What do these two Menzies House campaigns have in common?
It’s not support for the principles around freedom of political expression. Menzies House only extends that support to Bolt. It’s not about demanding that limits be placed on political action or expression. Menzies House only wants that to happen in respect of the Tent Embassy. And it’s clearly not good banner design.
What the campaigns have in common is (1) their crude and lazy opportunism; and (2) that they are both targeted at Aboriginal Australians. The first supports Bolt’s right to make loaded calls about other people’s racial identity. The second seeks to end the right of Aboriginal people to continue a long-standing political protest. They share a basis in a rudimentary understanding that resentments about Aboriginal people are easily awakened and exploited in some parts of the community.
All political groups make choices about how to allocate their scarce resources, how to communicate in a way that activates their supporters, and where they should best try to channel their energies. Faced with all of the issues of interest to conservatives and libertarians in contemporary Australia, Menzies House have initiated two campaigns in succession that target Aboriginal people.
What words should we use to describe such an organisation, and the people who direct it?
Cynically exploiting racial divisions is something that American conservatives are historically quite comfortable with, and rather good at, too.
Tim Andrews, the founder of Menzies House, and one of those responsible for these campaigns, is apparently based in the US, doing political jobs. He describes himself on his own blog as a “classical liberal” – perhaps, while he is in America, he is learning how to throw red meat to the worst of the conservative base, the better to apply such techniques when he returns to Australia.
You may remember Andrews as the political genius who posted a bunch of pictures of “hot young liberal” women online, and then seemed uncommonly surprised when he drew some fire as a result.
Do remember the name, if only to make sure that you and other people you know always associate it with stunts and campaigns like these, wherever his future career might take him. If he’s what passes for a rising star on the right of Australian politics, we probably have lots more divisive, racially coded campaigning to look forward to in the future.
It would be far too much to ask that senior conservative politicians tell people like Andrews to pull their heads in. Indeed, people like Cory Bernardi proudly associate themselves with Menzies House, its campaigns, and its frequently (though inadvertently) amusing content. A sign, perhaps, that Senator Bernardi himself sees the value in divisive campaigning of this nature.
Meanwhile, we should be sure to understand Menzies House for the kind of organisation it really is. And we should see the people who initiate campaigns like this for what they are, too.
Nicely written piece and couldn’t agree more with your analysis. The campaigns of Menzies House are all opportunistic and receive a significant boost through working more closely and in tandem with Cori Bernardi’s ‘Conservative Action Network’.
Thanks Alex – yeah it’s all pretty contemptible in my humble opinion.
Nice try jjason; but this humble scribe thinks your politics are once again getting in the way.
I went to university with Tim. I never trusted him. He did an internship with the heritage foundation i think, or one of them… I guess sydney uni was a place of very fiercely polarised politics, with the left being very strong, so he came to know his enemy very well. He also knows that student environmental campaigners have quite good links with the tent embassy, so part of his agenda is to destroy that.
I can’t help but feel that they’re using the positive conservative press given to the Occupy movement’s forceable removal in Melbourne to start the Tent Embassy campaign. I personally wasn’t an occupy Australia fan, but support the right to protest and am opposed to the disproportionate show of force.
Abbott’s comments are also happily latching onto this sentiment, and Menzies House follows in tow. You do have to wonder how, exactly, this has anything to do with liberal thought. But Menzies House hasn’t really ever been about that, has it?
Well said. Menzies House are an odious mob.
Seems to me that you all are mostly talking through your left or right leanings. Abbott’s comments re the Tent Embassy were in no way debasing of the Aboriginal people. Political point scoring is what incited the riot.
Australians in the majority are not racist. You people are not indicative of this majority. You are insular and pathetic. Think the big picture for all Australians for heavens sake.
Even Menzies’d be turning in his grave if he knew of the socially divisive nastiness of so much of Menzies House output.
Doug, I think you nailed it. This article and website seems to focus exclusively on ad hominem attacks on those who disagree with the authors’ position. Glad I found it so I can keep up with what the left loons are ‘thinking’ .
Cheers
They haven’t learned a thing from Bolta’s case. in fact they are getting worse. Why cant people understand, that even if you were 25% indigenous by blood, and had an aboriginal mother, you are still aboriginal , and would have grown up in an aboriginal community, and also experienced all of the hardship, dis-advanatge, social stigma and racist abuse many of those communities have suffered since their inception. Heres one of the editors most recent comments. On the current “reconcile reconciliation” post. Seems you are right above conflate the OWS move on with a pull down of the TE. These guys are definitely working in tandem , despite their protestations they are not, with the extreme right wing of the LNP – yep Bernardi & C0 – Abbott’s parliamentary secretary. Anyway if you are ready to feel sick, here is Andy Semple:
“Andy Semple said…
Easy to fix. Unless you have 50% or more aboriginal blood, then you’re NOT an aboriginal or Islander. There 80% saved.
As for the tent embassy. They’re squatters and the law should equally apply to them just as it applies to everyone else. If they were OWS tards they would have been moved on.
BoltA was right also. There is plenty of people claiming “their aboriginality” to get preferential treatment. That’s got to stop also. If not then I’m just as aboriginal as they are. I was born here too so I’m an indigenous to this land as they are.”
some people just dont like the freedoms to protest, how pathetic to direct funds towards stopping our freedom to protest, the RDA is the same as defamation law in regards to free speech but the bias is huge in conservative circles, how illogical to support defamation law and not the RDA, no wonder Aboriginals are slowly gaining a foot hold with the amount of illogical reasoning from the closet racists side, the fools still believe a convicted liar, I understand ignorance is bliss but Australian racist take it to a new level, no wonder aussies were voted the worlds biggest whingers in 2011 thanks to lazy sheep who believe what they are told instead of doing their own research, maybe try a journalist instead of opinion writers