The sewers of the mind

Is this type of racism used as a bonding thing amongst mates? Is it similar to the flag draped racism of Howard, where the language and symbolism of his peculiar brand of jingoistic nationalism was deployed to devastating effect against refugees and Muslims and Rudd did nothing to change it? Is it the same racism that elicits a sly smile at an Old Boys lunch or rural political party gathering?

Howard’s Mal Brough instituted a major attack on the rights and self respect of Aborigines for the same political purpose as Children Overboard and Jenny Macklin has perpetuated the offence through lack of imagination and courage. Pedestrian and paternalistic at best, she seems unable to comprehend that her policies are offensive and racist. No respect, no dialogue; it’s us up here and them down there, separate development, Bantu Board solutions in 2010 Australia.

Howard’s AFP acting on the many cues signalled by him and magnified by a loyal and zealous Kevin Andrews highlighted, for the world to see, the depth and official tolerance of Australian racism and xenophobia when they detained and harassed Dr Mohamed Haneef. Evidence against him was fraudulently concocted. He has never received an apology far less compensation. AFP police chief Keelty continued to conduct inquiries into Haneef long after he was found to have been vilified and wrongly detained. The treatment of Haneef may have encouraged attacks on Indian students.

Long after all support for Keelty, as head of the AFP, had evaporated Rudd continued to back him.

Australian racism is sneaky, it is practised in a way that mostly is deniable. Quite often its practitioners know it to be wrong, but they do it anyway. Why? Is it a way of expressing and releasing fear, of reinforcing and consolidating group membership? Howard and Rudd used it for political ends and by so doing condoned, if not encouraged a particularly perverse form of subterranean racism, surfacing from time to time in football clubs, Coogee, the Todd River and Palm Island.

The challenge is before the new Prime Minister Julia Gillard, not to use or condone this potent political force. She might move to end the intervention and look for processes of empowerment for Aborigines. She might send out an early signal by processing Afghan and Sri Lankan asylum seekers and pouring scorn on the shrill whinging and childish fears of the border protectionists.

However, her past record, when Opposition spokesperson on Immigration, and more recently as a member of Rudd’s kitchen cabinet, does not engender much confidence.