sometimes i’m still astounded at the utter bigotry our illustrious leader feels its appropriate to utter. and he’s so *smug* and self assured about it, so confident that he’s *not* a bigot, he’s just being perfectly *reasonable*. I hate the whole concept of citizenship, but given that we’ve made it necessary for a range of reasons, how he can talk about language requirements and australian history and VALUES being necessary for citizenship just disgusts me. that he can say that we should be proud of australian history is verging on outrageous, especially in the context on him using this as an argument to support a policy that is once again attempting to take us backward through histroy.
the concept of being “australian” if its going to be about anything should be about diversity and acceptance, two concepts of which john howard doesnt have the faintest understanding.
Right back at you, the baron. That smugness is of someone who has been able to win three elections on the understanding that the majority of Australians support values like cricket and white-anglo-ness, colonial pride et cetera … it\’s so frustrating to be an Australian who fervently disagrees with the Howard view of the world and corresponding policy! I contemplated organising an action where we all burn our passports* in a symbolic revocation of citizenship (i.e. to say publically that I/we don\’t want to be an Australian citizen if those values are what it is going to represent). But then I realised how disrespectful that would be to people who want to come here because Australia can provide safety from war and persecution (e.g. refugees), or to people who have had to fight invading powers in order to be citizens of their own nation (e.g. East Timor).
Still, I\’m up for burning *something*. Toast? ;-)
*Well, copies of our passports. We do want to actually be able to move to Overseasia, that utopia where everyone is happy, coffee coloured et cetera, when the time comes.
sometimes i’m still astounded at the utter bigotry our illustrious leader feels its appropriate to utter. and he’s so *smug* and self assured about it, so confident that he’s *not* a bigot, he’s just being perfectly *reasonable*. I hate the whole concept of citizenship, but given that we’ve made it necessary for a range of reasons, how he can talk about language requirements and australian history and VALUES being necessary for citizenship just disgusts me. that he can say that we should be proud of australian history is verging on outrageous, especially in the context on him using this as an argument to support a policy that is once again attempting to take us backward through histroy.
the concept of being “australian” if its going to be about anything should be about diversity and acceptance, two concepts of which john howard doesnt have the faintest understanding.
Comment by the baron — 9/18/2006 @ 7:54 pm
Right back at you, the baron. That smugness is of someone who has been able to win three elections on the understanding that the majority of Australians support values like cricket and white-anglo-ness, colonial pride et cetera … it\’s so frustrating to be an Australian who fervently disagrees with the Howard view of the world and corresponding policy! I contemplated organising an action where we all burn our passports* in a symbolic revocation of citizenship (i.e. to say publically that I/we don\’t want to be an Australian citizen if those values are what it is going to represent). But then I realised how disrespectful that would be to people who want to come here because Australia can provide safety from war and persecution (e.g. refugees), or to people who have had to fight invading powers in order to be citizens of their own nation (e.g. East Timor).
Still, I\’m up for burning *something*. Toast? ;-)
*Well, copies of our passports. We do want to actually be able to move to Overseasia, that utopia where everyone is happy, coffee coloured et cetera, when the time comes.
Comment by ann — 9/19/2006 @ 7:10 pm