If we look back there is a well documented history of genocide, institutional racism, backwardness and fear.  . . read more

The tackiness of the image has been much discussed, but still thousands of young people make the self-styled pigrimage to the site of our baptism of fire every year.

On the eve of Anzac day that tackiness came to full force when Allison Langdon, a Channel 9 journalist, spoke about the 'fun' to be had, with a fun run planned near to the site where Australian and New Zealand troops first stormed Turkish beaches. 

How ridiculous.

This is a day of solemity.

This is a day to remember the everyman that was betrayed and led to their ultimate destruction by the ultimately stupid leaders and stupid politicians that put them there. This is a day not to question why it happened, but to question why we continue to make the same mistakes. 

And finally for all the fucking idiots standing on a beach in Gallipoli, this is a day to remember that like our current wars, you're remembering an invasion where there was no right for us to be there.  . . read more

Earlier this year the United Nations condemned Australia’s government as racist. Particularly critical of Australia’s policies on Indigenous issues and especially the Howard government’s Northern Territory Intervention policy, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination found that racism is “embedded” in Australia. While you may find comfort in blaming past governments, Hey Hey It’s Saturday or even Mel Gibson for this assessment, the ugly truth is that of the world’s 38 developed countries, Australia is the first and only country to have received this tag from the United Nations.

Monica Connors takes a closer look at our national identity, and the fine line between racism and patriotism.

One thing I've learnt at University is that students are more interesting and do better when they have something else to focus on- for example homepageDAILY. 

That something else that students do, which is separate from University gives them a different base of experience to bring to discussion, and a new filter through which new information is dissected. 

It's my belief then that university should be the place where you think, consider and criticise- not the place where you gain your most transformative and life-defining experiences.   . . read more

For all the groaning that comes with elections, there are two parts of the day which are genuinely fun.

The first comes when you go down to the local church or school and get hit by the crazy carnival atmosphere of spruikers trying to change your opinion, disinterested kids running about and everyone talking to each other with smiles about what a hassle it is to vote.

The second comes later at the traditional election party where everyone gets pissed, scorns every candidate and again talks about what a hassle it is to vote.

Pity that the choices, and the results aren't as fun as the day itself.   . . read more

There are only a few times when somebody should lose their right to free speech- for Julia Gillard on the issue of Indian students- this is one of them.

It began right after this week's killing of Nitin Garg when we were treated to her robotic drone of a voice which sounded a tad unsympathetic when she said that:

"To say it's a race-based crime is not only premature, but stupid".

She followed that up by dismissing India's travel warning to Australia, saying:

"In big cities around the world we do see acts of violence from time to time; that happens in Melbourne, it happens in Mumbai, it happens in New York, it happens in London"

How fantastically irrelevant.

India is annoyed because their citizens are dying in Australia in what looks from the outside to be a concerted, racist attack. At the moment the media and the police have absolutely no reason to prove it isn't.

We haven't heard from any attacker, we've heard no motive, we have so little information.

No wonder families thousands of miles away are a little scared.

And that's why Gillard should shut-up.

A sensitive (and clever politician) would understand how emotionally charged an issue this is, and would realise that spouting political non-charlance will only inflame a story based on feeling rather than facts.

Instead of sounding like emotionless cardboard, why didn't she say something like?:

"Due to last year's terrible spate of racist attacks directed at Indian students we have every reason to believe this homocide may have been affected by Mr Garg's Indian ethnicity".

"We will wait till a police investigation can confirm this, but at the moment we are treating this as the beginning of a new wave of hate crimes that will be stopped...."

Also, for a country that prides itself on its tough skin why are the police and government getting so ancy about a pretty bland and obvious cartoon?

Especially a cartoon that makes a pretty good point.

Let's look at the facts:

- In Melbourne the police have known for over a year that Indian students have been disproportionately represented in official assault and robbery figures.

- Analysis of these figures led police to say that Indian students were being regarded as 'soft targets' for would-be attackers.

- If this is true, then the attackers are making a distinction based on race.

- The Oxford Dictionary defines racism as "the belief that there are characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to each race"

- If the police want to discount this, and try to argue that these recent attacks are not race related they look like idiots.

-The KKK are racist idiots.  

  . . read more