A great Australian has gone.
I never met him face-to-face but he restored my faith in democracy as a real political force.
Don Chipp was a loyal member of the Liberal Party (Australia's major "conservative" and "pro-big-business" party); he became the Minister (= Secretary) for the Navy and later Customs Minister. Then, when his loyalty was repayed with treachery (nothing new for the Liberal Party) instead of skulking away to lick his wounds he struck back by resigning from the Liberal Party and forming a real alternative party, the Australian Democrats.
Don Chipp had a beneficial influence on Australian politics way beyond the mere number of votes and seats the Australian Democrats have won over the years. He inspired thousands of Australians to become engaged with the political process - no matter how imperfect that process may be - and to follow his example and ...... "Keep the bastards honest!"
Don Chipp will join the gallery of great Australians: Sister Kenny, Simpson and his donkey, "Weary" Dunlop, Henry Lawson, Bill Harney, Albert Namatjira, ....... Thousands of school students will write essays about him.
We are all the poorer for his passing.
30 August, 2006
27 August, 2006
Hill-Billies and Intelligence
The film (= movie) "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" is listed among my favorites. It was one that probably outraged some people but seemed to be a rare sympathetic portrayal of a section of American society usually held up to ridicule. The hero was shown to be clever, resourceful, dynamic, honourable, honest (well, almost), well-groomed .... and very lucky!
Many of us, outside the United States, grew up with the old Hollywood stereotype of Hill-Billies: lazy, deliberately ignorant, singing loudly but not particularly well, illiterate, racist, always drunk on illegal spirits (= moonshine), incestuous, dishonest, following all manner of weird fundamentalist cults and all-in-all rather stupid ....... not a very nice picture at all.
During my service with the Australian Regular Army in the Viet-Nam War, I had to spend several weeks in a U.S. Army camp, surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of Yanks, among whom were quite a few Hill-Billies. There were indeed a few Hill-Billy soldiers whose interests did not go much beyond booze, fast cars, slow women and not much else above the belt but these were very much in the minority. The rest of the Hill-Billies seemed quite intelligent, perceptive, full of curiosity, brave, hard working, neat and tidy, open-minded, progressive, utterly reliable, interested in classical music and in serious literature, keen to use their GI Bill Of Rights to go to College, friendly to all regardless of race, with a good sense of duty and and a good sense of humour.
Years later, passing through a few "Hill-Billy" states in the United States, the rural poverty in some parts was obvious but I just didn't see anyone with two heads, unshoed, swigging whiskey out of rough jars; nor did I notice any child-brides with a herd of kids, dilapidated houses, rusty rifles or any signs of laziness and stupidity. There were houses kept in good repair with hard work and no money; there were vehicles still running well but years and years past their trade-in date. But not a stereotypical Hill-Billy in sight, not even one.
So ..... just what is the origin of this very unfair and nasty stereotype of Hill-Billies? What is its purpose? Why does it persist? Why aren't, say, Cajuns or residents of Brooklyn or members of specific Native American first-nations subjected to similar negative stereotyping? Is it anything to do with the Civil War of 140 years ago? Is there something shameful way back in history about which everybody knows but nobody speaks?
Just wondering, that's all.
Many of us, outside the United States, grew up with the old Hollywood stereotype of Hill-Billies: lazy, deliberately ignorant, singing loudly but not particularly well, illiterate, racist, always drunk on illegal spirits (= moonshine), incestuous, dishonest, following all manner of weird fundamentalist cults and all-in-all rather stupid ....... not a very nice picture at all.
During my service with the Australian Regular Army in the Viet-Nam War, I had to spend several weeks in a U.S. Army camp, surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of Yanks, among whom were quite a few Hill-Billies. There were indeed a few Hill-Billy soldiers whose interests did not go much beyond booze, fast cars, slow women and not much else above the belt but these were very much in the minority. The rest of the Hill-Billies seemed quite intelligent, perceptive, full of curiosity, brave, hard working, neat and tidy, open-minded, progressive, utterly reliable, interested in classical music and in serious literature, keen to use their GI Bill Of Rights to go to College, friendly to all regardless of race, with a good sense of duty and and a good sense of humour.
Years later, passing through a few "Hill-Billy" states in the United States, the rural poverty in some parts was obvious but I just didn't see anyone with two heads, unshoed, swigging whiskey out of rough jars; nor did I notice any child-brides with a herd of kids, dilapidated houses, rusty rifles or any signs of laziness and stupidity. There were houses kept in good repair with hard work and no money; there were vehicles still running well but years and years past their trade-in date. But not a stereotypical Hill-Billy in sight, not even one.
So ..... just what is the origin of this very unfair and nasty stereotype of Hill-Billies? What is its purpose? Why does it persist? Why aren't, say, Cajuns or residents of Brooklyn or members of specific Native American first-nations subjected to similar negative stereotyping? Is it anything to do with the Civil War of 140 years ago? Is there something shameful way back in history about which everybody knows but nobody speaks?
Just wondering, that's all.
26 August, 2006
Death Penalty for David Hicks?
Today, it was revealed that the Australian, David Hicks, who has been held, in contravention of international laws and conventions, at the notorious Bush Regime prison at Guantanamo Bay for several years, may face the death penalty.
He is an Australian and if he has a case to answer for his actions, then he must face justice in Australian courts; if he has no case to answer, then he must be set free immediately ..... no ifs, uts or maybes.
The excuse trotted out by the Australian federal Attorney-General for leaving David Hicks in the hands of the Americans is that he cannot be charged under Australian law ..... and leaving it up to the imagination of the dull, the stupid and the gullible to see David Hicks blowing up country dunnies all over the place if he was released from American custody. Yeah, right; you can just see that happening, can't you.
My own feeling, and that of many others, is that if David Hicks was charged with anything at all then he could be charged under Australian laws such as the Crimes [Foreign Incursions and Recruitment] Act but if he could be so charged then decency and compassion would call for such charges to be not laid or, if laid, immediately dropped. He has already endured American politically-ordered torture .... that is punishment enough for whatever he might have done. And we have neither seen nor heard any credible evidence that he has done anything wrong except to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The ordinary American public .... and especially Republicans .... had better get it through their heads right now that if David Hicks is a terrrorist then he is OUR G*d-d*mn m*tha-f*kkin terrrorist and WE will deal with him according to OUR laws so they had better start moving very smartly to have him returned to Australia and IN GOOD HEALTH too.
The David Hicks case has shown, in absolutely crystal-clear terms, the real contempt America has for Australia. There is nothing in the long history of friendly contact between the United States and Australia that has caused such widespread grass-roots loathing for everything American here in Australia that this case has. The news media can churn out as much propaganda as they like about how Australians would be happy if David Hicks were executed; such beat-up stories and faked surveys would be no more credible than any Communist propaganda.
The Americans are either with us on the side of justice and truth ...... or they are on the other side. It's their choice.
He is an Australian and if he has a case to answer for his actions, then he must face justice in Australian courts; if he has no case to answer, then he must be set free immediately ..... no ifs, uts or maybes.
The excuse trotted out by the Australian federal Attorney-General for leaving David Hicks in the hands of the Americans is that he cannot be charged under Australian law ..... and leaving it up to the imagination of the dull, the stupid and the gullible to see David Hicks blowing up country dunnies all over the place if he was released from American custody. Yeah, right; you can just see that happening, can't you.
My own feeling, and that of many others, is that if David Hicks was charged with anything at all then he could be charged under Australian laws such as the Crimes [Foreign Incursions and Recruitment] Act but if he could be so charged then decency and compassion would call for such charges to be not laid or, if laid, immediately dropped. He has already endured American politically-ordered torture .... that is punishment enough for whatever he might have done. And we have neither seen nor heard any credible evidence that he has done anything wrong except to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The ordinary American public .... and especially Republicans .... had better get it through their heads right now that if David Hicks is a terrrorist then he is OUR G*d-d*mn m*tha-f*kkin terrrorist and WE will deal with him according to OUR laws so they had better start moving very smartly to have him returned to Australia and IN GOOD HEALTH too.
The David Hicks case has shown, in absolutely crystal-clear terms, the real contempt America has for Australia. There is nothing in the long history of friendly contact between the United States and Australia that has caused such widespread grass-roots loathing for everything American here in Australia that this case has. The news media can churn out as much propaganda as they like about how Australians would be happy if David Hicks were executed; such beat-up stories and faked surveys would be no more credible than any Communist propaganda.
The Americans are either with us on the side of justice and truth ...... or they are on the other side. It's their choice.
Hello. My initial post
After all sorts of delays, here is my first attempt at a blog.
I shall call in a few times each fortnight (= 2 weeks) to see if anyone has had anything to say so don't expect an instant response. After all, I grew up in an age when letters took a few days to arrive and a few more days for the reply to get back.
Be as robust as you like with any of your comments .... but ..... it would be better if you attacked the standpoint of somebody you disagreed with rather than the person themselves.
Taking an unpopular standpoint is fine (even if it is a standpoint that infuriates me) ...... but incitements to commit acts of violence will not be tolerated.
That said, if you wish to leave a comment, please do so.
I shall call in a few times each fortnight (= 2 weeks) to see if anyone has had anything to say so don't expect an instant response. After all, I grew up in an age when letters took a few days to arrive and a few more days for the reply to get back.
Be as robust as you like with any of your comments .... but ..... it would be better if you attacked the standpoint of somebody you disagreed with rather than the person themselves.
Taking an unpopular standpoint is fine (even if it is a standpoint that infuriates me) ...... but incitements to commit acts of violence will not be tolerated.
That said, if you wish to leave a comment, please do so.
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