Comments on: Indigenous doctors thumbs down for NT intervention http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/08/28/indigenous-doctors-thumbs-down-for-nt-intervention/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:16:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Sean http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/08/28/indigenous-doctors-thumbs-down-for-nt-intervention/#comment-3722 Sean Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-3722 Hasn't this always been about a veiled attempt to grab mineral resources in the NT, especially uranium rights, as a last desperate act of a govt doing one last favour for its mates in big business, uncertain of whether it would be returned in the next election? The state of indigenous health has been known about for decades -- funny how they had to swoop in all at once, just prior to an election,and just after uranium futures were going through the roof and various countries were announcing ramping up their plans for nuclear power generation. Just another manifestation of the British colonial settlement in Australia at work, overriding native title, traditional uses of the land and violating family and tribal social structures, in the interests of spreading good health, the 1/4 acre feudal housing title, north-western European nuclear families and buccaneering access rights to resources to make the proverbial fortune. Hasn’t this always been about a veiled attempt to grab mineral resources in the NT, especially uranium rights, as a last desperate act of a govt doing one last favour for its mates in big business, uncertain of whether it would be returned in the next election? The state of indigenous health has been known about for decades — funny how they had to swoop in all at once, just prior to an election,and just after uranium futures were going through the roof and various countries were announcing ramping up their plans for nuclear power generation. Just another manifestation of the British colonial settlement in Australia at work, overriding native title, traditional uses of the land and violating family and tribal social structures, in the interests of spreading good health, the 1/4 acre feudal housing title, north-western European nuclear families and buccaneering access rights to resources to make the proverbial fortune.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/08/28/indigenous-doctors-thumbs-down-for-nt-intervention/#comment-3723 Andrew Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-3723 What the AIDA submission is talking about is the execution of the NTER and, in this, the former government is bereft of excuses. It has stated that it embarked on a multi-million dollar mobilisation of resources to address the most intractable chronic public health issue in the country on the basis of 48 hours planning. I'd call it a knee jerk reaction, but spinal reflexes probably involve more neurones that the planning of this intervention. From this follows suspicion of their motivies because it defies belief that a competent goverment could act in this manner if its eye was fixed on a positive health outcome. The usual excuse is 'it was an emergency'. However, if you are wanting to fix an emergency you always plan the response because, especially in an emergency, doing the wrong thing is likely to be damaging. What the AIDA submission is talking about is the execution of the NTER and, in this, the former government is bereft of excuses. It has stated that it embarked on a multi-million dollar mobilisation of resources to address the most intractable chronic public health issue in the country on the basis of 48 hours planning. I’d call it a knee jerk reaction, but spinal reflexes probably involve more neurones that the planning of this intervention. From this follows suspicion of their motivies because it defies belief that a competent goverment could act in this manner if its eye was fixed on a positive health outcome. The usual excuse is ‘it was an emergency’. However, if you are wanting to fix an emergency you always plan the response because, especially in an emergency, doing the wrong thing is likely to be damaging.

]]> By: Avocado http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/08/28/indigenous-doctors-thumbs-down-for-nt-intervention/#comment-3724 Avocado Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-3724 The main problems with the AIDA submission (apart from its pre-judgements, evident bias, occasional emotiveness, banality and utter predictability) are that it provides no data, only anecdote and opinion, and approaches the issues (by its own admission) from an ultra-sceptical position, which AIDA has adopted from the beginning of the Intervention. It provides little information about its methodology, other than that some doctors visited some communities and organisations "in July 2007" and talked to some unnamed individuals about the rollout of the Intervention. Hardly scientific or objective. <br /><br />The most telling paragraph in the submission is s. 17 (on Social and Emotional Wellbeing). It asserts the dominance of 'a feeling of “collective existential despair” ... a widespread sense of helplessness, hopelessness & worthlessness, ... experienced throughout entire community(s). It is a sense that has been felt by the majority of Indigenous stakeholders that we have consulted with – people who are not directly affected but who have family (or even non-family acquaintances) who are. It is a silent but far-reaching impact of the NTER, with profound implications for resilience, social and emotional wellbeing and mental health of Indigenous people in the Northern Territory, and throughout the country.'<br /><br />In other words, the majority of stakeholders whose opinions were sought were not people subject to the Intervention's measures, but rather people who purport to know what people thus affected think and feel. <br /><br />It could be possible, even likely, that at least some of these people may have forms of vested interests in this debate. These interests could include ideological & political beliefs & philosophical assumptions which are challenged by the Intervention's premises. It could also include people whose careers are based on certain arrangements which may not have benefitted from the Intervention, or whose organisatmay even have lost out in the scramble for resources. The main problems with the AIDA submission (apart from its pre-judgements, evident bias, occasional emotiveness, banality and utter predictability) are that it provides no data, only anecdote and opinion, and approaches the issues (by its own admission) from an ultra-sceptical position, which AIDA has adopted from the beginning of the Intervention. It provides little information about its methodology, other than that some doctors visited some communities and organisations “in July 2007” and talked to some unnamed individuals about the rollout of the Intervention. Hardly scientific or objective.

The most telling paragraph in the submission is s. 17 (on Social and Emotional Wellbeing). It asserts the dominance of ‘a feeling of “collective existential despair” … a widespread sense of helplessness, hopelessness & worthlessness, … experienced throughout entire community(s). It is a sense that has been felt by the majority of Indigenous stakeholders that we have consulted with – people who are not directly affected but who have family (or even non-family acquaintances) who are. It is a silent but far-reaching impact of the NTER, with profound implications for resilience, social and emotional wellbeing and mental health of Indigenous people in the Northern Territory, and throughout the country.’

In other words, the majority of stakeholders whose opinions were sought were not people subject to the Intervention’s measures, but rather people who purport to know what people thus affected think and feel.

It could be possible, even likely, that at least some of these people may have forms of vested interests in this debate. These interests could include ideological & political beliefs & philosophical assumptions which are challenged by the Intervention’s premises. It could also include people whose careers are based on certain arrangements which may not have benefitted from the Intervention, or whose organisatmay even have lost out in the scramble for resources.

]]> By: Avocado http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/08/28/indigenous-doctors-thumbs-down-for-nt-intervention/#comment-3725 Avocado Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-3725 Sean<br />I realise that this is probably a totally pointless suggestion to put to somebody with your type of beliefs, but if you could find a shred of actual evidence for your thesis (and I don't mean the usual paranoid dogmas about mining companies, or fantasies based on circumstantial details) maybe you could produce it?<br />Avoc. Sean
I realise that this is probably a totally pointless suggestion to put to somebody with your type of beliefs, but if you could find a shred of actual evidence for your thesis (and I don’t mean the usual paranoid dogmas about mining companies, or fantasies based on circumstantial details) maybe you could produce it?
Avoc.

]]> By: Sean http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/08/28/indigenous-doctors-thumbs-down-for-nt-intervention/#comment-3726 Sean Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-3726 I think you'll find, in the final historical analysis, that the so-called 'NTER' has a lot more to do with the BHP Billiton share price and future dividends, on all the stock exchanges on which it is traded, and the inexorable rush to create more and more wealth for fewer and fewer people in the West, as witnessed by record CEO salaries. 'Avocado' talks about vested interests -- there's quite a few colonial interests still operating out there. The 'NTER' has been like a slightly more civilised version of the recent Guinea coup plot by several British interests, not to mention other governments and parties that served to gain from it. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article3534842.ece I think you’ll find, in the final historical analysis, that the so-called ‘NTER’ has a lot more to do with the BHP Billiton share price and future dividends, on all the stock exchanges on which it is traded, and the inexorable rush to create more and more wealth for fewer and fewer people in the West, as witnessed by record CEO salaries. ‘Avocado’ talks about vested interests — there’s quite a few colonial interests still operating out there. The ‘NTER’ has been like a slightly more civilised version of the recent Guinea coup plot by several British interests, not to mention other governments and parties that served to gain from it. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article3534842.ece

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