- cross-posted to:
- worldnews@lemmit.online
- cross-posted to:
- worldnews@lemmit.online
Summary
Australian senators censured Senator Lidia Thorpe for her outburst against King Charles III during his visit, calling him a colonizer and demanding land and reparations. Thorpe defended her actions, stating she would repeat them if Charles returned.
She’s right, but outbursts like this are the equivalent of activists throwing paint at the Mona Lisa. It makes that side look petulant and doesn’t effect change. If she really wants land and reparations, did she really think this grandstanding was the way to accomplish that goal?
If it made Charles momentarily uncomfortable then that’s enough justification for me.
Royalty should be uncomfortable, either temporarily or permanently
He’s used to it.
I have rarely seen him not acting like he’s feeling awkward and uncomfortable.
It’s the British way
The time is gone, the song is over
I think she’s as fully aware as black and indigenous Americans are that she’ll never actually get what she’s owed, so she might as well tell the king that’s been forced on her people to fuck off.
The news coverage on this was the point. Bringing awareness to her people’s situation.
Although its still too damn high, only 50% of British people believe the monarchy thats been forced on us is important.
They are losing the popularity contest here too.
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The aboriginals who ran the continent for tens of thousands of years before white people took over might disagree with you on that.
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They are not independent. They are under the rule of the crown. 4-5 years ago the governor of Australia, who reports to the crown, dissolved parliament.
The G-G dissolves parliament every time the Prime Minister (PM) advises them to do so. I think you don’t grok the situation here, constitutionally speaking.
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No one said he had any power.
That doesn’t mean he’s deserving of the title of king over the people who’s land was taken from them. I’m not sure why you are insisting he is.
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He could simply not go play king in Australia. If you don’t want to be king of a country your ancestors forcibly colonized, you can just not. None of this is an obligation.
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And yet he’s still not their king.
He is an extraordinarily wealthy man who has a platform that many will listen to. He can do a lot on his own to change things. Yeah, he doesn’t control the government, but do you think anyone has ever accomplished anything who doesn’t? Obviously havi g the government do what you wish on a whim is not the only method to get things done. Many have accomplished more good than him with less.
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Your comment about wealth seems to be dismissive. Sure, many people have more and do worse. That’s not an argument saying he can’t do more. That’s only an argument that he could do less also. He can obviously do more. Saying one thing is worse than another thing doesn’t excuse either. Both can and should improve.
I don’t know about the laws surrounding him as monarch. Maybe you’re right that he can’t say anything. I don’t believe this is totally true because the monarchs platform people frequently. Maybe they aren’t supposed to, but they obviously can do more than just keep quite. He could invite this woman to a state dinner, for example, and give her more of a platform. There are many options available. He is not powerless to do anything.
Curious about how many of those are indigenous Australians…
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No, not the plastic sheeting in front of the Mona Lisa! It’ll take minutes for a janitor the come wipe that off.
I think the whole point of acts like you describe show how you (people) care more about a painting than the continual ravaging of life on this planet by those who seek wealth and power.
What does the Mona Lisa matter when more and more of the worlds population is scrapping to survive under constant threat of environmental and economic collapse and war brought on by the people who host and visit such works of art.
The problem is that it doesn’t help their cause in the least. If anything, it damages it. To onlookers, it makes supporters of the cause look crazy and makes them easier to dismiss by opposition.
Climate change is a very serious problem that requires billions of people working together to solve. Culturally significant objects being vandalised is a much less serious problem but it also only requires a few individuals to not do what they have done to become a non-issue.
By all means, protest polluters, badger policymakers, and argue in forums. But if you start being annoying to people equally as powerless to effect meaningful change you’re only going to make people less likely to listen to you.
Whew thank you. You’re the only person in this thread that has actually made good points about your opinion, instead of trying to be snarky or clever with one-liners. I’m in almost total agreement with you, although I still won’t condemn those types of protests. I think they are probably more harmful than useful, but I understand the place it comes from is one of frustration with the absolute ridiculousness of our world and the powers that run it. I sympathize with those types of protesters, and what I assume is their frustration with the ineffectiveness of bottom-up solutions (to me, preferred) in the face of mass contributors to the problem – heads of government, corporations, etc.
Once again thanks for the actual good-faith and thoughtful response.
Yeah no problem. It’s always nice to be able to discuss something with others and be respectful even if you don’t fully agree.
I understand where the protesters are coming from and the idea that doing anything sounds better than just allowing the world to deteriorate. But I genuinely believe the less dramatic strategies do work better, even if it’s hard to feel the effects. Not too long ago, the idea that the climate change was happening and that humans were to blame was largely ignored. Now, most people acknowledge that it’s the case, and it’s a matter of making it a priority. But that’s still meaningful progress.
Anyways, thanks for the conversation and being open to push back. It’s great to see in spaces that seem more divisive than ever.
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Cool strawman, that isn’t why they did it, or relevant.
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You’re right, that’s why thanks to those brave protesters, climate change is now a thing of the past! Oh, wait…
TIL activists have to achieve their goals in a single act.
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Gee, thanks. We need people to actually do something tangible and useful, not teenage histrionics directed at completely irrelevant things. For example, I volunteer with a group that recently obtained protection for a large wetland in my area. That’s something that directly impacts climate change and biodiversity. I also volunteer with my local green party which has successfully passed several pieces of environmental protection legislation. What have you personally done to help other than whine online and throw paint at inanimate objects?
Edit: phew a lot of folks here get really mad when told that crying online won’t fix things.
Wow you’re so great! thanks to you, climate change is now a thing of the past! Oh, wait…
(obviously, in jest. that’s great you do that. You probably should’ve said something like that to begin with)
Muh civility