redneck-a-dope williams vs rudd

I've watched this develop and it is interesting. Firstly I am not a fan of either of these two. Williams creeps me out and I don't trust rudd - but that is just me.

From The Australian

"Williams has been in the spotlight for saying Australians are just "English rednecks" on David Letterman's US talk show.

Mr Rudd took offence, telling a radio show: "I think Robin Williams should go and spend a bit of time in Alabama before he frames comments about anyone being particularly redneck."

Robin Willaims retorted

"Nice comeback, way to go K-Rudd. How's the food on the plane? Good day," Williams said, speaking on Australian radio.

"Please let me come back to Australia without a cavity search, and if not I'd love to go to a strip club with you in New York."

Meanwhile

Mr Rudd's reference to Alabama and rednecks generated a terse response from Alabama governor Bob Riley.

"I'm not sure if Prime Minister Rudd has ever been to Alabama," Mr Riley responded in a statement. "If he has, he would know that Alabamians are decent, hard-working, creative people.

and the various Alabamian news webs and blogs ran red hot with this

"They did not hold back, with one accusing Rudd of making a "racial epithet" while another wrote "if it weren't for some Alabamians fighting in the war, the Australians would be speaking Japanese".

"I'm going to go to the zoo and punch a kangaroo in protest," another wrote on the Birmingham News site.

and the really interesting one

"Calling someone a redneck is the equivalent of a racial epithet," a reader wrote.

Rudd made the stupid error of be the big man with williams he should have used the classic line of "williams should stick with acting..." rather than go on the silly attack and bringing another group into it - namely the Alabamians.

Now that particular part of the world has seen disgusting behaviour against indigenous people, people of colour, immigrants and other disadvantaged groups, and that is a legacy that they live with. The people who have suffered because of redneckism are still there, still suffering and that cannot be pushed under the carpet. And rudd is way out of line defending the racism and treatment in australia of indigenous people, people of colour, immigrants and other disadvantaged groups, and that is a legacy that they live with. The people who have suffered because of redneckism are still there, still suffering and that cannot be pushed under the carpet.

Anyway, an interesting clash of the ...

closing the gaps in australia

Sometimes I come across something that really covers the major points well. This article is one of those excellent outlines that encompasses wide ranging sub-topics within the major topic. Think - what do we really know about what is happening over the ditch?

From Green Left an awesome site  "Human rights shame: Aboriginal people fighting back."

"In February 2008 — at the first session of parliament after he won government — Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered a moving apology to the Stolen Generations, the Aboriginal children abducted from their families last century as part of a policy of social engineering to extinguish the Aboriginal identity."

The speech carried the promise that, unlike the preceding Coalition government, the new Labor government was willing to address the ongoing oppression Aboriginal Australians have suffered since the British invaded in 1788.

But the grim reality is that Aboriginal people continue to suffer human rights abuses as horrific as any occurring anywhere in the world. The Rudd government is maintaining Coalition policies that are making the situation worse.

Furthermore, such is the institutional nature of anti-Aboriginal racism that these abuses would pass unnoticed were it not for the strong resistance of the Aboriginal people themselves.

Rudd promised to “close the gap” between Indigenous and non-Indigenous education and health outcomes. The gap is indeed glaring: Aboriginal life expectancy is 17 years less than that of other Australians.

However, Rudd’s policies have actually increased the gap."

It is interesting that rudd used the 'closing the gaps' line so quickly dropped by labour here when the racists starting making noises. And isn't it also interesting that in trying to better the situation they have actually made it worse. Why did that happen? Perhaps they should have talked to and worked with the aboriginal people to help empower them.

Go here to read the full article - it really is an eye-opener.