Something showed up on
my Twitter feed recently which frustrated me and, truth be told, scared the
shit out of me. The discussion was on asylum seekers and this tweeter said that
in his opinion someone who has had a nose job and plastic surgery couldn’t be a
refugee. I was like, WTF? Is this really
how far we have deteriorated as a society that refugee status is now not
determined by the war and strife in your country of origin but by whether or
not you’ve had a nose job??
This same person said he didn’t believe that Muslims would flee to a Christian country because it was against all their principles. I responded that when you are fleeing death and destruction, anywhere will do as long as it’s safe. His response? “Yeah. Right.”
This LNP government and their puppet master Murdoch have damaged the thoughts of so many Aussies almost beyond belief. No longer can the “Aussie bloke” be considered kind and caring. Fit In or Fuck Off is their mantra, and they will use any sort of abuse and violence to support it. Never mind the fact that not a single one of them is any more than 5-6 generations removed from migrant status themselves. Never mind the fact that their own ancestors murdered and raped and plundered the Aboriginals who already lived here, took their children and then banished the remaining adults to rural and distant communities with little or no support so that inter-generational dependence on state and welfare has become the norm in far too many communities.
These are the fine Aussie blokes that Abbott and his cohorts preach to, implanting fear and stirring racist gutter tripe. And Twitter is by no means the only social media platform that this happens on. Egged on by mainstream media, and Murdoch press in particular, these fine Aussie blokes see nothing wrong with suggesting refugees should be left to drown. They see nothing wrong with sexist attacks on any woman who happens to be in public office. They see nothing wrong with bashing a gay man. They see nothing wrong with denying women in refugee “detention” sanitary products. They see nothing wrong with Campbell Newman’s continuing attacks on “bikies”, whether or not these “bikies” actually have any proven links to crime.
Some of these fine Aussie blokes probably also see nothing wrong with bashing their wives.
How many of these fine Aussie blokes consider themselves to be good family men? Because if they are then they should wholly support other men who will do whatever it takes to bring their own families to a country where their lives are not threatened daily by bullets and bombs.
How many of these fine Aussie blokes have ever stood up in a public forum for what they believe in? Or are they are simply ignorant cowards who will not front real people in person to rationally discuss their feelings and beliefs and will hide instead behind pseudonyms and non-de-plumes and take pride in their “troll” status.
How many of these fine Aussie blokes have ever really given a thought to what the country – and the planet – will look like for their grandchildren in years to come with the policies they support now? Racist, anti-environment, sexist policies which will have killed off any pretence of democracy, humanitarianism and sustainability.
How many of these fine Aussie blokes believe they are fine, upstanding citizens who are models of what all Aussie men should aspire to be? When in reality they don’t care where their hatred leads, as long as they can do some damage and inflict some pain.
How many of these fine Aussie blokes have attended a church recently? Because any of them who have, and then go out and spout their racist, sexist, genderist hatred are not Godly men.
Something else has been popping up on my Twitter feeds lately – and on Facebook, and no doubt on other social media. Memes warning these fine Aussie blokes that the upcoming Australia Day is about celebration of country, not hatred for everyone who does not fulfil their ideals of what model Australians should look, sound and think like. This Australia, consumed with a middle class hatred of anything that does not slot into the Aussie Ideal, is a result of the scaremongering of politicians such as Abbott, designed to keep these fine Aussie blokes in a state of agitation.
I know a lot of wonderful Aussie men who are not scared to stand up for what is right and decent. I also know that too many of those good men are attacked time and again by these fine Aussie trolls for no better reason that the trolls are blind followers of Abbottism and Murdochracy.
I will be waiting for Australia Day uneasily, because I believe that Abbott and his henchmen have stirred up so much hatred in this country that it will boil over eventually, and it will be worse than the Cronulla riots. I hope it won’t happen on a day this country is supposed to celebrate our national pride. It may not, but it won’t be too far away. It’s in the (political) cards.
This same person said he didn’t believe that Muslims would flee to a Christian country because it was against all their principles. I responded that when you are fleeing death and destruction, anywhere will do as long as it’s safe. His response? “Yeah. Right.”
This LNP government and their puppet master Murdoch have damaged the thoughts of so many Aussies almost beyond belief. No longer can the “Aussie bloke” be considered kind and caring. Fit In or Fuck Off is their mantra, and they will use any sort of abuse and violence to support it. Never mind the fact that not a single one of them is any more than 5-6 generations removed from migrant status themselves. Never mind the fact that their own ancestors murdered and raped and plundered the Aboriginals who already lived here, took their children and then banished the remaining adults to rural and distant communities with little or no support so that inter-generational dependence on state and welfare has become the norm in far too many communities.
These are the fine Aussie blokes that Abbott and his cohorts preach to, implanting fear and stirring racist gutter tripe. And Twitter is by no means the only social media platform that this happens on. Egged on by mainstream media, and Murdoch press in particular, these fine Aussie blokes see nothing wrong with suggesting refugees should be left to drown. They see nothing wrong with sexist attacks on any woman who happens to be in public office. They see nothing wrong with bashing a gay man. They see nothing wrong with denying women in refugee “detention” sanitary products. They see nothing wrong with Campbell Newman’s continuing attacks on “bikies”, whether or not these “bikies” actually have any proven links to crime.
Some of these fine Aussie blokes probably also see nothing wrong with bashing their wives.
How many of these fine Aussie blokes consider themselves to be good family men? Because if they are then they should wholly support other men who will do whatever it takes to bring their own families to a country where their lives are not threatened daily by bullets and bombs.
How many of these fine Aussie blokes have ever stood up in a public forum for what they believe in? Or are they are simply ignorant cowards who will not front real people in person to rationally discuss their feelings and beliefs and will hide instead behind pseudonyms and non-de-plumes and take pride in their “troll” status.
How many of these fine Aussie blokes have ever really given a thought to what the country – and the planet – will look like for their grandchildren in years to come with the policies they support now? Racist, anti-environment, sexist policies which will have killed off any pretence of democracy, humanitarianism and sustainability.
How many of these fine Aussie blokes believe they are fine, upstanding citizens who are models of what all Aussie men should aspire to be? When in reality they don’t care where their hatred leads, as long as they can do some damage and inflict some pain.
How many of these fine Aussie blokes have attended a church recently? Because any of them who have, and then go out and spout their racist, sexist, genderist hatred are not Godly men.
Something else has been popping up on my Twitter feeds lately – and on Facebook, and no doubt on other social media. Memes warning these fine Aussie blokes that the upcoming Australia Day is about celebration of country, not hatred for everyone who does not fulfil their ideals of what model Australians should look, sound and think like. This Australia, consumed with a middle class hatred of anything that does not slot into the Aussie Ideal, is a result of the scaremongering of politicians such as Abbott, designed to keep these fine Aussie blokes in a state of agitation.
I know a lot of wonderful Aussie men who are not scared to stand up for what is right and decent. I also know that too many of those good men are attacked time and again by these fine Aussie trolls for no better reason that the trolls are blind followers of Abbottism and Murdochracy.
I will be waiting for Australia Day uneasily, because I believe that Abbott and his henchmen have stirred up so much hatred in this country that it will boil over eventually, and it will be worse than the Cronulla riots. I hope it won’t happen on a day this country is supposed to celebrate our national pride. It may not, but it won’t be too far away. It’s in the (political) cards.
No comments:
Post a Comment