A Nation of Racist Drunks?
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*Sigh* ... you poor, naive little child.Blitzwing said:
No, it's not racist to say that in itself.
For example, it's not racist if I were to say "I've conducted a scientific study and based on the results I have concluded that alcohol and lack of motivation are serious issues in Australian Aboriginal communities. This is perhaps linked to their marginalization, forced displacement and forced assimilation into a post-colonial society."
But I'm not talking about balanced, reasonable, factual discussions of colonized peoples like this.
That's not what that Aussie bloke who I bumped into at the pub on Friday after work drinks is saying, is it? At least, not until someone calls him out on being racist and he attempts to backpedal and justify himself.
Whether there's any shred of truth behind a racist statement is irrelevant. The issue is the attitude that Average Joe White Aussie subsequently develops.
Australia has a very racist history, especially for such a young country. Enormous massacres of aboriginal people just because of their race and cultures, the Stolen Generations, the White Australia Policy etc. You combine that with a multicultural society that has really only flourished within the past few decades, ideals will clash, and there's bound to be a lot of idiots that think what was acceptable fifty years ago is still fine now. And yes, some of them will be in charge.
Alcoholism and racism have, in varying degrees, dug themselves into the national culture. That's the unfortunate truth.
Alcoholism and racism have, in varying degrees, dug themselves into the national culture. That's the unfortunate truth.
I completely agree with statement one.JRCB said:
Statement two is indeed ironic though
, it's akin to saying "I'm more humble than you"
I read the thread title and thought that this thread was about my country before I read the OP.
*adjusts his kilt and grabs some haggis*
*adjusts his kilt and grabs some haggis*
As I've posted previously in this thread..Treefingers said:
I'm not Australian, I came here six years ago without any knowledge of Aboriginals or the situation. I heard people saying derogatory things about them, people I respected, and I was appalled. Then I started meeting Aboriginal people.
The area I live in has a large population of both Aboriginals and people, like myself, in low income jobs, struggling to get by and improve our lot in life. My wife and I both worked long hours in hard, unpleasant, jobs where we were treated like dirt.. because however low the pay is, it is better than being on benefits. I know a lot of people in similar situations, some of whom are in government housing because they can't afford their own.
The area also has a fairly large Aboriginal population, the vast majority of whom are in government housing, do not work (or attempt to work), drink most of their benefits away, beg on the streets and from their neighbours and fight in the streets day and night. They are abusive to anyone who refuses to give them "Dolla for a cab" or " a smoke cos I ain't got any bro". They flout the rules that do apply to them, not looking for work, dealing and making drugs in their homes, not sending their children to school. When they are given homes, they destroy them.
I fully accept that there is a measure of Racism towards them, however, nobody can claim that the poor attitude towards them is entirely unjustified. I HAVE met decent, law abiding, hard working Aboriginals. One I know works in the local school system trying to encourage Aboriginal kids, and tells me flat out that their families tell them not to work, not to try, just pop out babies and live off benefits.
Yes, I know terrible things were done to them in the past, I know "Whitey" came and stole their land, where they lived in some magical fairyland of happyness and harmony. The wrongs of the past do NOT forgive their behaviour today. If they want the benefits of modern society they MUST accept that societies rules and live as decent, productive, human beings.
The Roman Empire and then Catholic Church destroyed my ancestral people and their culture.. I don't get to drink all day and night, abuse my children and demand the catholic church, or Italy, provide me with the money to do so and a home to trash.
Isn't that statement true for every group, whether ethnic, political, religious, sexual orientation or gender? Replace Aboriginal with the word "people" and Australia with "society" and you've made a true statement. As I've said before, we're all assholes and we're all glorious wonders.Craorach said:
Testosticore said:
the captcha says it all: yes, sir! (no shit!)
a hooray for self-irony ^^
@OP: i am not sure if i'd give a damn about an article from a local paper about indian call-center dudes. they are call-center dudes, after all. i wouldn't get upset about it; it's a stereotype some people working in a certain branch (might) have based on... what, really?
Hmmmm...weird. Here in the U.S. we normally see more racism away from the citys and in the more "country" areas.android88 said:
Though I guess I can see how that would be different in your home. Sorry about all the hate there friend. Hope it changes.
Consider how people treat call centre workers.
While it would be inaccurate to brand an entire nation as 'racist drunks', the chances are that that is exactly what call centre workers have to put up with from Australian clients all day. And the same from the US, British, French, and so on.
While it would be inaccurate to brand an entire nation as 'racist drunks', the chances are that that is exactly what call centre workers have to put up with from Australian clients all day. And the same from the US, British, French, and so on.
Well, that does sound like a dumb idea when you put it like that. Though, that wouldn't be the first dumb idea a country ever tried. Not that they did that one.Blitzwing said:
I agree, everyone is an asshole.3AM said:
That wasn't what I was describing.
Look, at the end of the day it could well be that the majority of Aboriginal families are hard working, honest, sober, decent citizens who try to maintain their cultural ties while being part of modern Australia. They pay their bills, send their children to school and encourage them to work hard and improve their lives, drink reasonably, obey the law and look after their homes.
But that isn't what I see from day to day. That isn't what I am told by those Aboriginals who are like that. That isn't what I see on the news.
What I see is the government housing, in the centre of a quiet suburban house, which explodes because it is a drug lab. The woman who knocks on my door at three in the morning to demands cigarettes while drunk AND stoned. The parents, with their ten barely clothed children, who come into my place of work during school hours, and send them to harass and beg from my customers so they can buy food while pushing a trolley full of alcohol that would have easily paid for said food. I see gangs of youths and adults, drunk on cheap booze, wandering the streets fighting and harassing people just trying to go about their day to day business. I see news stories about communities where alcohol and drug addiction is so wide spread that every single home has it, where the homes are destroyed because they don't even attempt to clean or maintain them, and where child abuse, of all kinds, is so wide spread and accepted that when people try to arrest someone for it they are accused of being racist.
Just because someone is Aboriginal does not make them a bad person, lazy, etc.. but there is something rotten within their society, and to say that it is racist to state this, or prejudge people who constantly show themselves as worthy of that judgement, is absurd and idealistic nonsense.
Testosticore said:
Hahah, you made me laugh and then sound came out of my mouth.
On topic, I don't have much experience with Australians, but I doubt what they're being told is true.
I never really thought about it. I always though Australians were super friendly, somethign I though ironic coming from a country founded as a prison.
That's only the American South. There are plenty of us that are drunk and embrace diversity.Spartan448 said:
Exactly. I was just talking about drinking, not specifically addiction. Although it sounded like that....MissDK said: