Absolution by Denial
When the new Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, in 1996 refused to promote the cause of national reconciliation with the indigenous aboriginal population of Australia by saying that the white population of this country has no obligation to apologise to the original inhabitants of the continent for the genocidal practices conducted by our ancestors, we began to get the idea that this tiny minded little man was out to transform Australian politics into his ugly self image. This lack of magnanimity didn’t stop there. He then went onto dismantle most, if not all, of our treaty agreements with our Asian neighbours and to place the nation into a client state relationship with the USA. These changes were never mentioned during the 1996 election campaign, but over the next few years, with the help of a pusillanimous Opposition and the active cheerleading of the media barons, we find ourselves in the invidious position of being seen as mean, nasty and selfish in the eyes of the world community. The lesson learned is that reactionary politicians can, in a very short period of time, change a beautiful swan into an ugly duckling country.
We are constantly being told by the media what a brilliant politician Howard is. After all he has won three elections and looks like buying another one by giving more tax cuts to those who don’t really need it while starving the public health and eduction system to death. The formula is simple: buy off the wealthy with tax breaks while scaring the shit out of the so-called “battlers” with the idea of an immanent attack by terrorists. The way this furphy is sold is by cultivating the idea that only our present government’s “get tough” on helpless refugees and asylum seekers policy and by allying the country even closer with the crazy North American foreign policy, will we be safe from the threat of terrorism. P.T. Barnum once said that nobody ever went broke by under-estimating the intelligence of the general public. He must have had Australia in mind at the time.
How does one go about bringing reason to a frightened group of people who have got so used to being lied to that they can no longer recognise the truth when it is presented to them? We now have secret police (ASIO) legislation passed through Parliament last week (with the help of the “new and improved” Labor Opposition) that makes the US Patriots Act look like childs’ play. We are being offered a diet of paranoia and the prospect of endless war to look forward to. What will it take to refocus the thought of the public onto something positive and good? Perhaps we will have to wait for the economy of gluttony to finally fall into a heap before we start to come to our senses.
We have a federal election coming up sometime in 2004. The result of this election will determine the fate of Australia for years to come. It will also determine the cultural morality of the nation. Remember the nation is headed by a man who refuses show contrition over the destruction of aboriginal culture by our forefathers. But for now the Howard government must keep the “good times” rolling for a few more months. Up till now the cynical policy of being mean, nasty, never saying sorry for wrongs committed, and above all, lying to the public appears to work like a charm with the Aussie public. The mystery is if the “new and improved” Labor Party can somehow figure out how to look like they are different from the government. It will be hard for them to overcome the “me too” mantra they have adopted over the past seven years. Only time will tell, but don’t hold your breath.
This country needs a breath of fresh air. Think Green!
5:58:03 PM 
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