Racism has sometimes partnered with capitalism. Other times, it has partnered with socialism, marxism, maoism, feudalism, tribalism, and if there was another system I bet it partnered with that, too. It has also partnered with religion, unionism, militarism, and indeed it seems that no aspect of human society is beyond its reach.

Sorry, but racism cannot be blamed on mere capitalism.

Howard is trying to roll back federal landrights legislation that has been in place since the seventies and with a jack boot charge like this take control of aboriginal communities, totally disenfranchise them, destroy their collective control over land use and steal the resources of their land — coal, uranium, oil, etc.

Mining natural resources in Australia is always battle over land rights.

This plan was launched one day after a cop was cleared of manslaughter of an indigenous man after a 2 and half year campaign by Aboriginal communities and their supporters to even get the copper charged! It’s our Rodney King you see…And five years ago this same government abolished ATSIC the national indigenous authority formally run by aboriginal men and women.

But don’t be fooled by the rhetoric — funding to indigenous communities in housing, health and education– is way way below national averages and the squalor in these communities as is the morbidity and infant mortality figures are horrific even by third world standards.

You have to imagine how devastating this is to a impoverished and marginalised people who daily have to struggle against racist disenpowerment.

Of course child abuse exists within the aboriginal communities as does alcoholism and family violence — but where does that come from eh? Whats’ the social and economic context?

I spent yesterday with the Indigenous community here in Brisbane at a major community gathering –and people were very angry because they can so easily see through the lies.

Anyway for background and reports check out this link. I’ll be archive what’s relevant.