Dear Devine Bob
Despite also being one who believes an empty head is high price to pay for
a broad mind, I struggle with the notion that Miranda Bolt's views of
climate/change/bushfires have some value in any reasoned debate of the
events of recent times. In common with other times of national calamity and
crisis (see Italy 1923-43 and Germany in the thirties) allowing 'dog
whistlers' to set an agenda, even before those affected by the aforesaid
calamities have had time recover and stake stock, runs the risk of setting
off forces which may be hard to control by democratic means. Robert Thugbes
clarion call that 'whites stole real Zimbabweans land then ergo whites are
now responsible for the crisis' or the formulations of a range of
ultra-nationalist (odd term) groups in Europe come to mind. I would happily
cope with Frank's daughter's, Duffy's, Bolt's and uncle Tom Cobbly 'expert'
point of speech if it was balanced with an equal amount of Prof. Karoly,
IPCC, et al. giving people access to some of the difficulty and nuance of
the issues of bushfires, climate change and native habitat before they start
the next Krytalnacht. No matter how reasoned and well put together the
arguments made by us mere listers may be, we are not going to get a weekly
column in the SMH, Age or Curious Mail - that fundamental paradigm didn't
change with the Rudd/Obama revolution. Complex, nuanced and referenced
argument does not attract advertisers in the same manner as "Shock, Horror,
Probe, Greenie Birdos destroy Civilization as we know it".
The vociferous nature of the right wing commentary on this and the recent
minor market failures we call the GFC is reminiscent of emperor sans
clothing. The collapse of the consumption/leveraged debt binge and the nasty
storm and tempest surprises in the woods give these knuckle draggers only
one choice and that is populist attack. Indeed it is breathtaking in
Miranda's (a suburb in the "Shire" if I remember rightly) case with the
string up the 'greenie' and not the arsonist. It is worth considering what
effect such a comment would have in the context of 15% unemployment, mostly
amongst red, white and blue t-shirt wearing young men, and an economic
depression in a few years time. Just picture it. You walk out of the bush
having just dipped on the Southern Emu Wren at Bundeena and find your hat,
bins, day-pack and Katmandu cargo duds are a bit like a yellow star in
Warsaw in'41 when you walk onto Cronulla station.
Now after this long diatribe it occurs that I have been suckered again Bob!
You were fishing in the passage again weren't you and I bit. Ciao
Chris Lloyd
61 2 9580 4290
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