social workers, etc. -- and let them do more of the same, but of course, that's not going to serve anyone's agenda, so it's never going to happen.

Tony ABBOTT says"....twice the rate of hospitalisation,low education,high unemployment, poor housing and substance abuse " and all contributing to the present disgraceful state of affairs in Aboriginal Australia.
How can he possibly say lack of money is not the problem ?These problems ARE solved by money and its judicial application. How can a Rhodes Scholar be so ignorant and believe what he writes and expect us to believe him ?
John Howard and his men just don't get it,don't want to get it and never will - peer presure ,their philosophy and racial attitudes prevent them.
HOWARD'S 10 year plus Leadership Legacy, appears at this point in our history, for our Aboriginal First Nations, amongst all our wealth ,racism ,hopelessness, death and despair for both young and old.

The issues of graduate & post graduate scholars (Rhodes or others) being paid to do research by their 'sponsors' is well known within academia. Get funding for a "u beaut" thesis on whatever needs to be promulgated (to its benefit) and out comes the PHD or Master in the discipline.

The list is endless, Labor or Lib - no distinction - just churn out the necessary essays and such with the correct slant on what is needed to validate their dogma or philosophies. Gets a 'High Distinction' every time eh?

Mr Abbot, you should be run out of town for what occurred regarding Hanson & Ettridge, & for persons of your ilk to talk about "directions for the indigenous and Aboriginal Nations... blah de blah ..." is hypocrisy at its arrogant height.

The real issues are:

(1) No adherence to Human rights per se. (Across the country) Sorry...my mistake - Vic & ACT have made 'Mickey Mouse' attempts.

(2) No politicians with intestinal fortitude who will stand up to Herr Dubblya (JW).

(3) Almost complete censorship of any debate on crucial issues via the autocratic mechanism of 'senate majority'. Reading Hansard to get 'truth' is akin to Chinese whispers.

When real and meaningful research, papers, essays & theses are put in the public domain without the (excuse the pun) 'doctoring'of the facts to suit political expediencies and opinion polls. Then we may get a truer picture of the real tragedy inflicted by successive Crown abuses of our peoples (plural).

This 'issue' runs so deep that it is well beyond da gubmint to sort it out.

Government can scarcely effect the base existence of media dross like Big Bother.

What hope have they when it comes to something significant as the legacy upon which this country was founded?

No stats to quote but suspect the realities of majority of aborigines bear as much resemblence to happenings in remote communities as white bread like me bear to a Nimbim joint smoking communal father of 15 kids with half a dozen partners.

Long winded and a bit disjointed was that analogy, l understand. Point is... the characterisation of the issue is misrepresented. Vast majority of racially indeginous Australians are of thoroughly Western enculturation. Like the rest of us.

Its marginal and its a pity to paint the majority in the light of that characterisation.

How far back do you want to go? The dawn of time seems the most reasonable destination. There, christians, jews, moslems, blacks, whites, asians, adam, eve, steve, the searpant and the apple can all set the record straight. Who will adjudicate?

Will never forget the time a friend, of aboriginal mother and italian immigrant father, telling me how it was only fair and just that he get a rediculously low interest loan of outstanding terms because his people were robbed in the time of yore. Hillarious to witness this in his lovely, finely coiffed home after he just spent $20k building a double brick boundary wall out front.

l understand the idealistic characterisation of the issue (past misdeeds) and have empathy for the feeling. However the position (restitution by racial heritage) breaks down on so many logical and reasonable fronts its too complex to go into given the restraints of this space.

Suffice to say... the idea of inhereted rights is a postion of priviledge that many(most?) would ordinarily scoff at, on principal, especially the ones who promote the double standard.

AR FAR GO trade215, theysis still being robbed- never mind "the days of yore". Look what Howard's Federal Court has dished out to the LARRAKIYA people in Darwin the other day . Probably worse than the Infamous Yorta Yorta decision [if that's possible].

Wow . . . so much intellectualising (not to mention emotion charged debate) At the risk of sounding naive, I ask the question; do Aborigines really WANT to be helped by the white invader, or is the collective chip-on-the-shoulder just too big?