“The indigenous people were at one with the harshness of the
land; they knew where to find water and food; this was their physical and
cultural home. For more than two centuries, white Australians have tried to
expel them - they've driven them into fringe camps, corralled them in reserves,
stolen their children, imposed cruel and petty rules. Denied basic services
most Australians take for granted, the people…suffer the kind of deprivation
and disease associated with Africa; for example, Aboriginal children go blind
from trachoma, a preventable disease eradicated in many third world countries.…
Many of the children in these communities suffer from otitis media, an ear
infection that leads to deafness. It's a disease of extreme poverty….White
Australia would like them to disappear; the First Australians not only refuse
to disappear, they resist, often heroically. Australia remains a vivid
expression of the way colonial power - from the 18th century to the present-day
- regards and treats those whose land it steals.” John Pilger
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