The Politics of Fear in Australia
I got a pamphlet through the post a few days ago, looking for all the world like some official police or government related notice. In fact the large picture of Ted Ballieu inside revealed it to be a party political mailshot from the opposition in Victoria, the Liberal party. In case anyone is confused, and it’s easy to get confused about Australian politics, the Liberal party are actually the right wing guys. And playing to your typical right wing manifesto, the mailshot was a text book example of the politics of fear. I’d actually scan part of it but I was so infuriated I placed it in the fire.
The themes were familiar of course. Rampant crime. Oh and punishment, lots of punishment (eg there’s not enough of it in general). Hoons, a favorite bogey of the minute and biker gangs too, another classic that seems to have spilled over the border from shrill conservative South Australia. And not enough coppers. Plus more punishment.
The upshot is that you, the voter, should of course elect Ted Baillieu and you will be safe! Protected from the gangs of evil hoon bikies with the squillion coppers on the street. In additional criminals can now expect life for littering because we’ll sort those pesky judges out who dare to take any circumstances into account. Obviously it’s just a sickening, fear drumming, piece of reactionary bullshit which naturally enough did not resort to a single peice of actual cited evidence for anything, just a statement that these evils existed and they planned to do something about it.
Perhaps more ‘hilariously’ of all, there was even a little survey at the back. This is where you ticked boxes about all the things, as a layperson, you are obviously qualified to know about it like … are enough people being convicted and sent to prison long enough. Plus stuff about hoons, evil bikers and so on and such forth.
It’s depressing really. This cynical zooming in on a conservative demographic, kicking out all sorts of loaded statements of threat with loaded language backed up by nothing at all. I guess it’s just plain easier than being a engaged in a proper democratic process. Working out what actual difficulties people are facing, researching some policies and presenting them as adults. I, for one, am not at all concerned about the raft of horseshit they put on this pamphlet. I see the great evil as Australia going the way of the US, where everyone is afraid of all this stuff so it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. The biker thing is a classic example. The outlawing of a group of people before they have committed any crime. I’m struggling to see under what political science, philosophical or moral theory you are concocting that sort of policy. It’s utterly ridiculous. I remember exactly the same sort of hysteria 20 years ago in the NT, fearful right wing paper screaming that the evil baby eating bikers were coming to town. (Darwin River Rock, quite a pleasant weekend I found)
Back to the present, where is the discussion about the crisis of public transport, water conservation, and so on. The only remotely sensible thing I saw was discussion of setting up an anti corruption watchdog, something sorely needed in the cronyism infested waters of Australian politices (see Myki as an example). Although since the very nature of this sort of activity seems to attack the sitting government I guess we shouldn’t be surprised.
I have never been quite so unimpressed with a political party in any country I have been in as with the Liberal party. Every time one sees their leadership on television to present an alternative view from the government it’s purely an attack job, no proferred solutions, no acknowledgement that not everything is the fucking government’s fault, and never any actual constructive policy. Unfortunately the Australian press seems entirely complicit in the sorry state of affairs too. Why perform some actual political analysis when you can write another peice about how the opinion polls have shifted a half point in some direction, as if this fucking MATTERS when there isn’t an election on. Show some understanding of the system you’re commenting on you talentless bunch of lazy retards!
The whole situation is just infested with this kind of horseshit. The country is full of members of parliament who think being voted in power is essentially a carte blanche reason to stand up and shout out any particular brand of lunatic opinion you have without any responsibility to consult with experts, consult with those involved, consult with anything at all other than your own vaguely held notion. The death of the ETS, of course, being a symptom of a massive failure of logic and reason in the stratosphere of Australian politics.
Harrumph. I had better calm down or I’ll be inclined to vote Liberal 
