Island Life: Show that white girl a good time
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This prison survival guide is bloody scary stuff. I wouldn't wish it on my enemies.
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At high school one of my English teachers gave me the Big Huey to read, which was Greg Newbold's account of his time in NZ prisons (if i remember correctly).
I was never really sure if he gave it to me because he knew I enjoyed reading, or if he was trying to tell me something. Either way, it kind of freaked me out a little.
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Oh, and it sort of worked, still out of prison!
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23 days of solitude? Man I dream about that sort of thing.
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I wonder if it is the newest celebrity accessory, a bit of porridge?
The extract from Salon reminded me that people seem to accept some level of punishment meted out by prisoners onto other prisoners, as though it is somehow a good thing. I can't recall how many times I've heard it said that "He won't last long inside, the cons will sort him out"
When those handing out the punishment were reviled when being sentenced. -
And as a friend of mine once pointed out, these prisoners aren't being abused by a state-approved Convict Rapist -- for every prisoner receiving their "just desserts" in prison, there's another (or possibly more than one) who's getting away with the sort of crimes that prison is supposed to be punishing them for.
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ahem
Frickin' bizarre.
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What about the other prisoners ?
Surely it is a gross abuse of human rights to be locked up with Paris Hilton...
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Where's Dad 4 Justice when you need him?
Prison surely is a waste of time.
Unless someone is an actual danger to society why use it?
There are far more effective measures out there - like serious fines and excessive lengths of PD. These both occupy time and repay debt rather than create a burden for the tax payer.
Not to mention the danger and criminal networking able to be avoided.Remeber that kid killed cause Mum & Dad wanted him to be taught a lesson.
No prison sentence should be under 3yrs and anyone serving less time (the vast majority) shouldn't be there.
Imagine if our illiterate pop got taught a few skills - maybe we would have a more productive and safer society? -
Michael: these are good points. Unfortunately, Marxian rural idiocy will go out of its way to skewer them with pitchforks.
It also brings to mind the Prohibition Era, when the well-minded temperance movement ended up driving an entire industry into the arms of the blackmarket.
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It was kind of interesting to read this post in next to Hannah Ho's piece on white privilege, and brings up the thought that kept going through my mind in reading her piece - yes, White privilege may exist in some circumstances, but it is not quite as uniform and deterministic as she seemed to be insisting... and conversely I am quite suspicious that there is a uniform "Brown disadvantage" covering Asian, Maori, Pacific people, Africans, and so on that she was implicitly suggesting.
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Just to clarify about the second part of the above comment: it should read -
I think that it is unclear that there is a uniform phenomenon of "Brown disadvantage" covering Asian, Maori, Pacific peoples, Africans, and so on, that was seeming suggested.
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Deep Red
I've got a handle on Marx but by Marxian Rural idiocy = Blind obedience where all desenters must be permanently silenced?
Thus presenting a united and terrifiying voice.In it's time prison was kinder than death. The prison pop growth was ugly and so sent to America and after they got uppity to Australia and a colonial white oppressive system was born.
High ideals by which to keep the others down indeed.Marcus
It's pretty clear Brown disadvantage exists - just look at the variation in mortality rates. -
Michael: Obviously, yes, but...
In the terms of Hannah Ho's essay this sort of particular disadvantage is not disaggregated either in terms of effects, nor across " Brown" ethnic groups. Nor is the intervening factor of class taken seriously....
The thing that annoyed me the most with her piece was her attempt to join-up Asian disadvantage (eg. petty racism on the street) with that of Maori disadvantage (e.g. employment, health care discrimination issues) as some sort of meta-phenomenon. I think it is clear that the disadvantage faced by these groups from her crude category of "White" people is significantly differentiated, ideologically and practically.
If we are going to talk about disadvantage it is not helpful to underspecify what we are talking about.
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On a related matter, Imogen Neale supposedly pointed the finger at bi-culturalism. I wager what she advocates is a Canadian/Australian multicultural system, and if it's indeed the case, who could blame her?
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In the terms of Hannah Ho's essay this sort of particular disadvantage is not disaggregated either in terms of effects, nor across " Brown" ethnic groups. Nor is the intervening factor of class taken seriously....
The thing that annoyed me the most with her piece was her attempt to join-up Asian disadvantage (eg. petty racism on the street) with that of Maori disadvantage (e.g. employment, health care discrimination issues) as some sort of meta-phenomenon. I think it is clear that the disadvantage faced by these groups from her crude category of "White" people is significantly differentiated, ideologically and practically.
And I think putting random searches at customs down to racism is a bit disingenuous. If you're young and Chinese you unfortunately fit the methamphetamine smuggler profile.
I'm little bit disappointed she hasn't bothered to join the discussion on the linked blogger site; it might have been interesting.
Of course, the out-group I'm most in touch with is the neurodiverse, what with having two young autists in the house. Now there's a minority that has to make its way in someone else's world.
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The thing that annoyed me the most with her piece was her attempt to join-up Asian disadvantage (eg. petty racism on the street) with that of Maori disadvantage (e.g. employment, health care discrimination issues) as some sort of meta-phenomenon.
It's a little reminiscent of early feminist attempts to link educated middle-class female disavantage with wider economic oppression based on race and gender. The sentiment of solidarity was well-meant and welcome, but it failed to analyse the root causes.
In Australia and NZ asians feature prominently in advertising for high-value products and services. Polynesians and Aboriginals, practically never.
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this from the neale article.
Isn't one of the most common questions asked by and about New Zealanders still: "What is New Zealand culture exactly?"
Biculturalism was supposed to provide a neat answer to that. It hasn't.
ummm... sorry imogen. biculturalism was never meant to provide a context for new zealand culture. it is supposed to introduce maori culture to the majority, many of whom were aware of it, but didn't understand it.
i feel a blog coming on...
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Joe, I suspect a lot of the Asians you see in advertising for high value items is because NZ is deemed to be in the Asian zone for many multinationals. It isn't worth their while to change advertising for a marginal market like NZ. I suspect, but cannot be certain, that if you were living in Europe or North America you'd see a lot of Europeans.
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I suspect, but cannot be certain, that if you were living in Europe or North America you'd see a lot of Europeans.
well, yeah, but in my experience the persons depicted in australian and nzl ads are very difference.
in oz they're mainly blondes and "southern european' types (dark hair dark eyes), whereas here they're mainly blondes and "possibly polynesian" types.
i think joe is correct, asians aren't stereotypically depicted as poor in nzl. many other things, but rarely "poor".
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I'm thinking of multinationals here, like say Epson, HP, etc, that kind of thing. Really any company that uses glossy advertising/packaging.
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I don't agree, Ben - I believe that Asians are deliberately targeted as a high-income group. Polynesians aren't. And I'm referring to ads that are specifically created for local markets.
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here's an example. try saying to someone, with a straight face, "all asians are dole bludgers"
it just "doesn't work", if you'll excuse the pun.
someone also pointed out to me that a better stereotype is "all the poor asians are in asia". that one really works.
but all this said, i kind of think ben and joe are in partial agreement. it's good that "the man" can show a united front.
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Funny that Ben should mention Epson, HP, etc. - it was an Australian magazine ad for a high-tech copier back in the 90s that focused my attention on this issue. The gadget was shown descending in a beam of light into the centre of a group of nine or so 'typical' office types, their arms raised in adulation. A bit like the monolith 'n monkeys in 2001. Amongst these rent-a-models were a photogenic male and female token Asian. Why no Aboriginal, then? Well, that's easy, innit. They don't buy copiers.
I believe that image was specifically created for the Australian market. Ben's right when he suggests that multinationals produce ads for global regions, and I believe our particular region is centred on Sydney. This may not reflect our values, but it certainly shapes them. In the meantime, Mike King flogs pork, but not office eqipment.
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