OPINION: There is much pride in genocide

We are not supposed to manage indigenous society. We have one duty and that is to manage ourselves, and we our failing at that simple task. This is my take on what Australia Day means to me.

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Racism is like a cancer with taught strings that attach themselves to the host. It is our role to cut these strings and create the most asphyxiating environment so as to deny its return.

This cannot be achieved with liberal notions of some legislation here and equality Facebook posts there, it must be directly opposed and disposed. This is why I oppose Australia Day, because it represents one of these strings of racism. It represents a society based on divide ad conquer tactics. It represents a reoccurring nightmare to all those effected, and it should, represent for all those that aren't effected that the fight to defeat racism and nationalism continues to elude our collective immune system.

To explain why I believe it is important to ask a couple of questions. What does it mean to be Australian? What does it mean to be white?

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Australia as we all know it was invaded by the British in 1788, and in a bloody and brutal process of land dispossession, apartheid (between indigenous and the British) and terrorism in what is referred to as the Australian frontier wars that has spanned 228 years. I cannot think of any country that has experienced war (or a world war) that has come away without a significant impact to their society, and yet this is exactly what has happened in this country to all the first nations. Like apartheid South Africa, like modern day Israel, superficial gestures of support is the order of the day, and it has been the only course in Australia for the last 228 years.

When I think about this as part of the founding of this country, I see no reason to celebrate, nothing that relates to who I am, to my identity. I see no reference to "laid back" or "fair Australia". No, when I think about what it means to be Australian I can only think of someone that is proud of our colonial past, that resort to victim blaming. I see the likes of Reclaim Australia and the self described "patriots" that call themselves "proud Australians" play the role of the fall guy. We jump quickly to criticise their ideas while lowering ourselves to their tactics to inflate our egos.

Far from being the odd one out, these patriots are the embodiment of what it is to be Australian, and I see no reason to find any comparison between me and them. 

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So what does it mean to be white? We know what it means to be black. This is made obvious whenever indigenous politics moves into the mainstream such as with the #SOSBlackAustralia movement which resulted in "Selfish rabble shut city" as the headline from a Herald Sun article when indigenous activists protested the closure of communities. Or the booing and abuse towards footballer Adam Goodes because he dared exercise our freedoms to embraced his culture and history.

Australia Day. Australian of the year. Anzac Day. These days are culturally significant occasions for the state because they attempt to do something very unique. They attempt to solidify our "Australianess" and our "whiteness" (as the dominant race). That doesn't mean we should forget ANZAC day, but that indigenous who fought and returned to find segregation is a story we don't tell the same as that of brave soldiers sacrificing themselves for the Australian ruling class. It creates an uncomfortable truth that we'd rather not deal with.

As a white Australia I am afforded the luxury of not having to think about this countries past. Being white affords me the option to be conservative and comfortable in society. This is central to the "Reclaim Australia" movement. Would I create an asphyxiating environment for racism by celebrating or remaining silent on these days? No. By celebrating national days we normalise the views of conservative Australia. We strengthen groups like Reclaim Australia more than they could ever accomplish by themselves.

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The obvious argument is "I am not racist" or "Not all Australians are racist". And that may be true, but what are we doing to combat racism? Simply stating your objection is not good enough, it must be turned into action otherwise words are meaningless. It is why I fight for an anti-racist society. I do it because I am not interested in buying the lies being cooked in a kitchen on disposed land with food served by slavery.

Some of my friends might think that Australian can be saved. I am not one of these people. The Australian state has only one interest, to the ruling class. I am not interested in defending conservative Australia, in defending the crimes of genocide and terrorism by our rulers and state. I want them to pay for what they have done, and continue to do. If justice was to prevail they would hang for their crimes as did the indigenous warriors hang for protecting their land and loved ones from the British colonial gangs of murderers and thieves.

To end prejudice, to end racism we must take responsibility, we must stop blaming the victims of war, we must learn to cooperate. But above all we must learn to listen. Listen about our history, listen to our indigenous brothers and sisters. Listen and learn.  

I do not expect everyone to agree with me, all I ask is you think about it and make up your own mind about what Australia Day means to you and what that might mean to the kind of society it will create. Will it be one built on lies and ignorance. Will it be built of division. Or will it be built on unity and compassion.

When I look into the eyes of this countries citizens I see something different to this founding country. I see a longing for this unity and humanity. This fair go. This common wealth. This lands abound in natures gifts. Yes, when I look into the hearts of our population I see the desire for a better country, but I also see into the eyes of the politicians, the bankers, the media barons that corrupt society and celebrate as the watch this us as we're disposed by the feral greed of capitalism that benefits off racism. Time wasted expecting politicians to do anything, another string we must cut.

There may come a time when we learn from the mistakes of the past and pass those lessons onto our children in the hope of a brighter future. That time is not now, and neither is my patience for Australia.

OPINION: 'The Blame Game', government and media continue to ignore Aboriginal genocide

The blame game is as old as democracy itself. In the most recent event (closure of a possible 150 remote Aboriginal communities) the government blames the individuals in the community for problems due to lack of funding, but isn't that the same as blaming a child for a bad report card due to poor public school funding.  

So why do politicians spend so much time blaming each other but never themselves, or do politicians just suck at self criticism?

REALITY:

Before this discussion begins there must be some grounding and it's healthy to start with the reality. "White Australia" has control of the land, the law and the implementation of that law. This was generated after the theft of the land an it's resources that we now call Australia.

Prior to this the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander lived for 60,000 years with hundreds of tribes and a complex social system.

OPINION: SBS sports reporter fired for criticising war

This whole issue around SBS sports reporter Scott McIntyre being fired for a comment on twitter is ridiculous and has seriously gotten out of hand.

Unsurprisingly the mass media has failed to grasp how his tweets were not not advocating for Nazi Germany or Imperialist Japan, but rather opposing Australia's role in it, and the continued attempts to glorify the loss of lives as a means to justify future wars and acts of aggression.

If you are looking for Nazi Germany supporters you just missed them, that was what the Reclaim Australia movement was about... although interesting to note no journalists had their jobs threatened for not just commenting, but supporting a racist movement.

OPINION: 'Reclaim Australia' is a sham. This is why.

In the lead up to and following the clashes around Reclaim Australia, a lot of people have been discussing and debating on the internet and in real life about the morality of blocking far-right demonstrations.

And the people who (often with perfectly good liberal intentions) defend the "rights" of the right to march, will often say to people like me (who support a No Platform policy):

"So its alright to protest unimpeded, but only if its for a cause that you support?"

And that's quite a hard accusation to deal with. Essentially one is being accused of defying liberal principles (that "rights" should apply equally regardless of what political position you have) and being hypocritical, because I support blocking their rallies, but would be pissed if they did the same to us.

OPINION: Naomi Klein addresses ECB at Blockupy 2015: "You're vandalism is planetary in scale"

"The fight against austerity and the fight for a safe and stable environment is the same fight and we need to be fighting side by side"

"So I have a special message to the ECB (European Central Bank) today. You are the true vandals, but you work on a much larger canvas. You're vandalism is planetary in scale. You don't set fire to cars, you are setting the world on fire." Naomi Klein stated, as part of the Blockupy 2015 movement against the opening of a new European Central Bank building in Frankfurt, Germany.

While the GFC is almost a decade behind us, Germany with assistance from the Troika (3 financial forces in Europe being, ECB, IMF & EC) continues implementing austerity measures against European allies. Greece most notably recently elected the left wing government 'SYRIZA' after mass opposition grew against the austerity measures implemented against their country that have done nothing to lift Greece out of recession.