Is Scott Morrison's Government 'authoritarian populist' with a punitive bent?

Fri, 8 Nov 2019 05:07:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-04/morrison-authoritarian-populist-punitative-bent/11667284>

'In a recent interview Malcolm Turnbull raised the possibility that
these days many so-called "conservatives" in the Liberal Party might be
better described as "authoritarian populists".

It would be easy to dismiss his comments as being those of a bitter
former leader. But maybe Turnbull has a point, and perhaps it might even
be applied more broadly to the Morrison Government.

Although the term "authoritarian populism" is often associated with
far-right parties, it has also been used to describe mainstream
governments, such as those of Margaret Thatcher (1979-1990). Thatcherite
populist rhetoric mobilised the people against big government and elite
special interests, which was combined with authoritarian measures such
as increased policing of ethnic minorities and militant unions.

Authoritarian populist is a term now sometimes applied to Donald Trump.
So it is well worth asking whether the Morrison Government also has some
authoritarian populist tendencies.'

Cheers,
        *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net                   Andrew Pam
http://www.xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
http://www.glasswings.com.au/             Partner, Glass Wings
http://www.sericyb.com.au/                Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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