Australia plans to ban alcohol and pornography sales to Aborigines

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070621-0300-australia-aborigines.html

Racist, prudish garbage. This is very similar to some of the laws South Africa had under apartheid. F**k you Howard.

[Sensei]

absolute bull. That's some racist stuff that you don't think there is much of nowadays.

[CultureKing]

wow, my opinion of Australia just plummeted

[Aizen]

John Howard is a terrible person

[minionofmidas]

I thought alcohol sales to Aborigines had been banned for ages.

That Australia is South Africa's close cousin historically is common knowledge btw.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I'm just curious did anyone actually read the article?

While I disagree with the decision, namely because I don't think it will do any good - it is a response to the incredibly high levels of sexual abuse in aboriginal communities. The status of aborigines in Australia is our greatest single national shame.

[Silent Hunter]

That's highly discriminatory and wrong. There are other ways.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

One of the really big problems is the impact of local mining workers. There are reports of families pimping their teenage daughters for alcohol. This comes directly from the Government's study, and nobody is denying these reports.

So many of the problems of the aboriginal communities are based on allowing problems to go on for far too long - now they are so huge and every government has tried and failed to something tangible to improve the qualitiy of life for Aboriginies. In the early years it was based on revolting cultural bases, then they did nothing because of a massive amount of PC hand wringing, now the problems of those times have hit home. And nobody really has any clue what to do. 

[useful idiot]

Rather than banning the sales of the two to Aborigines, it would be less directly discriminatory to ban the opening of stores that sell alcohol and porn in areas with large aboriginal populations. I don't see liberals decrying the fact that most black advocacy groups in the US want to curb the prevalence of gun shops and liquour stores in ghettos. It's the same thing here.

That said, I don't think the policy will have any real effect.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

It is pretty bad the situation in the Northern Territory. The levels of sexual assult are staggering. I agree with Fmr. Gov. PolNut it's our country's greatest shame. But, even if a Labor government is elected sometime this year, they'd continue with the program, because they were unanimous with Howard's decision.

[CultureKing]

There are still better ways to help with the problem than with the current idea, perhaps: improving the education system?
creating more jobs in the area?
creating programs to cease sexual assault?

Basically do something that doesnt involve being discriminatory.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Promote them and legalize hard drugs for them. Solve the problem through natural selection.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

There are still better ways to help with the problem than with the current idea, perhaps: improving the education system?
creating more jobs in the area?
creating programs to cease sexual assault?

Basically do something that doesnt involve being discriminatory.

Education system, sure - we can do something about that (theoretically). Jobs in the area... ah. Let's see what we are dealing with here... the worst cases are occuring in the communities that are the most isolated and resource poor areas of the country, full stop. It's a bit like saying bring more jobs to northern Wyoming.

The problem is as much the discrimination of the past, combined with the PC terror of admitting that the aboriginies have some cuturally specific problems.

A program can only do so much. What needs to happen is a program to lessen the impact of alcohol and other drugs on the community - but this is now an issue of generational pandemia - then work with the elders to work on issues of sexual rights.

But this issue is so complex and unclear - I'm not surprised that a government has done this.

[Speed of Sound]

*slaps self* Say what now? Thats unbelievable. Somebody needs to elect some politicians from the 21st century, and fast. Im just not the nastolgic type.

[Bono]

I'm just curious did anyone actually read the article?

While I disagree with the decision, namely because I don't think it will do any good - it is a response to the incredibly high levels of sexual abuse in aboriginal communities. The status of aborigines in Australia is our greatest single national shame.

Maybe if they had to work instead of having special privileges when it comes to accessing welfare....

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I'm just curious did anyone actually read the article?

While I disagree with the decision, namely because I don't think it will do any good - it is a response to the incredibly high levels of sexual abuse in aboriginal communities. The status of aborigines in Australia is our greatest single national shame.

Maybe if they had to work instead of having special privileges when it comes to accessing welfare....

There's someone you should meet.



The issue isn't about their parents it's about their children, and cutting off welfare will do nothing, only make the situation worse. The areas, as I mentioned where the majority of these problems are occuring are hundreds of miles from anywhere, where there are no jobs. Yes, I know - they should move - but then there are complicated issues about land connection. Etc etc.

[opebo]

Regarding the racists who posted that the aboriginals should be forced to 'work', or that there is a high level of 'sexual assault' (whatever that means in this context), I would like to point out that any behaviour or condition of this powerless group of people is directly caused by the white ruling (owning) class.

Policy makers will do nothing to cure these 'problems' by punishing the victims - they should be trying and deporting the white elite, and confiscating their 'property'.

[useful idiot]

Policy makers are the 'white elite', how can they confiscate their own property and try themselves?

[Bono]

In Australia, aborigines are given pretty much everything they need to live well. The result is widespread alcoholism and domestic violence. You might say this is socialism working it's magic, but (white) people in northern European countries deal pretty well with having the state provide everything for them.

I of course don't have first hand knowledge of this, maybe the Aussie posters could correct me if I am wrong.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I agree that welfare dependence is a HUGE HUGE problem in indigenous communities - which was largely a response to the complete inability to handle the situation. It has nothing to do with socialism.

They don't live well - the life expectancy is still 17years less - there is an epidemic of diseases like diabetes.

What needs to happen is a frank and brutal assesment of the situation - keeping politcs, sociology etc etc the hell away from things.

[??????????]

Hey, when under-educated people have everything provided to them by the state and little to no responsibility is it really surprising that alcoholism and sexual abuse is high? An old saying stated, "Idle hands are the devils playground", very true in this case.