CORY BERNARDI

Cory Bernardi's 'jumping ship' from the Coalition is worrying; not in terms of the headaches it will give Malcolm Turnbull but, rather, in what it might indicate about the developing political, social and economic firmament in Australia.

 

To me, those landscapes are fast changing and all the movement seems to be in the direction of the Right.......... and maybe beyond. Bernardi wouldn't be muscling up if he figured that he wouldn't have some support for an exit. And it's that popular 'support' that is troubling.

Of course, the resurrection of One Nation nationally, as well as the Brexit and Trump surprises overseas, reinforce this shift to the right and all feature a 'people power' component to their physiques. Please note, I'm not criticising democracy but I am beginning to wonder what it says about us.

 

For instance, the feds (both the Coalition and Labor) in 2017 are still swinging their dicks (sorry ladies, I'm sure there's a female equivalent) to prove whose one is biggest regarding refugees. The two party platforms are virtually identical and the language they employ (queue jumpers/ boat people/ terrorists/ economic refugees etc etc) would have been unheard of in this country twenty or thirty years ago when the last great influx of refugees was taking place. The use of such terms would have spelt political suicide in those times.

 

Now, here's the thing. You and I are employing those terms too.....and we're using them as if they're reasonable and accurate. The punters are buying into the political. And when we do it, that chalk mark on the pitch moves ever more distinctly to the right.

 

This same argument can be directed towards such diverse areas as same-sex marriage, isolationism, socio-economic disadvantage, education funding and media ownership.

Cory Bernardi, whatever he decides, mightn't have anything to answer for............... but we do.

 

P.S. I'm going back to my Marx-Engels reader now. Good night.

 

Posted on f/b on 7 February 2017