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| Combating the Rise of Fascism and Erosion of Democracy in Australia |
 PRINTABLE VERSION |
In our information and knowledge age, the battleground is ideas, institutions, regulation and governance. There are very few dragons for us to attack with our swords and axes.
Why Are We Going Quietly In To The Night?
Another piece in today’s Sydney Morning Herald - by Hugh Mackay - seeks to explain why we are just going with the flow on these challenges to our liberties and our quality of life.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/its-the-threat-that-serves-well-to-explain-our-fear/2005/09/30/1127804659630.html
Hugh sees the new laws in the context of 25 years of social turmoil and dysfunction.
He puts it like this: "The gender revolution has transformed our patterns of marriage and divorce. The birthrate has plummeted and our households have shrunk. The combined impact of globalization and the Internet Technology revolution has exerted increased pressure on our working lives and the restructure of the economy has created a culture of job insecurity. We have begun to see ourselves as a different kind of society from the one we used to be - more media-driven, more drug-saturated, more commercialized, more competitive, less egalitarian, more closely engaged with Asia, more multicultural. Is it any wonder so many Australians talk about their yearning for "balance", or describe their lives as being "out of control"? These are people to whom the world seems a tougher, more unpredictable place than it used to be and they complain that our distinctive "values" are becoming harder to define."
So how do the anti-terror laws, protest and civil disobedience fit with that?
Hugh argues that: "Our uneasiness in the face of these upheavals is reflected in our skyrocketing consumption of tranquillizers and antidepressants, our escape into relentless materialism, our backyard mentality, and our obsession with the renovation of everything from teeth to terraces. It is also reflected in our disengagement from politics and a tendency merely to shrug when we're confronted by things like the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the management of refugee detention centres, the Government's collusion in the scandal of Guantanamo Bay and, now, the passage of anti-terrorist legislation: "There's a problem? Let the Government fix it."
Mark Latham's mid week lecture at the University of Melbourne - along with the opinions of many others over time - also talked about this 'hollowing out of our democracy'. We have become disengaged, disillusioned and distrustful of our politicians and governments. Elections are a pain in the butt. We don't believe anything politicians say anyway, so what's the problem with breaking election promises. We expect it.
Political Re-engagement & 2024
The challenge of re-engaging people in Australian (and many Western) democracy and politics, and the dissatisfaction with party politics is something a new group I am part of is thinking about.
The network, called the 2024 network (http://www.2024network.org), seeks to advance progressive politics over the 20 years from 2004 - when the Howard government was re-elected.
The first of its papers is on political re-engagement. See http://www.2024network.org/paper1
I'm not clear on the answers but I think this might be one of the clear 'battles' to be fought in terms of fighting fascism and achieving a more healthy society and culture.
Why The State and Federal Collusion?
In another explanation as to how these anti-terror laws came in to being, Peter Hartcher's piece explores how Labor is striving to be the Daddy that we all crave.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/battle-to-be-the-daddy-of-them-all/2005/09/30/1127804659627.html
Peter discusses US party distinctions in terms of Mummy and Daddy parties.
To quote: "A Mummy party is most interested in caring for people. It is empathetic, inclusive and concerned with fairness. In short, it wants to give you a cuddle. A Mummy party is seen to be best at providing services - especially health, education and welfare.
A Daddy party, on the other hand, is strict. It is big on self-discipline and self-reliance. It is frugal and interested in obedience. In sum, it will stand you on your feet but keep you on your toes. A Daddy party is trusted to look after the fundamentals of keeping the family secure - with good economic management and competent national security." End quote.
In Australia, the coalition is the Daddy, and Daddy is running things federally. State & Territory governments who have responsibilities more related to 'caring' (health, education) are all Labor.
As part of attempts to become more of a Daddy, e.g. establishing its economic credentials and getting tough (tougher than the coalition in some respects) on national security, Peter argues, Labor has sold our freedoms. No-one wants to look soft on terrorism. If they do, when the attack that many think is inevitable (I am one of them), they will be hung out to dry politically by the media and the opposing parties/government.
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