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I saw this sticker on the rear window of a car today:
Yes, I know these stickers have been around for a while...
But I'm confused... What constitutes love of Australia?
Does turning this country into a redneck, racist, hate-filled nation of bigots demonstrate love for this country?
What is and isn't love when it comes to "loving Australia"?
Until we can sort this out, how would we know who should be told to leave?
And remember, patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel...
Discuss.
Yes, I know these stickers have been around for a while...
But I'm confused... What constitutes love of Australia?
Does turning this country into a redneck, racist, hate-filled nation of bigots demonstrate love for this country?
What is and isn't love when it comes to "loving Australia"?
Until we can sort this out, how would we know who should be told to leave?
And remember, patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel...
Discuss.
posted by Gerry at
3:54 PM
11 Comments:
For answers, we need to turn to Cronulla and the "shire" (not the one in The Lord of The Rings). Personally, I'd like it if every fuckwit who displayed one of those stickers had to leave.
I am beginning to form the opinion that, having completed many facets of manipulation of the populace/erosion of civil liberties through legislative means, the government (and more pointedly vested interests like Murdoch et al (which it could be argued, through their lobbying are more government than government)) have some time ago turned their focus to a concerted effort to dumb down the country.
Folks with the sticker you saw on their car have simply taken the bait, hook, line, sinker and copy of "Angling Times". If ignorance is bliss then we may come to envy them!
A stupid and/or ignorant electorate is much easier to placate and control. A bit of dog-whistling here, some populist speeches/promises there, and before too long you're living in the type of country where a goddamn fucking miner elbows his way into the office of the Prime Minister to dictate the terms of the revised mining tax. Was I the only one going WTF?! At least Murdoch is slightly more subtle.
Speaking of Murdoch, I find it amusing that we in the "free" west tut-tut and shake our heads despairingly at the rigidly state controlled media of places like North Korea, China and Iran. Yet, considering the concentration of "free" media ownership in the hands of a few (which, naturally is to be applauded and held up as an example to all of a self-made man in the free market) in Australia and the USA, is it all that different? I'm finding it increasingly harder to get non-moron level information these days.
Any student of history can see there's a very simple formula. Foment dissent (it helps if you have a straw man here; Jews, immigrants, or more recently the opposing political party and their virtually identical policies), whip up some nationalistic pride/jingoism and invade Poland.
I blame the right wing politicians like Howard, Abbott, Hanson, et al. And the shock jocks. Don't forget the shock jocks. And right wing journos like Piers Ackerman, Miranda Devine, and of course the inimitable Andrew Bolt. Together they are the creators of Ugly Australia.
Um, OK .. what happens if the word "love" is read, or understood, as "need".
ie .."i need my (motor vehicle/money/blokey friends/ .. more than you ..
OR ... "i need my hairdresser/cafe late/opera/theatre/art galleries .."
... more than you.
Think about it.
Do i need/love my country/locality more than yours .... ?
Davo, if the word "love" is understood as "need", then, if I remember my psychology notes correctly, you're well on the way to a co-dependent, controlling, possessive kind of relationship. Suicide or murder is usually not far away. I would seek help.
Cars started sporting the Aussie flags (two per car is de rigeur) a week or so ago in anticipation of eulogising our great country in that unique way. We get the stickers as you show, and also of course the "f**k off we're full" version.
Can't wait for Charlie Teo's Oz Day address, I read today that it is already fomenting foment.
Your identification of the usual suspects I also agree with, I just wonder why they do it.
Phil, I think they do it because they're racists of the white supremacy kind. Most of them are way too stupid to even have a clue that that's what they are. Hence their frequent utterance of "I'm not a racist, but..."
And in keeping with the subject of this post, and your penchant for things musically modern:
I wanna no wot luv is
Evidently in this part of the world patriotism is some kind of context. So far the winner is the 4WD with SIX flags a'spouting.
And thank you for the music (cue Abba!).
For "context" read "contest" throughout.
Hat tip for this phrase: Sellars and Yeatman in the context (this time correctly used) of sausages.
I think we might have hostage sizzle situation here...
And please refrain from making references to Abba on this blog. This is an Abba-free zone.
Even if I spell it backwards...?
ESPECIALLY if you spell it backwards!
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