Aboriginal socialism must end
Posted by John Humphreys on January 15, 2008
I am reading a book about aboriginal homelands (“Lands of Shame, by Helen Hughes) which has been both depressing and frustrating.
About 90,000 aboriginals live in “homelands”, which are an absolute disgrace to our nation. These soviet hovels were created by the trendy-left who wanted a separatist policy that isolates aboriginal homelands from the economic, social and cultural progress of Australia. The political structure in these homelands are nothing less than socialism, in the Nth Korean mould. There is no private property rights and society is controlled by the few people with political power. Unsurprisingly, the results have been the same as every other socialist experiment — poverty.
Unfortunately, the trendy-left are still in control of the agenda — defending their failed socialist experiments, stopping much-needed reform and ensuring that another generation of aboriginal children grow up without hope. It is disgusting.
I don’t care if they have good intentions. Poor people can’t eat good intentions. It is unforgivable to continue to promote aboriginal socialism despite all the overwhelming evidence that shows the consequences of socialism. For the sake of the next generation, the homelands must embrace private property rights and capitalism now.
UPDATE 17/01/08: I just wrote a related article over at the ALS blog.
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Terje Petersen said
Is it a good book, as in worth reading and promoting?
frogmatt3 said
You are not looking at the consequences of “socialism” in the homeland communities. We don’t have an adequate description for Traditional polotics in Australia. The poverty you are seeing results from white people deciding what is best for black people and interfering in local decision making structures. As long as we continue to operate from a Euro-centric frame of reference, we will never understand.
John Humphreys said
The consequences is exactly what I’m looking at… and it’s not pretty. Though not surprising either.
I don’t think poverty is caused by white people, black people, yellow people or any other colour. It is caused by bad policies.
One of the worst policy ideas that humanity has ever thought of was government control of land, resources and capital (socialism). It has failed everywhere that it has been tried — including the Cambodian Khmer Rouge, Mao’s China, Lenin & Stalin’s Russia, Nth Korea and the aboriginal homelands.
Native title simply isn’t enough. And neither is it enough to give control just to a handful of aboriginal people running a council and having all power. The land in the homelands should be given to the aboriginal people so that everybody has their own land, and then they can form communities in whatever way they prefer.
Land ownership is a right that everybody deserves, and this includes aboriginals living in remote rural communities.
frogmatt3 said
I am in agreement with everything there except the use of the word Socialism. The only thing remotely resembling socialism in remote communities is that of the community structure itself. Not the artificial structures placed and maintained by the government, nor the twisted structures that emerge when a few individuals are corrupted, but the real structure. The one that continues to endure after 40/ 60/ 120,000 years – anybodies guess really.
And your right about Native Title – it isn’t enough. In fact, it is being used as an instrument of colonialism like Land Rights before it. The fact of the matter is that Aboriginal people NEVER relinquished sovereignty, and Arthur Phillip had explicit directions from the Crown not to extend British sovereignty into Aboriginal Lands. There is no obligation for Aboriginal People to follow our laws what-so-ever. And as we speak, on many remote communities, the Original Land Owners are rejecting government policy and interference. In some ways the intervention may yet prove to be beneficial, but only because it has demonstrated just how monstrously incompetent the government really is. A bit like how Pauline Hanson inadvertently revealed aspects of the extent of racism in Australia.
John Humphreys said
To avoid language meaning nothing, I think there needs to be clear definitions of political words. By “socialism” I mean the political structure identified by Marx and many consequent socialist theorists and politicians: the control of resources by a non-voluntary governing body (ie a government).
Note that if the governing body was voluntary, and voluntarily acquired their resources, then that would be part of the political structure “liberalism”.
I should also be clear that what I’m worried about are the rights of aboriginal people, not the vague concept of an aboriginal nation. I believe community only makes sense when it is voluntary, and so it is vitally important to give each person the right to their own life, and then leave them free to make their own choices. Currently, aboriginal people in their socialist homelands are not free to control their own lives, but are pawns of their governing land councils and other non-voluntary bodies.