| As the federal election approaches both the Gillard government and Abbott opposition continue to sink to new lows on refugee rights, pushing policies even more inhumane and extreme than the dark days of Howard.
People fleeing desperate situations are persecuted even further by the government with mandatory detention, offshore processing, deportations to danger and bridging visas which leave many impoverished and homeless in one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
Yet despite the lies spread by the mainstream media, many in Australia know there is a simple, humane solution to this ‘problem’ – free the refugees and give them the support they need. So for what reason do both sides of government continue to spread blatant racist misinformation and spend billions locking up innocent people? Why do they not only persecute refugees, but First Nation peoples and various ethnic minorities as well?
There are some who will say they are simply pandering so a certain demographic to win votes, as if racism were an inevitable thing, simply part of some human nature. The truth is racism is a socially constructed phenomenon, central to the capitalist system, and the vilification of refugees in Australia today is yet another example of that.
Join Green Left Weekly in a discussion on the nature of racism, its relationship with capitalism in both the past and present, and how that relates to the struggle for refugee rights today.
Speakers: Sian Cumberland and Phil Hocken (Socialist Alliance and Resistance) |
