Nothing to do with us (again)
Howard govt - - Posted on June, 24 at 12:51 pm by Ken L
Did you notice that implementation of the Howard War on Indigenous Unpleasantness has been outsourced? To a ‘task force of eminent people’.
As with so many other things this government does, it’s keen to ponce around on stage claiming credit for all the ideas but prudently sets up an arm’s length body to take the heat when things start to go wrong.
The good news, according to Captain Brough*, is that “the extra officers will be able to hit the ground running.” My sources tell me that the imported coppers intend to interrogate all males asking “Are you now or have you ever been a child molester?” People who answer “Yes” will be shipped straight to the spiffy new $300 million concentration camp on Christmas Island, thereby forestalling any questions from smartarse reporters about whether it was money well spent.
I cannot believe that so many people are taking this bullshit exercise seriously. The voices of reason (including the NT report itself) are being ignored in a guilt-driven mass declaration of concern for the children who they’ve been happy to ignore for the last 50 years.
Whose problems we are going to fix by sending in lots of coppers and soldiers and doctors and reintroducing an Inspector-General of Aborigines to take control of their money for them. I’ve yet to confirm that WorkChoices will be amended to allow employers to pay Aboriginal help in flour, jam and dried beef from the company store but it seems like a good idea. After all, we didn’t have these problems before the bleeding heart do-gooders insisted on that stupoid referendum in 1967 (don’t laugh, one commenter at Blogocracy referred to the whole mess as the ‘unanticipated consequences’ of that very referendum).
To me this is a perfect example of the principle noted in something I linked to not long ago:
There is no difference between doing something, and merely saying you will do it; both will be treated the same.
So let us praise our prime minister who finally fixed the ‘Aboriginal problem’.
………….
*What is it anyway with the Liberal party and these ex-army officers who couldn’t get beyond junior rank? Peter Debnam was also an ex-Captain. Peter Debnam … you know, leader of the NSW Libs until last March …
Posted in Howard govt |
June 24th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Reading the letters to the editor in the local weekend paper it’s amazing how many things that bothered people last week have disappeared under the weight of this thing. Howard’s Surge.
It will be interesting to watch how this plays in purely political terms. There are so very many things that could go disastrously wrong with this before the election, but the chances of actually improving anything in that time are pretty slim.
I think it’s far more likely that we’ll be seeing footage of jack bootery and forced child removal than producing a feel-good Aboriginal version of Bindi Irwin extending personal thanks to John Howard for her rescue.
Does anyone know whether the media will be allowed to cover Howard’s Surge?
June 24th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
There was a letter in Saturday’s Australian, from a former district nurse which, as I figured would happen, told horrific tales of the child abuse she had encountered in the territory and used that to block any and all criticism of Howard’s decision.
For the moment at least, the slur that anybody against this thing is in favour of child sexual abuse will be in free use.
I suppose it is much like the “if you don’t support the War in Iraqi you love Saddam” insult that had such currency in the winger blogs until it turned out that supporting the War in Iraq meant you were support violence, destruction and torture on a scale Saddam lacked the resources to carry out.
I really do that the equivalent thing does not happen in this case.
June 24th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Sigh..with the typos edited…
There was a letter in Saturday’s Australian, from a former district nurse which, as I figured would happen, told horrific tales of the child abuse she had encountered in the territory and used that to block any and all criticism of Howard’s decision.
For the moment at least, the slur that anybody against this thing is in favour of child sexual abuse will be in free use.
I suppose it is much like the “if you don’t support the War in Iraqi you love Saddam” insult that had such currency in the winger blogs until it turned out that supporting the War in Iraq meant you were supporting violence, destruction and torture on a scale Saddam lacked the resources to carry out.
I really do hope that the equivalent does not happen in this case.
June 24th, 2007 at 7:20 pm
[...] Parish at Club Troppo have kicked off a discussion which gives the issues involved a good workout. Ken Layne at Surfdom highlights the militaristic and punitive aspect of the proposals. Lowitja O’Donohue and [...]
June 24th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
To me this sounds like outright Totalitarianism w/ a privitisation bent. Also election year stormtrooping & FEAR tactics…dressed up to look like compassion. We’re getting used to these kind of election-based tactics from the Howard Government & their media Enablers. Eleven long years of this kinda stuff has taught all voters to gaze upon any Coalition policy w/ suspicion.
John Howard’s Government, is the very same one that locked up children in detention centres & lied about ‘children overboard’…& looked the other way when nigh on 300 million dollars got into the hands of Saddam’s supporters by way of the Australian Wheat Board (Who knows how many children have died because of that money being available to buy weapons?)…& now this same Government is telling us they CARE about Australian Children.
Gimme a break!
Imho, they are lackeys for major corporations that fill the heads of Australia’s children w/ poisonous advertising everyday, addicting them to cheap, sexist, environmentally damaging toys…& fast foods that destroy their health & contribute to obesity. Up here in Queensland the State Government has taken the bold initiative to introduce a ‘Healthy School’s Program’ that attempts to eliminate junk food sold & distributed in public schools. Whilst Tony Abbott has resisted banning junk food ads during children’s TV timeslots (I imagine he doesn’t want to offend the supporters & lobbyists of his Party).
As for the QLD State Government’s move…now that’s CARING…& not waiting until the issue reaches way beyond CRISIS point…it’s PREVENTATIVE action by a Labor government. Exactly what we can expect from a Rudd/Gillard led government.
We’ve learnt thru various media sources that John Howard knew about these problems in the Aboriginal communities for years. Requests were made to him & Tony Abbott on numerous occasions to do more, including altering the types of petrol that were getting into the hands of the youth for sniffing purposes. As usual the Coalition cabinet dithered & brought about policy change at a CRAWL’S pace…
& one must ask WHY?
The Coalition Government certainly didn’t waste time introducing the GST…& IR reforms (Workchoices)…or doing a U-Turn when the polls told them WORKCHOICES was unpalatable to the majority of the voting public. No hesitation in getting involved in America’s resource wars either.
So why so slow on the Aboriginal situation?
‘Intentional Negligence’ perhaps in order to allow a situation to reach crisis point, allow their media mates to cover the sordid details in every distorted & stereo-typed fashion possible, ensure that they could look like a bold & decisive Government a few mths out from the election they & their Corporate mates must not lose?
Remind you of any other Party? That’s right. The Republicans under G.W. Bush.
Helping children in desperate need is one thing. A very important thing. A top priority.
BUT…
Playing out the ’stolen generation’ policies, using ‘jackboot’, military & police state style approaches…& crushing the Rights of the citizenry in ham-fisted, totalitarian fashion…& by the backdoor, attempting to rob the First people of their Land…& introducing Prohibition & Welfare reform for the entire population (they will)…by way of a BIG BROTHER campaign, is another.
You don’t fool me Mr. Howard. You could have started CARING a long time ago. But you didn’t.
Time’s up!
June 24th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Howard in shock move over climate change
A Maleny Times Scoop!
http://www.malenytimes.com
Flushed with the success of his emergency measures to combat child sex abuse in Aboriginal communities, John Howard today announced a raft of new measures that he will push through parliament in a special sitting.
“The time for talk is over.” he told talk back radio this morning, “I’ve read the reports, I’ve been touched by them and I’m acting.”
The new measures, that shocked even some of Mr. Howard’s closest advisors, include:
A total ban on unnecessary driving
Withdrawal of tax breaks for people driving 4WDs and SUVs in urban areas
Quarantining of welfare payments for unemployed who do not ride bikes
A crack down on advertising that encourages people to add to carbon emissions.
In a strong indication that Howard is determined to see these measures work, he has made it clear that Police will be used to enforce the new measures “And the armed forces if need be, I am not ruling anything out at this stage.”
The Greens have called the new measures an ‘election stunt’.
Labour are expected to support them.
June 24th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
[...] Nothing to do with us (again): nasking, zebbidies spring, zebbidies spring, Lyn, Friday meltdown: Seeker, nasking, nasking, nasking, nasking, nasking, The BS will come straight at you: Seeker, Alienated Americans: John Quiggin, Australia 1, Pathetic Brits 0: nasking, Enemy Combatant, Evan, Lyn, Evan, nasking, I was wrong: Ken L, Lang Mack, Ken L, Lyn, Muskiemp, Aussie Bob, Don’t talk dirty, Kev’s listening: billie, Styx, nasking, invig, Just Like Witches at Black Masses: nasking, You’re Not Obliged to Swallow Anything You Despise: Eric Martin, [...]
June 25th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
You are mistaken with your military rank comment, captain is a senior officer rank in the navy and a junior officer one in the army.
The naval rank of Captain is equivalent to the army rank of Colonel. The army rank of Captain is equivalent to the naval rank of Lieutenant.
http://www.vvaa.org.au/rank.htm
Just to confuse things, the commanding officer on a warship is called Captain by all officers/sailors regardless of his/her rank.