If the catch cry of the 60s was “all you need is love” it seems the slogan of the 21st century is “all you need is hate”.
We are seeing death threats to climate scientists, a resurgence of shock jocks on the radio, Facebook groups set up with the sole purpose of “hating” reality TV contestants or celebrities. Add that to a political culture characterised by hyperbole, derision and negativity.
Road rage was an unknown term in Australia 20 years ago, now it is commonplace and has spawned all manner of similar rages. Are we developing a civic culture where hate is commonplace, where we play the man not the ball?
The debate on climate change and the carbon tax has probably been the most heated I can remember. A carbon tax is the biggest change to our economy since the GST, but the level of anger around the debate has been far higher.
Over the past few weeks we have seen the Prime Minister referred to as a “witch”, a “scrag” and other epithets, as protests around the introduction of the tax generate more heat than light.
Hyperbole and spin have always been part of politics, but shock jock Alan Jones’ call for the Prime Minister to be put in a bag and thrown in the sea, or the death threats to scientists and politicians who support a price on carbon, are taking our political culture to a scary place.
The abuse leveled at indigenous traditional owners in the Kimberley who support a gas hub at James Price Point is another example of the rise of hate and personal abuse. Indigenous owners who support the projects, for the jobs and resources they can bring to their community, have been subject to racial and personal slurs. These only come from a minority of people opposed to the development, but they poison the debate and raise tensions within a small community.
There will always be controversial issues in any society and robust debate. But in the long-term democracy is about more than voting, or individual rights. It is about maintaining a culture where people tolerate each other’s opinions and different views on life. Where people instinctively do the right thing because they respect each other, and have faith that respect will be returned.
This civility is one of the things that has distinguished Australia from other countries. Despite the controversies in our nation’s history, such as that over conscription in WWI and the Vietnam War, we have been able to maintain our social fabric. Is there more hatred around these days, or are there just more avenues to express it?
The growth of the internet has given a voice to people who were previously just passive consumers of media. That’s a good thing, but it has some bad consequences. For some, the anonymity of the internet can be like the anonymity of a Ku Klux Klan hood. Others simply want to get any sort of reaction and resort to personal abuse.
It’s easy to say that it’s just “venting” or a safety valve for disgruntled people, but once amped-up hatred and outrage becomes the new normal, how do we return our politics to a level of civility? How do we remind ourselves of the things we have in common if we are obsessively focusing on our differences?
We are also in a changing media culture, where newspapers, radio and TV are trying to keep up with the internet. This means that media are, even more than ever, seeking the most sensational or outrageous aspects of a story. Personal attacks on MPs seem to be harsher than ever, and are likely to turn talented people away from politics.
Former Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner observed that everyone in politics exaggerates everything all the time. He was right, but the process of exaggeration and concocted outrage is being fuelled by a media cycle that moves faster than ever.
No one is going to get headlines by saying “things actually aren’t too bad” or “proposed change to make little difference” or “policy has good and bad bits”, but in reality that probably describes a lot of the political debates in this country. In the end it comes down to a choice about how we conduct ourselves.
It’s about whether we go for the easy option of hating, or the tougher option of trying to understand the people we disagree with, and why they think the way they do.
Resorting to stereotypes of “rednecks, “bogans” or “latte-sippers” might score a few points in the short-term, but in the long-term this style of debate is hollowing out our political culture. I’m always interested in the reader comments these columns attract, but this time have a longer think than usual before you post!
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RT @antsharwood: Meanwhile, a case from the glass half full files. Andrew Bolt has attacked me in a much nicer way than usual today http://t.co/mQqX6rOc
Meanwhile, a case from the glass half full files. Andrew Bolt has attacked me in a much nicer way than usual today http://t.co/mQqX6rOc
Trust you've all read Greens senator @larissawaters excellent yarn about the threats to the Reef on The Punch today http://t.co/i6aatFIO
.@GQMagazine profile of Justin Bieber. Really well written. WARNING: It's about Justin Bieber. http://t.co/NELebjMB
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