This week, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson announced in the Senate that she’s “fed up” with “reverse racism”.
“Today’s times have changed greatly” Senator Hanson argued. “I remember years ago, when they came, there were the Greeks and the Italians and the different ones, they were called ‘wogs’, they keep telling me, my God, we actually had everything thrown at us, we were abused. But we said ‘Nup’ we got on with it.”
“We all had jokes together,” she told parliament, with a hint of nostalgia. “It was taken in a good sense of humour. I think we’ve lost that in Australia. I think people have become so precious that you can’t say or do anything anymore.”
Her speech was part of a parliamentary debate over a bill to repeal section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act. You see, according to Hanson, “We can’t have an opinion, we can’t say anything anymore.”
Top Comments
What you are witnessing is the death throes of the folks of predominantly Irish background; mistakenly known as "Aussies", being economically, educationally, culturally pushed to the sidelines by the new arrivals from other parts of the world, especially Asia. All else is mere semantics.
"a culture that has existed peacefully for at least 40, 000 years."
Fact check that please.
Exactly. This describes an idealised idyllic existence and fails to recognise that there was conflict within groups as evidenced by weapons and paintings and assumes that all Aboriginal culture, whether they are Kulin, Arrernte, Pitjantjatjara or Ngarrindjeri or many others are all the same.
I really would like the author to take the time and read up on different Aboriginal cultures and history.
I don't think you need to be so literal - the point is not that Aboriginal clans or tribes never clashed, but that they managed to exist alongside one another for so many thousands of years despite their conflict, before colonisation.
The author said they did not clash which I disagree with.
But using your criteria, the nations of Europe also co-existed centuries "despite their conflict" so we can now gloss over a few hundred years of war and millions of deaths?
Is it so hard to accept that over time nations, states, tribes whether it is from Australia, South America or Europe have always fought over resources?
As an additional point, the author really needs to read about the racism portrayed behind the idealisation of the "Noble Savage" principle which is what we are seeing here.