You are right aborigines were not classified as humans prior to 1967 therefore it wasn't racist to deny them opportunities that we were getting! How could we have been racist against animals and plants. Look it's rubbish to consider that affirmative action is racist when it aims to redress disadvantage!
Nonsense, of course Aboriginals were considered "human" before 1967. They were British subjects or Australian citizens, just like everyone else, they just weren't counted when forming federal electorates or had a right to vote. What affirmative action supposedly "aims" to do and what it actually does are two wildly different things.
They had a right to vote. The first Aboriginals voted in 1902 I believe. Different states had different laws. I think it was the 1950s that they gained the right to vote across the country.
Good points. As you have demonstrated, for mature conclusions to be reached, all subjects need to be judged in it`s entirety, not selectively.
History is full of examples of shallow thinkers, who have been content to suppress their own minds, and perfectly comfortable with the notion of forcing suppression on others. Results have been less than favourable in all cases.
If you are so narrow minded as to be content with "silly speak", you are part of the problem, never the solution.
What a load of rubbish!!! Do you just believe without question anything your lefty, labor, aboriginal activist mates tell you? So racism is OK so long as someone thinks it is OK? So action to address disadvantage in rural 'white' males only would be OK?
Simply because affirmative actions deals with race doesn't make it racist. AA obviously must take race into account because it is dealing with matters of race and racism. This doesn't automatically mean it is racist, which would imply that it is based on notions of superiority and preserving or advantaging the dominant culture. The nature of a racist act and an act of affirmative action are completely different.
Poor disadvantaged white people don't get Government tax payer funded benefits for their children to finish year 10, and get extra benefits if they finish yeat 12 - only Aboriginals get paid these special benefits, and they get them regardless of whether they are poor or wealthy. Where is the equality of affirmative action in this legislation; there is none, its all based on racial discrimination directed towards white people.
Oh really? Just exactly how is having separate policies for housing, healthcare, legal services, education, etc, based on a persons RACE, not RACIST? If you think "affirmative action" is actually doing any good, then you're seriously delusional. As though "Aboriginal policies" are ever even remotely as competent as non-Aboriginal policies.
Obviously because there are huge gaps in education outcomes between indigenous and non-indigenous students. However, I do think that AA should be based on actual disadvantage rather than race. I seem to recall reading that well off Aboriginals generally benefit far more from AA than poor Aboriginals despite the fact that they need less advantage. - - - Updated - - - Read my post again. "AA obviously must take race into account because it is dealing with matters of race and racism. This doesn't automatically mean it is racist, which would imply that it is based on notions of superiority and preserving or advantaging the dominant culture. The nature of a racist act and an act of affirmative action are completely different."
The only time affirmative action is NOT race based is when its dealing with gender and age. Being an employer, I know this to be a fact.
Aboriginal men and women were allowed to vote in South Australia in 1895. http://www.aec.gov.au/indigenous/history.htm They argue, and don't even know the bloody history.
Read my post again. "Oh really? Just exactly how is having separate policies for housing, healthcare, legal services, education, etc, based on a persons RACE, not RACIST? If you think "affirmative action" is actually doing any good, then you're seriously delusional. As though "Aboriginal policies" are ever even remotely as competent as non-Aboriginal policies." Please explain to me how racial political segregation and second rate government services and policies are "affirmative"? In what way were Aboriginal missions not "affirmative action"? Or do things only cease to be "affirmative action" 50-100 years later when we look back and realise, "hang on, that was appallingly racist". "Affirmative action" is a myth. There's only discrimination, or non-discrimination.
Nice to see someone has finally lifted their head out of the stupid political correctness cloud, and wants to address the real issues. When politicians enforce discrimination Acts, the Act itself is flawed, because the Act is discriminating against someone else. The same methodology applies to Affirmative Action. How is it equatible and positive in terms to grant one group of people special benefits over another group of people who are living together, simply based on that groups race? I suppose there are no other poor or disadvantaged Australians that deserve special Government financial benefits, of Affirmative Action, besides Australian Aboriginals? Only Aboriginals get special jobs set aside for them ONLY, whereby no one else of any other nationality can apply; Aboriginal parents get paid to send their children to year 10 and beyond, and Aboriginal people are not forced to participate in, or complete any work for benefits programgs to recieve welfare benefits like other Australians are forced to do. When you look at it, who is really doing it tough, and who is getting a free ride.
Just because there are a few extra "Aboriginal benefits", doesn't mean they get a "free ride". It's not like communities of people who are highly dependent on welfare are suburban utopias. Generational welfare dependence is a big problem, and it's certainly not solved with more welfare. It's one thing for middle class people to get extra benefits on top of their normal earnings, it's another to be living primarily on benefits in crappy housing estates surrounded by poverty, violence and drug abuse.
Recently, on a currant affairs programme, an Aboriginal elder was proclaiming the neglect and lack of compassion for his people near Kalgoorlie . The TV cameras panned around the area in question. We were shown vandalised, wrecked houses, the landscape was littered with car wrecks and all kinds of rubbish. No one had been in to clean up the rubbish, and build new houses. Shame Whitey SHAME!!!!
Again, simply because it deals with issues of race does not mean that affirmative action itself is a racist policy. Racism is based on notions of superiority and the domination of a particular culture or group and the subjugation of another. Affirmative action is not. To say affirmative action is equivalent to racism is an oversimplification. Yes, racism and affirmative action both discriminate, however, they both approach the issue from completely different perspectives with completely different objectives and completely different methods of achieving them. There is more to racism than just discrimination. Saying that affirmative action is racist, as if it is just as vile as classic racism, is misleading.
In what possible way is imposing policies onto a minority group based solely on their "race" not an expression of racial superiority and or domination? It's irrelevant what "direction" affirmative action is coming from, the destination is the same. As long as there's the power to discriminate, the minority will always get the raw end of the deal. I'm amazed so many people think it's such a great idea for a few politicians and a judge or two to decide what's best for the "Aboriginal Race".
The land being claimed under the notion of terra Nullius is a dead give away. The actions and policies following didn't alleviate the strong sense surrounding the underlying attitudes. Not being counted in the census is a strong case for the suggestion. We are all still British subjects technically but that's for another argument. They certainly didn't enjoy full citizenship rights, which needs no explanation. Affirmative actions has done plenty but no doubt there is still a ways to go. While we enjoyed the full array of what life could offer during the many generations since federation and before we were able to pass down, which I and many like me are fortunate recipients. These people started out with absolutely zip from 1967 or thereabouts. Middle class aborigines have got there on the back of affirmative action you would think, which has helped to set the snow ball effect into place. I'm not completely sure but I am led to believe that aborigines who sit in a certain income range are unable to receive any sort of benefit, but understandably so. I'm sure they will say thanks to affirmative action.
Going back two hundred years, and cherry picking, is to completely divorce one`s self from informed discussion. Middle class Aborigines achieved their position by hard work, (not to mention the ATSIC, and similar scams) and responsible living. The way forward for all Australians, is to take responsibility for one`s own actions. Propagating the hate, divisiveness, and denial / encouragement of dysfunctional behaviour, is a slow death sentence.
It does make it racist, racism is discrimination by race, nothing more, nothing less, and it doesnt matter whether that race is dominant or superior. Only colorblind policies are not racist. You may argue that it is justified racism, but thats about it.
It depends on how you look at racism. Any effort to help break down walls and segregation such as affirmative action are quality efforts in blending people and helping with breaking down prejudices and stereotypes. Affirmative action is not intended to be eternal but while people continue to discriminate against these people in the work place we will always need actions that counteract it, especially while they remain on the bottom of the rung. It's not a perfect world and silly if we try to pretend it is. As a nation we have come a long way in addressing certain issues surrounding our aborigines. The Hanson era set us back a long way as far as I am concerned. Beady eyed Johnny didn't help either and helped undo lots of good work achieved over a few decades despite contributing the highest percentage of budget by any government towards aboriginal affairs. With phony rabbit in control one would not hold out any hope of advancing their cause. Rudd was probably the biggest pretender of the lot!
So-called "affirmative action" most often helps to solidify prejudices and stereotypes. - - - Updated - - - So-called "affirmative action" most often helps to solidify prejudices and stereotypes.
