Spin Doctoring this Saturday – Tony Tries to Wag the Dog

You’ll have to excuse the possible mis-spellings in this post as I’m currently shaking in fear due to the increase in the Terror Threat by our illustrious leader.  Being highly gullible I’ve spent most of the night digging a shelter in the back yard and will now make a tunnel from said shelter to the house so as to make for a quick escape route.  OK OK I’m just kidding – do they really expect us to fall for this rubbish?

Do they really believe we’ll just fall in line and forget the past twelve months because we are afraid of a bogeyman that they created. We’ve seen this before – from the left and the right, in this country and others around the world and we cannot let our personal political views blind us to a problem that is getting bigger by the day.

History has shown again and again when a government has problems at home the best way to distract the populace is to create an enemy.  Frighten people enough and they will surrender anything for the illusion of safety.  It appears that Abbott is prepared to test the ground with this idea and the timing is more than a little suspicious.

After weeks of getting hammered in the press, after being spanked by the World Heritage Body regarding the request to de-list protected areas of the Tasmanian forest for logging and more recently found guilty of over 150 crimes against humanity by the UN in regards to asylum seekers it is obvious the government is in trouble.  The LNP with Abbott at its helm has been falling in the polls so fast there is a grave danger of  some of them experiencing the bends.  Add to that the ongoing bloodbath with the ICAC that has seen 10 LNP state politicians and one senator found guilty of accepting bribes, oops I mean donations, from those who are banned from donating to political parties due to possible blurring of lines and  we can see that this government is in crisis not just in the polls but within its own ranks and with the legal system itself.

This PR shot released by the PM’s office is meant to show a strong determined front in the face of terror – pity that Abbot just looks smug at the idea of playing Churchill

All this is happening alongside overwhelming protest from Australians creating a massive backlash over the budget, the changes to renewable energy as well as attempts to re-introduce Work Choices under a different banner.

So suddenly in a Wag the Dog move we have Tony Abbott backed by ASIO [who couldn’t organize a piss-up in a brewery but  expects us to accept their word on national security] coming out with statements designed to raise fear amongst the population but if listened to actually gives us no new information AT ALL.  An interesting article by The AIM Network, Terror Alert or Political Stunt, makes a good point:

The Prime Minister says there is no specific intelligence that tells us an imminent terrorist attack is likely, so what is the purpose of the announcement? “What we do have is intelligence that there are people with the intent and the capability to mount attacks,” he said. So what is new about that? We have always known that. You only have to go back and have a look at some of the news broadcasts of 2001 and 2002 to see that.

So while I may have been joking in my opening statement I must admit that I am more than a little afraid.  Not of this production being waged in a vain attempt to bolster the LNP in the polls but for what else it may be used for.  When people are scared they are more likely to be compliant to just about any measure as long as you can promise AND provide security for them.  Just what is it that the LNP are planning for us or attempting to hide from us.  The past week has felt like a scene from the amazing political satire/parody Wag the Dog where they spin doctored a war, or I should say the appearance of a war, to deflect from the sexual misconduct of the president 11 days prior to the election.  I cannot recommend this movie enough although considering recent events it may be worth watching as a How to Spot the Spin for the average voter.  It is also a wonderful addition to the Weekend Funny Challenge.