this post was submitted on 25 Apr 2025
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The paradox is the result of the liberalist idea of some universal right to tolerance; that there's some inherent moral or pragmatic obligation for us to just tolerate everyone and everything possible.
There's no moral nor pragmatic benefit to tolerating neo-nazis in a community. We don't need some mental gymanastical paradox to excuse that fact. Being a neo-nazi is a personal choice to be harmful antisocial scum, comparable to child abusers and billionaires, and the abstract liberalist idea that they automatically deserve freedom, liberty or tolerance in the first place is pointless and dangerous.
The biggest issue with this is that people that think like this tend to throw accusations like “neo-Nazi” out like lollies, at everyone that they disagree with about on certain things that are in no way “nazi-esque”.
Disliking the “welcome to country” does not make you a neo-Nazi. It is a divisive thing. It’s not some centuries old tradition, it was invented by Ernie Dingo in like the 90s. Many, many people think it’s completely pointless and irrelevant, and they’re entitled to that opinion just like you’re entitled to your opinion that it makes them racist. It doesn’t mean you’re automatically right and they’re wrong though.
In this specific situation - welcome to country at an ANZAC day ceremony - it is extremely debatable about its use. The ANZACs, 99% of who were white non-indigenous people, died defending this country. “Welcoming” their relatives to the very country is rightly seen as incredibly disrespectful by many. Without those ANZACs giving their life to defend this country that is being claimed is not theirs, the aboriginals might have been eradicated off the face of the earth.
Saying this is not racist. It’s not “neo-Nazi” views. You claim it is as an excuse to be intolerant towards those people. No matter how you try to sugar coat it, you are being intolerant.
The hecklers in this case were straight-up neo-Nazis.
From the ABC article (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-25/melbourne-anzac-day-welcome-to-country-hecklers/105215124)
This quote cited on his Wikipedia page (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Hersant):
A heckler was. Singular. He wasn’t the only one, and he definitely isn’t the only one who found it incredibly disrespectful and insulting. One person doing X being a Y does not make everyone doing X a Y.
At another Anzac ceremony the self proclaimed “tolerant” people were shouting “free Palestine”. What are your thoughts on that?
Also this “the ABC understands a group of far right were present” thing is just typical media garbage, unverified and put there purely to stoke the outrage flames from their target audience. Also they likely consider anyone who voted “no” to the voice “far right”, so it’s a meaningless biased comment made to get a reaction.
Wow that there is a lot of misinformation about Welcome to country. Take 2 minutes to read the Wikipedia and report back.
It’s definitely not misinformation, and Wikipedia is not a source. Try again, this time with an actual argument instead of essentially “nuh uh”.
If you’re going to make claims of “misinformation” you need to elaborate.
"It’s not some centuries old tradition, it was invented by Ernie Dingo in like the 90s" Misinformation, it is a modern take on traditional ceremony here is an investigation
Could you clarify your interpretation of the word of 'Country' in Welcome to Country? I could be reading your statement wrong but it appears you are defining it as the Country of Australia. As this is an incorrect interpretation in this context, I directed you to the Wikipedia which defines it better than anything I could type.
Saw this comment on Facebook about AoCs in Early Childhood Education which sums up my opinion on this well.
The ANZAC ceremony was held on Country. Country is the land, sky, waterways, and all the cultural knowledge and practices connected to it. Acknowledgment of Countries and Welcome to Countries (look up the differences between the two) are a matter of respect.
It’s just not necessary in my and many other people’s opinion, especially to do every day or at every single event. It is especially not necessary at an ANZAC ceremony that is about remembering the ultimate sacrifice that those men and women made fighting for this country - our country.
Doing it every day at things like daycare is a whole other issue. While you say it teaches respect, it can be argued that it is furthering racial divide, instilling into people who’s families have lived here for hundreds of years that it’s not their country and that they need to ask for permission to be here.
It’s becoming more and more divisive precisely because it is being pushed and pushed and pushed in ever increasing numbers. Next it’ll have to be performed every morning at every McDonald’s when they open. After the “voice” referendum was voted down in a significant way, it seems the losing side has doubled down on trying to push through their agenda that was clearly not popular, and people are rightly getting fed up.
An Acknowledgement of Country is not saying Australia isn't everyone's country, it's just acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land we're on! It's not saying we don't have permission to be here as people with settler-colonial backgrounds, it's just an ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
Many people who grew up before the 2000s never even learnt about our history. We learn about history so we don't fuck up like people in the past did, and commit violent atrocities against groups of people. It doesn't have to be everywhere, as most places only do it during important events or gatherings (I agree, it doesn't have to happen EVERY single time people gather). A simple statement or ceremony performed by an Elder, is the least we can do.
Why do we need to acknowledge the “traditional owners” at every football match or work training seminar exactly? The company I work at spends an insane amount of money paying for AoC/WtC dozens of times per week. It’s beyond ridiculous.
There is no need to ever be welcomed or acknowledge it more than once. It’s turned into a massive financial grift.
And no matter what you say, constantly having to be “welcomed“ to the place that we were born, our parents were born, and their parents were born, absolutely is being treated as if we don’t belong here and need their permission.
Again - what need is there for me to be “welcomed” to the city I was born and grew up in even once a month? Why do I have to regularly acknowledge that people lived here before me? I’m not where I am because of anything they did.
You seem to care a lot about this...
Have you considered that the same could be said about the national anthem... It's mine I know it why do I have to listen at every event to the same shit song
You not liking the welcome doesn't change that fact that it's just polite to do it... I personally don't get a lot from them but they also don't hurt me in any way so why would I care if they are done..
You aren't the main character and it's not about you
I don’t think they actually wanted an answer. They’re just fabricating a rationale to keep stamping on people they see as lesser.