Shug on 13/2/2008 at 12:43
Quote Posted by Thirith
It's not stupid as such - Australia needs to face up to its racist history
more like our racist present
ercles on 13/2/2008 at 12:49
Quote Posted by EvaUnit02
This appeasement for the "stolen generation" thing is stupid. Like the recent enough story of an aboriginal girl living a happy life with a white foster family, social welfare then "returned her to her people" ... where she was ganged raped and murdered.
That's a brutally fucking ignorant statement. How can you even contend that the stolen generation wasn't devestated by their forced separation? Its blindingly obvious that the whole issue was an incredibly painful ordeal for those involved, and has incurred years of hurt. Yes, some may have been abused if left behind, but that is by no means justification for the definite torment of almost all involved by removing them from their families. Surely when you have caused this much anguish it is your responsibility (and I do believe that we both benefit from, and take responsibility for the actions of previous generations) to apologise and try to make reccomendations.
Scots Taffer on 13/2/2008 at 12:55
Not to mention that being the "stolen generation" incurs an entire wealth of social problems and resentment that can be utterly self-destructive and lead to the situation that a lot of modern-day Aboriginals find themselves in - such as the very case in question.
Fragony on 13/2/2008 at 12:57
Quote Posted by SD
Holocaust, yes. Everything else, not so much.
Why would they, strip the holocaust from WW2 and it's your everyday friendly european war. If it makes the aboriginals feel better saying sorry is good but it would not have come from me. Australia isn't exactly the only country with a racist history best forget and move on.
DaBeast on 13/2/2008 at 13:02
I rememeber Japan apologising for their atrocities in wwII.
Did America ever apologies for dropping two of the most devastating weapons ever created on them and condemning the survivors and inhabitants to decades of mutations?
Thirith on 13/2/2008 at 13:06
Quote Posted by Fragony
Australia isn't exactly the only country with a racist history best forget and move on.
I'm sorry, but this strikes me as criminally naive and indeed stupid, for two reasons:
1) "We're not the only ones who did wrong, so we don't have to apologise or, more importantly, try to redress the balance until everyone else has done the same." Huh? That way, nothing is ever wrong. You just continue doing what you've always done, discriminating ethnicities, ideologies, genders. Goody.
2) Forget and move on - double plus huh?! No country has ever benefitted from "forgetting". Moving on, yes. But only after you've faced up to what you've done. Otherwise there is no learning from the past at all. What is true for individuals in this respect is true for countries - although putting that into practice is difficult, clearly.
Fragony on 13/2/2008 at 13:17
I didn't do anything, how can I say sorry and actually mean it.
Muzman on 13/2/2008 at 13:23
Gestures of regret are very important in aboriginal culture here, that's really the point.
(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382765/) Jindabyne was an interesting look at it.
Rug Burn Junky on 13/2/2008 at 13:32
Quote Posted by EvaUnit02
This appeasement for the "stolen generation" thing is stupid. Like the recent enough story of an aboriginal girl living a happy life with a white foster family, social welfare then "returned her to her people" ... where she was ganged raped and murdered.
Fuckin' Casey Affleck.
Thirith on 13/2/2008 at 13:33
Quote Posted by Fragony
I didn't do anything, how can I say sorry and actually mean it.
Say your parents stole a lot of money from another family and now the children of that family come to you who has done pretty well from your parents' stolen riches, and they ask for an apology and reparations. Will you tell them, "Fuck off, guys, I didn't do anything"?
Also, national politicians represent their country - and that country, in most if not all cases, has committed a number of wrongs in the past. Those wrongs tend to have some sort of effect on the present, whether you like it or not, even the ones going back centuries (although the effects may be smaller in those cases).
