The Ugly Underbelly

 

A cartoon doing the rounds in the first conscription referendum over 100 years ago.

There has been recent media accusing proponents of both sides of the Voice debate of racism.

I decided to do my own investigation of what's appearing on my feed over the last few weeks. I almost wish I hadn't.

Below are a collection of posts that appeared in a group supporting the "No" case. 

This is just one day's collection.

I won't attempt to categorise them, but as you can see, gentle reader, they encapsulate the stereotypes and cliches that are held by some of the "No" supporters.

Now I'm not suggesting that the "Yes" supporters are all sweetness and light, but these tropes (aborigines are violent, greedy, lazy and wasteful) don't appear on their supporters' pages.

The accusations of cruelty and violence are interesting put in the context of the colonial practice in the UK of hanging drawing and quartering at the time. It wasn't until 1870 that it was abolished.

If, as appears likely as this is written, the referendum goes down, it may deliver outcomes that Dutton and Littleproud may live to regret.

George Megalogenis explains it pretty well in this podcast.

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