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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/13/the-lowy-institutes-poll-no-surprises-in-australian-behaviours
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| The Lowy Institute's poll: no surprises in Australian behaviours | The Lowy Institute's poll: no surprises in Australian behaviours |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Australians feel very comfortable with spying on | Australians feel very comfortable with spying on |
| our friends and enemies. During his visit to Canada this week, Tony Abbott, the prime minister, backed the Five Eyes intelligence sharing structure | our friends and enemies. During his visit to Canada this week, Tony Abbott, the prime minister, backed the Five Eyes intelligence sharing structure |
| between America, New Zealand, Britain, Canada and Australia, saying “our intelligence gathering has got to be | between America, New Zealand, Britain, Canada and Australia, saying “our intelligence gathering has got to be |
| done in a way that is decent and fair and which doesn’t betray the fundamental values | done in a way that is decent and fair and which doesn’t betray the fundamental values |
| that we are doing our best to uphold”. | that we are doing our best to uphold”. |
| According to the recently released Lowy Institute 2014 poll, the majority | According to the recently released Lowy Institute 2014 poll, the majority |
| of Australians agree: 70% of us feel it’s appropriate to monitor the activities of nations with which | of Australians agree: 70% of us feel it’s appropriate to monitor the activities of nations with which |
| Canberra has poor relations. Half argue it’s acceptable even against friendly states. Australians have no issue | Canberra has poor relations. Half argue it’s acceptable even against friendly states. Australians have no issue |
| with Indonesia, East Timor, France, Japan, America and New Zealand being spied | with Indonesia, East Timor, France, Japan, America and New Zealand being spied |
| on by their own government. | on by their own government. |
| Despite there being vast evidence that Australia | Despite there being vast evidence that Australia |
| is arguably essentially spying for commercial purposes against a poor neighbour such | is arguably essentially spying for commercial purposes against a poor neighbour such |
| as East Timor over its valuable oil and gas reserves, these facts don’t | as East Timor over its valuable oil and gas reserves, these facts don’t |
| appear to concern Australians. | appear to concern Australians. |
| What the Lowy poll doesn’t ask is how Australians feel about Canberra and its US allies | What the Lowy poll doesn’t ask is how Australians feel about Canberra and its US allies |
| spying on them. One of the invaluable revelations of former NSA whistleblower | spying on them. One of the invaluable revelations of former NSA whistleblower |
| Edward Snowden was confirming the US government’s mass surveillance of its own citizens. Would Australians | Edward Snowden was confirming the US government’s mass surveillance of its own citizens. Would Australians |
| feel happy knowing faceless spy agencies are recording, collating, monitoring | feel happy knowing faceless spy agencies are recording, collating, monitoring |
| and storing private details about their lives? I hope not. | and storing private details about their lives? I hope not. |
| In Britain this week, actor Stephen Fry slammed the British government for its “squalid and rancid” | In Britain this week, actor Stephen Fry slammed the British government for its “squalid and rancid” |
| response to the Snowden revelations. Yet in | response to the Snowden revelations. Yet in |
| Australia, there has been very little dissent over them at all. With | Australia, there has been very little dissent over them at all. With |
| bipartisan, political backing for American influence on the | bipartisan, political backing for American influence on the |
| Australian homeland, it’s | Australian homeland, it’s |
| revealing how few public condemnations have been heard (with some notable exceptions). For this reason alone, intelligence | revealing how few public condemnations have been heard (with some notable exceptions). For this reason alone, intelligence |
| agencies, the federal government and media backers feel little pressure to be | agencies, the federal government and media backers feel little pressure to be |
| answerable for their secret business. | answerable for their secret business. |
| The Lowy Institute should have probed these | The Lowy Institute should have probed these |
| issues far more, instead of rehashing tired questions about Australians' love of | issues far more, instead of rehashing tired questions about Australians' love of |
| the US alliance. The poll report muses on the “continuing relevance and durability of the US alliance for our | the US alliance. The poll report muses on the “continuing relevance and durability of the US alliance for our |
| nation’s | nation’s |
| security” while | security” while |
| never allowing any questions that may challenge this notion. Does the US | never allowing any questions that may challenge this notion. Does the US |
| alliance make Australia a client state of Washington (as former prime minister | alliance make Australia a client state of Washington (as former prime minister |
| Malcolm Fraser states in his new book)? Should Australia continue to buy overpriced weapons and planes | Malcolm Fraser states in his new book)? Should Australia continue to buy overpriced weapons and planes |
| from multinational US arms manufacturers? | from multinational US arms manufacturers? |
| I’m | I’m |
| reminded of the classic Noam Chomsky quote: “The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly | reminded of the classic Noam Chomsky quote: “The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly |
| limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within | limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within |
| that spectrum…” | that spectrum…” |
| The Lowy poll adheres to this rule with mostly | The Lowy poll adheres to this rule with mostly |
| safe and predictable questions, and therefore receives expected answers. Elsewhere, the Lowy poll asks mundane questions | safe and predictable questions, and therefore receives expected answers. Elsewhere, the Lowy poll asks mundane questions |
| about how Australians feel about world figures such as Barack Obama, Hillary | about how Australians feel about world figures such as Barack Obama, Hillary |
| Clinton, Aung San Suu Kyi and Angela Merkel. It stands to reason that since | Clinton, Aung San Suu Kyi and Angela Merkel. It stands to reason that since |
| media coverage of western leaders is largely benign, showing the supposed good | media coverage of western leaders is largely benign, showing the supposed good |
| intent of their democratic credentials, Australians overwhelmingly like Obama and | intent of their democratic credentials, Australians overwhelmingly like Obama and |
| his ilk (though no questions about US drone strikes which kill many civilians). | his ilk (though no questions about US drone strikes which kill many civilians). |
| Equally, non-western leaders, such as Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Xi Jinping, | Equally, non-western leaders, such as Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Xi Jinping, |
| are very unpopular. | are very unpopular. |
| This is another confected result. Since the | This is another confected result. Since the |
| Snowden leaks last year, Washington has ramped up the rhetoric blaming Beijing | |
| for its outrageous spying infrastructure against American businesses and | for its outrageous spying infrastructure against American businesses and |
| government, even going so far in May of charging some in the Chinese military for hacking. | government, even going so far in May of charging some in the Chinese military for hacking. |
| Beijing is demonised as uniquely evil, unfairly gaining commercial advantage | Beijing is demonised as uniquely evil, unfairly gaining commercial advantage |
| over its rivals. This is a classic smokescreen which attempts to change the | over its rivals. This is a classic smokescreen which attempts to change the |
| conversation away from the Snowden documents, which detail extensive US spying on Chinese interests. | conversation away from the Snowden documents, which detail extensive US spying on Chinese interests. |
| When the media gives Washington’s claims far more credence and coverage | When the media gives Washington’s claims far more credence and coverage |
| than Beijing’s, we shouldn’t be shocked that Australians tell the Lowy Institute that they don’t trust the Chinese leader. | than Beijing’s, we shouldn’t be shocked that Australians tell the Lowy Institute that they don’t trust the Chinese leader. |
| Despite these deep hesitations, the Lowy results | Despite these deep hesitations, the Lowy results |
| provide some instructive news about local attitudes. Asylum seekers have been | provide some instructive news about local attitudes. Asylum seekers have been |
| so successfully demonised for so many years that sympathy for their claims and | so successfully demonised for so many years that sympathy for their claims and |
| boat people in general is shamefully low. Pressure for serious action on | boat people in general is shamefully low. Pressure for serious action on |
| climate change is rising at a time when president Obama is encouraging a reduction in carbon emissions while countries run by neo-conservatives, | climate change is rising at a time when president Obama is encouraging a reduction in carbon emissions while countries run by neo-conservatives, |
| such as Canada and Australia, are moving even further towards embracing a coal | such as Canada and Australia, are moving even further towards embracing a coal |
| future. Abbott is out of step with public opinion. | future. Abbott is out of step with public opinion. |
| One sign of a healthy and mature nation is how | One sign of a healthy and mature nation is how |
| it relates to the world and the most vulnerable people in it, and it’s encouraging that 70% of Lowy | it relates to the world and the most vulnerable people in it, and it’s encouraging that 70% of Lowy |
| respondents see poverty reduction, rather than foreign policy objectives (a stated goal of the Abbott government), as central | respondents see poverty reduction, rather than foreign policy objectives (a stated goal of the Abbott government), as central |
| to our outward posture. | to our outward posture. |
| A think-tank that didn’t see its main purpose as supporting and strengthening the foreign | A think-tank that didn’t see its main purpose as supporting and strengthening the foreign |
| policy status quo would have designed a far more imaginative and insightful | policy status quo would have designed a far more imaginative and insightful |
| annual poll. In the meantime, Lowy has given us an incomplete picture of | annual poll. In the meantime, Lowy has given us an incomplete picture of |
| Australian attitudes towards some of the most contentious issues of our time | Australian attitudes towards some of the most contentious issues of our time |
| and shown the public to be conservative, caring and cautious – the inevitable | and shown the public to be conservative, caring and cautious – the inevitable |
| result when our media is so selective in its coverage of crucial news. | result when our media is so selective in its coverage of crucial news. |