[A. G. Maisey]

I agree with your comment on journalists Ariel. As a group they tend to serve the interests of the leaders of the society in which they work. There is a book by a gentleman by the name of Andre Vltchek :- "Indonesia" & a sub title something about "fear" that is perhaps one of the best commentaries of which I am aware, on Indonesian society since independence. For anybody with an interest in this part of the world it is well worth reading.

I also agree that in the article I linked to, a distinct association between ways of thought and culture is central to the author's presentation. However, I cannot agree that such an association is either factually incorrect or politically incorrect. Different societies have varying cultural bases, Australian tribal Aborigines do not see nor evaluate their world in the same way, or even a similar way, to the way in which a New York stock broker sees and evaluates his world.

Now, consider this hypothetical:- Joe Dingo's great-grandfather was 100% tribal, he lived in the north west of NSW, a pure blood Kamilaroi man.

Joe's grandfather moved into a mission station on the outskirts of Moree and learnt to read and write, obtained his lower school certificate and when he left school he got a job in the hardware store in Moree.

When Joe's father finished his 5 years of high school education he moved to Sydney. He got a job as a builder's labourer and moved into an Aboriginal community in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.

Joe needed to leave school at 14 years and 10 months of age, because his father died young and he needed to work to support his mother and younger brother and sister. He was working as a stoker at the old Bunnerong power station when the NSW government minister responsible for electricity generation made a political visit to the power station and went around glad-handing all the workers. When he got to Joe, he shook his hand had nice little political conversation with him, and in this conversation he said words to this effect:- "Joe, if you go to night school and get your intermediate certificate ( the lowest school leaving certificate in the 1950's) come and see me, and I'll get you an office job".

Well, for the minister this was just political hype, filmed and reported in the newspapers, but for Joe it was a promise of a better job and a better life. So Joe went to night school, got his certificate, contacted the minister (who had forgotten all about his promise, but made good on it anyway) and got his office job as a clerk with the government organisation that retailed electricity.

But Joe didn't stop there. He went back to night school and got himself a qualification in accountancy, then he began applying for a job as an accountant with the organisation he worked for, and he eventually got one.

Joe had two sons. They both went to Sydney University. They both finished up as lawyers, one took silk (ie, he became a barrister). I think one of Joe's sons is currently living in the USA.

I said this was a hypothetical, well the only thing that is not true in this hypo is Joe's name, his real name was Aubrey, I knew him for 30 years and he was possibly the most decent man I ever knew.

Now tell me Ariel, is it even remotely possible that Joe, or his sons thought in a way at all similar to the way in which Joe's great grandfather thought?

Of course it is not. They do not see the world in a similar way, they do not have a similar value system, they do not think in the same way as their Kamilaroi ancestor.

And why does the thought pattern change in these people?

It is because of a change in the sociocultural influences to which they were subjected.

"Culture" may be defined as " the customs, and social behaviour, and the ideas of an identified group of people, or of a society".

It is impossible to separate culture from the way in which the people who own a culture process information, and the way in which they process information both influences and is influenced by, the way in which they see their world.

Yes, I agree with you Ariel that human beings are individuals, but each individual is subject to the influence of the society in which he lives, and to its culture.