Credit: Illustration: Badiucao
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FEAR AND LOATHING
A significant proportion of the blame for increased community fears rests at the feet of the leader of the federal opposition (“Safety fears hit record high across the nation,” (26/1). Its leader, Peter Dutton consistently and unashamedly stokes fear and division as political tactics without a second thought to the impact this is having on the good people of Australia.
His messaging follows a carefully crafted playbook with one aim in mind, and that is to gain power. It may well be a potent political ploy, but the long-term damage being done to the social fabric of Australia is irresponsible at best.
Sadly, as we hurtle at speed towards the kind of social divisions in the US, it will be difficult to arrest the damage to social cohesion that leads to increased fear and division.
As we have seen with the actions of past leaders, such as John Howard, gaining and holding political power is more important than doing the right thing by Australians.
Michael Cormick, Carnegie
Saving us from imaginary enemies
The strategy of creating fear to win government is even more effective if a ‘rescue’ is then promised, thereby casting the would-be leader as a hero who averted a non-existent or distorted issue. It is a tried and true method used by political charlatans.
The difficulty is sifting the authentic issues from the trumped-up ones, and at times the confusion seems designed to create so much bickering that those in power are enabled to step over the rubble and do as they please.
Quality journalism has traditionally provided the critical checks and balances, largely by differentiating between fact and opinion. Some of Trump’s closest billionaire buddies are those who have enabled social media to disseminate false or unbalanced narratives in a 21st-century post-Murdoch media era, while wielding enormous influence.
In a sense, journalism (and its role in illumination and enforcing accountability) has been hijacked and the professional practices of fact checking, accuracy, and the presentation of diverse views have been sacrificed on the altars of entertainment, revenue (money), and ego. This is why the continuing erosion of journalistic standards is an assault on democracy.
Emma Borghesi, Rye
Self-fulfilling headline
As human beings, we are primed for danger. We pay attention, and respond to negative messages far more quickly and deeply than positive ones. That is why a headline such as “Safety fears hit record high across the nation” (26/1) appear. It piques our interest, we will read it, and tend to agree, even if it is based on a small survey. A headline about “fear across the nation” thus become self-fulfilling.
Jane Robins, Moonee Ponds
Leaders should work together
Anti-semitism is abhorrent in any way, shape or form. However, the fact that it is increasing throughout the world can largely be attributed to Israel’s actions in Gaza. For Peter Dutton to claim Anthony Albanese is responsible for the rise in anti-semitism here ignores this obvious fact.
If Dutton was genuinely concerned about increased ant-semitism in this country he should unite with the prime minister on the issue instead of attempting to manipulate the situation to his perceived political advantage.
Phil Alexander, Eltham
Dutton twists knife
Peter Dutton’s legislative proposal for Australia Day is about picking fights with groups he thinks a large slice of mainstream Australia love to hate – the self-righteous Greens, those perceived to get special treatment from government (Indigenous Australians), and people feared as a threat to their jobs (refugees, migrants). The purpose is to attract Labor voters who share these hates and grievances to the Coalition.
Dutton opposed the Voice because it would provide special access to government. He now refuses to stand before Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. And, entrenching Australia Day on January 26 will be a cruel reminder of European power; a knife that can be twisted annually.
Philip Grano, Newport
Many opinions on date
Another Australia Day has been and gone, demonstrating that our history provokes a range of emotional responses – pride, sorrow, happiness, anger and guilt.
If you accept – as I do – that the Australian frontier was a violent place, and many Indigenous lives were lost in this violence, and that Aboriginal Australians have suffered because of the loss of livelihood, disease, and poverty, then there is much to provoke a sense of guilt.
Instead, I want an honest conversation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians about our shared past and its consequences. I want to have this conversation in ways that enable us all to address a legacy of the past and create a shared future.
Whoever we are – Indigenous, descendants of settler Australians, migrants or refugees – we all have a stake in our nation’s future. A generous approach to dialogue based on empathy, respect and compassion, would seek to find a date to celebrate our nationhood that is inclusive of all Australians.
Sarah Russell, Mount Martha
Group think
Resolve Monitor polling showed a considerable increase in antisemitism and a smaller increase in Islamophobia. I wonder if this intolerance was unleashed by the opportunistic opposition to the Voice. The initial racism was directed at Indigenous Australians. Has this licensed the rabid intolerance directed at Jewish and Islamic institutions, and maybe at Novak Djokovic? We cannot stop the killing in Gaza and the West Bank, or Ukraine, but we can do something about the behaviour of the “mob” at the Australian Open.
Ken Rivett, Ferntree Gully
Djokovic abuse telling
It is not always the big events that expose who, as a nation, we are. It can be the small occurrences.
The disgraceful booing of 10-time Australian Open winner, Novak Djokovic, after he was forced to retire from his semi-final tell us much. That a large section of the arena could descend to a cynical and entitled demeanour as the champion withdrew tells us that our values in Australia are amiss and moving further away from being honourable.
Any assessment based on the values of personal effort, innovation, inclusivity and generosity has gone missing.
It seems that current Australian values have shifted to selfishness, cynicism, superiority and entitlement.
Australia divided is now a much lesser place.
Time for a reset of values. We must escape from the dogmas that are channelled on environment, anti-nationalism, religious intolerance, and entitlement.
Bernard McNamara, Kew
Dutton’s straight talk
Peter Dutton, in his recent interview with Mark Bouris on his podcast Straight Talk, suggested that men have had enough of being passed over for promotion because of affirmative action policies that demand that women get promoted. I can only hope that as the election campaign gets under way that there will be more focus on the negativity of the LNP approach, not just in the law and order issues where Dutton is blaming the government for the rise in antisemitism (″Safety fears hit record high″, 26/1) but especially on the issues regarding women and other marginalised groups within our society.
Denise Stevens, Healesville
Voters moving right
Your correspondent rhetorically asks if it is surprising that America has “opted to ditch the political paradigms of the past and move in a new direction”, (Letters, 24/1).
Considering they have voted against their own interests for the very people who are harming them – the extremely wealthy and powerful who create the inequality, your correspondent rightly bemoans – then the
answer is actually yes, it is very surprising.
Will Australians do the same?
Paula O’Brien, St Kilda
Putin role model
A year ago, Malcolm Turnbull remarked that watching Trump in the presence of Putin was like watching an overawed, worshipping child in the presence of their hero footy star.
It’s interesting watching Putin now playing him off a break. Trump thinks he is in charge. Putin knows that he will get the peace deal he wants – which no doubt includes large chunks of Ukraine – through this faux bromance with the out-of-control MAGA despot.
Yvonne Trevaskis, Battery Point, Tas
Vandalism a failed tactic
Thank you, those who vandalised statues, citizenship ceremony marquees and World War I memorials in readiness for Australia Day. Your acts make it certain that Trumpism will rise in Australia. Middle-of-the-roadists, who wanted Australia to continue to be easy-going, will now be pushed to respond to your extremism. Remember this, when you look back on the 2020s: your own extremism helped fuel the extreme right-wing in Australia.
Pam Cupper, Dimboola
Go our own way
Re ″And away we go″ (25/1), which describes the dangers to democracy and international cohesion of many of the measures already announced by US President Donald Trump, what can the Australian government and Australians do to reduce the harm of Trumpism?
As a middle power and with a substantial economy, Australia can continue to be an active member of important international institutions by paying its dues, expressing its views and voting independently.
The US should be isolated in Trump’s appalling decision to withhold funds to the World Health Organisation. Similarly, the US decision to leave the Paris Agreement on climate will see it fall behind as the world transitions to renewable energy.
Australia must continue and, indeed, accelerate its adaptation to using non-fossil fuels in households, transport and industry. It must argue strongly in the World Trade Organisation and other forums for the US not to increase import tariffs and for other nations to maintain open trade flows. Tit-for-tat retaliatory tariff increases would only threaten to throw the world into recession.
Voters here should be conscious of the deleterious effects of any policy proposals that mimic Trump’s retrograde ideas.
Andrew Trembath, Blackburn
Sympathy for both sides
It has become an extremely disturbing consequence of the war in Gaza that we are being encouraged to pick “sides” in the conflict. Cathy Wilcox’s cartoon (Opinion, 24/1) appears to depict the suffering of the Israeli families whose loved ones have been held hostage as being lesser than the suffering of Palestinian families. The documentary Screams before Silence (on YouTube) gives a first-hand account of what the first responders saw after the October 7 attack, in particular, the horrific sexual violence meted out to the young women. One can only imagine the nightmare that the last year has been for these families with children and loved held hostage, The long history of war should tell us that it is always the innocent and the vulnerable who pay the price.
Surely, we can afford sympathy to all the victims of this dreadful situation and not get caught up in stereotypes?
Aileen Macleod, Williamstown
Pick a date
Australians are told to be proud of our country and celebrate this pride on January 26. However, this date has mixed meanings. White settlement and white invasion. Australia is a big country but are we big enough to embrace our Indigenous people and show respect to them by celebrating on a separate day to January 26?
Now, this would be something to be proud of.
Julie Ottobre, Brunswick East
THE FORUM
Care for birds
In this hot weather, please leave clean fresh water out for our birds as they need to keep cool and hydrated, too.
If the bath or bowl is deep, then a small rock placed in it will give a platform for small birds to perch whilst drinking.
Some birds enjoy having a bath as well to cool down and clean their feathers.
It’s also enjoyable to watch them knowing you have contributed to their wellbeing.
Lynette Amaterstein, Castlemaine
Private club talk
It has been an enlightening series recently in The Age on private clubs of Melbourne for the elite. The remark from an anonymous club member that he can ″speak his mind without fear of offending people″ (24/1) says it all.
I wouldn’t join the club, even if they would have me as a member. And I can carry my own drink.
Rosslyn Lennings, North Melbourne
Pools for every body
Re ″Banning G-strings at public pools is a bummer for some, but it’s the right move″ (Opinion, 22/1), public pools are for the public.
The public is made up of bodies of all shapes and sizes and ages, and that are wearing all different kinds of togs.
If you go to a public pool and find another body offensive, perhaps the best solution is to buy yourself a private pool.
Eloise Cox, Brunswick East
AND ANOTHER THING
Grace Tame T-shirt
Are there any standards left at all in public and political life? For the prime minister to greet and welcome a person wearing an obscene shirt to a government function is a disgrace.
Kev Kelly, Kalimna
What a disgraceful stunt by Grace Tame at the Australia Day awards. She has shown total disrespect for everyone involved in an award she was privileged to have received.
Kirsty Page, Adelaide
What was Albanese thinking, joking and shaking hands with Grace Tame on national TV, while she was wearing that appalling T-shirt? What an insult to the award nominees.
Lorraine Green, Malvern East
The ‘F... Murdoch’ t-shirt worn by Grace Tame should be become a fashion icon that rivals Jean Shrimpton’s Melbourne Cup mini. Elegant, perfectly matched to any outfit, and a concise message many thinking Australians support.
Andrew Dowling, Torquay
Shame on Grace Tame. She has damaged her reputation and her legitimate cause. Grow up.
Geoff Wenham, Malvern East
Grace Tame represented us as the 2021 Australian of the Year, and now she represents the view of many Australians with her clear message to Rupert Murdoch, although it was blurry on my TV.
Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill
Grace ‴F... Murdoch” Tame! My life’s biggest goal - to stand beside the PM with the word f... on my t-shirt.
David Cayzer , Clifton Hill
Furthermore
“A managed retreat” (25/1)? We’ve known for decades that a warming planet places us between a rock and a hard place — or more aptly, between wildfires and a rising sea.
Jenny Bone, Surrey Hills
When climate change makes the planet almost uninhabitable, the descendants of billionaires will fare the best. The selfishness of the megarich is criminal.
Pete Sands, Monbulk
Finally
With Trump in charge, I now know why fear of clowns is a thing.
Ross Tanner, Clifton Hill
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