Anzac Day - a time of jingoes, drongos & remembrance

Anzac Day - a time of jingoes, drongos & remembrance

You'd think that the national day of commemorating those who served their country would be one of unity. But in Australia, Anzac Day has somehow morphed into a brazen display of nationalism that is increasingly empowering racists, bigots and jingoists.

Certainly many people who attend Anzac Day ceremonies do so to truly commemorate those who've served and to appreciate the freedoms that Australia enjoys as a result of the sacrifice of the few for the benefit of the many.

Considering that Anzac Day is a day of remembrance, it seems bizarre that so many got so upset about one tweet from an ABC employee. The tweet was not sent while she was at work. The ABC smartly decided there was no case to answer. She hadn't milked the public purse in order to send the tweet.

The employee in question is Yassmin Abdel-Mageid, member of the Council for Multi-cultural Australia, 2015 Queensland Australian of the Year and founder of Youth Without Borders (Australia). Her tweet was:

'LEST. WE. FORGET. (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine ...)

Within moments of it being posted, the howls of the offended could be heard reverberating around the nation. Yassmin promptly deleted the tweet and apologised. Contrast this with right-wing commentators who, when advised their work is offensive or even inaccurate, refuse to apologise, but instead stand on their digs and claim their freedom of speech is under attack.

The tweet though played into the hands of bigots because not only is Yassmin a Muslim, she also works for the ABC which is under constant attack from conservatives who see the national broadcaster as a socialist mouthpiece. These conservatives believe they are the defenders of free speech, yet want to shut down any dissenting opinion or fact that might be expressed on the ABC.

The hypocrisy of people being offended by Yassmin's tweet could not be clearer. It was only a few weeks ago that Australia's right-wing government pushed for changes to Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act to remove the words 'insult, offend and humiliate' as grounds for racial discrimination. (For more detail on this refer to my article 'Freedom of Speech - A Two Edged Sword' which was published less than three weeks ago).

For years, people were vehemently defending the rights of cartoonists Bill Leak and Larry Pickering to publish vile and offensive anti-Islamic and racist works that humoured bigots Australia-wide. Yet those who argued so voraciously against 18C for the right to insult and offend others were the most vocal when their sensitive souls were insulted and offended by Yassmin's tweet. Not surprisingly, the racism that underpins much of the Anzac Day orgy of nationalism, focused on Yassmin's race and religion, with many telling her to go back to where she came from. Some grubs even suggested that she should be raped, because in their bitter and twisted minds nothing honours the memory of dead soldiers like a good, old-fashioned raping.

Yassmin's tweet did not attack diggers, it did not disparage the memory of the Anzacs, if anything it augmented the memory with current conflicts which Australia is either involved or has had military involvement in. The Navy has been used as a political pawn in 'defence' of Australia's borders by being unleashed on asylum seekers, Australia fought in Palestine and was part of the campaign that gave Britain the mandate to control Palestine for 30 or so years and subsequently resulted in the illegal creation of Israel. Now Australia is involved in Syria, part of whose problem is a result of the disastrous overthrow of Saddam Hussein, which Australia eagerly participated in even though the reasons for the second Gulf War were based on lies and brought ISIS to fruition.

Perpetually-outraged defender of white Australia, Herald-Sun columnist, Andrew Bolt described Yassmin as a 'smart-alec ABC presenter' and then went on to directly attack ... wait for it ... DIGGERS. Where was the outrage? Yassmin's tweet did not attack diggers. Yet Bolt directly attacked the RSL for allowing indigenous diggers to march under an indigenous flag and for daring to allow 'Welcome to Country' speeches at Anzac commemorations⁽¹⁾. Bolt and his ilk would prefer a return to the old days when indigenous people were not specifically recognised for their service, or where any recognition was low-key so as to not upset the sensibilities of the white nationalists.

Oh ... the white nationalists ... nice segue into just what some of these people stand for. April is a big month for the neo-Nazi element of the nationalists. As we all know, Anzac Day is on 25 April. However, 20 April is the birthday of the man who set the benchmark in genocidal megalomania, Adolf Hitler.

The neo-Nazis who like to drape themselves in the Aussie flag while claiming to honour the memory of Australia's fallen soldiers, also celebrate the birthday of the man who many of our soldiers died fighting against. Some even wanted to hang a picture of Adolf Hitler in every school classroom and have all students read Mein Kampf⁽²⁾. Surely this is an unacceptable display of treachery and hypocrisy.To claim that our soldiers died fighting for our freedom, while celebrating the birth of one of the world's worst despots who opposed those same freedoms is dumb-founding. Where is the outrage from the perpetually outraged rabid right who are constantly questioning the values and loyalties of migrants, Muslims and the left, but giving these perfidious drongos a free pass?

Only a week before, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull vapidly released new citizenship tests and tried (but failed dismally) to articulate some ethereal Australian Values that the LNP dreamed up⁽³⁾. Surely Aussie Values do not include draping oneself in the Australian flag while celebrating arguably our biggest enemy and claiming to be a patriot. Just sayin'.

But these neo-Nazis aren't just fringe dwellers, they've gone relatively main-stream. One (possibly more) of their ilk was embraced and endorsed by Pauline Hanson as a candidate for One Nation, a party that is currently polling at 23% in Queensland. The candidate, Mark Ellis, would still be standing for One Nation if a photo hadn't emerged of him saluting a swastika that he had mowed into his lawn⁽⁴⁾. Methinks the Diggers would be rolling in their graves at how their memories are being used to fuel racism and hate-crimes against Muslims and refugees.

And lies.

Labor MP ... and Muslim ... Anne Aly was accused of refusing to lay a wreath on Anzac Day. It was a fabrication, a lie, spread by wannabe politician Kim Vuga and those on the right who feel that Muslims are fair game regardless of whether they are born and bred Australian or 'integrated' into Australian society or contributing to the community. The attack on Anne Aly was a disgraceful abuse of the memory of the Anzacs by racist fools who have no respect for the diggers they claim to be honouring. For the record, Aly did lay a wreath at an Anzac memorial⁽⁵⁾. She also stated on Channel 10's The Project on 28 April 2017, that Kim Vuga rang to apologise for spreading the lie. It's a pity that people are so gleefully willing to demonise Muslims that they don't fact check such pejorative rumours before spreading them.

Anzac Day is a solemn commemoration in which people should take pause and contemplate the sacrifices many Australians have made, some in the defence of freedom, some in the expansion of British empire (as in World War I) and some in defence of American empire (as in Korea, Vietnam and Iraq). Not all the wars that Australia has participated in were necessary or were defending our liberties. However, in all of them, men and women fought and died in service to this country and its allies.

The horrors and brutality of war, fascism and despots should not be forgotten. Many of those who are still experiencing these horrors first hand, comprise the 60 million or so refugees around the world. A tiny fraction of these have fled to Australia seeking asylum. They do not deserve to be demonised or traumatised because of political ideology as those are who still languish on Manus Island and Nauru. If any day is the day to not only contemplate our liberties, but also consider how we can assist those who are fleeing conflict, it is Anzac Day. This is a day about inclusion, not exclusion, about welcoming, not denying. It is about not forgetting that it was every day men and women, Christian, Jew, Muslim, atheist, indigenous and migrants who fought for this land. Why use this day to spread hate, fear and nationalist supremacy.

Defence analyst and former Army officer, James Brown, discusses in detail the 'cult of remembrance' around Anzac Day in his 2014 book Anzac's Long Shadow - The Cost of Our National Obsession, and how this has made it difficult to comment on the truth of the disastrous and imperialistic Gallipoli invasion, and further, to even criticise the Defence Force at all.

There is nothing patriotic in sending our troops to fight unnecessary wars based on lies and hegemony. There is nothing patriotic in demonising people of other races and religions. And there certainly is nothing patriotic in traumatising, abusing and denying the human rights of those fleeing war and despots. These are not the memories of Anzac Day, these are not the 'values' that Australian soldiers fought and died for.

Lest We Forget.

References

1. The Herald Sun, Andrew Bolt, Anzac Day betrayed. Hijacked by tribalists. 27 April 2017. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/anzac-day-betrayed-hijacked-by-tribalists/news-story/6e6329eb130004f5a159505cf2ebeabc. Accessed 28 April 2017.

2. The Age, Michael Blachelard, Luke McMahon, Blair Cottrell, rising anti-Islam movement leader, wanted Hitler in ever classroom, 17 October 2015, http://www.theage.com.au/national/blair-cottrell-leader-of-aussie-patriots-upf-wanted-hitler-in-the-classroom-20151016-gkbbvz. Accessed 28 April 2017.

3. ABC News, Michelle Grattan, Grattan on Friday: Malcolm Turnbull forges 'values' into political weaponry, 21 April 2017, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-21/turnbull-forges-values-into-political-weaponry-michelle-grattan/8461282. Accessed 28 April 2017.

4. Independent. Will Worley, Australian far-right candidate quits after photo emerges of him saluting swastika carved into his lawn, 26 April 2017, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/mark-ellis-australia-far-right-queensland-nazi-swastika-photo-candidate-cut-lawn-state-election-quit-a7702786.html. Accessed 28 April 2017.

5.The Sydney Morning Herald, Heather McNeill, 'Offensive and disgusting': MP Anne Aly responds to Anzac Day snub claims, 28 April 2017, http://www.smh.com.au/wa-news/offensive-and-disgusting-senator-anne-aly-responds-to-anzac-day-snub-claims-20170427-gvtzw5.html. Accessed 28 April 2017.

Australia Day - Changing the date will achieve nothing if nothing changes for indigenous people

Australia Day - Changing the date will achieve nothing if nothing changes for indigenous people



For many indigenous people, 26 January is seen as Invasion Day. It is the date the First Fleet landed in Botany Bay and has come to symbolise the massacres, displacement and human rights abuses of indigenous people that followed and which continues to this day.

As a result, there is a push to have Australia Day celebrated on a more appropriate date.

26 January is the anniversary of an invasion and of the establishment of a British colony, it isn't the anniversary of the establishment of Australia. That would be 1 January 1901. However, as that is already a public holiday, Aussies would lose their collective gum-nuts if New Year's Day was coupled with Aussie Day.

To compound the indignity of 26 January, it has been hijacked by white nationalists. It is the day when racists come out of the woodwork, flying and wearing Australian flags and demanding that non-white's, those from different cultural backgrounds, turn their back on their cultures and morph into some ill-defined Australian 'culture'. Whatever that may be.

Prime Racist Pauline Hanson, has long been bagging out multiculturalism, claiming it has failed. What her and the far-right forget is that Australia was built by multiple cultures, including our own first peoples, and then migrants from numerous lands, such as Asia, Middle East, Europe, the South Pacific. And of course, they were of various religions, including Islam, the religion that the bigots love to hate.

Australian culture is a potpourri of everyone else's culture, so it's a tad rude to expect people to forget those cultures.

26 January has been seen as a Day of Mourning almost as long as it's been acknowledged as Australia Day. It wasn't until 1935, that all states and territories agreed on 26 January being Australia Day. In 1938, at the 150th anniversary of the First Fleet landing, aboriginal leaders met in Sydney for a Day of Mourning and Protest. As a national holiday, Australia Day is still relatively young. It was only in 1994, that all states began holding public holidays on the same day⁽¹⁾.

Australian Aborigines Conference - Sesquicentenary Day of Mourning and Protest⁽¹⁾

However, will changing the date of Australia Day from 26 Januaray really be anything more than a symbolic gesture? Sort of like former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's apology to the Stolen Generations. While it was a good thing and long overdue, in the end it wasn't followed up with any other action. Yes, it acknowledged that generations of indigenous people had been stolen from their parents, which is important for those most affected by it, but in the end was it more about white people assuaging their guilt, feeling warm and fuzzy, and feeling that was all they needed to do. It wasn't followed up with any effective action to combat indigenous issues.

Changing the date of Australia Day will not change the jingoism, the racism, the ignorance that is prevalent throughout white Australia. One only has to look at the uproar and the threats from the ultra-right wing over a billboard in Melbourne showing two young Muslim girls in hijabs celebrating Australia Day. Talk about hypocrites. On one hand, the bigots bang on about Muslims having to embrace Australia and to love the nation, but when they do the same bigots get upset. The billboard was taken down as a result of this uproar. After all, we can't upset the delicate feelings of the ultra-right who take offence at anything that doesn't fit with their extremely myopic view.

Thankfully, thousands of Aussies realised this was unacceptable and a crowd-funding campaign raised more than $160,000 to put the ads back up on billboards around the country. This was a great kick in the guts of the bigots. There was an argument put forward by some on the left that while the crowd-funding was well-meaning, it just reinforced the denial of the genocide and displacement of indigenous people. This has merit, but is conflating two very important issues. Of course we shouldn't ignore the significance of 26 January as the anniversary of the invasion and subsequent brutality against indigenous people. But we also shouldn't tolerate intolerance against modern Australians. Australia Day, whether the date is moved or not, will continue to be a celebration of Australia as a nation, and as such the message needed to be sent to the white nationalists that modern Australia is a land that welcomes and is replete with people from all sorts of religions and cultures.

Following the crowd-funding campaign, billboards were put up and not surprisingly, the bigots went off their collective nuts. Once such billboard was at the Canberra Theatre, which received threats of violence and bombing⁽²⁾.

Patriotism has become synonymous with racism and exclusivity, and disturbingly, this has permeated society to the point that it has become normalised. Criticising racism often results in accusations of being 'unAustralian'.

And then there was the uproar over the Meat and Livestock Association's annual advertisement for lamb. The 2017 ad drew criticism on a number of fronts, not least of which was that it failed to mention Australia Day. Some years ago the MLA decided to hijack Australia Day in order to promote lamb as the traditional food of Aussies on Aussie Day. There has never been an official food for Australia Day. This was purely a capitalist campaign at making money through sales of lamb. Nothing more. It has nothing to do with patriotism, yet the bigots condemned the MLA for being unAustralian because their adverisement didn't mention Australia Day.

The ad started out with aborigines having a barbeque on the beach and then boats arriving from all over the world with stereotypes of migrants. The ad ended with the comment, 'aren't we all boat people'. While it's not the greatest ad, the message it was trying to send is important; that Australia is a culturally diverse nation, and importantly, that refugees should not be demonised as we are all boat people. Some may feel it belittles the suffering of indigenous people or reinforces cultural stereotypes, but in the end it was a great message ... and an important one ... about tolerance, inclusion, understanding and acceptance.

Moving Australia Day will mean nothing if we don't challenge the ignorance and the intolerance that underpins it. Instead of fomenting racism and using it for political gain as Tony Abbott, Cory Bernardi, George Christensen and their ilk do, both the Liberal Party and the Labor Party must do their best to expose the ignorance behind racism. Additionally, it is up to Australians generally to dispute the racist garbage that bigots spout and the right wing media often publishes.

If Australia Day is moved it is likely that the intolerant will say that the do-gooders got what we wanted and then expect us to shut up and move on, accusing us of never being happy. Will moving Australia Day affect the dialogue around the invasion, the genocide, the stolen generations, the ongoing abuse and marginalisation that indigenous people experience to this day?

Moving Australia Day will not change the fact that white settlement was a racist invasion.

But hey, this is just a 'black arm-band' view of history isn't it?

A black arm-band is a better than a white blind-fold.

The so-called 'black arm-band' history is at least truthful and ensures that history is not forgotten. It also means that we can understand the causes of today's inequality and abuse of indigenous people and take effective action to counter the inequality and abuse.

26 January is a divisive date. On the one hand, there are those who will celebrate Australia as a nation, as a land of freedom and opportunity. Some of the people will be bigots, but many are ordinary Aussies who are proud of their nation and grateful they don't live in a country that persecutes them. For that matter, many of the people celebrating Australia Day are migrants or refugees who truly do love this nation. On the other hand, there are those who commemorate 26 January as Invasion Day. Many will march at Invasion Day rallies around the country, ensuring that the suffering of indigenous people is not forgotten and calling for real action to combat the poverty, prejudice, inequality, to remember the stolen generation and the deaths in custody, to challenge the white blindfold view of history and ensure the heroism of the indigenous warriors in the Frontier Wars is remembered.

While 26 January is an offensive date on which to celebrate being Australian, will the protests against it stop if it is celebrated on another day? Will those of us who see 26 January as Invasion Day, then join in the celebrations on another day? Perhaps.

There is a lot to celebrate about Australia. We are a wealthy, peaceful nation, largely free to live out our lives and achieve our goals.  If we can ensure the wealth is sustained and shared, we have the ability to do a lot of good for people domestically and internationally. We can knock down barriers of intolerance and build a nation of harmony, regardless of the many cultures and religions that are represented here. Australia is supposed to be the land of the 'Fair Go', then everyone should be treated fairly, not forced to become clones of a myopic few who fail to recognise or understand the history of Australia.

If Australia Day is moved to another date, then celebrate Australia's diversity and beauty. However, 26 January should become a national day commemorating the invasion. There are few cenotaphs that memorialise the frontier wars, so this would be a time to remember and pay respects to the indigenous people who suffered and died in the defence of their lands.

The holiest day on the Australian calendar is Anzac Day, in which the country is awash with cenotaphs thronged by people paying their respects to those who fought and died for Australia, largely in foreign wars. Yet when in 1988 an aboriginal man laid a wreath on Anzac Day in Sydney to commemorate the indigenous people who died defending their own lands, he was stopped and taken away⁽³⁾.

Australian poet, Bruce Dawe, describes the lack of remembrance in his poem, For the Other Fallen:

You fought here for your country.

Where are your monuments?

You resisted the invader as best you knew how.

Where are your songs of those days?

When you were captured you were not prisoners-of-war.

That would have been awkward.

You had the misfortune of occupying 'unoccupied land'.

You had to correct your gross error.

There was a pioneer tradition waiting to be unfolded.

Tales as resilient as ironbark.

Your share in them was minimal and negative.

You were rather slow to understand this.

The bush and the stone and the stream.

The tree. The plain.

The special green. The faded calico blue,

They were your last line of resistance.

You fought here for your country.

Where are your monuments?

The difficulties we have in belonging

- these, these are your cenotaph.

(Bruce Dawe)

Regardless of whether Australia Day is celebrated on 26 January or another, this is the challenge to all of us:

• Never forget Australia's black history and it's human rights abuses ⁽⁴⁾
• Never forget the genocide, such as in Tasmania where almost every aboriginal person was murdered 
• Never forget the killing fields in which the Native Mounted Police exterminated large numbers of aborigines⁽³⁾
• Never forget the frontier wars and the massacres of indigenous people
• Never forget that indigenous people were prohibited from speaking their languages and practising their culture
• Never forget that indigenous people were once treated no better than flora and fauna.
• Never forget that aborigines were once denied freedom in their own land, subject to curfews and having to obtain permits to travel and to marry⁽⁵⁾
• Never forget that we nuked aboriginal tribes at Maralinga
• Never forget the stolen generations, the rape and abuse of indigenous people
• Never forget that many indigenous people worked for no wages or their wages were garnered by the government and put in trust accounts and the money was rarely given back to the people who earned it⁽⁶⁾
• Never forget the deaths in custody, which continue to this day
• Don't turn our backs on indigenous history
• Genuinely work together for true reconciliation with the first peoples of this land
• End the unequal treatment of indigenous people, whether it be in the justice systems, health, education, employment, housing or society.

Certificate of Exemption - Mary Rose Woods⁽⁷⁾

As an example, Certificates of Exemption such as the one above, were issued to a few aborigines who had displayed a character that the white people were happy with. The Exemption meant that they could 'open a bank account, receive certain Commonwealth social service benefits, own land and purchase alcohol', however, the holders of the certificates were 'not allowed to live with their families on reserves and even had to apply for permission to visit them'⁽⁸⁾. The exemptions could be revoked at any time without warning or appeal. Aborigines were prisoners in their own lands. 

A common argument that non-indigenous people will put forward is that all of this was decades ago, that it is time for indigenous people to move on. 

Firstly, denying history denies people an ability to move on. How can there be reconciliation with indigenous people if we deny the abuse that they suffered? How can we move on from history if we fail to understand it or the reasons behind it? if we don't understand our history, we are doomed to repeat it.

Secondly, what many don't seem to understand is that the abuse didn't end decades ago. It continues to this day. Indigenous people are greatly over-represented in prisons, often being arrested and sentenced for crimes that white people are rarely if ever charged with. Indigenous people are eight times more likely to be imprisoned than non-indigenous people. Indigenous people represent 3% of the Australian population but 27% of the prison population. Many of them are imprisoned for trivial crimes, including fine default.⁽⁹⁾ Part of the solution, is to improve education and employment opportunities and to end the racist actions of law enforcement officers who feel led to arrest indigenous people for minor crimes. 

It's been more than 25 years since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. The 1989 Royal Commission investigated 99 deaths in the previous 10 years (an average of around 10 deaths per year). In the subsequent 25 years, 340 indigenous people have died in custody⁽¹⁰⁾ (more than 13 deaths averaged per year). Few of the 339 recommendations have been implemented and meanwhile non-indigenous Australia is in denial about the abuse and persecution of indigenous people. Is it any wonder then that the rate of indigenous deaths in custody has increased since the Royal Commission. 

Non-indigenous Australia can't simply say that indigenous history was decades ago and to get over it. It is still happening.

It wasn't luck that made Australia the 'Lucky' Country. Australia got rich through the deliberate theft and rape of indigenous lands and resources. It was also the hard work of indigenous people and migrants from all lands and religions that made Australia what it is today.

Certainly celebrate our great nation, its diversity and its wealth, but never forget its history.

Whether Australia Day moves from 26 January or not, Australians should acknowledge and remember our brutal past, understand its discriminatory present and build a peaceful and harmonious future that benefits indigenous people and appreciates their culture. Unless this happens, changing the date will be a symbolic gesture only.

Moving Australia Day from 26 January will achieve nothing, if nothing changes for our first people.


References

1. Australia Day, History, http://www.australiaday.org.au/australia-day/history/. Accessed 26 January 2017.

2. ABC News, Ewan Gilbert, 'Australia Day billboard with girls in hijabs prompts online call to 'bomb' Canberra Theatre', 25 January 2017, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-25/canberra-theatre-threatened-after-aus-day-displaying-billboard/8210680. Accessed 26 January 2017.

3. Pilger, J. (1992), 'A Secret County'. London: Vintage.

4. Reynolds, H. (2000). 'Why Weren't We Told? : a personal search for the truth about our history'. Ringwood, Vic. New York, N.Y. Penguin.

5. Frankland, K. Queensland Department of Communities. (1994). 'A Brief History of Government Administration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Queensland', http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/93734/Admin_History_Aboriginal_and_Torres_Strait_Islanders.pdf. Accessed 26 January 2017.

6. Kidd, R. (2000), 'Black Lives, Government Lies'. Sydney: UNSW Press.

7. National Museum Australia, From Little Things Big Things Grow: Fighting for Indigenous Rights 1920-1970, Programme to be White, Mary Terszak's story of surviving assimilation, http://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/from_little_things_big_things_grow/behind_the_scenes/programmed_to_be_white. Accessed 26 January 2017.

8. Australian Human Rights Commission, 'Bringing Them Home, Chapter 8, Assimilation 1936 - 1962',  https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/bringing-them-home-chapter-8. Accessed 26 January 2017.

9. ABC News, Lauren Day, 'Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody: Grieving families lament lack of reform', 14 April 2016, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-14/grieving-families-lament-lack-of-deaths-in-custody-reform/7327630. Accessed 26 January 2017.

10. The Guardian, Calla Wahlquist, 'Aboriginal deaths in custody: 25 years on, the vicious cycle remains', 15 April 2016,  https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/apr/15/aboriginal-deaths-in-custody-25-years-on-the-vicious-cycle-remains. Accessed 26 January 2017.

Of songs & flags - Nationalism, Patriotism and the Arrogance of Arrogation

Of songs & flags - Nationalism, Patriotism and the Arrogance of Arrogation


The global rise of nationalism is disturbing considering its correlation to the rise of nationalism in 1930's Germany. And we all know how that ended. It seems that any criticism of the 'mother' (or 'father') country is tantamount to treason and all left-wingers are traitors.

Of course, nothing new to see here. Herman Goerring stated at the Nuremberg trials, ' ... the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country'.

Recently, Australia has seen a couple of incidents in which patriotism was tested. The first was by a call from boxer and former rugby league star, Anthony Mundine, for indigenous players to refuse to stand for the national anthem. Mundine's call was partly in relation to the over-representation of indigenous people in the prison system and on-going deaths in custody⁽¹⁾. Since the conclusion of Royal Commission into Black Deaths in Custody in 1991, few of its recommendations have been implemented and the incarceration rates of indigenous people have increased from 14% to 27%⁽²⁾.

Mundine also opposes Advance Australia Fair because he believes that it glorifies Captain Cook's invasion of Australia. At the bottom of this article there is a copy of the full national anthem which has five verses, not just the two (verses 1 and 3) that are commonly sung. Mundine has a point when looking at verses 2, 4 and 5 as they do bang on about Britain's glory and conquest of this great southern land. These verses are no longer sung in polite company, so in essence it could be argued that Australia is already boycotting elements of the anthem.

Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP⁽³⁾

One other reason for Mundine's boycott was that the anthem was written at a time when indigenous Australians were not even considered human, but were covered under the Flora and Fauna Act. It wasn't until 1967 that indigenous people were counted in referenda and the federal government was given the right to legislate for aborigines regardless of whether they were in a State or Territory. Unfortunately, since then much of the human rights abuses against Australia's indigenous population has continued through stolen wages, removal of children from families, prejudice in education, health services, employment, housing, incarceration and so on.

The key word from Advance Australia Fair is 'fair', yet there is no fairness in Australia's treatment of its indigenous people. For our first nation people, 'fair' is a word that much of Australia only pays lip-service to as they continue to be discriminated against in all areas of society.

Over the last 20 years or so there has also been a marked increase in fear and intolerance towards asylum seekers and refugees. Ironically, the verse 3 of the national anthem, states 'For those who've come across the seas, we've boundless plains to share', yet these days few Australians want to share the land with migrants of any type.

So if Australians are failing to honour the words of the national anthem in relation to fairness and sharing, why get so upset when someone calls for it to be boycotted? If the words are meaningless to the majority of Australians, then it appears that people are valuing the concept of patriotism and nationalism, and as Mundine points out, the racist origins of the anthem rather than any real appreciation of fairness, equality and welcoming others. How can anyone claim to be a patriot if selectively ignoring key elements of the national anthem?

This comes as no surprise because only recently, one of the right-wing anti-everything parties, Australia First has won the right to use the Eureka Stockade flag as its logo⁽⁴⁾. This is from a party that opposes migration, opposes the settling of refugees in Australia, opposes multiculturalism - so is already ignoring those elements of the national anthem. To compound the patriotic selectivity, Australia First is appropriating the Eureka Stockade flag which is a flag for all the oppressed from all nations on earth. Its origin is in the acceptance of refugees and in the fight against oppression from a belligerent and racist government that was robbing and exploiting workers. The flag stood for fairness, acceptance, inclusion and represented the fight against tyranny.

Raffaelo Carboni, one of the architects of the Eureka Stockade rebellion when the flag was first flown, stated in his speech four days before the battle in Ballarat: 

'Irrespective of nationality, religion and colour, I call on you to salute the 'Southern Cross' as the refuge of all the oppressed from all countries on earth'⁽⁵⁾.

Like the concept of fairness and welcoming of migrants and refugees in Advance Australia Fair, the extreme right wing is ignoring the true meaning of the Eureka Stockade flag in its arrogant arrogation of it.

Nationalism requires symbols of national pride. National anthems and flags are the go-to symbols for self-styled patriots. These symbols often take on a meaning that is far removed from their origins in order to exploit, oppress and discriminate against. The scapegoating and fear of others is used to justify the fascism and tyranny that accompanies nationalism.

This isn't the first time that symbols or ideologies have been misrepresented in order to mislead people and to invoke national sentiment.

The archetypal nationalist, Adolf Hitler, reinvented the flag for Nazi Germany, hijacking the Swastika which was a symbol of good fortune and hope in India for a number of religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Odinism⁽⁶⁾. The Swastika was misappropriated by Germany's extreme right-wing and used to represent white racial purity and supremacy.

Further to this, Hitler noticed that Marxism was attractive to the masses and so appropriated the title 'Socialist' because of its broad appeal⁽⁷⁾, particularly to workers and hopefully to trick the left-wing into embracing his ideology. To further this, he even went so far as to appropriate the colour red that represented Socialism and Communism. Hitler's rambling biopic, Mein Kampf is full of vitriolic attacks on Socialism and Communism which he believed were part of a Jewish conspiracy to control the world's economy. In Hitler's own words:

'The suspicion was whispered in German Nationalist circles that we also were merely another variety of Marxism, perhaps even Marxists suitably disguised, or better still, Socialists. The actual difference between Socialism and Marxism still remains a mystery to these people up to this day ... We used to roar with laughter at these silly faint-hearted bourgeoisie and their efforts to puzzle out our origin, our intentions and our aims. We chose red for our posters after particular and careful deliberation, our intention being to irritate the Left, so as to arouse their attention and tempt them to come to our meetings--if only in order to break them up--so that in this way we got a chance of talking to the people'.⁽⁸⁾

Hitler's idea of Socialism was not the same as Marxism. For Hitler it was a 'social' ideology, one full of nationalist fervour and Aryan supremacy. It had nothing to do with the class struggle and socialising the means of production into the hands of workers that Marxism espoused. In his own words, Hitler described how the Socialist (social) and Nationalist elements of National Socialism were represented in the flag thus:

'We National Socialists regarded our flag as being the embodiment of our party programme. The red expressed the social thought underlying the movement. White the national thought. And the swastika signified the mission allotted to us--the struggle for the victory of Aryan mankind and at the same time the triumph of the ideal of creative work which is in itself and always will be anti-Semitic'.⁽⁸⁾

The rise of nationalism in Australia and globally is not a new thing. Like Nazi Germany, it is founded in a dissatisfaction by the people with the current economic system which has resulted in mass redundancies, out-sourcing, off-shoring, extreme profit-driven behaviour by large corporations at the expense of workers, the creation of the 'working poor' in which many workers need more than one job to make ends meet, the casualisation of the workforce, the privatisation and subsequent increased costs of essential services and price gouging by corporations. Right wing politicians are using migrants, refugees, Muslims and even the poor themselves as scapegoats for the world's economic ills, just like Hitler did with his scapegoating and demonisation of Jews, Unionists, Communists, Socialists, gypsies, homosexuals, the infirm and so on.

The great irony in the current rise of the extreme right-wing is that it is capitalism that has led to their dissatisfaction with the world, that has led to the destruction of the workforce and also to the creation of refugees and poor who are demonised so much by the right-wing. But instead of embracing an ideology, such as socialism, that would promote the welfare of the worker and a more equitable sharing in the profits of their labours, the misguided right continues to worship at the altar of capitalism in some sort of perverse version of the Stockholm Syndrome - the more they are abused and oppressed, the more they glorify their oppressor.

Capitalism is based on competition, greed, selfishness and fear; the very things that motivate the ultra right-wing in the pursuit of extreme Nationalism at the expense of those who don't fit their picture of perfection or who they deem to be a threat to their 'way of life'. A way of life that ironically, was established in Australia through the vast contribution of our first nation's people and more than 200 years of immigration.

Nationalism is a cry for help from those who don't understand who or what is truly to blame for their social ills: namely the insatiable greed of unfettered capitalism and neo-liberal economics.

It's time to end the demonising and maligning of other races and religions. No race or religion is better than another, no nationality is better than another. Patriotism, as a love for one's nation, should never become hate for another. This is when it descends into nationalism, jingoism. And from there the slippery slope to fascism and tyranny.


References

1. News.com.au, AAP, 'Anthony Mundine wants national anthem boycott at NRL, AFL grand finals', 30 September 2016, http://www.news.com.au/sport/anthony-mundine-wants-national-anthem-boycott-at-nrl-afl-grand-finals/news-story/a59790da368689ccb5198b48ffe306c8. Accessed 15 October 2016.

2. The Conversation, Thalia Anthony, 'Deaths in Custody: 25 years after the royal commission, we've gone backwards', 13 April 2016, http://theconversation.com/deaths-in-custody-25-years-after-the-royal-commission-weve-gone-backwards-57109. Accessed 15 October 2016.

3. The Guardian, Elle Hunt and Paul Farrell, 'Anthony Mundine says he will never stand for the national anthem again', 30 September 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/sep/30/sing-the-national-anthem-dont-boycott-it-at-grand-finals-says-malcolm-turnbull. Accessed 15 October 2016.

4. The Courier, Jessica Black, 'Australia First wins right to Eureka flag', 14 October 2016, http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/4228116/right-wing-party-wins-bid-for-eureka-flag/. Accessed 15 October 2016.

5. Carboni, Raffaelo. 'The Eureka Stockade', chapter XXIX, location 642, Kindle version. Amazon Digital Services, Inc, ASIN B004TP1N5I, 24 March 2011. (Digital version of original book published in 1855).

6. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 'History of the Swastika', Holocaust Encyclopedia, https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007453. Accessed 15 October 2016.

7. Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, Volume I: A RETROSPECT, Chapter XII. THE FIRST STAGE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GERMAN NATIONAL SOCIALIST LABOUR PARTY, translated by James Murphy. Project Gutenberg, http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200601.txt.

8. Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, Volume II: THE NATIONAL SOCIALIST MOVEMENT, Chapter VII. THE CONFLICT WITH THE RED FORCES', translated by James Murphy. Project Gutenberg, http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200601.txt.


Advance Australia Fair 
(Only verses 1 and 3, highlighted below in blue text, are usually sung these days). 

Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We've golden soil and wealth for toil,
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in Nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history's page, let every stage
Advance Australia fair!
In joyful strains then let us sing,
'Advance Australia fair!'

When gallant Cook from Albion sail'd,
To trace wide oceans o'er,
True British courage bore him on,
Till he landed on our shore.
Then here he raised Old England's flag,
The standard of the brave;
With all her faults we love her still,
"Brittannia rules the wave!"
In joyful strains then let us sing
'Advance Australia fair!'

Beneath our radiant southern Cross,
We'll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing
'Advance Australia fair!'

While other nations of the globe
Behold us from afar,
We'll rise to high renown and shine
Like our glorious southern star;
From England, Scotia, Erin's Isle,
Who come our lot to share,
Let all combine with heart and hand
To advance Australia fair!
In joyful strains then let us sing
'Advance Australia fair!'

Should foreign foe e'er sight our coast,
Or dare a foot to land,
We'll rouse to arms like sires of yore
To guard our native strand;
Brittannia then shall surely know,
Beyond wide ocean's roll,
Her sons in fair Australia's land
Still keep a British soul.
In joyful strains then let us sing
'Advance Australia fair!'

What simple thief brags of his own attaint?

'What simple thief brags of his attaint?'

It's been more than 400 years since Shakespeare penned this question in his play, 'A Comedy of Errors'. However, it is a pertinent question that should be asked of Australia's Liberal Party.

This is a party that boasts of its attaint, boasts of its disgrace, boasts of its dishonour, boasts of its deplorable abuse of innocent people.

Perhaps the most obvious attaint is the Liberal Party's illegal treatment of asylum seekers. Former Prime Minister John Howard was quick to label asylum seekers as illegal, even though this wasn't true. A dip in the polls? Bust out another attack on asylum seekers, innocent victims of war and terrorism.

Yet the Liberal Party has, for the last 20 years, been victimising the victims. They've broken international laws⁽¹⁾ on torture⁽²⁾, refugees (including detainment⁽³⁾ and refoulement⁽⁴⁾) and children⁽⁵⁾. Rather than listen to international condemnation, the Liberal government was so proud of their attaint that Abbott stated he was 'sick of being lectured to by the United Nations' about torturing people⁽⁶⁾. This from a man who even donated Royal Australian Navy vessels to Sri Lanka⁽⁷⁾ so that people fleeing the brutality of that state could be rounded up and imprisoned, tortured, disappeared.

Who are the illegals here?

The Liberal Party under John Howard, led Australia into the illegal invasion of Iraq based on lies. More than a decade later, this action has culminated in the rise of extremism and most notably, ISIS, in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. Yet, Australia perpetuates the persecution of the victims of this war by imprisoning or refouling them when they seek our help.

The Libs are so proud of their attaint as they use it to boost their popularity and power. They've stolen the lives and futures of the victims for political advantage.

The demonisation and victimisation doesn't just stop with refugees. The Liberal Party is so proud of its attaint, that the Attorney-General defended the right to be bigots(8) and supported amendments to Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act to allow hate speech so that the bigots could 'offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate'.

This was no surprise of course, because in 2008, then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (Labor Party) issued an apology to the Stolen Generations for decades of abuse of indigenous people and the theft of their children at the hands of government. The Liberal Party's response? Some of their MPs boycotted it⁽⁹⁾. Boycotted apologising for stealing children. Former Prime Minister Howard stated that Australia had nothing to be sorry for⁽¹⁰⁾. No wonder some Liberals don't even believe the Stolen Generation existed⁽¹¹⁾. What an attaint to be proud of: the theft of generations of children.

More recently, the Liberal Party perpetuated its culture of bullying and victimisation by attacking the anti-bullying program 'Safe Schools' which is aimed at reducing the bullying of LGBTIQ students. Influential extremist MPs such as Cory Bernardi have made all sorts of wild claims, including homosexuality leading to bestiality or pedophilia. Rather than bringing these MPs into line, the Prime Minister has defended them. It's a bit rich of Bernardi and Christensen to claim they are only upholding Christian values while they condone the torture of refugees, including children.

Bullying: just one more of the Liberal Party's attaint.

The Liberal Party has been consistently attacking Islam and giving voice to the bigots and Islamophobes⁽¹²⁾, with a corresponding rise in anti-Islamic political party's and groups, as well as a rise in violence against Muslims⁽¹³⁾. Not surprisingly, a recent report has found that most Islamophobes vote for conservative parties, particularly the Liberal Party⁽¹⁴⁾.

The Liberal Party's defense of Israel's illegal occupation and human rights abuses in Palestine is another attaint. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop even reinvented international law for the convenience of defending her party's position⁽¹⁵⁾. Meanwhile, Israel continues the expansion of its illegal settlements in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, it continues using illegal weapons⁽¹⁶⁾ on Palestinians, committing war crimes⁽¹⁷⁾, and arbitrarily detains, punishes and tortures children⁽¹⁸⁾. All with the support of the Liberal Party.

Perhaps the most surprising thing however, is that workers are so willing to vote for a party who consistently attacks workers rights. Howard tried to roll-out Work Choices which undermined the collective bargaining of the workforce and weakened penalty rates. Workers did reject this and voted Howard out of office on the basis of it. However, since then, Abbott and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull have turned up the attacks on workers and their conditions. There was an $80 million royal commission into Union corruption which uncovered only a few instances of corruption⁽¹⁹⁾. It was a political witch-hunt dressed up as protecting workers, when in fact it was used to discredit Unions in order to soften up workers for further attacks by the Liberal Party.

Meanwhile, successive budgets from the governing Liberal Party have maintained the attack on workers, the low-paid, the poor, while giving more money to the rich and big business⁽²⁰⁾.

And the Liberal Party continues to be proud of its attaint as it embraces the failed 'trickle-down economics' theory⁽²¹⁾ which has only made the rich richer and the poor poorer. The Liberal Party consistently and blatantly attack the poor while defending the rich. They distract from this by running fear campaigns against asylum seekers and terrorism. Like snake-oil salesmen they try to sell the promise of untold wealth for all if we give our hard-earned to the already wealthy⁽²²⁾. And the people believe the lie.

What about climate change? Tony Abbott got so much mileage from accusing Julia Gillard of lying about introducing a carbon 'tax', that it arguably won him the 2013 election. Yet the lie was his. Gillard didn't introduce a carbon tax, she introduce a carbon pricing mechanism which she had stated she was going to do prior to the election⁽²³⁾. Abbott even attended a protest against the carbon price and proudly took centre stage with vulgar sexist signs behind him, stating 'Juliar - Bob Brown's Bitch' and 'Ditch the Witch'. This piece of blatant lying and sexism wasn't Abbott's attaint alone; he was accompanied by two female MPs, Bronwyn Bishop and Sophie Mirabella. One would have thought that women would stand up against such abusive sexism against another woman, but no, they also were proud to be filmed in front of the offensive signs.

Is it any wonder, that then Prime Minister Julia Gillard eventually attacked then Opposition Leader Abbott's hypocrisy on sexism when she delivered one of Parliament's finest speeches in decades⁽²⁴⁾, declaring:

I say to the Leader of the Opposition I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. I will not. And the Government will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. Not now, not ever. The Leader of the Opposition says that people who hold sexist views and who are misogynists are not appropriate for high office. Well I hope the Leader of the Opposition has got a piece of paper and he is writing out his resignation. Because if he wants to know what misogyny looks like in modern Australia, he doesn't need a motion in the House of Representatives, he needs a mirror. That's what he needs. 

When elected to government, Abbott axed the 'tax' and introduced a 'Direct Action' policy which paid polluters to reduce carbon emissions rather than making them pay for their emissions⁽²⁵⁾. Essentially, the Libs want to reward polluters rather than penalise them. The government has a foot in both camps on climate change. It pays lip service to carbon reduction, but at its heart it doesn't really accept climate change. So much so, that it pressured the United Nations into removing Australia from a report on the impact of climate change because it might damage tourism to the country⁽²⁶⁾.

They're so proud of their attaint, they'd rather steal the future from our children than lose money.

The Liberal Party's modus operandi is to outlaw dissent, victimise the victims and denigrate anyone who dares criticise them. Case in point, is Gillian Triggs, Australia's Human Rights Commissioner. The Human Rights Commission is an independent body, but when Triggs released a report that exposed the extent and effects of the Government's abusive policies on children in detention. Rather than actually improve their policy so children aren't being harmed as a result of it, senior members of the government attacked Triggs and tried to force her to resign⁽²⁷⁾. Further to this, the government has made it illegal for whistleblowers to expose abuse in immigration detention centres with the threat of up two years in detention⁽²⁸⁾.

The government has reduced funding to non-government organisations who have interests contrary to government policy or who criticise it. They have cut back funding to the ABC and SBS, even though then Prime Minister Tony Abbott made a promise that there would be no cuts to the ABC or SBS. Remember how Abbott worked the 'lie' from Gillard regarding the carbon 'tax', yet when Abbott lied to become Prime Minister that was fine⁽²⁹⁾. The Liberal Party has not been a fan of ABC or SBS because they tend to question government policies. It's as though the Liberals would rather run ABC and SBS like the Soviet Union ran TASS: namely as it's official mouthpiece.

The Liberal Party governing Australia is not one that is governing in the interests of Australians. It is employing some of the worst examples of despotic governments in order to control the population: persecution, torture, refoulement, imprisonment without charge, fear-mongering, racism and xenophobia, sexism, turning the people on each other, undermining democracy and free speech, amongst others.

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this is that the Liberals are so proud of how they are abusing people, democracy and power.

What simple thief brags of his own attaint?

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, with MPs Bronwyn Bishop and Sophie Mirabella, openly embracing the vitriolic sexism of anti-carbon price protesters(30)

Why did Shakespeare ask this question? It was part of a tirade from Luciana to her brother-in-law, Antipholus of Syracuse, in which she was berating him over his affection for her. She felt that 'tis doubly wrong to truant with your bed and let her read it in they looks at board'. In other words, it is bad enough having no morals, but even worse to rub one's turpitude in the face of those who are being wronged.

The Australian government's behaviour is no comedy of errors. It is cold, calculated, deliberate. All with one goal in mind: shore up political power.

Boasting of their baseness furthers the psychological abuse of the Liberal Party's victims and compounds the victimisation and demonisation. And we see the results of this in the depths of despair and hopelessness that has engulfed asylum seekers, in the self-harm and the suicides. These deaths and injuries are the direct result of abusive government policy and a government boasting of its torture, boasting of its attaint, sacrificing lives for political power.

Most miscreants at least pretend to live respectable lives. The Liberal Party flourishes in its debasement and expects the populace to still vote for them, to welcome them as the Saviours of the Land Down Under. They represent themselves as being the only ones who can keep the population safe from the bleeding hearts who would dare to treat people with respect and dignity, who would dare to help the victims of war and persecution, who would dare to speak up for the oppressed, who would dare to expect workers to be paid a living wage, who would dare to demand government provide essential services, who dare to hold government to account.

The more lives destroyed by the Liberal Party, the better for their popularity as they boast that they are tough on border security, tough on terrorism, tough on economics. They aren't being tough, they are being brutal.

Innocent people suffer as the Liberal Party brags of its attaint and brutality.


References

1. United Nations, 'Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees', http://www.unhcr.org/protect/PROTECTION/3b66c2aa10.pdf. Accessed 29 May 2016.

2. Human Rights Law Centre, 'UN finds Australia's treatment of asylum seekers violates the Convention Against Torture', 9 March 2015, http://hrlc.org.au/un-finds-australias-treatment-of-asylum-seekers-violates-the-convention-against-torture. Accessed 29 May 2016.

3. The Guardian, Ben Doherty, 'Australia's indefinite detention of refugees illegal, UN rules', 18 May 2016, http://www.theguardian.com/law/2016/may/18/australias-indefinite-detention-of-refugees-illegal-un-rules. Accessed 29 May 2016.

4. The Guardian, Richard Ackland, 'Handing back asylum seekers is called refoulement. And it's illegal', 7 July 2014, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/07/handing-back-asylum-seekers-is-called-refoulement-and-its-illegal. Accessed 29 May 2016.

5. The Guardian, Helen Davidson, 'Prolonged detention is 'state-sanctioned child abuse', says head of doctors' group', 21 February 2016, http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/feb/21/prolonged-detention-is-state-sanctioned-child-abuse-says-head-of-doctors-group. Accessed 29 May 2016.

6. The Age, Lisa Cox, 'Tony Abbott: Australians 'sick of being lectured to' by United Nations, after report finds anti-torture breach', 10 March 2015, http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbott-australians-sick-of-being-lectured-to-by-united-nations-after-report-finds-antitorture-breach-20150309-13z3j0.html. Accessed 29 May 2016.

7. The Sydney Morning Herald, Ben Doherty, 'Tony Abbott's boats gift to Sri Lanka comes under fire', 18 November 2013, http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbotts-boats-gift-to-sri-lanka-comes-under-fire-20131117-2xp5z.html. Accessed 29 May 2016.

8. ABC News, Emma Griffiths, 'George Brandis defends 'right to be a bigot' amid Government plan to amend Racial Discrimination Act', 24 March 2014, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-24/brandis-defends-right-to-be-a-bigot/5341552. Accessed 29 May 2016.

9. The Age, Misha Schubert and Dewi Cooke, 'Outspoken Liberal MP defends apology boycott', 15 February 2008, http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/outspoken-liberal-mp-defends-apology-boycott/2008/02/14/1202760494786.html. Accessed 29 May 2016.

10. The Sydney Morning Herald, Anne Davies, 'Nothing to say sorry for: Howard', 12 March 2008, http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/nothing-to-say-sorry-for-howard/2008/03/11/1205125911444.html. Accessed 29 May 2016.

11. The Australian, Samantha Maiden, 'Lib MP denies Stolen Generations exist', 13 February 2008, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/lib-mp-denies-stolen-generations-exist/story-e6frg6nf-1111115544009. Accessed 29 May 2016.

12. The New Daily, John Stapleton, 'How Tony Abbott made Australia a more dangerous place', 7 October 2015, http://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2015/10/07/tony-abbott-made-australia-dangerous-place. Accessed 29 May 2016.

13. ABC, The World Today, Eleanor Hall, 'Register documents rising violence against Muslim Women', 24 September 2014, http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2014/s4093692.htm. Accessed 29 May 2016.

14. Huffington Post, Josh Butler, 'Australian Islamophobia Study Released', 4 April 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/01/14/australia-islamophobia-study_n_8984304.html. Accessed 29 May 2016.

15. The Sydney Morning Herald, Saeb Erekat, 'Julie Bishop reinvents international law in her support of Israeli settlements', 24 January 2014, http://www.smh.com.au/comment/julie-bishop-reinvents-international-law-in-her-support-of-israeli-settlements-20140123-31be0.html. Accessed 29 May 2016.

16. Middle East Monitor, 'Military Expert: Israel is using 3 internationally banned weapons in Gaza', 4 August 2014, https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20140804-military-expert-israel-is-using-3-internationally-banned-weapons-in-gaza/. Accessed 29 May 2016.

17. Al Jazeera, Megan O'Toole, ''Strong evidence' of Israeli war crimes in Gaza', 29 July 2015, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/07/evidence-israeli-war-crimes-gaza-interactive-15072810-150728133534137.html. Accessed 29 May 2016.

18. The Electronic Intifada, Nora Burrows-Friedman, 'Israelis Torturing Palestinian Children', 10 April 2007, https://electronicintifada.net/content/israelis-torturing-palestinian-children/6853. Accessed 29 May 2016.

19. New Matilda, Dr Dustin Halse, 'Reflections on the TURC From a Union Official', 12 January 2016, https://newmatilda.com/2016/01/12/reflections-on-the-turc-from-a-union-official. Accessed 29 May 2016.

20. Independent Australia, John Passant, 'A budget of smoke and mirrors', 4 May 2016, https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/a-budget-of-smokers-and-mirrors,8950. Accessed 29 May 2016.

21. ABC, The Drum, Michael Bradley, 'We're being sold the trickle-down economics con', 12 May 2016, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-12/bradley-why-are-we-being-sold-the-trickle-down-economics-con/7406844. Accessed 29 May 2016.

22. Independent Australia, David Tyler, 'The Turnbull Show's nasty accident with reality', 16 May 2016, https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/the-turnbull-shows-nasty-accident-with-reality,8991. Accessed 29 May 2016.

23. The Courier Mail, Paul Syvret, 'Why Julia Gillard didn't lie about her carbon tax plans before election', 9 July 2012, http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/why-julia-gillard-didnt-lie-about-her-carbon-tax-plans-before-election/story-e6frerdf-1226421929786. Accessed 29 May 2016.

24. Parliament of Australia, 'House of Representatives - Hansard, 09 Oct 2012 - Motions - Julia Gillard MP',  http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansardr%2F5a0ebb6b-c6c8-4a92-ac13-219423c2048d%2F0039%22. Accessed 29 May 2016.

25. ABC News, Daniel Miller, 'What is the Coalition's direct action climate change policy?', 24 April 2014, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-20/coalition-climate-change-direct-action-policy-explained/5067188. Accessed 29 May 2016.

26. The Guardian, Michael Slezak, 'Australia scrubbed from UN climate change report after government intervention', 27 May 2016, http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/27/australia-scrubbed-from-un-climate-change-report-after-government-intervention. Accessed 29 May 2016.

27. The Age, Hugh de Kretser, 'Attacks on our Human Rights Commissioner are part of a broader malaise', 25 February 2015, http://www.theage.com.au/comment/attacks-on-our-human-rights-commission-are-part-of-a-broader-disturbing-trend-20150225-13o6e8.html. Accessed 29 May 2016.

28. Sydney Morning Herald, Sarah Whyte, 'Doctors and teachers gagged under new immigration laws', 4 June 2015, http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/doctors-and-teachers-gagged-under-new-immigration-laws-20150603-ghft05.html. Accessed 29 May 2016.

29. Parliament of Australia, 'Matters of Public Importance - Prime Minister', (Bill Shorten speech), 25 June 2015,  http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansardr%2Fbcc6cf79-e37b-4f70-9a20-0ddc17522ca5%2F0187%22. Accessed 29 May 2016.

30. The Sydney Morning Herald, James Massola, 'Julia Gillard on the moment that should have killed Tony Abbott's career', 23 June 2015, http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/julia-gillard-on-the-moment-that-should-have-killed-tony-abbotts-career-20150622-ghug63.html. Accessed 29 May 2016.

The Southern Cross: 'refuge of all the oppressed from all countries on earth'

The Southern Cross: 'refuge of all the oppressed from all countries on earth' 
(Eureka - a flag for the refugee)


Flags make great tattoos. Some more so than others. They are icons of nationality, ideology and symbolism. They represent culture, ideas and identify something that people are willing to live and die for. They can be combined with other icons of a culture to create a powerful image of the wearer's manifesto. In Australia, perhaps none more so than the Southern Cross, particularly as it appears on the Eureka Stockade flag. Many tattoos abound with either the Eureka Flag or a combination of that flag and the other icon of Australia's rebel spirit, the infamous outlaw Ned Kelly (who is believed to have been born in December 1854 during the Eureka Stockade⁽¹⁾).

Original and restored Eureka Stockade flag

Both Kelly and the Eureka Stockade represent a fierce, fighting spirit against tyranny and corruption while defending justice and compassion. Some see Kelly as nothing more than a thief and murderer. However, to many others he is a hero who fought against the corrupt land acquisition and injustices of the government. Local aborigines see Captain Cook as representative of the 'theft of their land, the exploitation of their labour and the denial of their cultures', while they consider Ned Kelly as being 'concerned with freedom, dignity and true justice'⁽²⁾. Kelly himself, claimed to be acting against police corruption and seeking justice for the poor. He called on anyone who has cause to fear him to give '£10 out of every hundred towards the widow and orphan fund'⁽³⁾.

The Eureka Stockade was a battle between miners and colonial forces in Ballarat, Victoria, on 3 December 1854. The miners were incensed at the cost of mining licences and taxes, the persecution and attacks by police and soldiers, the injustice of the courts, as well as government corruption. At a monster meeting on 29 November 1854 at Bakers Hill, 10,000 people raised the newly designed Eureka Stockade flag and swore the following oath of allegiance to it:

'We swear by the Southern Cross to stand truly by each other and fight to defend our rights and liberties'.

Swearing allegiance to the Southern Cross 1854.

'According to Frank Cayley′s book Flag of Stars, the flag′s five stars represent the Southern Cross and the white cross joining the stars represents unity in defiance. The blue background is believed to represent the blue shirts worn by many of the diggers, rather than represent the sky as is commonly thought'⁽⁴⁾.

Over the years, the Eureka Stockade flag has been adopted by numerous groups, including unions, outlaw biker gangs and various protest groups. During the administration of Queensland Premier Campbell Newman, harsh laws were passed to crack down on motorcycle gangs, which included identifying members and their associates through certain imagery; the Eureka flag was one of those images. Newman also cracked down on the other Eureka flag flying group, the unions, by passing laws that targeted their members and placed restrictions on how they engaged politically. If there was ever a time where unity in defiance against injustice was important, it was during this time; a time when the oath of the Eureka flag was ever so appropriate.

More recently, the flag and the Southern Cross specifically, have been hijacked by those who fail to understand their significance or history. Specifically, those who have been caught up in the spirit of nationalism and its racist, bigoted vitriol aimed at attacking migrants, specifically refugees and Muslims. Yet these people would do well to remember the words of one of the architects of the rebellion, Raffaelo Carboni, who stated in his speech 4 days before the battle:

'Irrespective of nationality, religion and colour, I call on you to salute the 'Southern Cross' as the refuge of all the oppressed from all countries on earth'⁽⁵⁾.

The spirit of Eureka and Ned Kelly was a fight against oppression and injustice.

The Southern Cross represents refuge for people from all over the globe who are fleeing oppression. It is the flag of the asylum seeker, the refugee. Yet nationalists and white supremacists proudly sport the Southern Cross through their tattoos or paraphernalia as a symbol of Australian culture without realising that the very culture they claim to be defending is one of multiculturalism. Modern Australia was built from the blood, sweat and tears of aborigines as well as immigrants from many foreign ethnicities and religions. Flying the Southern Cross is to acknowledge and respect Australia's indigenous people and to welcome and honour migrants and refugees.

The arrival of British settlers in 1788 brought a spirit of racism which saw the indigenous inhabitants displaced or murdered and their lands stolen. The Australian flag can therefore be described as a dichotomy in which the brutal racism of the British colonisers is represented by the Union Jack while the fight against government corruption and persecution is represented by the Southern Cross.

To use the Southern Cross as a symbol of bigotry to oppress and abuse the persecuted is to completely dishonour its origins in the fight against oppression and injustice.

References

1. Lewis, Ian. 'Ned Kelly: A Short Life', Notes - 1. Son of Red, location 7378, Kindle version. Hatchette Australia, ISBN - 978-0734405449, 2008.

2. Ibid, location 7334.

3. National Museum Australia, 'Jerilderie letter transcription', Page 39, http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/collection_interactives/jerilderie_letter/page_1 (HTML version).

4. Ausflag, 'Eureka flag', http://www.ausflag.com.au/eureka.asp, accessed 28 December 2015.

5. Carboni, Raffaelo. 'The Eureka Stockade', chapter XXIX, location 642, Kindle version. Amazon Digital Services, Inc, ASIN B004TP1N5I, 24 March 2011. (Digital version of original book published in 1855.

The Light of love and a bushel of bigotry

'Of all religions, the Christian should of course inspire the most tolerance, but until now Christians have been the most intolerant of all men'.

So stated Voltaire, the enlightened French philosopher, who defended religious freedom and civil liberties. Voltaire lived in the 18th century, yet this quote is pertinent today.

For decades, the Christian church has seen a large shift to the right-wing with a corresponding rise in intolerance, religious hate speech and violence. Many fundamentalist pastors preach against homosexuality, abortion, socialism, multiculturalism while embracing doctrine that borders on idolatry, such as prosperity doctrine and Zionism.

Religious hate-speech has most recently been manifesting itself through Islamophobia with attacks on Mosques and Muslims. Women have been attacked for wearing burqas, hijabs or head coverings. There is even an attack on food with campaigns against halal certification because some believe money raised from halal certification funds terrorism. Australian political journalist, Malcolm Farr appeared on the ABC's Insiders program on 24 November 2014 and eloquently stated: 'to those pig-ignorant droogs who shut down a South Australian business because it had halal certified yoghurt selling to Emirates. What stupid, stupid people! If they really think that this money goes to terrorists, they should stop buying petrol'.

Attacking food, attacking Halal does nothing to further the Gospel. Even Romans 14:20 states, 'Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food'.

Christians who attack Islam would do well to consider Matthew 7:3-5, 'And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye. Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.'.

What plank?

Many of the same anti-Islam brigade are happy for the West to go to war against the 'infidel', whether it be in Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq. Yet these wars have directly resulted in the terrorism and fundamentalism that they so fear. It's no secret that during the 1980's the USA funded and trained the Mujahideen and jihadists in Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Union. Out of that arose Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Zionism, a dogmatic twisting and perversion of scripture, that claims the establishment of modern Israel as the God-given homeland of Jews. This has seen the displacement and genocide of Palestinians who lived there for thousands of years, many of whom were actually Jews who converted to Islam centuries ago. Yet Zionist Christians support the ethnic cleansing by cheering Israel's human rights violations and war-crimes, and by rewriting history to delegitimise Palestinian history and the right of Palestinians to their own land. The Palestinian Nakba and ongoing ethnic cleansing has directly resulted in attacks on Israel and the creation of terrorist groups. These groups only formed in response to the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestine. The genocide that is sponsored, supported and cheered on by Zionist Christians.

The attacks on Islam in Western nations such as Australia and Britain, is a response to fear of Islamic extremism and terrorism. It's one thing to condemn terrorism, but another to attack innocent Muslims trying to live a normal life.

Why attack the burqa? Self-proclaimed experts in Islam will state that Muslims are not required to wear burqas or head-coverings. What arrogance to tell others how they should worship. Plank/speck ... Remember that the bible does tell women to cover their heads, yet how many Christian women do so? 1 Corinthians 11:5-6, 'But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered'.

Christians should know better than to be driven by fear. 1 John 4:18, 'There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love'.

Christians who preach or practice intolerance and hate are not acting in love, they are nothing but clanging cymbals. 1 Corinthians 13:1, 'Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal'.

People respond in kind to how they're treated. Treat people with hatred & violence, they respond with hatred & violence. Show love, they respond with love ... you reap what you sow.

Francis of Assisi stated 'preach the Gospel, if necessary, use words'.

The one message from the Gospels is LOVE. Love God, Love Others. (Matthew 22:27).

If you're not loving others, you are not preaching the Gospel.

Christianity has enough issues of its own. Before attacking others with mindless, ignorant and often false allegations, clean up your own mess. Get your own life right. Live the life of love that Jesus commanded you to. Be an example to the world.

Christians are called to be tolerant of others. Romans 14 expounds on not judging others and in particular, be accountable for your own actions rather than attacking the actions of others. Verses 12 and 13 state, 'So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore'.

Rather than attacking others and opposing people we disagree with, Romans 14:19 tells us to pursue peace: 'Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another'.

Islam is the religion of peace. Christianity is the religion of love. Both religions are founded on peace and love. Who are Christians to criticise those who follow a religion founded on much of the same tenets as their own?

Matthews 5:14-16, 'Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven'.

Be the shining light of love to the world, don't smother love under a bushel of bigotry.

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Other articles

This is one of a number of articles in the 'Remove the plank' series, regarding the hypocrisy of criticising Islam. Other articles include:

• Bacon and dregs - Pork wars and Christianity
• Truth and lies - Taqiyya in Islam and Christianity
• Was Muhammad a pedophile?
• Religion of Peace & Love?