Coming up to an election got me reflecting on certain aspects of past political scenes... scenes that were momentous, divisive, inspiring, groundbreaking, majorly pathetic... somehow overall... they were BIG THINGS... One scene that comes to mind as extremely divisive was Howard becoming aggressive and bashing the lectern as he gave a speech at the Reconciliation Convention in 1997. Indigenous delegates stood and turned their backs to Howard as he spoke. Howard set reconciliation back by a hundred years with that despicable speech and by his behaviour. And of course he never acknowledged or went on the bridge walk for reconciliation. Here's part of his speech where he bashes the lectern and people turn their backs on him. Shameful conduct from a prime minister. Please feel free to post your momentous, 'historical' moments of past political history. Moments that made you either proud or ashamed of what was going on. I will follow from this one with an inspirational speech. A BIG speech... the likes of which Howard could NEVER have spoken. Anyway, here's Howard setting back reconciliation a hundred years. Also Noel Pearson before he went pear-shaped: [video=youtube;PwGHaezOeGs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwGHaezOeGs[/video]
Paul Keating - The Redfern Address 10th December 1992, Redfern Park [video=youtube;hhqAFLud228]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhqAFLud228[/video] http://www.abc.net.au/rn/features/speeches/
Children Overboard: Audacious LYING: [video=youtube;E3WJ10xGkas]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3WJ10xGkas[/video]
Howard, really got down in the trenches with his comments regarding history didnt he! His government did however spend the most money of any government on indigenous affairs from all reports! Or the largest percentage of GDP, despite the dismantling of ATSIC. Is it fair to say that Howard believed in practical reconciliation as he stated? Not sure that aborigines are completely happy with the symbolic gesture of apology by Rudd!
I have witnessed America's version for four decades and much of what I've experienced is either irrational or non-rational: the first is very bad and very hard to counter; the latter is synonymous with 'emotional'. I agree with what I heard Howard speak, even in the sparse context. His equivocations and qualifications--listen to them--are sufficient for me. My only objection to the others was what the well-dressed man said near the end: "the 10-Point scam" and "they are not God". I suggest that those who disagree with what Howard said in the video, to read The Use and Abuse of History, by Frederic Neitzsche, Adrian Collins translation. (I will send it to you if you can't afford the Amazon price.)
Prime Minister Gough Whitlam pours soil into hand of traditional landowner Vincent Lingiari, Northern Territory 1975 [video=youtube;9ZD-I-JlWAE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZD-I-JlWAE[/video]
Are you familiar with / had you read John Howard's 'Ten Point Plan'? Otherwise how could you say you agree with something / when you don't know what it is? Strikes me as peculiar.
Please read sentence 1 in paragraph 2 in what you quoted; And paragraph 4, for good measure. If you understood these and wrote your reply, then your reply is semi-rational; I'm feeling charitable today.
I think the spending went up and down... but the attitude towards Aboriginal Australia didn't change much. The UN deemed the ten point plan and Northern Territory Intervention as racist. Bad track record / bad relationship to Aboriginal Australia. When the Stolen Generations report was presented to parliament he refused to address it. Years and years went into that report... and he ignored it. Insulting and arrogant on his part. It was at least 'something' that Rudd made the apology... but he shouldn't have stopped there. I thought he would have addressed and redressed the Northern Territory Intervention... but nada. I find Rudd so bloody disappointing. I like this analogy re 'practical reconciliation' regarding the symbolic aspect: "...it is important to deal with symbolic issues as well as practical ones. Symbolic issues include things like an apology to the Stolen Generations. Telling the truth about the past and being honest about why racism still exists in Australia must be addressed if reconciliation is to be achieved." http://reconciliaction.org.au/nsw/education-kit/what-is-reconciliation/
Interesting.......again I think keating was miles ahead of his time, or so it seems in retrospect due to what maybe considered a slow process in aboriginal affairs! Attitudes regressed with the compounding issue of Hanson, but did Howard ride off the back of what he saw as an opportunity to gauge what the australian people were thinking by letting Hanson continue for so long without comment and then using this for his own political advantage! Look, who am I kidding, from all angles this guy was dodgy, I don't think there was one issue he was honest about really! I think I recall Howard actually directing costello not to march in the walk for reconciliation come to think of it as well!
Blind Freddy can see that for the left, racial conflict is political currency. The last thing they want to see, is Aborigines living functional, fulfilling lives. Why else would the left be rewriting history, trying to stir up hate? They use Aborigines, as political footballs. Was it late last year? When the ALP tried to set Aborigines up to attack Abbott, but that particular, slimy plan backfired when fat Jooles got bogged in the heavy going, and lost her jackboot.
So much for the big moments in Australian politics. How about this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_light_on_the_hill
Aboriginal Australia will not support / align itself with Pearson's move to the right of politics. Pearson has more fans among white Australia than black Australia which speaks volumes for him. And news in today about Pearsons Disempowering Communities blueprint, um, sorry, Empowering Communities blueprint: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-03/cape-york-mayors-snub-pearson-initiatives/4931044?section=qld
I remember when Hanson gave her maiden speech the camera panned to Howard and he was having trouble hiding his glee. I found some respect for Costello when he did the bridge walk and defied Howard. I was so glad to go that day too. One of the 200,000 (with estimates of up to 300,000) that bridge-walked that day. That day I felt so proud. It was extraordinary how many people showed up... And that massive crowd, in part, was there to give Howard a powerfully strong message over his vitriol and horrendous handling of Indigenous issues / reconciliation.
Waterfront employer Patrick tries to lock out union 1998 Setting dogs on workers? In Australia? Nah, couldn't happen... Video: http://www.abc.net.au/archives/80days/stories/2012/01/19/3412096.htm
You "conveniently" omitted, "The criticisms targeted Mr Pearson's schooling methodology, the alleged lack of transparency in awarding a job provider contract to his Cape York Institute, as well as his newly launched 'Empowered Communities' blueprint, which is aimed at improving the way money is spent in Indigenous communities." Noel Pearson is staunchly anti corruption. Those who miss the "good old" Gimme Gravy Train of the ATSIC days, when huge money was thrown at the feet of ATSIC bosses, with no practical accountability attached, see Noel Pearson as a major obstacle. The mindset of expecting public money to be just given to people, without any control of how the money is spent, is not realistic. Noel Pearson`s agenda of helping Aborigines to stand on their own feet, further alienates him from the left. The power freaks of the left won`t tolerate losing the political football of Aboriginal dysfunctionality, and misery. Noel Pearson opposes all of the barriers to Aboriginal well being. Not the least of these, and possibly the most destructive, the victim mentality, the resentment being stirred up by the left.
