Monday 30 March 2009

Kill the beast, cut his throat, spill his blood....

The feeding frenzy going on round the Minister of Defence, Joel Fitzgibbon, is alarming. No matter what side of politics I have always been a bit alarmed when an Opposition gets the scent of blood. 
It seems that caution is thrown to the wind when a chink in a government's armour is spotted as though getting a minister to resign is a goal in itself.
I am of course not suggesting that incompetence should be allowed to go on unchecked, but has Fitzgibbon been incompetent? The Defence portfolio is notoriously difficult, and there is little doubt that there are those within the department who want him out.
This was true under the former government when the Minister was no less than former Liberals leader, Brendan Nelson. Howard resisted the temptation to sack him even though the (then Labor) Opposition were baying for his blood.
It doesn't seem to me that he has actually been incompetent. The fiasco of the SAS salary fiasco does not seem to me to be his incompetence but that of the public service. His relationship with a Chinese lady friend highlights the sort of carelessness that happens in Opposition which shouldn't happen in Government, and were it the case that we were talking about behaviour while he was a Minister rather than a Shadow Minister then it would be quite different.
Me old mate Alex seemed content not to be drawn into the Fitzgibbon imbroglio on Friday's Lateline but instead was unremitting about his innuendi that Rudd is in the pocket of the Chinese. He just kept repeating it and repeating it..."it's about Rudd, it's about Rudd...it's about (yes you guessed it) Rudd"
This practice of repeating it often enough until someone believes it  (the throwing of mud until it sticks) works quite well in politics. BUT it is pathetic!
Give us substance not innuendo.
Beneath all this the continuing slur that Chinese are somehow not to be trusted is ever with us. Doesn't actually do much for truth!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lord of the Flies?

Stephan Clark said...

yes indeed...they are all standing around baying for blood

Anonymous said...

When was the last time you listened to Krudd. If anyone is king of spin and repeats the same thing continually it must surely be the WORKING FAMILIES very own PM..

Stephan Clark said...

I guess there is a bit of sour grapes in the last comment. I was actually complimenting A Downer on your, sorry, his unremitting critique of the PM.
Political mastery. Not much to do with information or fact, a lot to do with planting an idea.
It is this nitpicking that the electorate dislikes about the political process, we are all just a bit fed up of destroying opponents for the sake of destruction!