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Ross Anderson's avatar

Powerful writing. And absolutely on point. In New Zealand we are feeling the same way. Antipodeans of all stripes are caught in the crosshairs of this genocidal barbarism continuing unabated powerlessness to stop it and as angry as we are about it the confusion of babbled responses from our political class is baffling and utterly heartbreaking.

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Adrian Jackson's avatar

I could sort of understand the 'small target' strategy Labor used to ensure victory at the last election. What I cannot fathom is the determination to continue some of Morrison's worst policies - the AUKUS disaster, the persecution of whistleblowers, green-lighting unnecessary mining projects (including fracking, for heaven's sake), ignoring the chance to punish the big accounting firms who bled the Treasury dry, then doubled up by selling their clients tips on how to beat the ATO's next moves.

Worst of all, the toothless tiger that is the NACC has made a mockery of any notions of accountability and integrity in government. So much for the crocodile tears shed for the victims of the illegal Robodebt scheme, when its architects go unpunished, allowed to keep their fat pensions and 'earn' fat consultancy fees in the private sector.

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Gwen Velge's avatar

Great piece, great writing.

I am just uneasy with terms like ‘Australian DNA’ or ‘un-Australian’. These are terms that are better suited to the political project you reject. Nothing has ‘fixed identity’ that’s why we struggle on ✊. And then of course, Australia’s own past isn’t exactly free of invasion, occupation or genocide. The rule I give myself when talking about Israel is that I don’t say anything I wouldn’t say about Australia.

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Ching's avatar

Nailed it.

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Robert K Wright's avatar

I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment but way overwritten with many punctuation mistakes.

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Res Nullius's avatar

Does anyone know if there's any truth to the story I've been hearing (from overseas media) that Home Affairs refused visas to two Israeli citizens because they are IDF soldiers? Is there anything to this, or is it just a beatup?

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Kaylie Weir's avatar

They had to go through the same procedure and paperwork as all foreign soldiers but of course because they are Israeli, impunity was expected.

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Res Nullius's avatar

Yes, that is what I gathered from my reading too. I wonder if this is a one-off thing, or is the government showing the beginnings of growing a spine?

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blindboy's avatar

There is a difference between trying to moderate an opinion about the genocide to avoid raising the temperature and abdicating any valid point of view. You seem to be doing the latter. It is always appropriate to state an opinion in restrained, non-emotive language. To equate Australia's history to Israel's present merely obscures the reality of both.

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