Australian Governments are always finding new ways to give new medals and new forms of recognition to veterans.
Some of them are welcome; some are essential such as DVA Gold Cards which allow veterans to access free health care at a time when their health needs are greatest; and some of them are more about trying to demonstrate that they care about and honour veterans than anything else.
It’s early days yet but the latest opinion polls suggest opposing the Voice hasn’t done Peter Dutton any favours.
Obviously growing unpopularity can’t be solely due to the Voice policy and it might be just people are getting to know him better – and don’t like what they see.
Whichever, the latest Newspoll has the Government leading the Coalition 56% to 44% two-party preferred, with Labor’s lead increasing one point since the last survey. That’s within the margin of error but the overall situation when you aggregate the various polls is less than encouraging for Dutton.
The last post was in haste as news of the crikey case being dropped was coming through. Since then, the blog has given some thought to what it might mean.
The longer-term implication of the Dominion case is how it impacts on Lachlan and what happens when Rupert goes. When? What the rest of the family will want? Who knows?
The alternative universe occupied by the Murdoch media and its consumers is facing a very expensive and damaging confrontation with reality. But how and whether this will affect the Australian operations are another question.
The latest confrontation with reality came with the Dominion Voting Systems $US787 million payout – a very expensive way of avoiding Rupert and Lachlan being cross-examined.
Every Australian veteran has one overwhelming desire – to get another bauble from the Government commemorating the veteran’s services.
Well, that’s not exactly true but it seems to be the belief of successive Australian Governments.
The latest is a commemorative medallion marking 50 years since the end of the Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War. It marks the launch of commemorative activities throughout 2023 culminating in a national commemorative service on Vietnam Veterans’ Day 18 August 2023.
In the latest development in our campaign (see previous blogs), following the release of our two part Action Plan, to ensure the Australian War Memorial commemorates First Nations warriors who were Defending their Country in the Frontier Wars we have issued a media release which was part of a front page story in the Canberra Times. If you are supportive of our campaign please pass on the release (and the Action Plan) to as many of your contacts as you can. The more pressure on the AWM the better.
Historians have often categorised eras or periods with convenient titles. Thus, we have the Age of Revolutions, the Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment and so on.
But we don’t often have recognition of a more powerful strand in human history – ignorance.
Peter Burke, Emeritus Professor of Cultural History at Cambridge, has just published a new book – Ignorance a Global History. Professor Burke has already published a two volume Social History of Knowledge. His last book before Ignorance was The Polymath: A Cultural History from Leonardo da Vince to Susan Sontag organised around periods and 500 Western polymaths who (as the book blurb says) “have moved the frontiers of knowledge in countless ways” and looking at the individuals not only for their achievements in one area but many.
There is a profound irony in the current Voice debate – could Dutton be one of the Yes campaigns significant vote winners?
Dutton is deeply unpopular and deeply distrusted. Given this could Dutton’s opposition to the Voice actually persuade more people to vote Yes than vote No? The data suggests it’s more than possible.
Rupert Murdoch has a wicked problem. Many of the politicians who bent, or even grovelled, when his News media outlets blew on them are no longer scared. On the other hand News – particularly Fox – is showing signs that it is scared of its own audiences.
The first sign of politicians losing their fear was Daniel Andrews staring down Peta Credlin, Sky News and Murdoch print media during the pandemic and them during the recent Victorian election campaign. Despite the relentless Murdoch criticism Andrews not only won but increased his majority.
‘An Action Plan for Australian Frontier Wars recognition and commemoration’, Honest History, 3 April 2023 Part 2.
This article covers ACTIONS 3, 4 and 5 in a proposed Action Plan. Our earlier article covered ACTIONS 1 and 2. Each ACTION should happen this year, 2023. Memorial Council Chair Kim Beazley’s recent remarks need strong follow through if momentum is not to be lost.