<
https://theconversation.com/lets-not-kid-ourselves-trumpification-is-becoming-our-problem-too-215071>
"We have a problem with the state of politics and public discourse in
Australia. The appalling neo-Nazi video threat made against Senator Lidia
Thorpe is a disturbing reminder of the dark undercurrents that are swirling
through political discourse in Australia.
As the murder of British MP Jo Cox reminds us, threats against politicians and
other public figures must not be dismissed lightly. And the threat comes not
just from neo-Nazis, although the Christchurch massacre of 51 people by an
Australian far-right terrorist means we can never again dismiss the threat
posed by this kind of extremism.
Yet, the problem does not stop just with concerns about violence. As the ugly,
all too often hateful, political conversations in the lead-up to the Voice
referendum reveal, our public discourse has turned febrile and our civic
climate is overheating.
Hateful extremism is both a symptom and a cause. White supremacist and other
far-right extremists have been a violent, but often denied, presence in
Australian society since European settlement began. This remains an ugly truth
that we need to acknowledge and rise above.
But something has changed. And it is not just that COVID-19 lockdowns,
climate-related disasters and cripplingly expensive housing has left the nation
feeling more anxious. A very different kind of pandemic has laid siege to our
body politic.
The virus that is threatening to cripple our political immune system goes by
many names. But we can simply call it “Trumpification”, a name as usefully
evocative as it is unscientific."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
