Till Victory
The Oz (and others) this morning puts considerable effort into using 'anti-terror' raids as an attempt to sideline and attack the government's critics - almost 6 pages worth, in fact. What the government's apologists seem to overlook are very simple facts to understand:
- Nobody criticises the police and enforcement agencies for doing their job
- The suspension of legal rights and criminalisation of dissent from the government's policies in the new laws will not stop terror attacks, will not achieve security, and are grossly disproportionate to any threats, real or otherwise
- Howard's record with the public is less than exemplary, and he can only blame his own past actions for the degree of cynicism with which his antics last week were met
- The announcement of 'terror threat' and the hoopla over the arrests is completely at odds with the lack of a raised terror warning, and concern from some agencies over the politicisation of operational matters
Crowings of 'victory' from the conservative wedge of the media should wait until arrestees have been tried and convicted of terrorism offences - until then, a great more propagandising cannot disguise the erosion of democracy in this country. The greatest surprise is perhaps the willingness of sections of the media and society to line up and have their rights taken away. Perhaps after a 7 year stint in solitary they might figure out that draconian laws alone will secure nothing.
Item posted by AutoEditor at 9:22 am ::
