Saturday, February 24, 2007
ELDERLY YOUTH DEFENDED
With friends like Traceeee Hutchison, Peter Garrett needs no enemies:
This time last week the frenzied scramble to quote decades-old lyrics from the Midnight Oil songbook, as though they were weapons of mass destruction, dominated the machinations of federal politics — and the media. The race was on to expose the views formerly held by the man formerly known as the lead singer of Midnight Oil.
Garrett was barely mentioned during Daily Telegraph story conferences; in fact, his main appearance was in a piece written by himself for the opinion pages. A Google News search for “peter garrett” + “lyrics” turns up only twenty matches. So much for Traceeee’s “frenzied scramble”.
Former friends and current foes joined forces to rattle yet another political skeleton from Garrett’s closet as they universally condemned a man who once dared speak his youthful idealistic mind on what he believed was in the best interest of his country.
Garrett was still “speaking his youthful idealistic mind” (ie, ranting about US bases) well into his 40s.
Everyone, it seemed, was just a little too ready to write him off as a spent political force because, long before our participation in the coalition of the willing put us on the international terror map, Garrett stood up to be counted on his opposition to US bases on Australian soil.
Australians were murdered in Bali (and on September 11) prior to our participation in the coalition of the willing; maybe Hutch is relying on Bryce Courtenay’s timeline. As for Garrett standing up to be counted ...
He wasn’t alone then and that particular point of view still resonates with much of the Australian community, as evidenced this week by the greeting parties for US Vice-President Dick Cheney — despite apparent escalations in global conflicts.
That makes no sense. In any case, here’s some global conflict data:
Back to Traceeee:
But, in keeping with the resolve Garrett embraced when he decided to be more than a bit player in Australian politics, he did his best to sound convincing as he told the nation that his youthful views had evolved with time.
His “youthful views” seem to have evolved in the two years since Garrett entered Parliament. He’s 53 years old.
Reading between the lines it was as though idealism had been officially laid to rest as a folly or a luxury of youthful naivety.
Garrett was in his 30s when he ran for the Senate as an anti-nuke, anti-bases candidate in 1984.
To my way of thinking US Forces give the nod/it’s a set back for our country — actually penned by the Oils’ Jim Moginie — has never been more potent than it is today. That sentiment — and the impact it had on me as a young woman — isn’t weakened by Peter Garrett’s pragmatic resolve to be part of a political process that is all about compromise. Isn’t that what democracy is all about?
We can only ask, along with Andrew Bolt: “Can someone please tell me what Tracee Hutchison is trying to say?”
Aren’t we all better served by having people in our parliaments who have the courage of their convictions than have them filled with people who’ve never taken a stand on anything in their lives?
Now she’s apparently talking about John Howard. The gal’s deeply confused.