July 1st was Territory day. The day on which the Northern Territory was granted self government by the Commonwealth of Australia in 1978. So we had fireworks galore (indeed it is one of the only places in Australia, where you can buy explosives and let them off in your back yard).
Not that people really appreciate what that means, nor made the connection between that and the very recent actions of the Federal Government to roll right over us.
You see in an election stunt the Federal Government has sent Federal Police and the Army in to remote Aboriginal communites to protect children from abuse and violence,without -
- Adequate consultation of the Territory Government
- Any consultation of the aboriginal communities themselves
Quite frankly it makes me sick, yes there are problems in remote aboriginals communities (there have been for my life time), but fixing these problems does not occur overnight and certainly not at the end of a gun or jackboot.
Minister Tony Abbot was calous enough to point out that the Federal government was doing it because “they were the Boss” and that they couldn’t do the same in the other states.
So a big Fuck you to the territory and its people, both black and white.
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It scares the hell out of me that a government will move in uninvited with armed police and implement what amounts to martial law.
Also, what kind of precedent does this set? Will they be able to move into bad sections of cities because of crime statistics near those in the aboriginal communities.
This is a very serious and very bad step. Freedoms were lost and I wonder how many people are cheering because something will finally be done about the “Aboriginal problem”.
Sean,
What are those “problems in remote aboriginals communities?” I’ve not read a great deal about your country’s aboriginal tribes, but from anthropology I’ve acquired an interest in the difficulties that arise among aboriginal peoples associated with attempts to impose modern ways of life on them.
Government scares me. Politicians scare me.
“People should not be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.”
- V
I love that movie Crazyman! In fact, I do believe my dvd is on top of the tv at the moment. (useless piece of trivia about me) lol I will never hear the 1812 Overture the same way again.
Blowing up Parliament is a symbol. Without people it is just a meaningless gesture. With enough people it becomes a symbol that can change the world.
There is something very poignant about the life V has chosen for himself.
Nothing that hasn’t happened in the USA. Doesn’t make it any better, though. Its always scary when the government in a democracy comes in with force for the “good” of others.
Fiery,
Its the MO of the current goverment to ride roughshod over the populace. We have had over 10 years of this crap.
The Prime Minister( not to be confused with PM
) is particularly authoritarian and “presedential”.
Russ,
The aboriginal peoples of the NT are the most recently settled there are some people alive oday that remember seeing their first white man.
Earlier last century it was goverment policy to take mixed race children and full blood aboriginal children away from parents who were “not fit” to look after them. To assimilate them into white culture. This resulted in what is termed “The Stolen Generation” a cohort of indigenous people dealing with the trauma of being removed from their parents. Some aboriginal people fear this happening again.
The problems, alcohol, sexual abuse, petrol and glue sniffing, lack of education.
What really needed to be done was a concerted long term approach with associated funding, not the knee jerk vote grabbing response intiated.
The culture is slowly eroded away and they are left with neither the ability to fit into mainstream Australian culture or knowledge of their Aboriginal culture.
Remeber, remember the 5th of November
Poodles,
Lets hope that they fear my vote at the next election.
Mwahahahaha ehem!
Joe,
Yeah its funnny that what’s good for the “others” is also good for the goverment.
I’d like to think we are not going the way of America and her politics.
I wish I could make my government fear my vote, but because of the influence of the LDS church here in Utah we are the most republican state in the union. People here still love Bush and think that Saddam Hussein had something to do with 9/11.
I still vote, and I still get pissy and protest, but alas, I know nobody fears Utah. Republicans know they have us and the democrats and independents avoid us. *sigh*
And V is definitely a favorite of mine, how hot is hugo weaving.
oh yeah. Hugo Weaving is MASSIVE APPEAL!
I was amazed at how much emotion and character he conveyed behind that absolutely blank mask.
I love the part where V is sitting on the couch and Evey confronts him about killing Prothero and Hugo says, “Do you want the truth, or would you prefer a lie.”
I really liked that movie and really want to see the special edition version.