Australia Day - 26th January?

[glantone]

what's your point, Lee, in posting this article? It covers quite a bit of turf.

The 1619 project is - from what I can gather – an academically and intellectually flawed attempt to completely and radically rewrite American history basing that rewriting almost entirely on slavery as the historic foundation and internal structure on which everything present day America is.

Wanting to change Australia Day is not a 1619 project nor is defacing or ripping down statues. The author fails to explore how the past shapes the present which itself becomes the past in a never ending process of transition. When new information or facts come to light our understanding of things past change. Statues come and go. Btw, I'm not one for tearing down statues - prefer real life heights, no pedestals and a dispassionate description of an individual's life, accomplishments, failures, warts and all.

Calling upon a sense of nostalgia as opposed to fact when reviewing our history is understandable but totally subjective and so has no place in our understanding of reality. What nostalgic moments or accomplishments could the indigenous communities sentimentalize over all thanks to Jan 26 1788?

The very last sentence ‘Society must regain clarity about how to draw a line between the present and the past to be able to face the future’ clearly implies that to ‘regain clarity’ we must have had it right sometime in the past and somehow lost that clarity. When in the past did we ever have a greater (edit: access) to understanding our world?

Interestingly 'fundermentalisms' work on the principle of restoring the thinking of the old days.

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

what's your point, Lee, in posting this article? It covers quite a bit of turf.

It has plenty of relevance to the thread. I've been posting for years about "historical revisionism", but on individual issues, without capturing the integrated scope of the movement. But I'm an IT worker, not a scholar. Not even a mention of "the left" in this!

The article clearly describes the intent of those behind the attempt to cancel Australia Day and how it is related to similar global phenomena, such as the push to eliminate words like mother/father/sister/brother/aunt/uncle.

"Through targeting a nation’s history... the campaigns... are not simply focused on ridding the world of physical objects but also detaching society from its past... The symbolic signposts that have given meaning to people’s lives across the centuries are now castigated as outdated relics that reflect the prejudices of the bad old days."

Expresses what I'm railing against far better than I'm capable of. You should be able to see now why January 1 will be totally unacceptable to the rabble-rousers as an alternative date. These things are destabilising the nation and sending it careering towards the lucky dip of republicanism (which too often turns out badly)... or worse.

People with their hearts in the right place are being hoodwinked.

 

[DavidSSS]

Australia Day characterised as Invasion Day.

Well, what happened on 26 Jan 1788 if not an invasion?

DS

 

[glantone]

It has plenty of relevance to the thread. I've been posting for years about "historical revisionism", but on individual issues, without capturing the integrated scope of the movement. But I'm an IT worker, not a scholar. Not even a mention of "the left" in this!

The article clearly describes the intent of those behind the attempt to cancel Australia Day and how it is related to similar global phenomena, such as the push to eliminate words like mother/father/sister/brother/aunt/uncle.

"Through targeting a nation’s history... the campaigns... are not simply focused on ridding the world of physical objects but also detaching society from its past... The symbolic signposts that have given meaning to people’s lives across the centuries are now castigated as outdated relics that reflect the prejudices of the bad old days."

Expresses what I'm railing against far better than I'm capable of. You should be able to see now why January 1 will be totally unacceptable to the rabble-rousers as an alternative date. These things are destabilising the nation and sending it careering towards the lucky dip of republicanism (which too often turns out badly)... or worse.

People with their hearts in the right place are being hoodwinked.

Oh ok, so the author is offering a wide net opinion piece. Guess it’s one way to earn a living.

How many people want to completely cancel Australia Day as a concept? And who on earth wants to eliminate words like mum and dad? Surely fringe movements.

I think I understand what you mean by ‘capturing the integrated scope of the movement’ and I agree with you to a point but that very lack of a nuanced understanding of history which you and the author so lament has perhaps also fuelled the ferocity for direct action against. The author totally fails to acknowledge and explore how the past shapes the present from any perspective other than his/her own.

For example ‘symbolic signposts giving meaning to people’s lives across centuries’ includes different meanings to different people. A black man is not going to marvel at the footsteps of a great white explorer or inventor or politician who was also a slaver of his people. What a stupid expectation. In our case, the indigenous people were not regarded as equal human beings until just 50 odd years ago so to sentimentalize a false or incomplete historical narrative (which was so vile to the indigenous peoples) for so long is to use the author’s own words ‘detaching society from its past’, if a truthful account of the past is what matters. Any major correction to that long held cherished view is bound to be painful for some I guess.

I think Australia day is really important for reasons previously posted but if it isn’t bringing the nation together as one then it’s failing its core reason for existing, and so corrective action needs to be taken. Digging in deeper and clinging on to incomplete narratives which are by default false narratives fuelling legitimate resentment and push back (forgetting the fringe lunatics) doesn’t seem like the best approach.

 

[AngryAnt]

Maybe give us a clue who wrote this.

It has plenty of relevance to the thread. I've been posting for years about "historical revisionism", but on individual issues, without capturing the integrated scope of the movement. But I'm an IT worker, not a scholar. Not even a mention of "the left" in this!

The article clearly describes the intent of those behind the attempt to cancel Australia Day and how it is related to similar global phenomena, such as the push to eliminate words like mother/father/sister/brother/aunt/uncle.

"Through targeting a nation’s history... the campaigns... are not simply focused on ridding the world of physical objects but also detaching society from its past... The symbolic signposts that have given meaning to people’s lives across the centuries are now castigated as outdated relics that reflect the prejudices of the bad old days."

Expresses what I'm railing against far better than I'm capable of. You should be able to see now why January 1 will be totally unacceptable to the rabble-rousers as an alternative date. These things are destabilising the nation and sending it careering towards the lucky dip of republicanism (which too often turns out badly)... or worse.

People with their hearts in the right place are being hoodwinked.

Would be good to know who actually wrote the article.

 

[bigwow]

Plays for Richmond, wears number 4, jingles when he walks, hates being called Dusty.

Surpisingly not listed here:

Famous People Named Dustin

Ever thought about how many famous people named Dustin are out there? This list of celebrities named Dustin will show you the most prominent people with that name, along with pictures and additional information about them when available. The famous Dustins below include actors named Dustin and...

www.ranker.com

 

[Legends of 2017]

Surpisingly not listed here:

Famous People Named Dustin

Ever thought about how many famous people named Dustin are out there? This list of celebrities named Dustin will show you the most prominent people with that name, along with pictures and additional information about them when available. The famous Dustins below include actors named Dustin and...

www.ranker.com

Not surprising at all. He shouldn’t be listed with lesser beings. He is in a league of his own

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

who on earth wants to eliminate words like mum and dad? Surely fringe movements.

Yes, a wacky cult.

A new proposal in the House of Representatives could eliminate gendered language from its rules

​

 

[DavidSSS]

I don't know who wrote that litany of straw people above but the talk of disconnecting people from their past is a bit rich given how this country has consistently, and for well over 200 years, made every effort to bury the fact that there is a history prior to 1788 in this country. Does he/she/it even acknowledge that this country has a history before white settlement?

DS

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

I don't know who wrote that litany of straw people above but the talk of disconnecting people from their past is a bit rich given how this country has consistently, and for well over 200 years, made every effort to bury the fact that there is a history prior to 1788 in this country. Does he/she/it even acknowledge that this country has a history before white settlement?

You're one of the few who understands very well what is taking place. You can feign ignorance but you don't fool me.

 

[Brodders17]

I don't know who wrote that litany of straw people above but the talk of disconnecting people from their past is a bit rich given how this country has consistently, and for well over 200 years, made every effort to bury the fact that there is a history prior to 1788 in this country. Does he/she/it even acknowledge that this country has a history before white settlement?

DS

As far as i could figure out the writer is saying we should ignore our history, but we must celebrate Australia Day on Jan 26 because of an event that happened 230 years ago.

 

[Djevv]

As far as i could figure out the writer is saying we should ignore our history, but we must celebrate Australia Day on Jan 26 because of an event that happened 230 years ago.

From my reading it was about the woke practice of attacking a country’s legitimacy by attacking its history. Trying to stigmatise Australia’s national day as ‘Invasion Day’ is just another example. That native people were treated poorly by colonial powers was well documented and Australia was no exception. The article makes the point that there is a blurring of the lines in terms of history. The people making the negative statements about history seem to imply that the bad things that happened to some of ones ancestors are the same as if they happened to you.

 

[tigerdell]

From my reading it was about the woke practice of attacking a country’s legitimacy by attacking its history. Trying to stigmatise Australia’s national day as ‘Invasion Day’ is just another example. That native people were treated poorly by colonial powers was well documented and Australia was no exception. The article makes the point that there is a blurring of the lines in terms of history. The people making the negative statements about history seem to imply that the bad things that happened to some of ones ancestors are the same as if they happened to you.

That's the opinion in the article.
But not the constantly stated opinion by the people who are seeking to change the date.
Or to tear down statues, not to pretend that such events/people never happened but to stop glorifying those people from history.

There isnt a blurring if lines in terms of history, instead its an acknowledgement that it happened in the past but it doesnt have to be the same today.

 

[22nd Man]

"Cook or another founding figure"
Your words

Don't forget that for those who demonise Cook, he got his come uppance at the hands of the Hawaians. They did the job on behalf of all colonised peoples. Maybe that would be an Australia Day option?
Interestingly the Hawain state flag still has a Union Jack. Would have thought that would be taboo in a nation that fought a war to remove the Brits.
Was thinking if those of us with convict ancestors could get an apology from the British govt for the cruel practice of deportation and hopefully some tangible compensation. And a return vovage and restoration of our British citizenship.

 

[YinnarTiger]

Traditionally, to my memory it was always the last Monday of January.

The USA followed us by holding their Superbowl on the same day.

After Kennett changed it to January 26 the USA also ceased the tradition of having their Superbowl on the same day.

Maybe we should change it to coincide with the USA superbowl? That way it will always be on a Monday and you won't have so many people in Australia taking extra days off to make super-long weekends.

 

[tigertim]

Traditionally, to my memory it was always the last Monday of January.

The USA followed us by holding their Superbowl on the same day.

After Kennett changed it to January 26 the USA also ceased the tradition of having their Superbowl on the same day.

Maybe we should change it to coincide with the USA superbowl? That way it will always be on a Monday and you won't have so many people in Australia taking extra days off to make super-long weekends.

How could Kennett change a national public holiday?

 

[YinnarTiger]

How could Kennett change a national public holiday?

He along with the NSW premier of the day pushed hard for the Federal government (Hawke?) to change it so that emloyers did not have to pay for a holiday that occurred on the weekend.

 

[tigertim]

He along with the NSW premier of the day pushed hard for the Federal government (Hawke?) to change it so that emloyers did not have to pay for a holiday that occurred on the weekend.

Ok, so Kennett didn’t change it to January 26.

“1994, when Australia Day was fixed to January 26, then-prime minister Paul Keating suggested the view each of us might form of our nation depended on individual perspectives and opportunities.”​

 

[MD Jazz]

Ok, so Kennett didn’t change it to January 26.

When does a statute of limitations apply to Kennett?? He seems to get blamed for all manner of issues. Someone will probably place him on the first fleet soon.

 

[tigertim]

When does a statute of limitations apply to Kennett?? He seems to get blamed for all manner of issues. Someone will probably place him on the first fleet soon.

This is the world on PRE, whatever happened we have to blame the Libs, not matter who is responsible.