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Over the past few days there have been many articles written on @ScottMorrisonMP and views he has recently expressed. Tony Wright wrote an excellent, incisive opinion piece that captured the clear contradictions & discomforting reality of this PM. 1/ https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/identity-politics-drums-of-war-quick-look-over-there-hobgoblins-20210430-p57nu4.html
2/ Wright refers to the "Look over here" messages by the PM & "his currently loyal sidekicks...with furious enthusiasm". Then the PM gets stuck into 'identity politics', which Wright points out the PM's own expertise in this area.
3/ After all, Morrison "travels with his own photographer to market a new identity for himself every day". Other favourite identities of the PM: the "beer-swilling rugby league supporter; the countrified bloke in moleskins & chambray shirt surveying drought-struck paddocks..."
4/ "...& flood-ravaged towns; the curry-cooking dad who builds a chook pen for the kids; the emotional PM welling up and promising to address the treatment of women in politics…"
#ScottyFromMarketing is always busy working on identity politics.
#ScottyFromMarketing is always busy working on identity politics.
5/ Yep, #ScottyFromDamageControl rolls out identities & 'look over here' moments when the chips are down. Or in this case, the #vaccinerollout is such a shambles. The “rollout” obviously had square wheels (or no wheels?).
6/ So the fed govt had to abandon all plans for a federal election this year as Morrison would not be able to ride in on his chariot with the Liberal logo, wearing his finest toga, to declare he had conquered the enemy.
7/ You probably get the gist of Tony Wrights piece (and my thoughts)! Tony Wright is happy to call a spade a spade. Then we have a more cautious offering from David Crowe (SMH). https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/morrison-may-strike-a-chord-on-identity-politics-but-he-s-wading-onto-contested-ground-20210430-p57nw7.html
8/ Whoops, typo *Wright's*. The headline of David Crowe's @CroweDM article suggests the PM struck a chord with his 'identity politics' comments. I'd suggest that the PM's comments do resonate with some people but they don't see, or choose to ignore, the gaping contradictions.
9/ Only recently, the PM was playing divide & conquer on climate change, lumping Australians into simplistic opposing camps, rather than working to unite the country in meaningful action to achieve #NetZero.
10/ @CroweDM points out that Morrison's attacks, "which can include...issues such as gender, race or sexual orientation" leave him (rightly IMO) "exposed to claims of hypocrisy because political parties routinely target voters by who they are & how they define themselves".
11/ On Thursday, Crowe writes that "Morrison began his remarks on Thursday with a promise of humility".
Okay, I have to ask here, has anyone ever seen the PM show a shred of humility?
Then we went on to criticise social media for fuelling identity politics.
Okay, I have to ask here, has anyone ever seen the PM show a shred of humility?
Then we went on to criticise social media for fuelling identity politics.
12/ Let that sink in. Seems identity politics are fine if they serve the PM's agenda...
The PM went on to talk about people being more than their gender, race, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, language group, age.
The PM went on to talk about people being more than their gender, race, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, language group, age.
13/ Tim Costello noted a flaw in Morrison’s core argument (he had also read the book the PM referred to - Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times, by Jonathan Sacks).
Morrison cited Sacks on the “covenant of community” & individual morality,...
Morrison cited Sacks on the “covenant of community” & individual morality,...
14/ ...while Costello interpreted the book's message being about collective care for others. Tony Blair (former UK PM) also sees that the book calls for collective and not just individual responsibility.
IMO, we see here the PM's fixed & inflexible thinking.
IMO, we see here the PM's fixed & inflexible thinking.
15/ He may not be capable of seeing that more than one interpretation of Sacks' book is possible, or it might be that he imposes his view of how things should be on the message of the book, to try and get it to square with his own views.
16/ Costello highlights that Sacks wasn't simply rigidly “applauding...individual sovereignty" but was emphasising that Sacks' view was that morality is more ‘we’ than ‘I’. Costello politely suggested that Morrison's speech didn't seem to pick that up.
17/ Costello also highlighted that if 'I' is more important than 'we' in Morrison's mind, if it shapes government policies, this is problematic. E.g. #robodebt notices, detaining refugees. Costello argues the answer should be to help asylum seekers instead.
18/ Costello added, “You don’t just show empathy for people who can vote for you.”
I have to ask here, is Morrison actually capable of this?
I haven't seen evidence to suggest this.
#auspol
I have to ask here, is Morrison actually capable of this?
I haven't seen evidence to suggest this.
#auspol
19/ @CroweDM interestingly highlights Morrison's political instincts to favour those more likely to support him: his speech was given first to readers of NewsCorp Australia newspapers but not to the ABC or SMH.
IMO Morrison's default is always political.
IMO Morrison's default is always political.
20/ Then we have Katharine Murphy's @murpharoo contribution in The Guardian. She correctly identifies that although Morrison has shared some aspects of his religious views with Australians, he is also resistant to being questioned about them. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/may/01/scott-morrison-wants-australians-to-know-hes-a-pentecostal-christian-but-questions-about-it-make-him-uneasy
21/ Murphy understands Morrison's reluctance, but also argues that understanding Morrison’s faith is "most definitely in the public interest, because faith burns at the core of the man, & fellow believers also assign considerable value and significance to his prime ministership".
22/ "When Morrison became Liberal leader, some pastors told congregations his elevation to power was divinely inspired. Ahead of the 2019 election, some Pentecostal leaders warned “darkness” would spread across Australia and Christians would be persecuted if Morrison lost".
23/ After the PM's ACC speech, references to laying-on of hands, “the evil one”, & a picture of an eagle as a sign from God during the closing weeks of the election campaign dominated discussion.
Murphy, in a similar theme to Tim Costello's comment (in Crowe's article)...
Murphy, in a similar theme to Tim Costello's comment (in Crowe's article)...
24/ ...refers to Morrison articulating philosophical propositions that didn’t really make sense - community was everything, but so was individualism. While community was everything, it mustn’t express itself in “identity politics”.
25/ Murphy points out that 'identity politics' is an umbrella term describing how individuals with shared values form communities and face off against oppression & injustice.
She also points out that the PM weaponises identity politics at the drop of a hat when it suits him.
She also points out that the PM weaponises identity politics at the drop of a hat when it suits him.
But @murpharoo (as she always does!) hits on some more nuanced details & questions they raise. She was interested in Morrison’s expressed belief that his prime ministership was a calling “for a time and for a season, and God would have us use it wisely”.
27/ Morrison said that the incantation "for such a time as this, for such a time as this" was in his mind as he woke up in the morning. This is a religious reference to God’s purpose being achieved through human leadership.
28/ Murphy highlights the Morrison's expression of his calling is applied in a literal way, as not all Christians express approach calling in that way. She asks what are
"the limits of Morrison’s religious literalism?"...
"the limits of Morrison’s religious literalism?"...
29/ ...as she (and we) don't know the answer. It's important so we can understand how the PM deliberates & conducts his public duties. @murpharoo refers to her own religious instruction, where faith was "always shadowed by doubt. The two qualities co-existed..."
30/ ... in dialogue with each other, because doubt is the quality of humility that should walk with faith". Murphy states that doubt "makes you listen" and "breaks your heart, which makes you remember you have one. Doubt makes you empathise and learn & adapt...
31/ ...rather than requiring the world to bend to your requirements because you are the chosen bearer of God’s mandate".
Murphy suggests that Australia could use a PM who doubted himself a bit more, as it would help him listen more than he does. #auspol
Murphy suggests that Australia could use a PM who doubted himself a bit more, as it would help him listen more than he does. #auspol
32/32 IMO, #ScottyFromMarketing, #ScottyFromDamageControl, whichever Scotty we're looking at, at any given moment, is fixed, doubt is not in his DNA.
Listening & really caring, for the poor & oppressed (pretty important stuff in Christianity) is beyond him. #auspol
Listening & really caring, for the poor & oppressed (pretty important stuff in Christianity) is beyond him. #auspol
