blog week 9- othering

The invisible influence of whiteness in western, global and particularly indigenous culture is what Aileen Moreton-Robinson’s paper focuses on. She argues that the superiority and dominance of the white race is evident throughout the world. Before continuing with my critique of the paper I think it is appropriate to highlight the fact she fails to properly define who is white and who is not. I have made an assumption that for the majority of the paper Robinson is talking about only the superiority of the Anglo-Saxons and not all Europeans (colonisers).

Robinson’s argument is one which I agree with, I do believe that white culture, politics and dogma has shaped and will continue to shape the world in which we live. However, I do take issue with some of the points she has raised. Robinson digresses for a short paragraph in her article to say that during the war on terror former British and Australian Prime Ministers Blaire and Howard were in the business of “representing themselves as the holders of true humanity” (Robinson 2004, p78). This statement is mere opinion and because of that it made me as a reader take her and her argument less serious.

 “Cook, who stated that indigenous people of Australia had no form of land tenure because they were uncivilised” (Robinson 2004, p76) this is a great example that Robinson highlights to illustrate the arrogance of white colonisers. However, I am disappointed that she didn’t really discuss in-depth the historical importance and effects that colonisation had on indigenous peoples around the world. “The holocaust in the Congo during the period when it was the main source for rubber and ivory for Europe and North America and was the personal fiefdom of the Belgian king, Leopold II. An estimated ten million people died during that period of colonial plunder in the Congo, roughly half the population” (Baxter, pg 40). This is a perfect example Robinson should have used and illustrates brilliantly how western society values white life above others.

Overall I think Robinson did a good job of highlighting the fact that whites continue to influence almost every part of the globe. However, as stated before she should have talked more about the history and the formation of white dominance ideology then her focus on contemporary examples. It would have also been a lot easier to examine if she had actually defined who is actually white.  

References

Baxter J, 2010, Dust from our Eyes, 2^nd edn, Wolsak and Wynn, Hamilton Ontario

Moreton-Robinson, A., 2004, ‘Whiteness, Epistemology and Indigenous Representation’ in Whitening Race: Essays in Social and Cultural Criticism, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, pp. 75-88.