The Necessity of Reparation for Historic Injustices
The argument re when the Japs began whaling seems never ending .
Does it really matter if it was 200 or a thousand years ago ?
Everyone , Japs , Eskimo's , Aboriginals etc should stop hunting whales , Dugongs , Dolphins , Seals etc .
Anything that is endangered eg Turtles , Blu Fin Tuna etc . If their numbers explode then we can start again eg White Pointers .
I don't care if it is now part of their cultures . Change it back to when it wasn't . Time to change !
As was mentioned earlier many cultural practises need to stop now . The Inca's did human sacrifice FFS . These are unpalatable today . Female genital mutilation etc .
Surely everyone can agree on THIS issue ?
here Hutchy ,read this , how from a blackfellas perspective we need to heal, and why....and how!
I am not sure if you like poetry but I find it quite a beautiful poem, relevant to how to heal and become one Nation!
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/truth-telling-what-it-means-...
Brutus - thanks for the article . Beautiful poem .
I think most people relate to the wonderful feeling of going home . When coming home from o/s the feeling started when getting on a Qantas plane . Seeing my family and friends .
It must be much more intense for an Aboriginal . Their closeness to the land is not something I think I can really understand . It would be very special .
The example of his grand mother not being able to buy a home is something we all can unfortunately experience . It will be hard for my children to do it .
This was the only suggestion I saw in the article on what to do now to make the future better of Aboriginals .
"I’m having a go at building a healing centre there so we can help heal this nation Australia. It feels right to do that. In some ways I am helping to fulfil my great-grandmother’s dreaming path."
A great idea ! I would like to discuss this more . Are they being built ? ETC .
But we need to do much more don't you think .
A great read brutus. Truly belonging to country must be a wonderful thing.
blindboy wrote:A great read brutus. Truly belonging to country must be a wonderful thing.
BB that's the vision for the future of every elder I have spoken to..........that We/Australians have an amazing culture and WE belong to our country......as I have said , there is not a blame game.....its understand our past and develop a National identity based on our First Nations , with the inclusion of all the western/eastern cultures that now live here.
How easy is it , if we drop out bias's and prejudice's and just be Australian!
Hutchy19 - “ The example of his grand mother not being able to buy a home is something we all can unfortunately experience . It will be hard for my children to do it .”
Hutchy I may be mistaken but I took it as the grandmother wasn’t able to buy a home because she was Aboriginal. Not because she couldn’t afford it..
Hutchy 19 wrote:the Japs
What year is this?
Hiccups wrote:Hutchy 19 wrote:the Japs
What year is this?
yeah he wouldn't understand how much of an insult calling Japanese Japs is........I have personally experienced Foreign Shapers using the term , not knowing it's and insult.....getting to the Airport with their chauffer , he then hands them a letter , basically saying," thanks for your work, but we will not wanting you to come back to Japan again!"
You can’t call them Japs! That’s as racist as calling an avocado an avo! Australians only shorten words cause we hate so many things - like barbies and our relies!
Hiccup knows this is hate speech and he’s defending the weak and innocent from internet comments. Stunning and brave.
Blowin wrote:You can’t call them Japs! That’s as racist as calling an avocado an avo! Australians only shorten words cause we hate so many things - like barbies and our relies!
Hiccup knows this is hate speech and he’s defending the weak and innocent from internet comments. Stunning and brave.
Is that what you're doing? Defending the weak and innocent Hutchy19? How noble.
Hiccups wrote:Blowin wrote:You can’t call them Japs! That’s as racist as calling an avocado an avo! Australians only shorten words cause we hate so many things - like barbies and our relies!
Hiccup knows this is hate speech and he’s defending the weak and innocent from internet comments. Stunning and brave.
Is that what you're doing? Defending the weak and innocent Hutchy19? How noble.
No. You’re being stunning and brave by defending a nation of 100million people from innocent Australian vernacular uttered by a sole person on the other side of the globe.
DC Comics might be interested in a character like yourself. They’re always on the lookout for a template for a new breed of Superhero.
brutus, having moved to Yuin country a couple of years ago it made me think that it would be great to be able to access a welcome to country, a bit like a citizenship ceremony, that informed people of the history and culture as well as addressing sensitivities and any important sites they wished to inform people about. It would be a great privilege and help open up communication. But that would be up to the local elders.
Blowin wrote:Hiccups wrote:Blowin wrote:You can’t call them Japs! That’s as racist as calling an avocado an avo! Australians only shorten words cause we hate so many things - like barbies and our relies!
Hiccup knows this is hate speech and he’s defending the weak and innocent from internet comments. Stunning and brave.
Is that what you're doing? Defending the weak and innocent Hutchy19? How noble.
No. You’re being stunning and brave by defending a nation of 100million people from innocent Australian vernacular uttered by a sole person on the other side of the globe.
DC Comics might be interested in a character like yourself. They’re always on the lookout for a template for a new breed of Superhero.
Another sick burn from everyone's favourite bloke what goes and says "bloke" a lot. Good work, bloke.
Sorry I didn't realise that calling the Japanese Japs was offensive . Was just rushing a post ,
I do now see it could be offensive ( not meaning to be ) unlike Australians being Ozzies , American being yanks , Europeans being Euros or Danish being Danes .
I will not do it again . Thanks woke police . You are right this time .
Well done hutch. Blowin knows that distinction, but tried to play it off as otherwise, as he's a shit bloke.
Hiccup….please describe to me why Jap is offensive. Perhaps you should frame it as though you are relating it to a Japanese person who had assumed that an Australian had merely abbreviated the word as they do every other word.
Remember….you are in 2021 when animosity towards Japanese people is basically nil amongst the Australian population, not 1953 when the horrors of WW2 were still in the minds of Australians.
I’ll make it easy and put it into context…..
Scene : Road to surf break in Indo*. Exchange between a surfer leaving the beach and another arriving .
Aussie surfer 1 : “How was it? Crowded?”
Aussie surfer 2 :” Yeah, pretty good. Crowd is mellow. A couple of Brazzos, a Jap or two , a few assorted Euros. Get out there mate.”
* Aplogies…..more derogatory terms apparently! I always forget how offensive the word “Indo” can be.
Hmm. I'm coming around to your way of thinking. We legalised gay marriage. I guess we can bring back calling people "poofters" now. Maybe only to young gay fellas though. Y'know, the ones that are too young to remember it being thrown around liberally.
Hiccups wrote:Hmm. I'm coming around to your way of thinking. We legalised gay marriage. I guess we can bring back calling people "poofters" now. Maybe only to young gay fellas though. Y'know, the ones that are too young to remember it being thrown around liberally.
Poofters could be considered derogatory. Jap is a simple abbreviation.
I reckon you should come around to my way of thinking as you’re obviously bereft of any thinking of your own and instead you are forced to repeat, without analysis, things that you overheard others say. Cause you sure have no reason to considers Jap as anything offensive in 2021.
Do you consider it offensive to refer to a Balinese as a Balo? Do you get weepy when a Balo refers to you as a Bule? And Bule isn’t even a happy abbreviation.
Fuck mate. You think animosity towards Asian people in Australia is basically nil? How interesting.
Blowin wrote:Hiccups wrote:Hmm. I'm coming around to your way of thinking. We legalised gay marriage. I guess we can bring back calling people "poofters" now. Maybe only to young gay fellas though. Y'know, the ones that are too young to remember it being thrown around liberally.
Poofters could be considered derogatory. Jap is a simple abbreviation.
Fantastic disingenuous display. *golf clap*
You think all Asian’s are Japanese?
Give it up bloke.
Find the evil hate speech in that exchange between the surfers I provided as example.
Blowin wrote:You think all Asian’s are Japanese?
Yes. All of them
Blowin wrote:You think all Asian’s are Japanese?
Give it up bloke.
Find the evil hate speech in that exchange between the surfers I provided as example.
Who said it was evil hate speech? "Japs" is usually just casual racism. Of course, you know this.
@blowin , I think you need to ask the race off people you’re referring to if they find it offensive, I personally find calling aborigines ‘abo,s’ offensive, you can say it’s a shortened word but it is , in my opinion , offensive.
I think the time in history and the tone in which shortened populations names are used is what deems it offensive or not. When someone calls you an Aussie it conjures up thoughts of fun loving beer swilling larrikins probably from the day the world started watching Paul Hogan. Same with Euros, Brazzos, etc.
When someone calls you a Jap it generally conjures up images of emaciated Australians being abused by Japanese soldiers and was probably a polite term used by diggers of the day for an ethnic population they thought were real c$%#s. Which is probably why that term is considered offensive in today's changed world.
Here’s a novel thought : Just because one person finds a term offensive-by-proxy , it doesn’t make that term offensive. People trying to police language should mind their own Ps and Qs and stop trying to impose their arbitrary baggage on others. If you were Japanese and took offence I would gladly walk you through my reasons for using that word. You may still take offence but that comes down to imposing your culture over mine. I might agree to not refer to you personally using that term out of politeness but if I’m using the term in good faith I will continue to use it elsewhere. That’s life.
How many times do you hear the term White used as a perjorative these days? Every.Single.Day. Does anyone on here feel the need to step up and demand such obviously derogatory language is halted? No.
Yet here I am using a word in good faith and people try to vibe me for it? Pfffft. There’s loads of Japs. A hundred odd million or so. Some are good and some are bad, but it’s my culture to refer to them as Japs. That doesn’t make me a bad person.
Vic Local calls anyone with a slightly differing opinion a stupid dopey cunt. Does anyone suggest to him that others may take offence? Nope. If language is so subjective then I’ll just pick my language and you pick yours and let’s just forget the word fascism.
Yes folks it's another sad and pathetic attempt at self-justification by the champ. Will anyone ever manage to go lower? Will he be able to top this outstanding example of his total disregard for respectful behaviour? Stay tuned for the next 30s to find out.
The question is ….would you really help if someone was struggling with mental health? I realise you think it’s a clever way to accuse someone of being crazy and to make fun of their potentially unstable mental state . Something you would never condone had i done so myself. Blindboy would never accept it either. But here you are both looking away as you punch down at someone you think is emotionally troubled.
Got a bit of “Can’t go any lower” approbation for that action, BB?
Since you responded with hostility to my suggestion that you had mental health problems I assumed that you were somewhere in the general vicinity of normality. If you do have genuine problems my suggestion would be to get out of here for an extended period, which is what I did, and see a mental health professional, which I also did. If not, at the very least talk to someone who knows you well about the problem. Until then, when you post material attempting to justify insulting and degrading behaviour,you know what to expect in return.
Blowin wrote:Here’s a novel thought : Just because one person finds a term offensive-by-proxy , it doesn’t make that term offensive.
It's not a novel thought though is it. Not even close. It's the same old tired excuse that gets thrown around every time some drongo starts banging on about "cancel culture" and "pc gone mad".
BB - you wrote this in response to a post ( that wasn't directed at you ) I made on the climate change thread .
"Hutchy you won't be advocating for net zero because you are profoundly ignorant.
You sound like you have lived your life in an intellectual puddle a couple of millimetres deep and have been such a loud mouth self opinionated fuckwit that people just gave up on trying to draw your attention that it is no longer 1973."
Perhaps this comment you made could be directed to you ?
"Since you responded with hostility to my suggestion that you had mental health problems I assumed that you were somewhere in the general vicinity of normality. If you do have genuine problems my suggestion would be to get out of here for an extended period, which is what I did, and see a mental health professional, which I also did. If not, at the very least talk to someone who knows you well about the problem."
No mental health problems here. Stuck around here for a few days and spending more time on the internet than I should. But reading is sort of boring me and I want to write thanks to over caffeination. Rain clearing so I might be able to get a bit of work around here done once things dry out. Northerly pumping.
A bit bored more than anything but I’m tied within the vicinity of a couple of rooms. Doing a bit of research on some projects. A few callisthenics here and there.
Mental health pretty damn good thanks to diet , exercise, clean living and no stress.
I must always come over angrier on here than I hardly ever am. The insulting shit is usually a bit of a piss take. I do think there’s one truely dull individual on here amongst the few I don’t gel with. I reckon that in real life I’d get along with most on here and the shitfights are superficial.
See what I mean about writing….
Hiccups wrote:Blowin wrote:Here’s a novel thought : Just because one person finds a term offensive-by-proxy , it doesn’t make that term offensive.
It's not a novel thought though is it. Not even close. It's the same old tired
excuse that gets thrown around every time some drongo starts banging on about "cancel culture" and "pc gone mad".
A smart fella would assess each instance on its merits and not divide the world into two camps- White hatted Pure hearted saviours vs Black hatted evil unrestrained.
Did you ever stop to think that maybe someone who doesn’t want to talk ill of an entire nation of people may still refer to them as Japs? Did you ever stop and put something into context and when they actually tell you straight out that it’s not intended to be offensive, you actually give them credit to talk they way they see fit?
I have mentioned on this thread to Blue D that I was offended at being asked to not think like an old WHITE man .
I told him so but it made no difference so I got over it .
Wow, imagine a world where blowin gets to determine what is and isn't a racist term.
Blowin gets to call people whatever he likes, and if they take offence, blowin gets to say "just because you find a term offensive, it doesn’t make that term offensive."
Fuck me blowin, you're like a character out of the 1970s show Kingswood Country or On the Buses from the UK.
Blowin wrote:Hiccups wrote:Blowin wrote:Here’s a novel thought : Just because one person finds a term offensive-by-proxy , it doesn’t make that term offensive.
It's not a novel thought though is it. Not even close. It's the same old tired
excuse that gets thrown around every time some drongo starts banging on about "cancel culture" and "pc gone mad".A smart fella would assess each instance on its merits and not divide the world into two camps- White hatted Pure hearted saviours vs Black hatted evil unrestrained.
Did you ever stop to think that maybe someone who doesn’t want to talk ill of an entire nation of people may still refer to them as Japs? Did you ever stop and put something into context and when they actually tell you straight out that it’s not intended to be offensive, you actually give them credit to talk they way they see fit?
I find it hard to believe that anyone that considers themselves clever, as your fart-sniffing self obviously does, wouldn't see fit to alter their language in even the smallest of ways, knowing why a certain term is offensive, and has been for a long time. Maybe they're not as switched on as they think they are. Maybe they've just reached a point in their life where they're so resistant to changing anything about their personality, no matter how odious, that they don't care if they're on the wrong side of history.
You can say Iap with affection, you can say Japanese dripping with hate.
Same with anything. Disallowing words is ridiculous in most cases. Obviously some words are employed as hateful so often that they are frozen in that context. Even that may not be permanent. Times and attitudes change.
Often times words are designated as hateful purely in order to shift goalposts. There’s zero difference between say “coloured people” and “people of colour” but one is deemed offensive and the other reverential. I don’t under the difference.
Blowin wrote:Hiccups wrote:Blowin wrote:Here’s a novel thought : Just because one person finds a term offensive-by-proxy , it doesn’t make that term offensive.
It's not a novel thought though is it. Not even close. It's the same old tired
excuse that gets thrown around every time some drongo starts banging on about "cancel culture" and "pc gone mad".A smart fella would assess each instance on its merits and not divide the world into two camps- White hatted Pure hearted saviours vs Black hatted evil unrestrained.
Did you ever stop to think that maybe someone who doesn’t want to talk ill of an entire nation of people may still refer to them as Japs? Did you ever stop and put something into context and when they actually tell you straight out that it’s not intended to be offensive, you actually give them credit to talk they way they see fit?
I find it hard to believe that anyone that considers themselves clever, as your fart-sniffing self obviously does, wouldn't see fit to alter their language in even the smallest of ways, knowing why a certain term is offensive, and has been for a long time. Maybe they're not as switched on as they think they are. Maybe they've just reached a point in their life where they're so resistant to changing anything about their personality, no matter how odious, that they don't care if they're on the wrong side of history.
Blowin wrote:Hiccups wrote:just because it's not racist to you, does not mean Japs is a derogatory insult to the Japanese .
Just like when you told me to cover myself in possum fat .......I called you out at the time , as for me it was racist , you came back with a lame answer to try and justify your statement...
You must be very special to be able to snipe atop your self righteous Mountain?Hmm. I'm coming around to your way of thinking. We legalised gay marriage. I guess we can bring back calling people "poofters" now. Maybe only to young gay fellas though. Y'know, the ones that are too young to remember it being thrown around liberally.
Poofters could be considered derogatory. Jap is a simple abbreviation.
I reckon you should come around to my way of thinking as you’re obviously bereft of any thinking of your own and instead you are forced to repeat, without analysis, things that you overheard others say. Cause you sure have no reason to considers Jap as anything offensive in 2021.
Do you consider it offensive to refer to a Balinese as a Balo? Do you get weepy when a Balo refers to you as a Bule? And Bule isn’t even a happy abbreviation.
Hiccups wrote:Blowin wrote:Hiccups wrote:Blowin wrote:Here’s a novel thought : Just because one person finds a term offensive-by-proxy , it doesn’t make that term offensive.
It's not a novel thought though is it. Not even close. It's the same old tired
excuse that gets thrown around every time some drongo starts banging on about "cancel culture" and "pc gone mad".A smart fella would assess each instance on its merits and not divide the world into two camps- White hatted Pure hearted saviours vs Black hatted evil unrestrained.
Did you ever stop to think that maybe someone who doesn’t want to talk ill of an entire nation of people may still refer to them as Japs? Did you ever stop and put something into context and when they actually tell you straight out that it’s not intended to be offensive, you actually give them credit to talk they way they see fit?
I find it hard to believe that anyone that considers themselves clever, as your fart-sniffing self obviously does, wouldn't see fit to alter their language in even the smallest of ways, knowing why a certain term is offensive, and has been for a long time. Maybe they're not as switched on as they think they are. Maybe they've just reached a point in their life where they're so resistant to changing anything about their personality, no matter how odious, that they don't care if they're on the wrong side of history.
The opinion that using the word Jap is on the wrong side of history is utterly subjective. I’ve used it my whole life and in 90% of instances it’s been well intentioned. The word is the same, it’s the delivery that changes. Surely you can account for this nuance and be able to accept that I don’t feel the need to outsource judgement on that to other people. Where do you stop when you start pandering to the vacuous whims of others who want to control you? As long as you know you are well intentioned then that should be enough for others. There’s plenty of times I’ve been impolite, rude and insulting but referring to the Japanese people as Japs is- in this instance- not one of them.
The word Bloke is inoffensive enough but there would have to be little doubt that when I’m referring to someone as Bloke, I obviously am less than impressed with them. Is Bloke in itself derogatory? No. I weaponised Bloke with the intent to dehumanise the people I vehemently disagree with. They’re reduced to a trope of every dickhead I’ve ever met. Yet no one is crying when I bandy Bloke around except for the excessive overuse.
...and a false equivalence.
You didn’t read it did you Bloke?
Did you even pause to consider anything I said? If not….why would I give a rat’s arse how you feel about my language?
Yeah. I read it. You're just tripling down on the same dribble.
@Blowin,
I was surprised to find out that 'Jap' is offensive. Thought it was equivalent to Aussies, or Danes, but a bit of digging shows it's not the case. Sure, it's a bit of overreach by Hiccups but why go in so hard to fight it?
And yes, I've read everything you've written and often have debates with my wife that language should be judged on intention, but why not treat it as a learning moment rather than dig into well worn patterns?
It's a big, wide world after all.
Also, you think you've weaponised the word "bloke", but in reality you just sound like a boof-headed wanker. Carry on.
stunet wrote:@Blowin,
I was surprised to find out that 'Jap' is offensive. Thought it was equivalent to Aussies, or Danes, but a bit of digging shows it's not the case. Sure, it's a bit of overreach by Hiccups but why go in so hard to fight it?
And yes, I've read everything you've written and often have debates with my wife that language should be judged on intention, but why not treat it as a learning moment rather than dig into well worn patterns?
It's a big, wide world after all.
Don't need to do any digging. Google "Jap offensive", and the first result is a wiki entry on the word.
Then there's this
https://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/is-the-word-Jap-derogatory
Hutchy 19 wrote:I have mentioned on this thread to Blue D that I was offended at being asked to not think like an old WHITE man .
I told him so but it made no difference so I got over it .
Ah Hutchy! Did i call you old? Didn't know ur age so sorry! Dont actually remember doing that but i'll take your word.
Hey hutch you incessantly posted for weeks on end a question to all of us about HOW we can help move forward in regards to Indigenous Australia. A few days ago i gave a fairly thorough reply, to which you either ignored or didn't see... and again, above, i see you're still asking HOW!!?? You've been a noted pest on this thread so if you're gonna ask questions but not respond to the answers, but then still ask the same questions.....i dunno...you see where i'm going with this?
stunet wrote:@Blowin,
I was surprised to find out that 'Jap' is offensive. Thought it was equivalent to Aussies, or Danes, but a bit of digging shows it's not the case. Sure, it's a bit of overreach by Hiccups but why go in so hard to fight it?
And yes, I've read everything you've written and often have debates with my wife that language should be judged on intention, but why not treat it as a learning moment rather than dig into well worn patterns?
It's a big, wide world after all.
It’s just more anti authoritarianism on my behalf.
I don’t particularly like conforming my personality to the whims of others. Especially when their demands are arbitrary and basically nonsensical. There is absolutely nothing wrong or derogatory about my using the term Jap in good faith so fucked if I’m changing to suit someone else’s sensitivities. They can change theirs to suit mine. It’s their problem. It’s actually their Non Problem, as they don’t find it offensive themselves, just another sleazy offence by proxy takedown.
I’ve asked Hiccups to review my use of the word in good faith and find it in his generous heart to perhaps evolve to the fact that the term isn’t meant offensively. He doesn’t respect me enough to find the time or energy to re educate himself to my world view. Good luck and goodbye is my next thought.
Uni assignment i did a few years ago. This is my take on things. I'm sure this will ruffle many feathers. I hope so.
Love Blue Diamond x
The Necessity of Reparation for Historic Injustices
Introduction – Compensatory Justice
Disparities between the standards of living of humans on this planet have long been a part of our history on this planet. From the wealthy nations of the West to the developing and undeveloped nations on this globe, the diversity in the quality of life when viewed from a moral standpoint are without a doubt grossly unfair.
In this paper I will look at why historic injustices do require some form of reparation. I take a strong stance that we are more obliged to solve current injustices than to provide reparation for every act of injustice in the past. In doing this I will first investigate the historic injustice of the Aboriginal people of Australia and I will look at the argument that they are entitled to some form of reparation and why.
I will incoroporate some interesting views from Jeremy Waldron, Robert Nozick and others which will help me slowly build to my conclusion that reparation should be in the form of Non Indigenous Australians surrendering some of our priveleges as a form of reparation.
Historic Injustices to Indigenous Australians:
Australia the continent was well inhabited for many years long before white settlement. It is commonly known that in 1788 Australia was colonised as a country under the rule of the British Empire, with total contempt for the fact that it was already inhabited by a native indigenous race of people.
The way the original inhabitants have been treated, including forced assimilation, execution, stolen families and not even allowed to be recognised as citizens for a large part of white Australia’s history are also well known facts. (Poole, 1999,pp114-142)
There exists now a situation where there is a large divide between Aboriginal and non Aboriginal Australian’s that can be traced back to the moment Australia was invaded by English settlers and the brutal and unfair treatment that has followed.
So at this point now, in 2013 what is the just and fair way to make amends for past actions?
I would argue that a moderate to large amount of reparation is overdue for this nation of people, the Aboriginal people. But there are many challenges to this view point especially that of how much reparation, and what sort of compensation.
Past injustices or present suffering?
One of the questions raised in an issue like this is whether it is better to provide compensation or reparation for past deeds, which have already been done in a previous generation and cannot be changed, or whether it is better to now provide assistance to those who are suffering in their current situations and consider that as a form of moral duty.
To understand this we need to delve a little deeper into this issue and hear some differing viewpoints.
Firstly we need to understand what the best way to provide reparation. How do we judge what is the best way of giving back and how much? Jeremy Waldron states “The historic record has a fragility that consists, …in the sheer contingency of what happened in the past” (Waldron,1992,p5 )
This is saying that we can’t trace every single injustice back to the original act therefore reparation for every act would be almost impossible because it would ultimately be guess work.
In this statement he has an objection from Robert Nozick who believes it is in fact possible to address this problem by “changing the present so that it resembles how the past would have looked had the injustice not taken place” (McKenzie, 2013)
This would be a way to ultimately provide maximum reparation, but is it the correct approach? I believe this is a fairly radical approach, although it does have some merits in the fact it would be working in a positive way for indigenous people, I don’t think it is entirely the right way to deal with these issues but it is on the right track.
Waldron argues that it is based on too many unknowns. “The status of counterfactual reasoning about the exercising of human reasoning of human freedom is unclear”(Waldron 1993,p10)
Which leaves the question somewhat open about the sort of reparation that is required, but provides one clear answer to the key question. Both agree that yes, reparation to some extent is required. But how much and in what form?
Another philosopher who leans more towards Waldron’s views is Kymlicka. He is somewhat more straightforward in his assessment that property rights in particular for Aboriginals would create “massive unfairness” and also he maintains the argument “Aboriginal rights must be grounded in concerns about equality and contemporary disadvantage. (McKenzie, 2013) I agree with both these views but I don’t think they provide any active solutions.
The Solution?
So if its not handing back all of Australia’s land to the original inhabitants that is the most appropriate way to deal with past injustices, then what is?
I look at the current country I grew up in, as a white Australian. I ask myself why I never had Aboriginal friends growing up, no understanding of Aboriginal culture and why my basic understanding of Indigenous Australians is mostly 200 years old. I look at our flag, a symbol of a nation that stole a country from its original inhabitants, with no recognition of the Indigenous people at all on it. I see that Australia considered Indigenous people as less than people until only 40 years ago and I see the way that Indigenous Australians live a completely separate life to the way of life I know as an Australian. I see that the only indigenous politician I am aware of is a former Olympian and it is because of this fact of her sporting status that I know this. I see no collective power or representation of Indigenous Australians and I see non Indigenous Australians,( a culture built on a history of stealing a land and mistreating its people) still taking, taking as much out of this land as they can, with little to no regard of sharing or giving to the original inhabitants. I see a government that says lots of words about ‘closing the gap’ and bringing the living standards of non- indigenous and indigenous Australians closer together, but apart from nice words, there is no conviction, no follow through, just assimilation , and all that still remains are injustices.
As stated by Sparrow, “Continuity gives rise to responsibility on part of present generations of Australians for our history”.(McKenzie,2013). Although deeds happened in the past beyond our control, what we do now to either ignore, or rectify these issues will reflect on us in history. So if we choose to do nothing, we are contributing to the history of the mistreatment of non- indigenous Australians. And this is simply unacceptable in my opinion.
Conclusion
So what is fair? I believe that the way forward is a surrendering of some of our privileges as non- indigenous Australians. The simple fact is it was morally wrong without a doubt what has happened in the past. And it is also morally wrong without a doubt to ignore these facts and not offer some form of reparation in the present. But how much?
I think that going back to Robert Nozick’s argument is a start. I think Nozick is wrong to make the present resemble the past in every aspect. But I do think that it would be reasonable to restore some aspects of the way things should be. The things that happened in the past were out of our control and we can’t go back to changing the way things were. But we could change the way things are.
For some examples. Why not give at least 50% of political power to indigenous people? It surely would be a fair thing to do considering this is their country. Media control. 50 percent. Industry. Realestate. The list goes on. Why do we not acknowledge the indigenous people on our flag, or better still use their flag? Why is Australia still a part of the Commonwealth when it serves little purpose to any of us and serves as a constant reminder to Indigenous Australians that they are still controlled by the original invaders. These to me are fairly simple reparations that would have minimal impact on Australia as a whole. Perhaps, it would alter the way we live but I think it is our responsibility, morally to forfeit some of our privileges for the greater good. Basically a little bit goes a long way.
In closing, it is a fact that a huge injustice occurred to the Indigenous population and suffering continues to this day. There is no easy solution to such a burden of pain. I believe the only solutions are for the non- Indigenous population to take responsibility and sacrifice our own way of life to bring about an overall equality. Sacrifice is not an easy word. But it all comes down to right and wrong. We are in a position to give, in this current generation. What are we so scared to lose, that was never ours in the first place??
Bibliography
McKenzie,C.”Prof” (2013), Lecture, Historic Injustices and Indigenous Rights, Macquarie University
Poole, R. (1999). Nation and Identity.Routledge, London, pp.114-142
Waldron,J. (1992). ‘Superseding Historic Injustice’. Ethics, 103 (1), 4-28
References
Poole, R. (1999). Nation and Identity.Routledge, London, pp.114-142
Waldron,J. (1992). ‘Superseding Historic Injustice’. Ethics, 103 (1), 4-28