Feb012007

Flag burning

Tagged: ,

I hate watching TV sometimes. Today’s case in point: 9am with David and Kim and the likes of Today Tonight.

First, 9am. David mentions something about this day in history being the day that the Dutch discovered Australia. Shortly after, Kim studiously reads off her prompter about a new music video released by Anthony Mundine that features John Howard’s photo being ripped up and burned as well as the Union Jack being set alight.

That’s fine. Except that Kim riffed about how malleable history is and how we’ve come to celebrate the British discovering Australia. And how the Aborigines would rather it be called an invasion. First of all, what is celebrated is the colonisation of Australia and the events leading up to that. Yes, the Dutch found Australia but they did not try to live here otherwise we might be speaking a different language and celebrating Australia Day on a different day.

I’m glad they don’t live in my suburb

Second, to assume that Aborigines want it to be labelled as an invasion doesn’t sit well with me. I am probably the least knowledgeable person about Aboriginal affairs but it seems sort of xenophobic to assume most of them hold a grudge against the British and would like the history books to be re-written. Tell me if I’m wrong in believing that going back and labelling it as an invasion is just incendiary and time would be better spent fixing the problems today in Aboriginal affairs.

On to Mundine’s music video. Kim clearly reads the news report as burning the Union Jack but when asked by David, she says that the video shows both the Union Jack and the Australian flag being burnt. It sort of hurts my head to see she cannot remember what she read just seconds ago. Again, more armchair politics ensue and Kim makes vague reference to her fear and distrust of hip-hop and a person who knocks other people unconscious for a living.

Why does YouTube cop all the blame?

Today Tonight put some interesting spin on it by running the Mundine video straight after a story about problem teens putting their crimes on YouTube. Because committing and glorifying crime is much the same as a boxer making ham-fisted political statements. Then came the finger wagging because Today Tonight had been running a “Fly The Flag” campaign after Big Day Out’s organisers ask that people do not use the flag as a symbol of hate.

I’m probably wrong but…

I’ve always likened flag burning to having the flag at half-mast; both should signify that something has gone horribly wrong in some way. If the people of your country are burning their flag, then they have lost faith in the government that acts in the name of this flag. It should stir up the patriot inside you and make you think, “Holy shit, what can I do to have these people believe in the flag once again?” It shouldn’t make you demand that everyone salute the flag regardless of what it can represent.

Anthony Mundine burns the Union Jack. So what? He’s merely feeding off misguided political sentiments to sell records. Firing a handgun madly into the air whilst he yells madly into the night because things are just not fair. Nothing productive gets done and it just gets people from both sides of the fence angry.

God, I sound like an editorial

I agree with the Big Day Out organisers and I think it was very brave to say that the Australian flag has been used by racists or white supremacists to forward their agendas. Committing hate crime in the name of the Australian flag is much worse than any flame you can put to it.

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5 comments »

karan

It’s a tricky, I think, and not one I entirely grasp either, but I do think that the aboriginals would like the events to be recognised for what they were. Fixing today’s problems is all well and good, but if the sense that they as a people have been exploited and otherwise maltreated, the sense of injustice will remain. It’s hard enough to wring an apology for clear and documented injustice that was the “stolen generation”; doing so for more ancient grievances might be even harder, but it does need to happen in order for an important issue in the Aboriginal collective concious to be cleared.

The thing with the flag is that it’s giving a binding sense of identity to those who lack it; Australians can neither identify with the long history of the English, nor the more recent American achievements. What makes “Aussie” culture? The shrimp on the barbie? Nationalistic sentiment, almost instinctive, finds a focus point on the flag. Only the acheivements of sportsmen and the legendary Anzacs provide a sense of community spirit, and theirs are associated with the flag flying. The other thing is that no hate crime has been committed in the name of the flag; it is merely a symbol hijacked by those with a political agenda by and large rejected by the mainstream.

People who consider their position on things would think along similar lines to you re the flag burning. However, people who react emotionally see a symbol that ties into their way of life being defiled, and in this symbolic act they take insult. Their position is not to ask why, but to demand retribution for the “attack” on their “values”. Values is a fuzzy thing, and fuzzy things tend to cause emotional reactions.

Either way, the issue is a complex one, and not helped by the intense media focus.
me

just testing to see if your comments thingy works
Daniel

Y’know, I reckon we might consider a new flag and anthem. Take a while to write, though.
Dennis

That’s a really interesting point you make about people assuming how aboriginal people feel about Australia/invasion day. I’m guilty of making similar assumptions and stereotypes. oops.. :S

It’s impossible to undo the wrongs and injustices of previous generations… and we can’t say ‘sorry’ on their behalf. Let’s all move forward… Being bitter about the past isn’t going to help anybody.

About Mundine though… I find flag burning pretty offensive myself. In Mundine’s case though it seems much more like a display of his own personal frustration as opposed to a political statement.

I feel sorry for him.
AkaiChou

Just going off a slight tangent, a little bit of stereotyping is ok. Everyone uses a little bit of stereotyping to help analyse and understand situations, people, cultures, etc quickly. (Simple e.g. she is wearing a hijab, she is muslim, she won’t eat pork, don’t offer her pork.)

Over-stereotyping is bad, and in extreme cases results in ethnocentrism / xenophobia / racism. (E.g. “Bloody chinks! Stop stealing our jobs and go home!” “Not until you do, convict boy!”;)

Anyway! My point is, Dennis, it’s ok to stereotype. *pat pat*
Hell, stereotypes are based on a little truth anyway!

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