mopgoblin on 22/6/2007 at 07:35
They'll probably still watch porn. It's not like it'd actually be much more difficult to get. The price might be a bit higher, perhaps, but banning something <em>does not mean it will go away</em>. Furthermore, "they might use it to do bad things" is not an ethical justification for banning something.
Vasquez on 22/6/2007 at 07:57
Now it starts to make sense. If the purpose is to save kids from horrible childhood, I can't see why they would overlook white kids.
Bring this law to Finland, too, please.
Muzman on 22/6/2007 at 09:15
Quote Posted by SD
Howard stands to lose the next election, and this is typical conservative strategy when things are going badly: pick on a disadvantaged minority - the weaker and more disliked the better.
It is? A craven sledge hammer approach to solve and internationally recognised and embarrassing social problem? (I'd guess all kinds of government have done it at once time or another)
There's a background to all of this; recently piles of money were offered to aboriginal enclaves in the NT in particular by the Federal Government under the auspices of cleaning up troubled communities. The price for accepting this money was that they relinquish control of their lands. They left the money on the table rather than give up what they've always wanted; a little self determination. So the fact that the FG has stepped in and seems to be basically taking over regardless makes me kinda sus. The Howard Government has been trying to alter or undo any gains made in Aboriginal land rights for their whole (looooong) term. They legislated the Wik descision out of existence and seem to have been scratching away at Mabo ever since (although to outright destroy that would piss off a lot of international bodies). It will be a matter of whether they are true to their word of six months (and if you know the Howard Government's word you'd be worried)
SD on 22/6/2007 at 09:43
Quote Posted by Zygoptera
Yes Stronts, that's sarcasm, just in case you're suffering another righteousness induced brain bypass.>
Quote Posted by Kolya
SD, the last paragraph in my last post was ironic. It was aimed at what Swiss Mercenary had said. I know why you missed that. Because in your mind I'm the stupid evil German who's incapable of empathy. Remember what GBM said about us all being just normal persons at the end of the day?
Forgive me for being unable to detect the sarcasm in a post from the person who gave us "you all pretend to feel sorry when a forumite is bereaved" just last week.
Quote Posted by Malygris
God help me for asking this, Stronts, but since you're quite vocal about what you believe the solution isn't, would you care to say a bit about what is?
Well golly-gosh, I don't know for certain. What I do know is that the huge majority of Aborigines don't want to be unemployed layabouts who have nothing better to do than get pissed and watch porn all day. I would say major initiatives to slash unemployment among Aborigines would be a start. I've always felt the first step in giving someone dignity is to give them something to do.
Let's put this into perspective; it's only 40 years since Aborigines have been legally classed as humans in Australia; before that they were "flora and fauna". These people are suffering from generational oppression on a massive scale. This isn't something you solve overnight, and it isn't something you solve by oppressing them even further.
Quote Posted by Convict
@ StD: (
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21949116-601,00.html) Welfare curbs could affect everyone. The idea being that the money for welfare is directed to the children not the chainsmoking alcoholic parents. There aren't enough foster parents (especially long term carers) to take all the kids in with problems as I understand it.
First off my name is
SD. Not StD. Please get it right in future.
Second, some of the quotes from John Howard in that article... well I can barely believe the man's cheek.
"The absence of policing services in the Northern Territories in these communities is abysmal" - good grief, it's not like him being the
Prime Minister, he bears any responsibility for this?!
Australia needs to rethink its entire strategy with regards to the way it deals with Aborigines. I can't say the Yanks exactly did right by the Native Americans, but that bunch of people seem to be in a healthier state than Australian Aborigines, and both had their countries stolen from them in similar circumstances.
Muzman on 22/6/2007 at 09:58
Quote Posted by SD
Second, some of the quotes from John Howard in that article... well I can barely believe the man's cheek.
"The absence of policing services in the Northern Territories in these communities is abysmal" - good grief, it's not like him being the
Prime Minister, he bears any responsibility for this?!
Well he actually doesn't bear any direct responsibility for it and half the issue is that he's sticking his nose in where it typically doesn't belong.
The NT has been trying to be to be a ful fledged state for a long time, though it lacks the population. However there's usually been seen to be a hands off approach by the FG (particularly since the last time the FG tried to strong arm the territories, I think over pornography laws, it wasn't seen as terribly federalist of them, if legal).
Quote:
Australia needs to rethink its entire strategy with regards to the way it deals with Aborigines. I can't say the Yanks exactly did right by the Native Americans, but that bunch of people seem to be in a healthier state than Australian Aborigines, and both had their countries stolen from them in similar circumstances.
In fairness a mess like that isn't cleared up overnight. The Reservation system in the US goes back over a hundred years. Aboriginal self determination in Australia isn't really thirty yet, depending on how one measures it. It's not going to be much fun for a generation yet, I suspect.
hopper on 22/6/2007 at 10:20
Quote Posted by SD
Forgive me for being unable to detect the sarcasm in a post from the person who gave us "you all pretend to feel sorry when a forumite is bereaved" just last week.
Funny thing though, several other posters here, including at least Gestalt, Tiamat, Zygoptera and myself, had no problem detecting Kolya's sarcasm.
Maybe you should try harder, or maybe you just suck at sarcasm.
Kolya on 22/6/2007 at 11:08
Quote Posted by SD
Forgive me for being unable to detect the sarcasm in a post from the person who gave us "you all pretend to feel sorry when a forumite is bereaved" just last week.
I learned to accept the fact that you blindlessly head into rage mode every time you see my name left of a posting way before I started "keyboard mourners". You haven't forgotten all about your little (
http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1575874#post1575874) hippie, have you?
But here's a tip: If you feel your head swelling red hot with contempt for my perceived faults again, don't post right away. Because chances are you are making a fool of yourself once more.
SD on 22/6/2007 at 12:22
How have I made a fool of myself? Face it Kolya, you're a horrible poster and if I couldn't gauge some apparent sarcasm in your post then I think I can be forgiven for that. The idea is you leave some sort of verbal clue for people to pick up on the fact that you're not being serious. Given your recent form for incompassionate fuckwittery, if you were being serious, it wouldn't exactly be out of character.
Now, if you don't mind, let's leave your stupid pussy spat with me alone and get back to the topic.
jasee on 22/6/2007 at 12:24
I have always thought the best policies involve trying to bring different communities together, no matter who or where they are.
I'm not well versed in the political situation in Australia, but it appears to me that Howards past policies concerning these indigenous people (if he had any), have obviously failed in some way, resulting - perhaps only in part - to the current situation.
I gotta say I agree with SD on this.
This does have a tinge of racism and segregation about it, which I dont agree with at all.
Maybe the Aussie Govt should have dealt with this better in the past eh
Malygris on 22/6/2007 at 15:15
Quote Posted by SD
Well golly-gosh, I don't know for certain. What I do know is that the huge majority of Aborigines don't want to be unemployed layabouts who have nothing better to do than get pissed and watch porn all day. I would say major initiatives to slash unemployment among Aborigines would be a start. I've always felt the first step in giving someone dignity is to give them something to do.
Well golly-gosh, I don't expect you to have all the answers, or even any of them, but sooner or later just flailing around
against shit stops being good enough. You get some slack on this one because you don't live in a country that has to deal with this kind of bullshit, and I also agree with you that on the surface at least, this policy sounds pretty douchey, but your assertion that this is nothing more than a racism-fueled attempt at keeping the mud-people down is a bit over-the-top.
