Yesterday Australia repealed the Medevac law enabling some restoration of dignity to the refugees we are abusing in our gulags.
It was an appalling act - one that erodes the difference between, say, the Assad regime, with widespread torture and murder of people, and Australia, where torture (as the experience of refugees in our gulags has been described) and death (albeit by driving our victims to do so at their own hand) is present, but less widespread.
This weakens our moral borders.
I've written about this previously, and I've also written previously about the topic of evil in politicians - for instance, here, about Dutton (my conclusion was I am uncertain), here, about that as an epithet to abuse LGBTIQ people and bigotry generally, and here and here, about John Howard, who, along with Queensland's "flying peanut", I have no hesitation in describing as evil (notwithstanding Howard's actions against guns).
Yesterday's events have led me to consider that topic further.
I still consider Dutton a nasty, vicious and bigoted person, but still don't consider him quite evil - despite the appalling damage to humanity and Australia that he has inflicted.
Lambie I consider likely more a well-meaning dupe than evil. I think it is likely she meant well, but there is NO credible way the secret deal between her and the neoliberal government - denied by the neoliberals, meaning one of them is lying - could be about relocating refugees to NZ as some commentators have been suggesting, as that prospect IS NOT a national security matter.
Morrison, however, I am starting to have serious concerns about on this issue.
Hannah Arendt famously wrote about the banality of evil (Dutton is anything but banal - maybe that's why I don't consider him evil - nasty and vicious almost to the point of sadism, but not evil), and Morrison's subtle facilitation of the growing creep to authoritarianism has the same potential to cause long lasting harm to Australia as as Howard's actions did to incise the flaw of racism into the bedrock of Australian society.
Morrison is, I consider, our third evil politician - that I know of, at any rate.
On how we treat refugees, I saw a comment in yesterday's Twitterstorm that I consider sums up much of what the current abuses of refugees is about. This was from @clairegcoleman:
The Coalition want the refugees on Manus to die as painfully and slowly as possible so they can serve the purpose of heads on pikes before the gates of a city.To compound yesterday as a day of shame, the court case between Folau and Rugby Australia ended with a mutual apology. In that, Folau made a claim about not intending harm, and Rugby Australia about genuinely held religious beliefs.
What utter drivel.
If Folau didn't know in the 21st Century that he was going to cause harm by making homophobic and transphobic remarks from his bully pulpit, then he was stupid. As I wrote on Twitter:
Folau's statements GENUINELY put direct pressure on LGBTIQ people, GENUINELY increasing risk of suicide and discrimination. IMO, his statement is VERY weak and lacking in credibility. At the very least, he must NEVER do that again. (Reparations to LGBTIQ unlikely.)And as for Rugby Australia's idiotic comment, the nazis also genuinely held beliefs about people who were different. Genuineness of belief does not excuse one from being a decent and competent human being, respecting human rights, or obeying the law.
Rugby Australia had sacked Folau purely over damage to their brand, so I am left with grave concerns about whether or not they are homophobic/transphobic.
It's a pity I don't follow rugby: I'm annoyed enough to almost start doing so in order to stop.
Finally, as a much, much, MUCH smaller issue, some - probably male - idiots in head office of the company I work for decided to "sell" an initiative by referring to sports teams wanting "to make their own Zidanes".
Who the hell is Zidane?
Well it turns out he is a soccer player. Now, for those idiots sending that message into Australia, soccer is a low level sport - probably ranking behind netball, Australian Rules football, cricket, rugby, and basketball (see here for some less annoyed data). Expecting us to know about a player like that is incompetent. In fact, it is wasteful as I wonder how many others interrupted their work day to look up the unknown name?
On top of that, although many women follow and/or participate in sport, to base a workplace message on sport is basically sexist.
It is the sort of idiotic casual sexism - sorry, "unconscious bias" - that blocks women in the workplace.
It is UTTERLY unacceptable to have that sort of bias in the workplace. (When I get in to work today I will be replying to the email with a toned down version of the above.)
I'm going to end with a more positive quote, from a YouTube video about the myth of the British "blitz spirit":
"It turns out you didn’t have to be British to be able to withstand terror. Being human would do the trick."Every problem above was caused by people who were flawed at being human, and every problem above is being endured and resisted by people who are very competent at being human.
