The article would be more convincing if the author suggested some interventions to address the poverty and disadvantage he mentions.

Australians have a good welfare net, but communities like Macquarie Fields seem to indicate that throwing money at people doesn't solve the problem.

The concept that as long as you are socially disadvantaged you have the right to break the law is crazy.

What do they want? Car theft to be considered a legitimate profession governed by OH&S? police limiting investigations only to those that can afford a reasonable defense? rioting and looting to be considered as affirmative shopping?

Life isn't fair, go and vote your representative in who will take your side. The rioters did more damage to themselves than anyone else and they have no one else to blame.

There are too many simplistic throwaway lines for this to be taken as seriously as it might - just possibly - deserve.

"...Sydney’s far southwest suburb of Macquarie Fields - a long neglected suburb"

Neglected? By whom? An easy line to stick in for a bit of emotion, but does it mean anything? What exactly has this suburb been deprived of by the governments State and Federal, that it should be described as "neglected"?

Some clue should be possible from the statement "the riots [were] an issue of social disadvantage, where socio-welfare and economic policies had failed the local community."

Socio-welfare has a nice ring about it, but is it meaningful? What exactly is it about this location that makes it more deserving of "socio-welfare" than anywhere else? And it needs to be stated that the same economic policies apply to all. Having one economic policy for Macquarie Fields and another for the rest of Australia would not make much sense.

The author clearly believes that the citizens are in need of special help. "Focusing on Deborah Kelly’s response shifts away from the crucial issue of social disadvantage and instead places blame on the community"

Eh?

The "crucial issue of social disadvantage" is obviously front-and-centre here, but hasn't actually been described in any lucid way. And for heaven's sake, how can Aunt Deborah's false allegations be categorized as placing the blame on the community?

I tried to read further, but without some substance that supports the author's contention that this area of Sydney is somehow disadvantaged in relation to the rest of the city, it's just waffle.

Being able to get a four bedroomed house for $340,000 can't be that bad http://www.domain.com.au/Public/PropertyDetails.aspx?adid=2006083237

Having grown up as "socially disadvantaged" neither I nor my family ever looked on it as a great excuse to break the laws.On the contrary, it was the spur that caused us to to do our uttermost to break that disadvantage.
Today's youth does not have the get up and go to better themselves the right way. There are all sorts of ways to help yourself but you must not let your own idleness and lack of purpose stop you from finding them.Nor blame the world for not keeping you in the style you imagine should be naturally yours. It doesn't work that way.

PUBLIC misconceptions, discourses that denote Otherness through cultural demonisation practices reign in mainstream Australia, AND especially in the highest offices of administrations impacted by Party Politic's. (Consider for the record of recent attacks of just one of our most respectable female leaders in the ACT).

Basic Elementary Stuff.

In the article at hand however;

Macquarie Fields.... 'where politicians and conservative commentators criminalised the youth'... and where socio-economic and cultural policies have (still) continued to fail the local inter-community/s.

While families were mourning the deaths of two boys, conservatives and heartless Australians made simplistic use of their hateful imaginings to display how morally bankrupt we are as a "Fair-Go" Aussie nation. One only needs to see the papers and blogs on this forum as we flushed our differences and bias.

I was and still am STOUNDED.

Meanwhile, so long after this lesson... low socio-economic positions of disenfranchised youth are maintained and THEY continue to experience further exclusion from the national mainstream.

You speak for many of US. Here in Cape York it is like the system is in the game of "blind mans bluff" at all ground levels.

No wonder we are so often out of our depth in many places - in telling situations overseas. To mix this and take it one step further, I suspect the underlying factor in Australia's "wheat board" scandles (a few years ago) was also a basic misunderstanding in culture as we partly got bogged in the role of law, custom and crime makingought to . Misguided norms in wrong fee payments followed by the bogus misinterpretations of how true the policy work.

Until we step back and embrace a meaning of different culture/s we will not reduce the conflict and pain that is blocking many of us.

Excellant Paper.

What would it take to get this kind of material more widely debated.

Thank You Ryan Al-Natour .

http://www.miacat.com
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SOCIAL DISADVANTAGE? what's that ?

1/-Having less money than others ?

2/-Single income family with lots of children ?

3/-Broken homes, single mothers..?

How many among the Macquarie fields residents who cry 'social disadvantage can find the huge amounts of money needed to fund the tobacco habit, and the alchohol habit? (same goes for anyone crying social disadvantage by the way)

Take those 2 things alone away, and there will be a LOT more available money. For the single mums who have been abandoned by irresponsible men, we do have fairly strong social assistance. (Financially)

Unemployment ? that's not something which goes by 'suburb' it goes by the (bad)luck of the draw to people who genuinely seek jobs but can't find one for the time being. Its impossible to connect that with 'suburb'.

I began with "nothing" back from overseas, at 40 and a wife and 2 children (one more later) single income, mortgage.. began with the absolute minimum, struggled, forwent all but the absolutely neccessary, and went without a lot of that at times...but solid work and persistence ultimately pay off.

I didn't blame 'society' for the few years of hardship. Why should anyone else?