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October 5, 2013
For Australian conservatives an Australian government should put Australians first.
By this they mean that Australia is not going to kowtow to Indonesia. Boats will be turned back, and if Indonesia doesn't fall into line, all foreign aid should immediately be stopped as well. Australia needs to tell Indonesia that it is not going to accept boats from their country full of illegal immigrants. Indonesia must fall into line.
Bruce Petty
The above views are an expression of imperialism: that is, Australia's interests dominate those of its nation state's neighbours because it is the superior power; a superiority that incorporates nationalism and the old style racism--eg., the 'yellow hordes' of Asia--- and one that is premised on the hope of securing American backing for Australia's own interests in the Asia-Pacific region and to keep strong nation states at bay. Hence the Howard idea of the Australia's role as the deputy sheriff of the US.
The Australian imperialists are faced with the quandary: for the first time in its history, Australia's biggest trading partner, China. is also a threat to the military arrangements that have secured its growth over the past century. Sooner or later the rise of China and the determination of the US to hang onto its dominant position is going to lead to more military tensions. Australian conservatives are completely committed to the US strategy of containing China and defending US hegemony in the Asia-Pacific region.
Update
The racist undercurrent has shifted away from old style racism --natural racial hierarchy of some form plus beliefs akin to racial supremacy and racial separatism--and xenophobia. The newer racisms operate more through stereotypes regarding cultural traits of groups, or on notions of ‘alienness ’, 'outsider groups' and ‘otherness ’ to the national space of citizenship, nationality, and belonging.
A widely held assumption is that Anglo- Celtic Australians should have an unfettered right to express hostility to non-Whites, and to make statements on who should be allowed into the national space, and who should be recognised (culturally and legally) as a citizen. This gives rise to some cultural or ethnic groups being seen as not fitting into Australian society.--eg., Muslims, as well as Australians of Middle- Eastern origin.
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The cartoon isn't funny. It is racist. It isn't even drawn well.