Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Political leadership and the fear factor

By Peter McMahon - posted Monday, 15 October 2001


In the Atlantic political core, the politics of fear threw up essentially cynical rhetoricians like Clinton and Blair who massaged voter fear instead of addressing the causes. Politics became more and more focused on fear management through constant polling and spin doctoring. Of course, the underlying popular recognition of their gutted politics showed up in growing discontent with the two party system, and representative democracy generally.

In Australia this rising fear suited the political undertaker Paul Keating (although his ascendancy reflected internal ALP reaction, not popular opinion), and finally caused the unhappy revival of perhaps the most limited man in mainstream politics, John Howard. Keating rejected any ideas that Australia could continue to be a fair and successful country, instead we had to fear becoming a banana republic. His one-dimensional world view set the scene for Howard’s return. He further rejected any hope that Australia could be a more self confident place (the republic), a less racist place (Aboriginal issues), a more socially inclusive place (drugs, women’s issues, you name it), or a more environmentally secure place (global warming). At least Howard pretended to regret the fact that fear of economic incontinence obviated any hope for improvement; his obvious successor, Costello, revels in it. We must all take our medicine administered by Dr Costello.

This atmosphere of fear was the key element behind the xenophobia of the Tampa issue, and is the main reason why we find it so difficult to formulate a genuinely independent foreign policy. We can no longer fool ourselves that Britain looks after us, or that the US has our best interests at heart, especially in the days of Bush’s neo-isolationism, but we still cannot construct foreign relations that reflect our real interests. In the past Curtin, Chifley and Evatt showed that Australia could stand on its own two feet in global affairs, but that confidence has since been lost.

Advertisement

Can we find the necessary political leadership for a new age? The situation is hopeless in the Liberal Party, and even One Nation’s threat is not likely to stimulate leadership in the nationals, unless they recapture some of their Deakinite traditions. There are a few young guns claiming substance on the Labor side, notably Lindsay Tanner, Mark Latham and Duncan Kerr, but none of these offer anything to really get our teeth into. Their ideas are mildly remedial at best, all too careful. And anyway, the ways things are now in the ALP it is more likely that the dull machine man Stephen Smith will get the main job when Beazley and then probably Crean go. Perhaps the minor parties can produce someone with leadership credentials – Bob Brown looks the best bet – but the usual electoral irrelevance of these parties has worked against this possibility. Love or loathe her, Pauline Hanson showed that headlines come with bold assertions, and the minor parties should consider this instead of scrabbling for the same bunch of disaffected voters. Perhaps the recent electoral impact of minor parties and the success of One Nation will stimulate more capable people to get involved and take on leadership roles, and this might even influence the Liberals and Labor to respond.

But this is all clutching at straws. What we really need is a completely new political culture that attracts well rounded people with personal integrity and social conscience, and with the intellectual capacity to handle the big issues. We won’t get this while the increasing professionalisation of politics continues; while the mass media unilaterally shapes debate; while the same old bunch of political hacks and media heavies make all the decisions; while there is an obsession with winning office at all costs; and while the average punter things it is all a sad joke, and votes accordingly.

Vision is a product of both courage and intellect – you don’t generate it from focus groups or factional bargaining. Vision is not reactive, it is a product of sustained commitment to the idea that better can overcome worse. That people imbued with a belief in principle can make a difference. It’s possible that some of the current leadership aspirants could shake off the fear factor and remake themselves as men and women with a hopeful vision of the future, but if so it is high time they got on with it. This country cannot afford another generation of non-leaders; there is just too much to do, and it is getting late.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Dr Peter McMahon has worked in a number of jobs including in politics at local, state and federal level. He has also taught Australian studies, politics and political economy at university level, and until recently he taught sustainable development at Murdoch University. He has been published in various newspapers, journals and magazines in Australia and has written a short history of economic development and sustainability in Western Australia. His book Global Control: Information Technology and Globalisation was published in the UK in 2002. He is now an independent researcher and writer on issues related to global change.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Peter McMahon
Related Links
Murdoch University
Photo of Peter McMahon
Article Tools
Comment Comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy