Guilty before proven otherwise

Just like Lady Macbeth's "damn spot," some Australian critics see that Australia has a great collective national guilt that it can never assuage. 

History matters

I was shocked by the vandalism of the statue of former British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, that stands in Parliament Square, London. I would like to know who was responsible, and what motivated their actions. 

In an interview with BBC Radio, Churchill's granddaughter, Emma Soames, said that her grandfather had often held views which "particularly now are regarded as unacceptable but weren't necessarily then." This is the current trend, to view history and historical figures through the prism of the present, which means judging them by the standards of the present. Vandalising or removing statues of historical figures is a manifestation of this. 

Soames also said that Sir Winston was a "powerful, complex man, with infinitely more good than bad in the ledger of his life."

She said if people were "so infuriated" by seeing the statue it may be "safer" in a museum. Have we now reached the stage where noisy activist groups have to be placated by removing anything from the public arena that might offend them, such as statues, street names, literature, films and television, and so on? Where do we draw the line? What criteria do they use to make these decisions?

To be consistent, have they canvassed the opinions of the millions of victims of communism if they feel upset by the elaborate tomb of Karl Marx, author of The Communist Manifesto. Marx was buried in a London cemetery. Speaking of Marx, the Marx Grave Trust, which maintains this monument, claims that he was "an opponent of slavery and racism." This is not true. Marx had an anti-Semitic streak, as his writings clearly attest. 

His writings contain derogatory statements about Jews, Black people, Mexicans, and Slavs. It must have taken real skill to write racist statements, yet have other people laud you as an opponent of racism. 

If Churchill's racism matters, then surely Marx's should also matter. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-53033550

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/marx-grave-trust-warns-threats-his-tomb-will-not-be-tolerated

https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-lefts-hatred-of-israel-began-with-karl-marx/

Cross purposes

Geelong played Hawthorn in a football match. Geelong won. A newspaper journalist who wrote a match report used an apostrophe incorrectly. Star player Gary Ablett is well known as an evangelical Christian. Hawthorn supporters booed him. While some commentators suggested that this was because he staged for a free kick in the previous game that these two teams played, others said the reason for it was that he liked rugby star Israel Folau's controversial Instagram post. After a meeting with league officials, Ablett unliked the post.

If so, then it seems that this is the result of the AFL's influence over millions of football fans around Australia. In recent years, it has thrown its weight behind trendy political causes such as legalising same sex marriage, pushing the normalisation of homosexuality through a gay pride round, and making it racist to criticise players from racial or ethnic minorities.

As well as a sporting organisation, it is also a a political activist group, and a self appointed arbiter of morality and ethics.

Like a tonne of bricks

The other day, during a television debate on Channel 10's Studio 10 programme, on changing the date of Australia Day, Kerri Anne Kennerley was accused of being racist for mentioning entrenched disadvantage and appalling social problems in many indigenous communities in Australia. Joe Hildebrand, who also regularly appears on Studio 10, cuts through the social media hysteria to show that Kennerley is actually correct. 

Not long after, Hildebrand himself was also attacked for defending Kennerley against the accusations of racism levelled against her. I'm glad to see that he is sticking up for himself. So he should. He studied history at one of the best university history departments in Australia, so his grasp of history should not be questioned. 

At a personal level, it breaks my heart to hear about these problems. On many key indicators, indigenous Australians are disadvantaged compared to non-indigenous Australia. Governments, the education system, the health system, and industry are working to close the gap. 

I write these words with a heavy heart. By all means, let's keep discussing these problems, do what we can to alleviate them, and correct past injustices. It will make Australia a better and more just society. Changing the date of Australia Day will merely be a symbolic gesture, and won't actually tangibly improve the situation. 

https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/joe-hildebrands-take-on-the-australia-day-date-debate/news-story/1bd2fce2810645eadb263e2c1f37314c

Lowering the standard

I hear with interest the news of the formation of a new radical leftist political party, the Victorian Socialists. They are planning to contest the state election, which will be held in November. Among other things, they want to replace the Victorian state flag with the Eureka flag, because they claim that it is outdated, and does not reflect modern Victoria. It was first used at the famous Eureka Stockade in 1854 at Ballarat, and since then has been used as a symbol of protest and democracy, and by the Labor movement.

Given that Socialists claim to oppose racism, I can't help but wonder if they are aware of the Eureka flag's association with racism. It started with the racism that Chinese miners experienced on the Victorian goldfields. This association has been continued by the flag's usage by various Australian white supremacist groups.

It seems to me that this is a pointless and counterproductive campaign. If it succeeded, it would merely replace a flag that offends some people with one that offends even more, and is not actually any more of a unifying symbol to everyday Victorians than the present flag. This sort of posturing plays well with the Socialists' support base in inner suburban Melbourne, but I dare say it is unlikely to get much traction with voters in urban growth corridors, or regional areas. 

Public Domain, Link

Evil versus evil

I love Australia, and I count myself blessed to be living here. Sadly, just as it is in other parts of the Western world, Neo-Nazism is on the rise here. Blood and Honour is one such group. Taking its name from the motto of the Hitler Youth, it is using the recent upsurge in anti-Islamist sentiment to embark on a recruitment drive.

When I saw this sticker affixed to a roadside safety barrier, I discovered that this group is active in my area. They organise underground skinhead music events and give their members combat training under their affiliated Combat 18 movement. The 18 in its name comes from the initials of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. A and H are the first and eighth letters of the Latin alphabet.

Knowing that this group is active and very likely running clandestine events in Melbourne makes me sick in the stomach. We have one set of extremists preparing to take on another set. Perhaps they envision one day battling Islamists on the streets of Melbourne. Whether it is white supremacist groups or Islamism, evil comes in many forms. We live in dangerous times.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/the-prowhite-gangs-spreading-race-hate-across-australia/story-fni0fee2-1227082897992