Discussion»Questions»Life and Society» Do you think that despite anti-racism laws being enforced in most countries, racist feelings and subtle racist behaviour are still rampant?
You can legally regulate discrimination and racism, but you can't legislate it out of someone's heart. If someone is a racist or bigot down deep, that will remain - they just won't be able to act on their feelings without there being consequences.
Surveys in Australia show that 15% of its population is racist.
Our anti-racist laws greatly reduce the number and degree of crimes. According to the UN, Australia currently has the lowest record of racist incidents of any in the developed world. Most of this has been achieved through active funding of multi-cultural programs over the last 40 years which have promoted the values of integration and mutual appreciation and understanding. It doesn't solve everything by a long shot, but it makes a huge difference.
Despite this, the government was responsible for ten years of criminal mistreatment of boat-people locked up on islands belonging to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Conditions were so bad that twelve people died of treatable health issues and three committed suicide. All the children have been severely traumatised. The motive was to prevent people smugglers making a profit from bringing asylum seekers to Australia without identities or visas. Australians banded together in a class action to take their own government to the high court and won. The concentration camps have now been disbanded. The refugees are living at liberty on those islands, waiting for acceptance by other countries, but the local residents are not happy about their presence. Some have been kind, while others have been violent and cruel.
Despite Australia's anti-racism laws, the 15% racism finds expression in passive forms, such as neglect of circumstances that no decent culture would tolerate.
Micro-racisms also occur, usually due to ignorance, but sometimes as forms of passive-aggression.
The racism is not spread evenly. There are areas where there is none, areas where biases are mixed and divers, and some pockets where racism is very strong.
This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at June 16, 2018 6:31 PM MDT
The concentration camps haven't disbanded, just moved. If Interpol arrested ScoMo and Dutton and dragged them to The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity, no credible defence would be possible. Morrison is actually guilty of piracy as well.
Your first point - the new accommodation camps are shoddy which is bad, but they have no guards and no locks - the residents are free to come and go. I've seen the films of the old and new sites. Your second and third point - I completely agree and I wish Interpol would drag Dutton and Morrison to the Hague. It would give them the kind of wake up call they deserve. I love the flag in your avatar. It is exactly the design that I would vote for as a new flag when Australia becomes a republic, or even better when we finally have a treaty with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations.
Coleurs, professions, connctions to federal government. All can be made divisive and used as propaganda. It increasingly have been used that way over the past several generations. Trump is just the part above the waterline.
Of course it is. There's no discernible difference in colour between Hutu and Tutsi, but they'll fight to the death on sight. Ditto Sinhalese and Tamil (unless the Tamil can play cricket well). Race jokes. Subtle slurs or death stares. It's alive and well, just less overt than it used to be.
Sad to say, we all have certain prejudices. As much as I hate racism, i have caught myself feeling prejudicial towards some cultures. I need to come to grips about these feelings so i can correct myself. I truly believe the words of the apostle Peter when he said that "God is not partial, but in every nation the man who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him." ( acts 10:34,35)
This post was edited by Autumnleaves at June 13, 2018 11:02 PM MDT
Benedict Arnold 