Wednesday, June 09, 2004
Freedom of Speech, just so long as you don't offend Johnny
Clive Hamilton wrote an interesting article in the opinion section of 'The Age' newspaper, where he posits that the Howard government has made many attempts to actively police and restrain the freedom with which influential citizens are able to speak, particularly when it may be contraversial for the government.
Hamilton cited examples of members of the military being gagged in the children overboard affair, during the war and and recent prisoner abuse scandal, not to mention the streetfight between Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty and PM John W. Howard over the status of national security since Iraq. Hamilton cites a report by his institute, (the Australia Institute) which concludes that academics feel particularly reticent to speak out, particularly if they are likely to offend a major sponsor of their work.
But Hamilton doesn't even mention church leaders, for whom Howard reserves a special note of caution. During the war on Iraq, and since, he and his ministers have made several comments that church leaders have no business in speaking on matters political, (particularly where they involve children in detention centres, an unjust war involving thousands of civilian casualties, the unjust detention of Australians in Guantanamo Bay or anything mildly critical of the Howard Government). Downerpants has made a couple of comments in various speeches letting clergy know that they aren't allowed to have opinions; just serve the Eucharist, marry our kids and bury our grandparents.
He said "There appears to have been a systematic attempt by the Howard Government to reshape Australian society, to remake it in the image of the economics textbook, in which we are each imagined to be no more than self-interested consumers."
He later goes on to say that Peter Costello advocates for the more tolerance and 'religious values' to solve some of the problems in society. So not only is the Howard government interested in causing self interest to be the key principle of a well ordered society, but they also want a religion which promotes conformity, and tolerance. Just as an aside, I love the way Peter Costello trumpeted the word tolerance earlier this year. tolerance rather than acceptance, or community mindedness. "I'll tolerate gays, Chinese people and Toyota drivers, just as long as I don't have to actually 'like' any of them; so long as they don't interfere with my way of life."
It seems as though the Howard government wants us to embrace the language of economic rationalism, but is not all that keen on rationalism. The shame is that a Latham government is unlikely to be any different.
Hamilton cited examples of members of the military being gagged in the children overboard affair, during the war and and recent prisoner abuse scandal, not to mention the streetfight between Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty and PM John W. Howard over the status of national security since Iraq. Hamilton cites a report by his institute, (the Australia Institute) which concludes that academics feel particularly reticent to speak out, particularly if they are likely to offend a major sponsor of their work.
But Hamilton doesn't even mention church leaders, for whom Howard reserves a special note of caution. During the war on Iraq, and since, he and his ministers have made several comments that church leaders have no business in speaking on matters political, (particularly where they involve children in detention centres, an unjust war involving thousands of civilian casualties, the unjust detention of Australians in Guantanamo Bay or anything mildly critical of the Howard Government). Downerpants has made a couple of comments in various speeches letting clergy know that they aren't allowed to have opinions; just serve the Eucharist, marry our kids and bury our grandparents.
He said "There appears to have been a systematic attempt by the Howard Government to reshape Australian society, to remake it in the image of the economics textbook, in which we are each imagined to be no more than self-interested consumers."
He later goes on to say that Peter Costello advocates for the more tolerance and 'religious values' to solve some of the problems in society. So not only is the Howard government interested in causing self interest to be the key principle of a well ordered society, but they also want a religion which promotes conformity, and tolerance. Just as an aside, I love the way Peter Costello trumpeted the word tolerance earlier this year. tolerance rather than acceptance, or community mindedness. "I'll tolerate gays, Chinese people and Toyota drivers, just as long as I don't have to actually 'like' any of them; so long as they don't interfere with my way of life."
It seems as though the Howard government wants us to embrace the language of economic rationalism, but is not all that keen on rationalism. The shame is that a Latham government is unlikely to be any different.
