Re: religion and the state down under

[Bill Mitchell <ecwfm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 11:39 PM 05/15/2001 -0400, you wrote:
> Apologies to those who find this frivolous.
> Comments from Oz welcomed.
>
> The relevant links:
> http://www.theage.com.au/frontpage/2001/04/19/FFX2AMAEPLC.html
> http://www.miredespa.com/wmaton/Other/Legal/Constitutions/Australia/English
> /Australia-cons.html
>
> Alan Isaac
>
>
>
>
> BANNING THE FORCE
> By SIMON JOHANSON and XAVIER LA CANNAAGE .
>
> AGE ONLINE.
> Thursday 19 April 2001, 08:05 AM.
>
> The Australian Bureau of Statistics has issued a
> further warning to Star Wars fans intent on
> marking "Jedi" as their religion in the upcoming
> census.


From an OZ: Yes this hit the news about a month ago. subversion often has
a downside.
unless your protest is capable of a regime shift in property relations in
the mode of production
and the relationship between that and the state it is often the case that
you do more damage
than you think. a small tampering with the population census will not
achieve a regime shift.
but it will affect the robustness of the database upon which research is
based. research on
census data is often used to show that the policies that most harm the
disadvantaged are
misplaced. also in general I prefer data to be as pure as it can be. the
census is our only
chance to get a population rather than a sample. information is a
prerequisite to freedom.
if we contaminate it thinking we are "getting back at something" then we
probably just
punch ourselves. like the rioters who burn their own neighbourhood down
rather than the
ruling class houses.

best wishes
bill


William F. Mitchell
Professor of Economics and Head of Department
Director, Centre of Full Employment and Equity
University of Newcastle
New South Wales, Australia
E-mail: ecwfm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Phone: +61-2-4921 5065
Fax:   +61-2-4921 6919
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WWW Home Page: http://e1.newcastle.edu.au/economics/bill/billeco.html