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Apology to aborigines

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ozchick
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Apology to aborigines

Post by ozchick » Wed, 30 Jan 2008 8:42 pm

Sigh...have just heard the news that the new Australian government is going to officially apologise to the 'stolen generation of aborigines' in Feb.
Mm..looks like I'd better stay in Sg for a few years. My Oz salary would never cope with the taxes that we'll cop to bolster the government coffers when the 'compensation cases' begin. Pity they couldn't have just let things alone. IF the 'injured parties' do take legal action, then our dark brothers are going to be further alinated than they already are. Ho hum.....what price peace I s'pose..... :-|
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Post by road.not.taken » Wed, 30 Jan 2008 8:56 pm

Wouldn't you want to be able to tell your children that you were part of the generation that set things to rights? This should be a no-brainer. Steal someone's children under the government's banner of colonial superiority, next generation coughs up, what.... a couple hundred dollars to pay the price for one of the most horrific social experiments of the 20th century. Sounds like a bargain, or am I missing something?

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Post by Breaker Morant » Thu, 31 Jan 2008 1:35 pm

Why don't you stay out of Australia for good ? It's obvious that you're unable to change with the times and accept that past injustices need to be acknowledged and apologised for.

I'm sure our "dark brothers" would be more than happy to be alienated by you and your type. Actually, I reckon they would look at it as an unexpected side benefit of the whole reconciliation process.

Are you sure you're not Pauline Hanson in disguise ?

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Post by Inapastlife » Thu, 31 Jan 2008 4:38 pm

:( :( Talk about being political correct, your kind all ways think a few dollars will solve it all. Has anybody ask what they want. I think not, because I know being of Native American decent. If you did ask, they would tell you to pack your trinkets and get off the land that is rightfully belongs to them. A few buck paid , I am sorry and everything will be OK. Man get real :shock:

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Post by sprite » Thu, 31 Jan 2008 4:45 pm

It may not be perfect, but at least paying reparations is possible. The scenario you describe is not.

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Post by Inapastlife » Thu, 31 Jan 2008 4:51 pm

It more about a way of life.

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Post by road.not.taken » Thu, 31 Jan 2008 5:30 pm

Inapastlife wrote:Has anybody ask what they want. I think not, because I know being of Native American decent. If you did ask, they would tell you to pack your trinkets and get off the land that is rightfully belongs to them. A few buck paid , I am sorry and everything will be OK. Man get real :shock:
So you're of Native American decent, so you must know what the Australian Aborigines are thinking? Fairly presumptive of you. In fact, someone has asked and several times, since the early 1900s, Aboriginal groups in Australia have asked for reparations.

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Post by Breaker Morant » Thu, 31 Jan 2008 5:47 pm

Inapastlife wrote::( :( Talk about being political correct, your kind all ways think a few dollars will solve it all. Has anybody ask what they want. I think not, because I know being of Native American decent. If you did ask, they would tell you to pack your trinkets and get off the land that is rightfully belongs to them. A few buck paid , I am sorry and everything will be OK. Man get real :shock:
Well, you'd be wrong there. This is what the idigenous bodies have wanted for quite some time now. Quite vocally in fact.

It's not about money. It's about admitting the past wrongs.

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Post by road.not.taken » Thu, 31 Jan 2008 5:55 pm

Breaker Morant wrote:
Inapastlife wrote::( :( Talk about being political correct, your kind all ways think a few dollars will solve it all. Has anybody ask what they want. I think not, because I know being of Native American decent. If you did ask, they would tell you to pack your trinkets and get off the land that is rightfully belongs to them. A few buck paid , I am sorry and everything will be OK. Man get real :shock:
Well, you'd be wrong there. This is what the idigenous bodies have wanted for quite some time now. Quite vocally in fact.

It's not about money. It's about admitting the past wrongs.
Exactly.

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Post by Inapastlife » Thu, 31 Jan 2008 6:23 pm

You two might want to read what you said, Being vocal about what you want till some one listens ,is not being asked what you want. Its them telling all what they want. I am right

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Post by road.not.taken » Thu, 31 Jan 2008 6:24 pm

Inapastlife wrote:You two might want to read what you said, Being vocal about what you want till some one listens ,is not being asked what you want. Its them telling all what they want. I am right
Ya, OK. :roll:

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Post by Breaker Morant » Thu, 31 Jan 2008 7:07 pm

Inapastlife wrote:You two might want to read what you said, Being vocal about what you want till some one listens ,is not being asked what you want. Its them telling all what they want. I am right
Let me think about it for a while.

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Post by cutiebutie » Thu, 31 Jan 2008 8:00 pm

I think the new Pm said that compensation is not up for debate. The government is apologising on behalf of the government, not the people.

Taking a contrary view does not make on a bad person

Breaker Morant:
Are you sure you're not Pauline Hanson in disguise ?
With a comment like that you more closely resemble an extreme right-wing fascist (no, not all fascists are right-wing, hence the differentiation) tha Pauline Hanson could ever hope to be.

I do think an apology is the right thing to do. As for compensation. No.
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Post by ozchick » Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:02 pm

cutiebutie wrote:I think the new Pm said that compensation is not up for debate. The government is apologising on behalf of the government, not the people.
Yeah I did hear this. And I hear tonight that thefederal opposition is going to fight it. For those reading this thread, there is aboriginal blood in my lieneage some generations ago and I sympathise greatly with the situation and wholeheartedly welcome an apology- it is after all way overdue !
However IF financial compensation does eventuate, the troubles will have only just begun ! The negative ramifications will cause a whole new wave of sorrow. History has shown that in instances of 'displaced', 'repressed'
native cultures, the 'payback' response is lttle more than a bandaid on a broken neck. I have no answers and I know of nobody who does. But financial reparation will cause nothing but grief.
'Are you trying to tempt me because I come from the land of plenty?'

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Post by Rich D » Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:33 pm

Well I suspect I am going to be unpopular here but for me these official apologies are vacuous gestures made by opportunist politicians to curry favour with groups of people who by today’s standards have been wronged by others. In all cases the apologisers are not those who are guilty - their lawyers would not let them apologise if they were. The apology changes nothing, the apologees get nothing and history books are not re-written. If the apology is accompanied by an offer of reparations you can be sure that this will not come from the pocket of the alleged wrong doer, much less the apologiser.

It is an uncomfortable truth that decisions are made and actions taken based on the circumstances and social values at the time. I do not believe anybody not in a position to have affected these decisions or outcomes at the time has any place to apologise for them or their consequences. For all we know history may look back on events that seem entirely moral right now and judge them completely differently. What right do our successors have to apologise on our behalf? If we could somehow be brought back to life to defend our actions we may well want to say we were right and we would do the same thing again.

No, lovely and cuddly though they may make these politicians feel, these apologies are nothing but cheap gimmicks and should be denounced as such.

Before flaming me please consider the difference between acknowledging something done in the past was wrong and making an apology.
Everyone is entitled to my opinion

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