autonomous alternatives to the statist quo | a collection of Anarchist blogs
This is the global Anarchoblogs. It collects articles from many smaller community hubs within the Anarchoblogs network. For stories from particular places, groups, or other communities within our movement, check out some of these sites.
racism
For a detailed unraveling of hasbarah (Israeli public diplomacy) and the false appropriation of prejudicial mythology, here is Sidney Levy, of Jewish Voices for Peace:
“A special prejudice appropriation prize goes to the fake-BBC commercial, where a fake-reporter shares with you a supposed myth about Israel: “This is the camel. The camel is a typical Israeli [...]
Reactions to the whistle-blowing of Louise Perrett have continued, the Cross Party Group on Human Rights at the Welsh Assembly recently had Louise give a talk on her experiences. This has led to Bethan Jenkins AM to call for an investigation into UKBA racism whilst demanding:
“a halt to any deportations planned as a consequence of the [...]
An article in today’s Guardian, has added extra meaning to our protest outside the UKBA this afternoon. Louise Perrett worked as a case owner at the UK Border Agency office in Cardiff for three and a half months last summer. Due to her experiences of her time in the agency she has risked breaching the [...]
The Scottish Defence League: an apology.
This month's edition of Cato Unbound tackles one of the most interesting questions historians have: Where did modernity come from? Stephen Davies leads off with a revision and synthesis of several classical liberal theories about the issue; his essay has attracted a friendly critique from Jack Goldstone, one of the...(Linked Friday 2009-11-13.)
This might just be the most kick ass song ever recorded. It's a show tune, but the show ain't been written for it yet. Hopefully, a team of writers somewhere is working on that.(Linked Friday 2009-11-13.)
In “Daddy Issues,” Dennis Perrin wonders why we offer our presidents not merely obedience but also filial piety: What is it that makes Americans feel a family connection to the presidency? Yes, we are indoctrinated from birth about our unique goodness, our special qualities; and yes, the president is viewed...(Linked Friday 2009-11-13.)
Jewish Appeal to Support the Goldstone Report The primary author of the recently released UN Report on Gaza, the internationally respected jurist Richard Goldstone, has been attacked by establishment voices within the Jewish community. When those within a community try to “excommunicate” and dishonor a truth-teller, it is our obligation and responsibility to speak out vehemently [...]
As posted originally on Slackbastard.org. I strongly suggest following the links and even checked out some of the other stuff on his site to understand these people.
Above : Australian band ‘Open Season’ play a right ‘orrible song called ‘Australian National Socialist’. Open Season played Melbourne on September 12; the band is scheduled to play next year on the Gold Coast (a few days before Adolf Hitler’s birthday), along with Melbourne band ‘Ravenous’ and, apparently, a foreign group of neo-Nazi string-pluckers, tub-thumpers and warblers. Oh yeah: some of Open Season’s other song titles include ‘Kill the Poofs’ and ‘Nigger Hunt’, which suggests — and I admit that I could be wrong — that the boys may harbour some degree of hostility towards homosexuals and blacks…
White supremacist group operating in Adelaide
Sam Rodrigues
The Advertiser
November 3, 2009
AS racial tensions in Adelaide escalate, a white supremacist group is planning family fun days and using music to lure young people to its cause.
[See : Adelaide : City of Churches (And White Power), October 13, 2009.]
The South Australian chapter of “white racialist” group Blood and Honour Australia will hold a Christmas barbecue for like-minded people this month, in a “family-friendly environment”.
The group is promoting the event as its “white Xmas”.
The like-minded apparently excludes Asians, Africans, Indians, Jews, Arabs and other racial groups, as well as those with partners from these groups.
The national group, linked to international chapters, promotes music as the “powerful medium” of white resistance.
“We hold regular gigs around Australia for all those interested to attend and subsequently help a strong resistance grow,” its website said. “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”
Social Inclusion Commissioner Monsignor David Cappo has highlighted racism as a growing issue.
YouTube clips linked to Blood and Honour Australia feature violent clashes and highlight anti-Australia protests overseas – apparently to justify vilifying ethnic groups.
“In these dark times it’s our children’s future that is paramount and ultimately that’s what we’re all working for,” the website said. The group also holds regular “community building functions”.
Forums on its website and others linked to it have drawn comment on the stabbing death of Sudanese father Akol “Alex” Akok, 25, at suburban Ottoway last month. A spokesman for acting state Multicultural Affairs Minister Paul Holloway said he was reluctant to comment and give publicity to any such group.
Police could not say if they were monitoring the group, or its website. The group did not respond to interview requests yesterday.
Blood and Honour South Australian Section did not respond to email requests from The Advertiser for comment yesterday.
Melbourne media reported this weekend on a meeting of the group attended by members from across the country, particularly Adelaide, describing it as “resembling a scene from Romper Stomper”.
Of course, anyone interested in finding out more about Blood & Honour Australia could do worse than examine their forum, hacked and uploaded onto Wikileaks in March. 76 members of the forum nominated Australia as their place of residence. See also : Nicole Hanley : For Blood & Honour, April 6, 2009.
Now I just gotta find out if there’s counter-demonstrations being organised in this fair city of mine.
Der U-Bahn war voll. Ich hatte aber ein Platz gefunden. In der Nähe von mir saß eine Deutschetouristengruppe. Sie quatscht untereinander. Ein Mann mitteln Alters steigt ein, guckt skeptisch rum, und endlich nehmt er einen Platz zwischen mir und der Gruppe. Er ist größ und rund und etwas fröhlich und lustig. Er hat wilde, blonde, lockige Haare unter einer Baseballkappe und sieht sich wie ein größ Kind an. Er sieht ein bisschen wie Michael Moore aus, aber ohne Selbstbewusstsein.
Er fangt mit der Gruppe zu quatschen an, ein bisschen wie ein Clown. Ich höre nicht zu aber zufällig beachte ich das laute Lachen einem Mädel der Gruppe. Ich interessiere mich nicht dafür, aber ich merke dann dass er von „dem gefährlichen Kreuzberg“ und „den Türken“ redet.
Dann stoß er mich an und sagte „Wir müssen die warnen.“
Er erwartet ein Antwort oder mindestens ein Glucksen oder Nicken. Der Clown macht Witze. Er freut sich wenn das Mädel lacht.
Ich bin überrascht und desorientiert und habe keine Ahnung wie zu reagieren. Hält er mich für ein Deutscher? Gibt es kein Grund dann für meine tägliche Paranoia, dass ich wie ein Bunter Bund auffalle?
Ich erinnere daran dass ich gestern meinen Haar sehr kurz geschnitten habe, und dass ich heute vielleicht nicht so fremd aussehe. Aber es geht nicht darum!
Ich nehme ihn für kein Rechtsradikale an — und auch für keinen alten Nazi. Er ist auch nicht böse. Er trät keine politische Linie. Vielleicht wählt er CDU, aber wahrscheinlich hat er nur zwei mal in sein Leben überhaupt gewählt. Vielleicht jobt er ab und zu oder empfängt er Hartz IV. Er ist einfach einsam und will näher an Leuten kömmen, auch wenn er über sich Lustig macht. Und er drückt sich nicht vom Hass aus, eher vom Paranoia und von der Langweile.
Ich wusste das Alles aber noch nicht.
Ich merkte nocht nicht dass er nur von den Türken spricht, und nicht von den Auslander im Allgemeinen. Man kann dann nicht im Allgemeine antworten. Aber ich versuchte ein Weg zu finden.
„Warum müssen wir die warnen?“ antworte ich endlich in seine Richtung mit einer Frage.
„Sie kommen aus Stuttgart und fahren nach Kreuzberg.“
Der Clown sieht so aus, als ob der jeden Tag vor dem Fernseher sitzt und guckt die deutsche Äquivalenz zum Fox News an. Er liest nur Bild Zeitung und ist sehr spiesig. Wahrscheinlich verbringt er seine ganze Freizeit auf einem Garten und war nur zweimal im Ausland. Er geht bestimmt um 20 Uhr punktlich ins Bett mit weisse Socken angezogen.
So wie einem großen Kind, voll Angstlich vor der größe Welt.
Er reagiert auch nicht hart gegen mich, und stellt Kreuzberg dar wie ein Shauspieler von einem Wildwestfilm. Er ist sehr lebendig geworden. Er schwingt eine imaginäre Kette oder ein Seil über sein Kopf wie einen Cowboy oder einen Gangster. Er hat zweifellos zu viele New York Ganster Filme aus der 80er angeshauet. Er versucht Kreuzberg zu erklären. Die Mädel lacht wieder.
Er redet einfach öffenlich mit seinem vorurteilen, und wusste dass die Leute sich über ihn lustig machten.
Er merkte dass ich nicht mitspiele und frage mich, „Aus welchem Land kommst du?“
„Das ist Egal,“ antworte ich schnell.
„Aber es macht ein Unterschied aus welchem Land mann kommt. Ich weiss nicht neben wem ich in der U-Bahn sitze.“ Ich versuche das „Gut Auslander/Schlecht Auslander“ Spiel zu vermeiden.
Ohne wissen ob ich seine Paranoia oder eher seine Darstellung von Türken kritisieren sollte, fange ich etwas orientierungslos an. „Ich habe nie gewalt in Kreuzberg erlebt. Es gibt viele gewalte Deutschen.“
„Aber ich bin nicht gewalttätig.“ Er spricht leise und ist überhaupt nicht wütend oder defensiv.
„Ja, das ist der Punkt.“ Ich sprach gegen eine Allgemeinerung, aber es war der falsche Punkt, weil er verallgemeinert nicht. Und rassismus braucht keine Verallgemeinerung. Er würde zugeben, dass nicht jede Türke eine Kette über sein Kopf schwingt.
Darum geht es nicht. Das Dekonstruktion vom Verallgemeinierung ist keine antirassismus.
Aber ich rede zielos weiter. „Es gibt viele Deutschen, die Leute auf der Strasse prügeln und angreiffen. Es gibt viele Stadteilen in den ich ungerne rumlaufen würde.. nähmlich Lichtenberg, wo ganz viele gewalte Deutschen wohnen.“
Er gibt mich zu. „Das ist eine rechtsradikale Ecke.“
Es war solche eine Unterhaltung wo Mann überhaupt nicht vorbereitet ist, und versucht einerseits diese Rassismus zu bekämpfen (erfolglos), andererseits die Sicherheitsparanoia zu delegitimieren.
Und rr macht denn weiter mit dem sicherheitsparanoia. „Es ist oft gefährlich hier in der U-Bahn.“ Er deutet auf die BVG-Sicherheitspersonell hin, die in der Nähe von uns waren, und sagte „Wir sind aber sicher.“
Ich dachte aber an der Vorfall von letzter Woche in Kreuzberg, wann zwei BVG-Kontrollen belästigt, beschimpft, und gewaltsam ein junge BVG-Fahrgäste mit Migranthintergrund angegriffen haben. Aber ich war schon am Hermannplatz und musste dann aussteigen.
Aber wegen solchen Unfälle gebe ich ihn zu. Kreuzberg ist gefährlich.
Xenophobia and Nationalist sabre rattling take up most of the debate about refugees. All to often these people, who for whatever reason have decided to uproot and leave their homes for greener pastures, are portrayed as sub-human, without the appropriate paperwork, they have no soul. Every Australian should be aware at the outrage and shock horror our most patriotic citizens have felt at the recent arrivals of boat people, the positions our politicians are taking, the cries against this horrible crime made by mostly Conservative, wealthy members of the community and the shear amount of rhetoric being used to score a few political points.
About a week ago I was with some friends and a few others. People were talking and the subject of refugees came up. I couldn’t believe my ears as I listened to these others talk of refugees as if they were sub-human. The conversation had quickly become polarised between two positions; a Conservative and a Liberal. The Conservative started smiling while announcing to the rest of the group that these refugees should all just be turned back in their boats. I asked why, and he happily explained that the more we let in, the more our lives would become, ’shit’. I wanted to explore this thought further, but I could already guess the answer, ‘we only have so many resources and so much space, not to mention that these refugees will all, immediately, start taking Centrelink cheques’. In other words, ‘my million dollar house in an exclusive suburb will be at risk if we allow too many to enter and they’ll live on welfare’ — which was surprising coming from an Italian whose own ethnicity faced the same discriminatory responses when they began arriving in this country. I didn’t even know where to begin to tackle this absurdity that is just one step away from ‘they’re destroying our nation’s identity!’ It more or less relied on at least two basic assumptions; refugees are here to mooch and they have nothing to offer society. Never mind that the forces which make a person uproot and risk life and limb to relocate themselves and their families somewhere else means that they want to work because they want to live. They are leaving their homes because it was so bad that they can no longer live as they wish. Refugees, at least the ones I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, have never wanted to live off welfare, precisely because they want to live. And again, all this makes me wonder about whether or not the same criticisms would be levelled against a large number of white refugees. Would they be welcomed with open arms, or would they be round up and sent back home?
Then there was the Liberal, who otherwise lived in a fantasy world. Granted, she took a position defending the refugees against the Conservative, but it was the manner in which she did so; she argued that the Australian economy was big enough to allow anyone in. In short, she made such a weak argument against the Conservative that she was shot down in seconds and made it impossible for the Anarchist in the room to point out not only the intrinsic racism in the arguments of the Conservative but also the particularly arrogant assumption underlying all calls for increased, ‘hard-line’ border security that the world will get up and move to Australia if we just open the borders. After all, people can’t resist coming to Australia even when there’s no reason to ‘begin again’ in their own country — and it should be well known that the energy and time needed to begin life over again, from nothing, is huge. It’s a huge commitment but that only becomes absolutely necessary when your world collapses around you and prevents you from providing that better world for your partner and your children or your Self.
And so I woke up this morning, ate my cereal, started making myself coffee and turned on the TV. The glow bathed the living room and the familiar breakfast TV voices echoed in my ears. The presenters are interviewing a 60 Minutes reporter on a piece that will be aired tonight regarding refugees and they all seem to be talking, in depth about the business operations of those that bring the ‘boat people’ to our shores.
The Reporter was smiling and talking while the presenters asked him questions. In short, he pointed out that the ‘boat people’ are ‘genuine’ refugees and he talked about those that bring the refugees to Australian shores. He explained that these were mostly fishermen who found they could make a better profit by taking people to Australia instead of fishing. It was pointed out that these people do not expect or even want to get to Australia; it is too dangerous. They hope to be picked up by the Australian border guards so the people they are transporting will be taken to Christmas Island, they will be given a decent meal, kept warm and then given a plane ride home. Are these people the evil monster’s that Kevin Rudd called them back a few months ago? Are they profiting of human misery? Sure, if you look at it from the perspective of, ‘Poor refugees, but they should wait in line while their world collapses around them instead of being goaded into doing something stupid be evil monsters’. But this perspective doesn’t quite sit well with reality. People want to get out and they want to get out now. For whatever reason, they are willing to take the risk of coming by boat to Australia because they need to leave. The ‘evil monster’ they turn to is a fisherman, just trying to make a living meanwhile the people, those poor refugees, are able to avoid much of the bureaucracy that may endanger their lives. What these refugees are doing is something courageous and what the people who take them are doing is something heroic.
Then there is the fact that most people miss. While crying ‘poor exploited boat person refugee who should have waited in line’ they ignore the fact that most of Australia’s refugees arrive by plane. I would even go so far as to hazard the assertion that all those who treat ‘boat people’ as subhuman (evidenced in the very titled afforded them), should really think twice about their position on the basis that it may, one day, come back to haunt them. After all, what happens if the lifestyle enjoyed in most of Australia suddenly goes to hell and many Australians look to escape? Will they want to wait in line? Will the rest of the world accept them or turn them back?
Borders and Border Protection are just codewords for xenophobia and do nothing but increase human suffering. The more people call out for ‘regulation’ and ‘tougher laws’ to ‘combat’ the arrival of ‘boat people’, we will be helping to increase human suffering and misery.
EDIT: Less than five minutes after posting this, I found the following:
Greens leader Bob Brown has told Channel Nine that if the Government wants to pursue a so-called “Indonesian solution” to deal with asylum seekers, it must seek assurances from the Indonesian government.
“I hope that Prime Minister Rudd will be calling on his Indonesian counterpart in Thailand to sign the international refugee conventions which guide basic ground rules for fast processing of asylum seekers,” he said.
Mr Brown says the Federal Government should be trying to improve detention conditions for asylum seekers in Indonesia.
“We’ve looked at the Australian-funded holding place in Indonesia, it’s got no power, it’s got none of the amenities we would expect for a decent jail, let alone a decent holding place,” he said.
“Some people are being held there for many years – five to 10 years – and that’s not acceptable.”
…
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has also defended the move, amid claims of extremely harsh conditions and beatings in Indonesian asylum seeker camps.
“We have carried out all of our obligations and continue to carry out all of our obligations,” Senator Conroy told Network Ten.
He says Australia has contributed almost $8 million this year towards improving conditions for asylum seekers being held in Indonesia.
So we’re taking people who have escaped one hell and thrown them into another. Three cheers for Nationalism!
