Sidney Nolan was a great Australian artist, using his talent for political and social comment, rather like a U2/Bono from some past age, when our nation relied upon some poncy British accent for a say on world issues.While now Telstra relies upon Americans, not much has changed.
Born between the wars, Sidney's era has its similarities to today, lots of war, Middle Eastern occupation. Sidney made a comment which is still awaiting recognition let alone any real action.
Today. Syd, is most famous for the Ned Kelly series, 20+ separate scenes detailing the abstract, life and crimes of Australia's most famous villain. Ned Kelly, was a hero for some, or an uncommon criminal/cop killer to others.
Historians dig deeper, analysing Ned's written work and behaviour and have decided he was just a nutter.
Ned and David Hicks are the same creature, in anyone's eyes, just two of a production line of the same product. David is just a modern day variety, no less hidden and under suspicion, and accused of crimes committed while under persecution.
Kelly's Mum was falsely accused, making parallel situations, wrongfully arrested and imprisoned, along with trumped up charges, David felt the same about Muslims.
All this occurred well before Ned and his brothers had the 'act up campaign' against the British regime, David's decision however was made before he began a (crime spree). Maybe if the Authorities were not so insane, Kelly would have gone back to farming and David today, along with his brothers in arms would not need to defend their values.
Sidney Nolan had his opinion drawn from experience, he had family links with the Kelly gang, and his opinion was clearly explained in artistic representation, a stations of the cross in 27 illustrations. He portrayed everything Australian as scrawny, weedy and ineffectual. In 20+ scenes Kelly's short crime wave is depicted, in child like detail.
We still know all about the Kelly Gang from all points media, so it must be important to us, and even though the mask got only one outing, its centre stage in most paintings and the most prominent feature that stays with the art lover, and still we do not grasp Nolan's point
David's story was even shorter, we have no details, although his picture is always in the news, as a mask, an image only his family once knew. He's alone now uncared for and under conditions none of us would stand for, but we are in no position to argue, nor is he, as we are out of the loop because we are Australians.
The police, in Sidney's pictures, were all managed by British servants, now those who guard detainees are American.
Sidney lined the police up on the canvas to make them look ridiculous, local boys, all standing proudly to attention like our politicians at the opening of parliament awaiting orders from Washington.
Portrayed through child like styles, the playmates are wearing police costumes and fake beards acting out parts, insincere, the parallels are exacting. Nolan could re-release Kelly in an orange jump suit or something, the parody could be hilarious.
The Authorities both past and present do not quite stand vertical, as Art and reality merge, both are a bit disorganised, coalition style, barely keeping up pretences, while the Aus bush in the background has no detail or interest for the world affairs viewer.
Presently identical scenes are played out in our time on TV, concerning David as, agents of another nation make deceptions, in reality America has taken a fellow Australian whilst extradition is between our nations a sovereign right.
For some, the it's the same as demanding that Martin Bryant be imprisoned on the Tasmanian Island. There is good cause to demand extradition as he was our responsibility, some how Australia failed him, or he would not have done this thing.
We could have been responsible from the onset, but from capture there was no reason to release him into the custody of another.
We were in Afghanistan, Australian services were present during the arrest, Australians were a partner after all, and he was one of ours.
.
But do we get a say? Clearly we have no voice at all.
No crime was committed on our soil, Americas or anywhere else, there was no link with terrorism no threat to our nation, while international law was suspended worldwide for the duration, Hicks did not even fight Australians, and now faces trumped up charges, at least Kelly had by capture, committed some felony.
Nolan's point was made in 20 + pictures where Australia features as the Mask. Kelly is not even pictured, the mask and armour are used to represent the Australian self image of the time, it was not about Kelly, it was all about Australia identity.
Australia in the 1800's was well hidden and protected behind British rule, but now honest john is unAustralian, its hard to think of something more true, he should bugger off back to America to be with his mate Murdoch.
In David's eyes Australia hasn't changed much, a country hidden behind a mask of another foreign nation, freely trading independence, American values, with no real identity, with pseudo autonomy, as long as the strings are attached to another nation's apron, all crystal clear except to dim-witted Australians.
60 years on, the Ned Kelly series could become David Hicks except for the Armour and Crime business. David is innocent, he fought for valour, valiantly, it was the coalition who acted with complete disrespect for others independence, all because westerners have very different values.
Osama would feel the same as Nolan but would not share David's views, they would disagree. David gave up on Australia; Ossama is a patriot to Arab lands. For David the decision to reject British/ American Culture was his personal protest. In a brave & selfless act of direct action against the western invasion of Arab lands. David went off in protection of Muslim ideals, in a complete 360 turn around, while Bin Laden has always defended Arab lands 100% without hesitation and has always been a patriot.
The 14 year war in Iraq, war & occupation in Saudi, Palestine added to the list, for David to make up his mind, not brainwashing. But Fears of colonialism, all real were real and are now realised threats, combined and western disregard of Muslim values put David over the edge. It bothered him even though he need not have been concerned, he could have just reneged on Allah instead, but he didn't which made him very unAustralian.
Not a crime at the time I would have said.
Ossama had bigger problems, David had no need to join him, or share beliefs, so there was never any link. David just signed up for the other side, maybe he regrets choosing the Taliban, but lets face it, they were never Terrorist in the true sense of the word or our side would be to.
Ossama is as intelligent and as noble as anyone could hope a leaders to be, honest as the Artic day in mid summer is long even though he is not fighting Russian occupation any longer. Times have changed; he's only fighting America because they took over.
And neither will ever succeed, the pipeline is no closer.
What we fail to understand is that Bin Laden had no choice but to fight for independence and remain Arabian, he is patriotic, but the fight remains the same, a fight we Australians have never felt worth our nation, because we keep giving it away.
Sidney was aware of Australia's unwillingness to grow as a nation and tried a blatant enduring way to explain this fact to pseudo Englishmen, this time we get the chance to listen again, but as pseudo Americans.
If David committed a crime, it was for being unaustralian, something Howard would like to pass through senate as a crime, and he could too. But it should not be retrospective.
Introspective maybe, perhaps it's a choice thing. Would you defend this nation, by attacking women and children without questioning the source of the orders handed down by an authority?
But we do.
Across an entire region, Australian is nothing to be proud of, and is like, American basking in a current & shared sense of shame.
We could leave Muslims including Hicks alone to sort out their own problems while we deal with being led by the nose. Or we could review the known facts regarding our nation's involvement and decide if current directions appear to be crusades, face facts. Hicks and Kelly are just a product of our nations hypocrisy who woke up to it long before I did.
Thankyou for your time.
By Simon Willace posted 17 September 05
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