Cronulla: Mass Psychology and Violence
Dec. 13th, 2005 09:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tcpipAs violence rocks Sydney and shock-jocks claim responsibility (He assured his huge audience he "understood" why that famous text message went out and he read it right through again on air. "Come to Cronulla this weekend to take revenge. This Sunday every Aussie in the Shire get down to North Cronulla to support the Leb and wog bashing day …")
An ethnic gang beats up some life-savers because they are the wrong "colour". Five thousand thug descend on the area and pelt innocent women with beer bottles because they "look mid-eastern". More violence continues overnight. I find myself arguing with people (and I use that term loosely) on usenet who claim that this is the beginnings of the "White Revolution" against multiculturalism.
What is the problem here? The problem is about assigning group characteristics to individual actions. The problem is seeking group membership to the violent exclusion of others. Beating up lifesavers because they are not Lebanese is the same idiotic violence as pelting women with beer-bottles because they look like they might be.
Of course, because he is a racist, the Prime Minister won't call it racism.
Interestingly, the Redfern riots were marked by their lack of racism even if they were carried out by one ethnic group - their target were the forces of authority ("You could interview every Aboriginal kid down there that comes from The Block, and the majority will tell you to your face... that they've all been bashed by the police," said Lyle Munro.)
I'm sick to death of this stupid country.
EDIT
An eye-witness account, why Melbourne doesn't have this problem. On the question of "ethnic rapes". The cause? Monoculturalism.
An ethnic gang beats up some life-savers because they are the wrong "colour". Five thousand thug descend on the area and pelt innocent women with beer bottles because they "look mid-eastern". More violence continues overnight. I find myself arguing with people (and I use that term loosely) on usenet who claim that this is the beginnings of the "White Revolution" against multiculturalism.
What is the problem here? The problem is about assigning group characteristics to individual actions. The problem is seeking group membership to the violent exclusion of others. Beating up lifesavers because they are not Lebanese is the same idiotic violence as pelting women with beer-bottles because they look like they might be.
Of course, because he is a racist, the Prime Minister won't call it racism.
Interestingly, the Redfern riots were marked by their lack of racism even if they were carried out by one ethnic group - their target were the forces of authority ("You could interview every Aboriginal kid down there that comes from The Block, and the majority will tell you to your face... that they've all been bashed by the police," said Lyle Munro.)
I'm sick to death of this stupid country.
EDIT
An eye-witness account, why Melbourne doesn't have this problem. On the question of "ethnic rapes". The cause? Monoculturalism.
no subject
Date: 2005-12-12 11:32 pm (UTC)I'm also realising how easy it is to shut myself off from things, it feels a bit like the first time Pauline Hanson got elected. I don't listen to shock jocks because they are bigots, I rarely watch any news or current affairs that is not on SBS or ABC, and so I miss out on both the media spin from certain angles and the callers who like to call up Jones and his ilk. In fact, the closest I come to any awareness of this is to watch Media Watch.
People may be dismissive of ivory towers, but we do seem to have pretty well established that racism and sexism are not to be tolerated, and we impress that upon on our students, which I think can only be a good thing.
Howard has probably convinced himself that his version of racism is completely acceptable and perfectly logical. It's not.
The solid towers of ivory
Date: 2005-12-12 11:42 pm (UTC)Interesting isn't it? For those who claim that racism is "natural" and "inevitable" there really isn't that much of it on a university campus, is there?
Sure, in some instances it is ham-fisted (such as bans on racist/sexist speech) but in the main, I find that because one must mix in tutorials etc and confront the issues in an intelligent manner, that any proir prejudices eventually dissipitate.
In a nutshell, education and intermingling does seem to work. I didn't see too many people with degrees engaged in either incident.
Re: The solid towers of ivory
Date: 2005-12-12 11:46 pm (UTC)Re: The solid towers of ivory
Date: 2005-12-13 12:10 am (UTC)Very good point.
Often it is difficult to describe the indirect benefits of education; in this case you have illustrated a case with great clarity.
People in Yrs7-10 are just coming to grips with adulthood and rampaging hormones. Prejudice mixed with fervour of youth isn't a good combination.
Re: The solid towers of ivory
Date: 2005-12-13 03:44 pm (UTC)So is eating meat raw.
Me, I prefer to be a civilised human being.
Re: The solid towers of ivory
Date: 2005-12-13 09:12 pm (UTC)Some anthropologists claim there was a time when each and every tribe considered others as a food source. Of course, that was prior to intermarriage.