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Name: Antony Loewenstein
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Monday, May 23, 2005

Finally, evidence

A leading Australian conservative proves incapable or unwilling to criticise the Howard government. "Most on the right support the Howard government", he says. Nothing to complain about? No issues? No questions? Forgotten your role as a journalist to question official perspectives, rather than simply channeling them?

On Iraq: "Either you believe democracy can be introduced, or you don’t." Supporting the war is one thing, discussing the numerous failures since March 2003 is another. Prisoner abuse scandals, torture in American-run prisons, inability to establish functioning infrastructure for the majority of Iraqis and heavy-handed anti-insurgency attacks leading to civilian casualties. The list goes on and on. But, our Court Reporter insists, it's about democracy, it's about democracy, it's about democracy...and hammering the Left into submission.

John Howard must be so proud of his disciple. This is not journalism, it's propaganda.

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Duffy's column was on the spot for a right-winger.
Duffy's piece (correctly seen as dangerous slippage by Blair et al) diverges from the centre of gravity of an earlier post at Larvatus Prodeo that there was no local internal dissent re the Government's activities.
What Australia needs is a local equivalent of the impeccably credentially Chalmers Johnson, conservative to his bootstraps. In a small way, the ex-bureaucrats Tony Kevin, Andrew WIlkie and Rod Barton have played this role in their own area of competence.
As for the push for democracy, let's start with the US, clean up the UK, and when the guiding lights live up to their formal principles they can start lecturing the dark side of the world with some impunity.
ej

Monday, May 23, 2005 3:58:00 pm  
Blogger Antony Loewenstein said...

Duffy's column was most instructive and likely to be ignored and slammed in the familiar circles.
True conservatives, and not those wedded to Howard's tit, believe in accountability and truth in govt, the opposites of the current regime. I increasingly believe that people like Blair, Pearson, Devine etc, are actually the modern version of the Court Reporter, obedient and hilariously devoid of any ability to debate an issue, just so long as the official organs are supported and defended. As is always the way with such people, their time will end soon enough, the winds will shift and they'll be forced to rewrite history more than already.
History, as ever, rewards such people with a footnote. Bravery is a sign of truly great journalism. None of them would even rate a mention....

Monday, May 23, 2005 4:08:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Not even a court reporter, stenographer actually. The funny thing is that they really do think they are being so brave. Considering that heir side of the political spectrum holds all the cards right now this is laughable.

Monday, May 23, 2005 6:37:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The best thing about Michael Duffy is that his pathetic greenhouse effect denials seem to have pushed Robin Williams away from his regular hypes of corporatised pseudo-science marketing. Williams rarely misses a chance to piss on 'Counterpoint' now and seems to have put his own glass house into better order too.

But I must admit that Duffy does make a refreshing antidote to Philip Adams.

Where Adams gets excellent guests, whom he then obscures with his own egotistical interruptions, Duffy treats the losers and crackpots on 'Counterpoint' with the utmost respect and only speaks to help them to draw out their own points of view.

Hate Duffy's politics, but I'd prefer to be interviewed by him than Adams any day.

(Oh, BTW, like Piers and Paddy, Duffy is an ex-Trot who has marched to the right - a well worn path blazed by that well known, former left-wing journalist Benito Mussolini.)

Tuesday, May 24, 2005 12:36:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree, I think a lot of journalists have forgotten they need to question more, instead of simply repeating what is in the press release.

Example: the private inquiry into Cornelia Rau's wrongful detention, and revelations that 200 more cases have been referred to the inquiry.

Why have reporters simply accepted the government's position that most information from this inquiry won't be made public because of "privacy concerns".

Aren't you going to grill the minister on what aspect of the privacy legislation is relevant, and whether or not this is simply just an excuse to manage the embarassment sure to be caused to the government by any more Rau-like revelations?

Wednesday, May 25, 2005 2:07:00 pm  

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