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As much as the thought of there being 'oz' articles in overseas journals is (potentially) exciting, I have a few problems with the current 'idea of Australia' or what other myth is being played at here. >if my statement "reeks of nationalism" (from your pov) it's because i need to use its terminologies to express myself, to work against it. it's impossible to escape the terms of reference. Why is nationalism a term of reference seeing as Australia is NOT built on this principle whatsoever. No Joan of Arcs or George Washingtons in this country's history (not yet anyway), but a forgetable ( and VERY insignificant) little millitary mishap during the first WW, or a small-time criminal who wore a rubish bin over his head and shot a few pistols. Frankly, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, we are much more colonial than anything. or post-colonial. we don't share the particular agony and blindness of other nations - e.g. england, france, germany - when it comes to the issues of difference and tolerance. but we have based this country on a 'terra nullius' and policies of assimilation (like US) which are, honestly, every bit as sinister as those of, say, national front in france. and that's focusing on the negatives; neither nationalism nor colonialism are such blunt terms of pure evil, might i add. but that's not the discussion here. >regardless of my spiritual beliefs, i cannot accept christ as part of this discourse - in this context he represents cultural, spiritual, and social imperialism. more the reason to consider him then, especially in THIS context. if i was writing about Austalian poetry or whatever else i was in the position to write about, then i'd do my best NOT TO take up the whatever position of some 1920's (or should I say, 1720's) French anarchist who would have had to pay a lot of direct tax to the clergy and would have had to go to various religious functions every damn week or else s/he would have been excommunicated and publically executed in a variety of brutal ways. as much as nationalism is fairly irrelevant to your topic, so is anti-christianity. smaller catholic communities, for example, have played very structural parts in shaping a city like melbourne. knowing that you're familiar with deleuze, then i suggest you dis-organise your negating position for the possibilities of a much more multi-dimentional body; get rid of your organ. i mean, look at Les Murray. love him or hate him, you can't not include him. and where would he be without the dear old christ. if as you say jesus represents forms of imperialism, then more the reason he should be discussed in his Australian context. Australia is a bastard mechanism of imperialism, struggling forever for some kind of legitimacy. cinging. Ali Alizadeh