What a disjointed load of waffle.

Whatever it is that this author is studying at Cambridge, it is not communication.

The Author said:

>>when the capitalist reaps the profit, it is his and his alone, a product of genius, worth and enterprise; when a loss results (such losses are never the “fault” of the capitalist), the workers must carry him - it is the burden we must all share.<<

OR.. putting this the other way around.....

When the going is good.. we all should share in the reward....when the market is suddenly flooded with cheap goods from China,making the boss's business uncompetitive, the workers say "The Boss must now carry us, and help us pay our mortgages"

and there are those of you out there who deny 'original sin' :) good grief..wakey wakey.

Quite apart from Howard/Coalition "sorry" NOWWWW we can see if the 'politicized rhetoric' from labor, which USED that issue to:

a) Damage the Howard government.
b) Advance its own image and interests in the electorate...

will now actually DO anything more than just 'consult widely in the community' ...OH... MY....GOODNESS.. if ever I've heard 'This is in the too hard basket....push it aside now that we have power'.....that was it....
but you never know..they might suddenly 'get religion' on "Sorry" and actually say it...

The question is.... if that's all the Indigenous people want... well and good. Lets see if that IS all......

Unfortunately, history is a lot like eggs...once scrambled and cooked... most difficult to unscramble.

In my view there are some specific things which can be identified and fixed (like unpaid/withheld wages to stockmen and servants of large land holdings) with interest of course.... but the land ? hmmmm.. something tells me a lotttt of blood would be spilt if that ever became more than just a convenient topic for Gary Foley and company to make a fuss about.

Rather than apologise to the stolen generation Howard put the boot in when he sent the army into Northern Territory and turned all aborigines into welfare recipients on half dole money.

CDEP programs were cancelled so that the aboriginals income could be quarantined to stop them drinking, gambling and indulging in illegal substances. Now that there is no work what do the adults do?

There has been no increase in sexual abuse cases reported and the roving medical teams aren't experienced in picking up middle ear infections and other diseases that are endemic to aboriginal communities but uncommon in white Australia.

If I lived in squalor and among customs that included horrible abuse and was rescued from it I would probably be wanting to say thank you rather than waiting for a symbolic apology that changes nothing. The victim mentality that continues to keep many in bondage is not helped by the academics who refuse to acknowledge that not all white European culture is evil. The atrocious state of affairs and corruption in South Africa today testifies to this. Although because the blacks are the major villians it is not newsworthy among those who have a black arm band view of history. Government responsibility today is to put an end to old customs that see young girls and boys raped.

For Goodness sake!

John Howard did not commit atrocities against the aboriginal tribes of Australia. He might have been in the process of buying and selling 'you and me' to the highest global corporate bidder and he has paid the price for that. Neither Howard nor any Australian is guilty of crimes against aboriginals which occurred decades and centuries past.

If we are to say sorry to aboriginals for evil deeds and bad decisions our misguided ancestors enacted then in the same sitting, we would expect aboriginal leaders to say sorry on behalf of their ancestors for invading this land in waves over the last 40,000 years and butchering and displacing earlier tribes.

That would be fair. It acknowledges, as dubious as it might be, that we are ALL responsible for the barbarous and hurtful acts of our antecedends. Not just one party to the agreement.

The real issue of better health and education for aboriginal people is more important. Thus far that objective has not flourished. We feel nothing in common. Well now we do. We are all rotten invading eco-species with hearts of gold when it suits us. With something that powerful in common we ought to move forward in a competetive but respectful spirit. We all can emerge prosperous,creative Australians with the individual aims and ambitions we were born with.

However IMMIGRATION lauds wealthy migrants and sets up a class system mentality that not only alienates aboriginals but also middle and working class Australians. Our corrupted economic GROWTH strategy based more on growing votes&per-capita GST revenues rather than HUMAN VALUES means IMMIGRATION is failing. Only a few undeserving individuals with a stranglehold on our economy benefit. One of the things about the Election was that Australian's want a CHANGE and part of that change is to halt Immigration.

That is one more thing we and Aboriginal AUSTRALIANS have in common. We all must stand firm against unsustainable IMMIGRATION into drought and climate uncertainty. Every extra per-capita migrant coming here is undermining our environment, time&respect for eachother and the chance for a new age of aboriginal/whiteman cooperation&understanding.

We are back to the old leftie 'sorry' campaign again, didn't take long.
Going by this author's belief, I and millions of others could demand 'sorries' from the Vikings, Normans,Saxons and goodness only knows how many others who conquered and integrated or moved on.The Aboriginals are probably lucky it was England who took this country,at least the English were developing a conscience about the treatment of natives.
This very stupid 'sorry' business means nothing to any modern person now,apart from a mindless few. Grow up , move on and bury the whole inane subject.