Pixelated Semantics

Esoterica

The ABC reports this morning that the number of cases of wrongful immigration detention (and deportation) being investigated has grown from one (Cornelia Rau) to more than 100. They report a "range of examples" where people who are often mentally ill and with poor English, have been "detained for weeks and months", and there "could also be other instances of women wrongly deported after failed marriages". This takes the matter out of the realm of "accident" and into a serious pattern of consistently abusive behaviour by authorities.

Also highly indicative today are remarks by the outgoing Australian ambassador the the US, who clearly has an issue on his mind, as he "denies Australia's relationship with the US is subservient and a threat to the national interest". He also decries "[pounding] our chests and [getting] into esoteric debates about closeness, independence and so on". Talking down notions of "independence" as an "esoteric debate" clearly shows how little independance from the US we actually enjoy - indeed, the implication seems to be that there is a degree of delusion in even expecting sovereignty. It seems to be completely contradictory that we have a strongly nationalist government who also find it necessary to defend American influence over our affairs - which it itself demonstates again that political viewpoints are a matter of expedience and soothing noises.

Item posted by AutoEditor at 8:37 am ::