And to think Issy, we gave the Blackfella all those wonderful things without him even having to ask. If we had all those great modern weapons we could have wiped out the entire black population in the 19th century instead of just half of em'. Progress!

If I kick you out of your house, and give you a shiny new penny, how will you feel? Overjoyed I assume.

shadow minister,

Yes, the Soviet Regime, and Communist China and North
Korea have the things you ascribe also. Do you still
think that they're "civilized" in an ethical and moral sense?

There's a saying in applied ethics that the worst ethical
decisions you'll ever make are the ones you don't recognise
as ethical decisions. So when you find yourself in the
thick of argument, do your best to remember what's morally at
stake. Otherwise there's a risk you might lose a lot more
than you win.

shadow minister,

Excellent rebuttal. Some people these days try to twist language, ideas, mores and morals - even facts - around to mean what they think they should mean. Another word misused is 'nations' when referring to the (maybe) first occupiers of our continent. There were about 500 clans or family groups comprising what is now deemed to be the oldest inhabitants. 'First Nations' is a highly imaginative description pinched from North American activists and troublemakers. Their (maybe) indiginese were not civilised either. As for 'tolerance', they spent a good deal of their time killing each other.

Come on little man, time to stop feeling sorry for yourself, or what ever bit of yourself has aboriginal heritage. It is the story of the world since time immemorial. Stronger or more advanced groups take over from the weaker, & either absorb or expunge them.

How many conquering Pharaoh ruled Egypt. How many destinies swept away the old in China, & how many stronger tribes moved on the old every where on earth, just as in the UK.

It was always going to happen, & the Australian aborigines were a bit lucky it was the poms here. It could have been a lot worse for them if other likely colonisers had come first. Ask the Aztecs if you can find one.

Hi Foxy,

According to our little band of storm troopers definition, the Nazi's were civilized. Your civilised if you can read and write and exterminate millions of innocent men women and children at the same time.

What do you think? Civilization is much more than bricks and mortar.

Read an article recently that showed that Australia was covered in Ice in the last Ice Age. Aboriginal history could not have survived the ICE AGE.

http://www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/objects-through-time/essays/50000-years-before-present/attachment/map-of-ice-age-aust/index.html