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The Forum > Article Comments > Understanding the invasion myth > Comments

Understanding the invasion myth : Comments

By Peter Stanley, published 6/8/2008

The Rudd Government has announced September 3 as 'Battle for Australia Day'. It seems we are now commemorating a battle that never happened.

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Why are Australians commemorating our war dead so enthusiastically? Why are we digging up the dead heroes of Frommelles and reburying them 90 years on? Why is a dawn service at Gallipoli as much part of the European Tour as the Oktoberfest in Munich? Wouldn't it be better to have a memorial day for those who were damaged by being part of the Vietnam conflict? Or involved in the 1992 Iraq war?
Posted by billie, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 9:23:00 AM
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Given that the Japanese did not intend to invade Australia we should have been even more parochial and kept out of WW2 entirely ( and WW1 as well) instead of wasting Australian lives in Britain's wars. An ungrateful, arrogant and ignorant Britain I might add, at least in my experience.
Posted by mac, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 10:47:37 AM
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There is a duel mythology occurring one that denies this country was invaded without resoltion with original owners and then justifying protecting this 'nation' on the basis of a Japanese invasion that was never going to happen.

Protecting stolen property is much more emotionally attractive to thieves in denial/ creating an imagined community / grand nationalist narratives and sentiments.

What a bloody mess!
Posted by Rainier, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 2:04:49 PM
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Protecting stolen property is much more emotionally attractive to thieves in denial/ creating an imagined community / grand nationalist narratives and sentiments.
Rainier,
Forgive my ignorance after being in Australia for 40 years but I always believed that the invaders had been compensating the indigenous occupants for a hundred & more years by way of housing, health, education & commodities for which any non-indigenous have to work & pay for.
Yes, the inhabitants of this land at the time of european occupation have been dealt with as harshly & unfairly as every other inhabitant of a country that was invaded. Other countries not only suffered the indignity of being conquered but also lost hard worked for property. At least in australia that didn't happen
Posted by individual, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 4:16:41 PM
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40 years later and you still don't know the social history of the land you stand on, or its people. Far be it for me to re-educate you and anyway I doubt you would relinquish your comfortable ignorance in exchange for greater knowledge and understanding.
But just in case you miraculously decide otherwise check this out: http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/library/subject_guides__bibliographies/stolen_wages
Posted by Rainier, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 9:08:19 PM
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Rainier,
I have actually experienced (& still do) this so-called stolen wages. I am in a position where my work responsibilities include training indigenous workers. Thirty years ago, the "locals" were paid less for several reasons. Housing was provided at no cost, so was health, travel, school, flying school kids home every holiday & pocket money for school kids who were sent to boarding school.
I believe that these expenses & the level of performance were taken into consideration as part of the total remuneration.
From what I witness, most indigenous workers are on this ghastly CDEP because their indigenous bosses have bled the council coffers dry & hardly any got reprimanded.
Our blokes get 40 hours pay @ $15hr & 40 hrs pay @ $9.80. I rang up & found out the the australian minimum wage is $13,95 hr so, I can understand why most only attend work sporadically. The councillors got $ 3000 per fortnight topped up by constant cruising around the country at their communities expense. Now after amalgamation all these councillors are not answerable as are all the useless bureaucrats
who never gave a hoot about the community. Many of these bureaucrats are indigenous. So Rainier, if your being upset about the treatment of indigenous people is indeed more than just indoctrinated bandwagon guilt industry material then go & pursue those responsible for it & not accuse the those of us who do care & pull our weight.I'm more than willing to help you get those mongrels.
Posted by individual, Thursday, 7 August 2008 5:36:34 AM
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