Australia as a nation is first and foremost an Aborigine nation. They are the people of this land, the owners if you will. By looking at neighbouring countries, it is plain to see that the white man is not native in this part of the world. As with many lands, countries, homes and village that the European has conquered for the 'best of mankind', the one common factor is the ignorance of the white man in trying to learn something from the native culture, overemphasizing their own culture and lifestyle, and ignoring deeply important characteristics of the land that they inhabit. Through arrogance and ignorance this was seen as an act of civilisation. In almost all nations colonised by the British especially, there has been the imperceptible formation of a new class system, with the white people at the top of that hierarchy. Over time, with a growing population unused to and with little experience of the controversy surrounding 'their' country, the underlying issues tend to be fo!
             rgotten and are replaced with the current headlines of today; the rising crime rate in areas most populated by Aborigines and the subsequent 'need' for mandatory sentencing in those areas, the debates raging over the reconciliation and native title issues. Perhaps the most confusing and controversial of all is the government's stance on this all; the continued refusal to apologise for the assimilation policy on the government agenda until 1967, and the ambiguity in the way the government chooses to react to questions and accusations. By almost promoting this bad press and highlighting the "difference" between the indigenous Australians and the Euro-Australians, the government is inviting a racist counter culture similar to that which has developed in the US with African Americans building a culture of their own which often thrives on anti-white feeling. This possible progression could prove to be counter product...