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