The logical (if racist) conclusion to force as a governing philosophy

I just read the craziest shit that I have read in a long time, today. And a perfect illustration of the logical conclusion of this godforesaken political period.

Australia to Ban Alcohol for Aborigines

It seems our fear of child sexual abuse will rationalize anything these days.

For those who think that force and repression will end such problems, this is the logical conclusion of that position and should be a clear indication of the insanity of this period.

The most interesting sections:

"Australia's prime minister announced plans Thursday to ban pornography and alcohol for Aborigines in northern areas and tighten control over their welfare benefits to fight child sex abuse among them.

Some Aboriginal leaders rejected the plan as paternalistic and said the measures were discriminatory and would violate the civil rights of the country's original inhabitants. But others applauded the initiative and recommended extending the welfare restrictions to Aborigines in other parts of the country."

"I'm absolutely disgusted by this patronizing government control," said Mitch, a member of a government board helping Aborigines who were taken from their parents under past assimilation laws who uses one name. "And tying drinking with welfare payments is just disgusting."

"If they're going to do that, they're going to have to do that with every single person in Australia, not just black people," she said."

"The child abuse report was commissioned by the Northern Territory government and is widely regarded as credible although it attracted some critics. It was unable to quantify the extent of the sexual abuse problem, since anecdotal evidence suggested much of it went unreported.

Conducted by an indigenous health worker and a government lawyer, it found children had been sexually abused in all 45 remote communities visited. The abusers were both Aborigines and non-Aborigines operating in or near their communities.

The report made 97 recommendations, including boosting procedures for reporting and monitoring offenders, and addressing widespread poverty and alcoholism.

Australia's original inhabitants suffer far higher rates of poverty and substance abuse than the rest of the country's 21 million people, and their life expectancy is 17 years shorter.

For years, white men were banned from marrying Aboriginal woman, and mixed-race children were taken from their Aboriginal mothers to be assimilated into mainstream society.

Though many found employment in the cattle and sheep industries, they were paid less than whites, sometimes working just for rations. Unable to achieve economic independence, many have become welfare dependent."

There is no easier call on racism that I have seen in a long time on any piece of legislation I've recently seen. And the paternalism does make so much clearly just how insane this governing logic is.

I know, I know. It's just gone too far. We need to find a better "balance." So what principle should guide us? Keep bouncing between these extremes and calling it all moderation?

Would it kill us to think through what kinds of force and what presumptions we might have for the use of force that we might use?

I don't think it will. I just think we've been been taking a shortcut and avoiding the hard thinking and engagement and honesty with ourselves and one another that an issue as important as child sexual abuse and issues like poverty, alcohol and drug abuse, and pornography deserve.

And this foolish, foolish, counterproductive policy is the logical conclusion of this sad line of reasoning we have been taking this tragic and counterproductive political period.

Perhaps a more honest and constructive discussion is in order.

Love,
Ben