Other perspectives



The police force with more legal rights to abuse citizens than any police force in Nazi Germany is pissed off. Unlike in Nazi Germany, they cannot yet protect their citizens from outrageous opinions provided by enemy propaganda on the internet. How on earth does one of a billion Indians dare to ridicule the moral superiority and integrity and heroism and holiness of Victoria Police?

According to Victorian law, all citizens are potential suspects and will be treated as such. Of course, this likens them rather to the Gestapo than to the KKK, but let's face it: Racism is deeply ingrained into the white Australian culture.

Australia's history starts with the First Fleet, although the genocide of the indigenous population is still part of government policy. The Intervention tries to wipe out traces of the first cultures that lived on this continent, creating a retroactive 'terra nulla'.

Diversity is the arch-enemy of tyranny, so the first advise to any potential immigrant is to 'assimilate'. The open arms that embraced (or rather the fists that punched) newcomers indeed fostered a multi-cultural Australia: Being pseudo-english-american isn't appealing to many, which helped conserving some of immigrants cultural inheritances.

Unless you're Michael Jackson, you cannot change the colour of your skin, which limits the amount of potential assimilation. As social beings, humans need contact, and when the 'dominating' group has only minor interest in integrating newcomers, minority 'ghettos' florish. Indians hang out with other Indians, Vietnamese with other Vietnamese, and so on. Not as a general rule, just as more probable choice.

Outbreaks of individual violence don't surprise in a society that cherishes and uses violence abundantly. Australian military contributes to death and destruction, ASIO sets up patsies to justify more police state, the courts go in line and send people for thought crimes in jail. Even starving refugees, from conflict zones Australia is immediately involved, on their vessels on sea sounds appealing to many Australians.

There is something wrong with this cartoon. The symbolism is a bit mixed up. The general message: Watch your police holds more than true. Democracy does no longer exist in a police state.