Down in Australia, few people have heard of filmmaker, Michael Moore. A couple knew of his TV work, a few more had read or heard of the US bestseller, Stupid Whaite Men. And yet as I went to see his new doco, Bowling for Columbine at the local cinema, it was packed. Perhaps it was the interest generated in the media, perhaps it had something to do with people knowing who this guy was, or perhaps it was because of the reviews it had been getting. All over the country the film got great reviews, and now I know why.

Bowling for Columbine was tragic, funny and poignant. Even though I don't agree with all that Moore said, or how he does it, bringing the issue of gun control and American anxieties to the forefront is long overdue. For anyone who is interested in how the psyche of average America can really play out, this film is a must-see.

It raises some interesting questions, not only within America, but internationally. If the US is driven by fear, and the world (at least politically) is driven by the US, I hold grave concern for all our futures. So, if you get the chance, read Stupis White Men, see bowling for columbine (www.bowlingforcolumbine.com) or see Mike Moore's website (www.michaelmoore.com). In the meantime, I'll rest assured that my doors can stay unlocked without fear.

The commerical zeal at its peak for the year, I thought it an apt time to reflect for a moment or two on the meaning of decmeber 25 for myself, and the people in my world.

I'm not religious, I'm not atheistic either. Agnostic perhaps, but probably just content in who I am. I never really got the whole God thing, I can how some people would believe, our world is an amazing place with so much unexplained (is it unexplainable?). But for me, it always seemed a little lacking, I found it hard to place my faith in something that treated me more like an object to be spoken at than a person with whom to engage.

And so I found myself outside of regular religion, in what I would accurately term humanity. I started to think of myself as a member of a global humanity with needs and wants, with ideas, hopes and aspirations. And as one of the fortunate people within this humanity, I felt as if I could help others achieve their potential as I achieve mine. We live in an amazing world, an inspirational world, and I feel fulfilled and happy when I am able to help others be fulfilled and happy in themselves. And for me, that is enough. I'm happy with who I am, my understanding of myself and my world. This by no means I'll stop searching for truth, justice, freedom or any of the utopian ideals that I cherish, but only that I know where I am headed, and will do my best to reach there.

On religion, I can see the instrumental use it has. By giving meaning to people's lives, they are better able to go about their lives, they feel more complete in knowing a little mnore about who they are. I smirk in bemusement as various (especially monotheistic) religions play one-upmanship with one another, claiming absolute truth or salvation. I shudder at religions driven by fear of retribution and punishment, and at the crusading missionary zeal that accompanies a belief in the "truth." I marvel at the levels of thought engaged by many of the world's great religious figures and the sacrifices made by them to their religion. But in the end, it all seems instrumental to me, even my own beliefs. Whatever truth is (if it exists), I would prefer to spend my life on the journey to its heart, knowing myself that I am doing the searching of my own accord, rather than being told where and how to look.

As far as I can see from my reading of history, religion in the sense of giving belonging, is much of a muchness. What belonging and meaning is derived from religon seems highly specific on the technological and environmental situation of the particular group. Some religions seem irrational, some seem bizarre and others plain absurd - but that's from my perspective, outside the religion. The meaning and security gathered from symbolism and ritual simply pass me by. And so, in many ways, does the Christian holy day of Christmas Day.

As a celebration of the birth of the son of God, I can understand the concept at least. For those who believe, I am sure it is a highly symbolic moment, much like Easter, but for me, it's not religious. X-mas for me, is a time that is a family ritual and symbolic of our relationships with one another. It is a chance for grievances to be put aside as everyone comes together, simply to celebrate "being." We exchange presents, eat, and enjoy the company of one another. It's a time to reminisce and to look forward, to cry and to laugh. It's a sense of community, sharing and hope that is stoked each December. But most of all it is a time to be together with those closest to us.

And to that I depart now, wishing you all the very best of days, whatever the significance.

Mossy

just wanted to plug an article I just wrote, hopefully it'll be up soon! The article is my recounting of a Christmas party conversation with a middle aged man; I chucked in an edited version for comment, personally, I was amazed by it all - what do you think?

Mistrust & Hatred in perspective

Sitting in the tastefully decorated and designed courtyard of the party-holder, people gather in groups, catching up on news, meeting new people and picking finely at platters of finger food. Over towards the glass wall that opens the house onto the courtyard, a student discusses his university course as older people reminisce and lament their lost youth, innocence and optimism.

Then, quite suddenly in fact, Phil took a deep breath and scanned the group, pausing at the younger people; "I can't believe those bastards killed our children in Bali. Kick them all out, send them back to where they belong. They can't fit in with our, the Australian, way of life, they don't assimilate. None of them are worth sh#$ as far as I am concerned!"

I couldn't let this through to the keeper, "So Phil, you're saying that we should deport, kick out, detain every single Muslim and person who doesn't fit into our society? You are telling me that all Muslims are terrorists and all of them hate us?"

A glance at the table from Phil, his eyes then fixing on mine. "Yes"

"Phil, there are over 1 billion Muslims in the world, 190 million or so Indonesians, most of whom are Muslim, 6 million plus Muslims in the United States of America. You cannot possibly generalise to say that every single one of them is 'evil' and we should hate them."

And the considered reply - "Simon, we should hate them because they hate us." sigh "With so many of them, all of them hating us we must do everything we can to protect the Australian way of life. They let Bali happen, they didn't care when he (Ambrosi) laughed, they are the only religion to think we are infidels and demand our deaths."

I really had hoped that such xenophobic, mistrustful and aggressive beliefs had disappeared hundreds of years ago with the Crusades, but obviously I was wrong.

"Hang on Phil. We're the ones who called them infidels and invaded the Middle East in our religious zeal. Their reference to us as infidels was a response to our (western) slaughtering of them over hundreds of years of crusades. And anyway, those who seriously believe in our being infidels aren't all Muslims, certainly none of the ones I know think that. They are extremists, fundamentalists who drive their own lust for power through quasi-religious justifications. Usama bin Laden, Abu Bakhir Bashir, yes they are Muslim, Saddam Hussein, well, not really, Fred Nile, Pauline Hanson, Pat Buchanan, definitely not. Extremists have to come to exist in all religions, all cultures and countries."

"Simon, I don't know if you quite grasp what I'm saying here - they want to kill us! All I want is for our children to be safe."

Hmm, sounds to me remarkably like what Mungo Macallum wrote in his satirical "How to be a Megalomaniac" - safety of our great nation and of our children's future. What future I wonder, when such hate pervades wealthy suburbia, far removed from the lines of conflict. It's an outdated set of values that sees security obtained through aggression - in our world of instant communications, global media and mass migration such actions inevitably lead to hate, mistrust and conflict. Well, I'm obviously hitting my head against a brick wall here, let's try something slightly different.

“Phil, what is it to be Australian, please, tell me what an Australian looks like, what they believe in.”

“Well, an Australian is someone born here”

Kat, the other student enters the foray “What about people who are Muslim who are born here, are they Australian. What about someone like Mohammed Ali - is he not American for being of the Islamic faith?”

Phil’s reply was sharp and quick - “they still don’t fit in. If they were to accept us for who we are, that would be fine, but they don’t. They hate us, even when they live here, that’s why they should all go.”
I could scarcely believe this logic. We should hate them because we think they hate us. It’s circular - break the circle, spread the word and the system evaporates. Just choose not to hate if there is no reason. And I just wish I had been able to explain the economic benefits of migration, the burden of Phil’s generation on the Australian Social Security system, the value of low-wage new arrived migrants filling our ‘undesirable’ jobs, the international push-pull factors of economic refugees, not to mention asking how he knew ‘they’ hated ‘us.’

Instead, I asked the question again “still, what is to be Australian?”

“Well, we’re a tolerant lot, so long as others fit in with us. We believe in a fair go, and leaving others to do what they want so long as it doesn’t adversely affect us. That’s where they’re the problem - they don’t leave us alone, all that preying, those clothes, and the hate, the terrorism - we’d be a lot safer if we were to get rid of them all. I don’t mean kill them, we can’t do that, even though that’s what they want to do to us, just make sure they’re not around us.”

Oh, he has humanity, what a relief. We’ll just deport them all for not being Australian enough, they were too intolerant, didn’t give people a fair go, were too busy telling us what to do - they just didn’t fit in. Righto, I want the entire social conservative right wing of the Liberal party on the next boat out of the country, those who voted for One Nation straight to Woomera, and anyone who has the gall to have had European descendants in the country for three or more generations, you have to go too - you keep telling people what to do. Great, we’ve just emptied the country of everyone bar a large proportion of the indigenous population and post second world war migrants. Yay multicultural Australia!

Seriously though, if I were to take Phil’s comments at face value, I would think that he’s set new levels of hypocrisy. Either that, or in his mind he unconsciously plays identity politics and casts those who don’t look like him as ‘them,’ projecting his fears and hatred onto a group he can define away from himself. Nice self-defensive mechanism, always blaming someone else, it’s much easier than actually doubting one’s own actions.

And on the conversation went for several hours. What I’ve recounted isn’t verbatim, hopefully it’s close, but it certainly does serve to illustrate the challenges faced by those who both talk and act on empathy, tolerance and hope. I would happily note that it is the older, Cold War generation who most often hold the views expressed by Phil, but that does not mean they are all soon to disappear. Quite the opposite - it is the baby boomer generation, unaffected by war, who too often see belligerence and hate as effective security measures, and it is their generation who currently make the decisions that will affect us all. If we want to change it, we need to get out there and do three things. inspire. inform involve.