No asylum seekers were harmed in the production of this coffee inspired rant

I recently attended an event for International Refugee Week (sigh if you must), read John Menadue’s article ‘A new approach:  Breaking the stalemate on refugees and asylum seekers’ (http://cpd.org.au/2011/08/a-new-approach-breaking-australia’s-stalemate-on-refugees-and-asylum-seekers/), became increasingly annoyed by the media, and heard political point scoring on the issue of asylum seekers.  It’s an issue that has become wrapped up in teddy bear tears via Joe Hockey. Menadue’s policy briefing is comprehensive and I’m sure that many people have much more experience and skill than I, in achieving both immediate solutions for asylum seekers and practical long-term solutions. 

Now, after much coffee and discussion with my friends, I’ve decided to address one of the many issues that annoy me about the debate on asylum seekers.  Please note, this caffeine rant isn’t outlining practical policy.  It’s more about the fundamental philosophy of what I think.  It’s partly about personal responsibility.  I chose this small area, as its rarely one I’ve seen addressed in the media or by politicians.  Of course, in the delivery of this lecture, I’ll try to be as patronising and arrogant as I can.

If you have too much trust in the media or in many politicians, you could think that community groups and The Australian Greens support (and encourage) people smuggling.  The treatment of asylum seekers as exclusively an national security issue, and people smugglers as mere capitalists (attempting to benefit from the vulnerability of their clients), are two of the overly simplistic ways of thinking that ensure very little gets achieved in treating asylum seekers with empathy.

People fleeing violence and persecution:

• ·      Would possibly rather die, than live in their current situation of persecution in their ‘homeland’ (der!).  I’m not quoting resources here. It’s fucking obvious isn’t it?
• ·      Are not simply acting out of their own self-interest.  They are acting out of love for their families (although, I do realise that their children are not as special as your white children)
•       Are subject to the consequences of social and historical events, tied directly and indirectly to imperialism and capitalism (In simple terms, that makes you white people responsible, at least in part, for creating the kind of environment from which these people need to flee.  I don't expect you to understand the complexities of these issues.  After all, you can't even understand basic instruction about remaining seated until the captain turns the seatbelt sign off.).
•       Probably suffer from mental health issues, as a result of their situations.  We sometimes offer compassion to those who suffer mental illness in society, or to Indigenous Australians or to the GLBTI community.  I am just sayin’… Moreover, asylum seekers have a history of interrupted or minimal education.  Their decisions to do the things they do might be based on health, jobs, shelter and education. 

These few issues, in a much wider debate, highlight a few things for me.  Taking responsibility, being human, and growing up are not necessarily about having children, simply caring for your narrow biological family, members of your football team, your state, your country, people the same colour as you…blah blah, double blah.  The way this debate is unfolding in Australia makes me question issues around Australia’s obligations to persecuted people, about the message Australia’s ongoing commitment to mandatory detention hurts people and sends poor messages to countries throughout the world, national security, nationalism, imperialism, war, racism, the world since 11 September, Palestine… 

It makes me realise how much I don’t know.  It makes me fearful of the future of the planet.  It makes me think that Australia’s ongoing commitment to mandatory detention hurts people, sends poor messages to both countries within the Bali Process and the rest of the world.  It sends messages to children that it’s okay to grow up and avoid their responsibilities as human beings.  Anyway, I’ll continue to attend rallies, ‘Google’, get angry at Tony Abbott, all the while becoming more informed…because as a human being, it’s my responsibility to think of the children.  ;)

Now won’t somebody make me another fucking coffee.

When I drank that coffee, I entered the Monolith

Once upon a time I didn’t say much.  As a kid, I wanted to own a restaurant.  Then I wanted to be a perpetual student.  I wanted to be a DJ once too. Lolz!! :o).  Maybe I dreamed of being an artist, but even when I was on acid, I had trouble drawing a stick person (non-gender specific).  I was as much a painter, as Andrew Bolt is a philosopher, Janet Albretchsen a journalist, Alan Jones a heterosexual, Pauline Hanson a sports illustrated model and Tony Abbot…well what exactly is he?

Then I wanted to take lots of drugs.  Then I got really tired, from taking lots of drugs and having lots of sex.  Drugs and sex are an exhausting combination.  You should try it sometime. 

Despite the rampant hedonism, I always had passion for learning…As a consequence, I wanted to be a lesbian.  I even thought I was a feminist, becoming the first ‘man’ to graduate from Griffith University’s Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Feminist Stuff.  Then, naturally, I wanted to be a librarian, the obvious career path for a lesbian feminist…or so I thought.  I worked at State Library of Queensland and out the window went notions of libraries as harmonious places of learning, feminism ‘n’ shit.  I got a good understanding of the complexities of ‘cat fighting’, applying Foucault’s theories of power, made my arts degree worthwhile. 

Typical of most librarians, I had the aching desire to be a personal trainer.  At the same time, I wanted to be self-employed, living a largely organic, self-sufficient lifestyle (whatever that means) in northern New South Wales…Problem: have you ever read any research articles written by hippies? 

Then I wanted to be a dietician.  It took me two years to remember how much I hate skinny bitches. 

Then I was a personal trainer.  Then, I worked with them.  Then, one of them threatened to throw his co-worker down the stairs, and that if his co-worker didn’t “shut their mouth”, he would “shut it for them”. 

In the meantime, I want to massage people and hope they shut their stupid mouths while I’m doing it…but if they don’t, I won’t push them off the table, in the middle of a ‘treatment’.  I probably won’t even threaten to do so. 

Did I mention that I discovered coffee too?  It’s my 2001, but it didn’t happen till somewhere in the mid 2000s, I think? 

And, now, when I look around and see how dumb people are, I’m compelled to be a writer.  I don’t really care if I’m shit. It never stopped Bryce, Delta or Laura from continuing to do the things they love, or be the ‘people’ they want to be.  And while I’m at it, those ‘inspirational’ pictures of words on facebook really annoy me. 

And as an afterthought, it annoys me when I see hear people talking about ‘people of same gender’ getting married. The same gender.  What gender am I?  Girlfriend, please.  Yous make me think that I still want to be a marxist, feminist, atheist, lesbian separatist.

 

I know this is poorly written, but Yasir says I have to post on my blog regularly.  Yasir says this, Yasir says that…

Monolith