printable version PDF version

Howard’s Line
by peptide Friday, Aug 5 2005, 5:09am
international / mass media / opinion/analysis

Since the London bombings the Australian mass media has been serving up a steady stream of garbled diatribes from local radical Muslim clerics. One wonders why these fanatics have been kept ‘on tap’ by local security agencies. But after a week of media ‘interviews’ with these unrepresentative Muslims, all becomes clear! Conservative (government) political strategists and media consultants are behind these latest ‘media events’. These relatively easy to locate (moron) fundamentalists are utilised to good advantage by the Howard government and some local political commentators as a means of distracting the public’s attention away from sensitive issues for which the government is directly responsible. It is hoped that public anger, in the likely event of a terrorist strike, will be vented on the local Muslim community rather than Howard and his stooge government.

Suitable scapegoats are being created in advance of a possible strike; a tactic Herr Goebbels perfected in Nazi Germany! In order to alarm and distract an amenable public from the real issues of the (still) illegal occupation and plunder of the Arab peninsula and other (once sovereign) Arab nations, the Howard government has orchestrated a parade of extremist clerics on a (compliant) local media. In view of these gross tactics, independent media analysts have been slow to expose the government’s odious strategies.

It is not difficult to locate moron religious extremists in any environment, think of the ‘Christian’ fundamentalist right in the southern states of the USA – some of whom make Nazis look like tame pacifists, or Israeli Zionists who are theologically sanctioned to kill those not chosen of God.

Howard’s political skills should never be underestimated or disregarded. He has successfully lied and manipulated his way into controlling both houses of parliament – not an easy feat. He is expert at political manipulative strategy, however, he seems oblivious to the fact that analysts can easily identify his favourite ploys. He manipulates an essentially xenophobic and racist population with fear tactics and now incorporates a new tactic – that of issue ‘overload’.

At present, the Australian public is dealing with the issue of a possible terrorist strike; the elimination of balanced Industrial Relations laws in favour of an American ‘survival of the fittest’ social Darwinist model; the “rigged” trial of David Hicks (Australian citizen); moronic interviews with Islamic fundamentalists; Howard deflecting responsibility of a likely attack onto a minority ethnic community; the attorney general, Ruddock, pretending that the US (rigged) trial of Hicks is perfectly legal; and to top it off, whenever Howard is under pressure he runs an ad campaign against female abuse!

Howard is aware that faced with a multitude of issues and emotive subjects, the public is easier to manipulate. But as Abraham Lincoln once said, “you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” Howard’s major problem is a result of his long tenure in office; the people have become immune to his lies and accustomed to his underhanded tricks. As each week passes more of the Australian population become disillusioned with Howard’s conservative government and their deceitful tactics. Furthermore, a once apathetic population is now displaying aggressive attitudes toward those who would treat them with disdain and take them for granted.

Howard’s recent tactics are completely transparent and may impact negatively on him and his government. However, it should not be forgotten that it is the fears and negative aspects of the Australian character that allow people like Howard to manipulate in the first instance. If and when the Australian population realises that their best interests would be served by adopting a global rather than a parochial mindset, Howard and others like him would have little chance of ascending to positions of influence.