ON CULTURE AND CIVILISATION

It seems to me that the epitome of culture and civilisation is to direct one's criticisms and hostility to different ideas, opinions and expressions rather than to their authors.

By the same token, courtesy and respect are attributes of cultured and civilised people. Nevertheless, notions such as courtesy and respect are totally irrelevant so far as ideas, opinions and expressions are concerned.

In a civilizsed world, the fact that one detests or even hates somebody's ideas, opinions and/or expressions does not imply that one should necessarily detest or hate the author of such ideas, opinions and/or expressions.

In my humble opinion, it would be an over-simplification to classify indigenous Australians' social organisation as primitive and that of non-indigenous Australians' as civilised. In many respects, the aborigines are less inclined to live a solitary existence than non-indigenous Australians. Perhaps it is due to the rudeness of their existence, but they appear to be more willing to exchange individual freedom for the security of uniform legal restrictions.

Rightly or wrongly, the principal distinction appears to me to be not so much of a cultural or civilisational nature but more the result of a lack of communication through geographical isolation for thousands of years having prevented the aborigines benefiting from the knowledge development of other communities around the world.

ON CULTURE AND CIVILISATION (CONTINUED)

I see the the aborigines as having suffered from a chronic deficit of knowledge and intellectual development but not so as regards their cultural and civilisational development. I do not consider that the differences between indigenous and non-indigenous cultures and civilisations are systematically to the advantage of the latter.

In addition, I would add that generalisations are like averages. They exist in theory but rarely if ever in practice. They tend to mask huge discrepancies or variables. Certain individual aborigines can be better educated, more highly cultured and civilised to a greater degree than certain non-indigenous Australians, and vice versa. It would no doubt be more judicious to refrain from generalising unless there is sound statistical evidence to back it up, and even then, it should be admitted that what may be true generally may be subject to many variables and exceptions.

In my personal experience, I have seen the shock of the two cultures as being to the detriment of the aborigines. In their natural environment, they appear to be far superior to non-indigenous Australians. On the other hand, I have witnessed many cases where they tend to degenerate into abject human beings when they evolve in a non-indigenous, urban environment.

For many aborigines, the transition from their natural environment to a knowledge based society that has developed over thousands of years is impossible to assimilate within a single lifetime.

If I were in that position, I doubt that I could do it myself.

You are quite right, Efranke, but you will find that most of the chatterers on OLO won't take a bit of notice of what you say. The most ill-informed - the 'first Australians' brigade - are the biggest offenders.

For 30,000 years, disparate groups of Stone-Age people, roamed an unknown and un-named continent. The theme of the original article by Andrew Bartlett was changing the date of Australia Day; but, as usual the bleeding hearts and know-alls got on their be-nice-to-aborigines band wagon, and changed the subject completely.

The bottom line is that Australia Day marks the date of white settlement, and nothing before the date has any relevance to the subject.

Foxy,

You will clearly stick to your guns, as will I. No need for further discussion.

Thanks Foxy, you and your kind inspire me too.

Just been watching Aussie Country Music on Foxtel.

Although I got on well with the Americans wile I was over there during my time of study, I feel they have too much of a swaggering suaveness about the way they put over their country music.

But my wife's little dog is just behind me waiting for her supper.

Unfotumately my wife died over two years ago, but I feel her spirit is still sort of still close to me.

Wishing I was a lot younger, for I feel there is so much for our OLO to achieve, especially as regards a decent future for our Aborigines.

Thanks for your company, Cobber,

Cheers, BB, WA.

Alright, this is at least 2 steps to the side, and one step backwards from the actual article about Aus. day, but what the hell.
What I find most "uncivilised" about whitefella culture is the concept of Orphanages.
I've only experienced a handful of blackfella nations, but in all of them every adult female was someone's aunty, and every adult male was someone's uncle.
There were no orphans, or the possibility of orphans.
What I would like to see, is whitefellas spending less time trying to figure out how to better patronise blackfellas, and more time considering what we can learn from them.
That would be civilised.

Dear Efranke,

I called our First Australians by that name because they were
the original inhabitants - they came to this land over 40,000
years ago -and that is the name they are given by all reputable historians and history texts. You may disagree with that - but you'd have to take on historical material to do it.

Also please re-read my previous posts - regarding 'Australia Day,'
perhaps then you'll understand what it is I'm saying.

Dear bushbred,

Just letting you know I'm actually a female. I chose the name
'Foxy' because of my red-hair (not my nature).

I'm thrilled that you're able to enjoy posting on this Forum again.
Because it's voices of reason that we need to hear.
Did I read on a previous post that you studied in America?
We lived and worked in the States for over 9 years.

Dear Grim,

I fully agree white and black should learn more about each other.
That would help towards our becoming more 'civilized.'
As Margaret Tucker wrote in her autobiography, "If Everyone Cared." :

"You can play a tune of sorts on the white keys of a piano;
you can play some sort of tune on the black keys; but for perfect
harmony, you must use both."

I got the point, it is a terrific one.