I have a basic problem with how progressives think about Anthony John and the party and political ideology that he leads in Australia: we have not grasped the goal towards which our Government is working. In a progressive world it simply isnt in anyones political rational self-interest to govern the way they do. But consider the idea that they do not expect to be the Government in a progressive world for much longer: they are in neoliberal survivalist mode. With this in mind there is nothing fancy about the goals of this Government. They know the climate science, they read the neoliberal think tank policies and they know that to survive the next decades of water and energy conflict they will need a country of people who will stop at nothing to protect their borders and water and energy sources. When a Government brings forward Defense spending, creates a Border emergency, sets up concentration camps and a Government arm with no oversight to run them and deliberately cuts civil society to create a jobless underclass of young people and a strong industrial complex (in charge of research) which can switch to Defense capabilities, what do YOU think is their goal? THAT is neoliberal political rational self-interest. The question is, how do those of us who hold views of progressive rational self interest begin to change the conversation so we acknowledge the real goals of the Government, and work towards taking their impetus and supporters and channeling them towards a more progressive target for the next decades? We can fight over ideology as if we are still in the politically progressive utopia of 20th Century climate ignorance, or we can acknowledge the real conversation and take our power back in the 21st Century. Conservatives cannot survive without the innovative thinking and social cohesion that progressives bring to the world; we are the movers and shakers of history and progress, not the conservatives (bless their confused hearts). So lets play hardball with our strengths, and lets be the leaders the neoliberals need so they can stop reshaping the world into the old forms of conflict that make them comfortable. Their supporters need our help, or we are all going to fall back into historical patterns of conflict and paralysis together.
Posted on: Wed, 14 May 2014 02:26:29 +0000
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