A question of identity

This past week, John Howard's government has extracted his retribution on the the Australian Muslim population and demanded his strict thought discipline that he imposes on all in his party. I won't go into it in much detail (you can search the MSM for the story). Just to put my characterisation on it, what he did was summons a carefully staged, choreographed and scripted gathering of Muslim "leaders" to hear their oaths of homage, fealty and contrition. This to make Howard look both like the loving father and the moral leader that I am sure he honestly wants to be, in the worse way. And I fear that is the way he's chosen. Frankly, to me, it looked too much like Massah calling in a group of House Niggers to get their complicity in taking action against some obstreperous Field Niggers. And it will probably get the same result.

But it could be that more good will come of the exercise than some of us fear, and I look forward to watching what creative juices flow from the lashing. For one, there's been another public airing of just what all the blending of traditions in modern life is all about. In this respect, it seems the ancient prejudices are pretty close to the sleeve of Europeans, and that their models of multiculturalism are not working as well as they could. http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/blind-faith/2005/08/26/1124563028951.html

For another thing, it looks like maybe the Americans have got it right on this one, at least more right than other places. http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/us-leap-of-faith-has-happy-landing/2005/08/26/1124563027301.html That'll be sure to get right up the nose of those anti-American folks.

Acknowledgements to Lissa Bockrath for use of her imagery: http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bockrathgallery.com/lissa/Blurred_Reality/Bockrath.TheMeltingPot.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bockrathgallery.com/lissa/Blurred_Reality/lissa_bockrath_blurred_reality.htm&h=258&w=395&sz=54&tbnid=bdYq_-0Dr9AJ:&tbnh=78&tbnw=120&hl=en&start=149&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmelting%2Bpot%26start%3D140%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN