With respect, Poirot, I do think that you need to return to the topic and respond to the gist of what Runner is on about, not nit-pick, and snipe at his easy bits:

* there is a worrying trend amongst the long-term unemployed, particularly Indigenous people, and welfare-dependent populations, in segregated settlements (i.e. 'communities'), country towns and in outlying urban areas, to indulge in random crime sprees, violent attacks, often on other Indigenous people, rather 'dumb and dumber'-type robberies, indecent assaults and self-harm, as well as property damage.

So what do we all, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, do about it ? As a one-trick pony, all I can think of is to develop pathways to assist people to move from the depths of idiocy to which they may have sunk, to (eventually) gainful employment and secure and fulfilling lives - hopefully longer lives than await them if they stay locked in the velvet arms of Welfare.

Cheers,

Joe

I take your point, Joe....but let me make one point.

You usually try and offer solutions, however, the gist of runner's derogatory commentary usually turns on whichever race or group he has in his sights in any given thread. Therefore, when it suited him on the Arab Spring thread, he referred to Egyptians as uncivilised people. On this thread, however, he was having a go at Aboriginals so it suited him to lump Middle-Eastern people in with so-called civilised whites.

He doesn't offer suggestions or display humility - he only condemns.

Gets right up my nose.

Cheers

'On this thread, however, he was having a go at Aboriginals so it suited him to lump Middle-Eastern people in with so-called civilised whites.'

No Poirot it is the idiotic leftist ideology that is a far bigger problem than the aboriginal communities. The behaviour is largely a product of this idiotic guilt industry that encourages disgusting behaviour. Talk to to the bushman and you find a lot more common sense than from the white guilt industry.

Poirot and Runner,

There is merit in what both of you write [I'll bet you won't see that sentence too often].

But the bottom line is that, as far as Indigenous futures are concerned - as someone wiser than me wrote on another thread - the ball is in their court. "Just add effort," as a dear friend keeps telling me.

With a fifth of the country back under Indigenous control and a wide range of opportunities available, but with more than twenty million non-Indigenous people pretty firmly bedded in across the country, it is probably about as good as it's going to get, apart from a bit of extras around the edges, like a half-billion dollar deal over Noongah land rights.

But of course, in that particular case, it's still fun to kick a gift-horse in the mouth, I guess, like that one last kick in the nuts: but it's certainly that little bit harder to pretend that you are a Perpetual Victim when you get half a billion dollars dropped in your lap. Okay for some.

Yes, let's acknowledge Australian history properly and then let's take care of business. Nobody should live off the sufferings of their ancestors, so people should grab the opportunities that are manifestly available and get on with it.

Joe

You are right there Loudmouth.
If the Indigenous people (especially those here in the West) don't make the most of the opportunities that the latest Government offerings afford them, then they don't deserve any more 'help'.

This generation is basically lost as far as I am concerned.
We need to concentrate on educating the next generation of both white and Indigenous kids as well as each other, into denouncing racism and to make their own way in life.

Effective education of all is the only answer.