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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol 35 No. 3. 15th March 1972

...Germaine Who?

page 4

...Germaine Who?

Thrill seekers, ambulance chasers, hero builders, what more can the world offer you now you've had Germaine Greer?

But what a feeble history you really have had; of allowing your palate to be whet, but being too afraid to drink, or, heaven forbid, get drunk, on the revolution.

There have been the days of student infighting. But you gave that up. You're too blase to have even your hackles raised. And the problems of bureaucracy, inefficiency and waste remain.

The high points of student politics, for example forum you have let degenarete into occasional flashes of exhibitionism. The dishwater surrealists tried to provoke more than an amused reaction but there's only a few political patsies end a tiresome procession of tiddly winks, Winnie the pooh end the buzzy bee pullers to show.

Now and then you take your almost forgotten consciences for a public walk, with your unconvincing protests and empty chants. Do you remember yourselves thronging to marijuana debates, cheering the freedom lighters, hissing the doubters? But did you dare to light up in public? Did you actually act out your subversion fantasies of posting joints or acidifying water supplies? No, you continue to fuck the meddling peddling and be fucked by the frauds, and you continue to smoke secretively forgetful of the honest man in jail. "

What have you done on what you describe as the race problem. You're even less than "some of my best friends are blacks" liberals here. You haven't got any best friends. Rather than becoming an Uncle Tom in your inevitable old age, why dont you join an Asian Society, or a Maori Group, now. And learn, learn, for right now you know nothing.

Now you've been lured into a typically inarticulate acceptance of Womens Lib, because you've decided to make pop-type stars out of political leaders. You don't seem to have been capable of understanding the albeit confused, but bloody sincere home grown Womens' Liberationists. Your brand of belief can only begin when you've indulged in the doubtful glamour of a news seeking roadshow. Its a sad joke to hear you enthusing over Womens Liberation over the dinner table, as late as this. Especially as your wife or girlfriend is out in the kitchen doing the dishes. And to know, that, even if you're too blind to see yourself as a political dabbler, your 'converted' feelings will be in a week, no more than a faded memory of last weeks thrill.

Photo of students attending Germaine Greer's lecture

The fact that you can't see, is that Germaine Greer is absolutely irrelevant to honest political interest, let alone conviction. It is time, in this fucked up world, that you got the stars out of your eyes. It is time that you reached out to your fellows who have got the guts to have political convictions and do something about them. It is time you converted yourself to action.

Photo of two female students at Germaine Greer's lecture