The debate over Indigenous recognition in the Constitution might take a new angle.
The words of ‘Acknowledgement to Country’ could be inserted, with a slight amendment.
‘The Commonwealth and States acknowledge the traditional custodians’ could replace ‘We acknowledge…’.
The words are well known around Australia, maybe learnt by heart, and would most likely therefore pass at a referendum.
This insertion could take place at a new section 0.1 or in the old section 127, where the text was removed in the 1967 referendum on Indigenous census.
So we are not going with “We here by declare, through lawful conquest…” cause ours is catchier
Where is conquest lawful Chris?
So the native people of South Africa are the Khoe-San. They only inhabited 20% of the land since most of South Africa has no natural water sources.
The Boer arrived with well digging technology, and to avoid conflict, they inhabited the dry 80%. The Boer and Khoe-San began trading.
A century latter, when the Boer had built up infrastructure, the Zulu invaded from the north and began trying to kill off both the Boer and the Khoe-San.
Eventually they took over a lot of land through sheer numbers and it became an uneasy stalemate.
Then the English spent a century repeatedly warring with all three tribes there until the English invented the first concentration camp, captured the Boer women and children, and began starving them to death, forcing the Boer men to surrender, and the English formed the Union of South Africa.
The English invented Apartheid, it was an extension of the system they were using in India.
So today, the Zulu are in charge and they refuse to recognise the Khoe-San as indigenous, and have racist law against the Boer design to drive them into poverty.
Now given your stance Rod, would you have us drive the Zulu out of South Africa and force the English to pay the Boer and Khoe-San reparations. Because I’m totally on board with that idea.
If you want to kick the Angles and Saxons (and new comers) out of Britain and give it back to the Celts, I’m on board with that too.
Now let’s talk about Israel!
Lawful conquest. What , like Germany and Japan ? They’re doing alright today arnt they. They got a treaty after being conquested. We’re not still over there blowing up their churches and turning their parks and gardens into tourist resorts. Or forcing them to live on a postage stamp of their land while we use the rest for ourselves are we.
So for one, Germany and Japan surrendered.
For two, Germany and Japan are still occupied by the Allied military forces who never left.
Thirdly, go checkout how many women get raped in Germany and Japan each year by US soldiers.
And fourthly, if you want to know what the allied forces did to the Germany civilians after the war, go read, listen to, or watch Hell Storm.
The book Hell Storm is full of eye witness accounts and legal testimonies about the crimes against humanity committed against the Germany people for the 10 years after the war.
To get you started, in the first year, the allies killed 10 million of them. Mostly by putting them in camps and starving them to death.
But you won’t cause the winners write the history books and that’s more comfortable for you.
Therefore the British conquered Australia and were nice enough not to genocide the Aboriginals dispute how many unarmed people the Aboriginals killed.
And by the way, Japan is not doing alright today. That constitution that was forced on them at the end of the war is leading to their extinction. You might want to go check that out too,but you won’t.
So Chris you are talking about those poor white farmers oppressed in South Africa? Give us a break and stop trying to justify apartheid as practiced in South Africa.
I’m not. The English should never have put the Boer in that impossible situation.
The point is,, it’s time they got a hand up. They’ve had a foot squashed on their back for a long time now to keep them down. Why is that ? There’s nothing to be afraid of. We’ve got everything to gain by helping them . Help the battler . The real Australian way . No farmers are going to lose their farm . That’s not going to happen . So what are we waiting for ? The oldest living continuous culture in the world . Imagine how much we can learn off them if we give them a chance to show us… They want to show us. It’s part of their culture to spread knowledge . As long as we’re respectful about receiving it.. Like anyone , anywhere , if you’re disrespectful to them , , you miss out.. Even preschool kids know how to show respect , so they get it back from the teacher and their friends . The first lesson in life. Learn how to share .