The left and the mainstream media
Posted by John, September 21st, 2015 - under Labor Left, Labor Party, Media, Moanstream media, Rick Kuhn, The Canberra Times.
I sent this to the Canberra Times in response to their publication of Rick Kuhn’s good article on the veneer of democracy in bourgeois society.
John
My thanks to the Canberra Times for publishing Rick Kuhn’s excellent article on the lack of real commitment to democracy our ruling class displays when a social democrat like Jeremy Corbyn challenges the status quo, in his case in the UK. (‘Jeremy Corbyn’s rise shows the ruling elites’ true feelings about democracy’ The Canberra Times 16 September)
The more recent reports of a military officer in the UK threatening a coup if Corbyn becomes Prime Minister only highlight that the Pinochet option remains a live one for the bourgeoisie in so-called democratic countries like the UK, and I would suggest, Australia.
Let’s hope your decision to publish Kuhn’s article is a light bulb moment for Fairfax owners and senior managers that there is a big audience for left wing ideas in your newspapers, driven by the desire of millions of Australians for a social democratic country. Who knows, printing more of such articles might actually help address the disastrous decline in the Canberra Times’ readership numbers.
At the moment that social democratic group is denied a real political outlet through the ongoing degeneration of the Labor Party and the lack of class analysis by the Greens, and until recently the shutting out of real left wing views (not the liberal left pap that passes for analysis that you have run to date) in the mainstream media. You know how to contact me and many others who could improve your papers with intelligent, fighting, left wing analysis that could bring readers, especially young readers, back.
Advertisement
Comments
Comment from John
Time September 22, 2015 at 9:59 am
My father was a Navy man. But thanks for the condescending, know it all and totally useless advice, once again. Yeah, the defence leadership all support democracy, until a leftie comes along to challenge the rule of the rich.
Comment from Mike
Time September 22, 2015 at 1:25 pm
You must not know much about current defence leadership. Take the previous Chief of Army, General Morrison, he would have been right at home under a leftie.
Comment from John
Time September 23, 2015 at 10:38 am
Here is a more sophisticated argument for your case, in class terms. It ignores the fact that army training is about drumming the humanity out of the recruits and instilling in them total obedience. The ghost of Pinochet haunts the unthinking left.
‘Like all social institutions, the army is split along class lines, meaning there is no guarantee that all or part of the army would not mutiny against a coup. It is one thing to waffle on about “direct action” carried out by fair means or foul, but any good general needs to consider the practicalities: an armed coup would involve killing British citizens, including Corbyn supporters. If push came to shove, would the British Army really mow down the people who back him?’
Well what did they do in Northern Ireland? Anyway, here is the link. http://stopwar.org.uk/news/if-uk-army-rises-up-against-anyone-it-won-t-be-jeremy-corbyn-says-ex-soldier
Comment from John
Time September 23, 2015 at 5:27 pm
And then there is this from award winning journalist Jonathan Cook arguing that army plots against British PMs are not new. http://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2015-09-20/army-plots-against-british-pms-are-not-new/
Comment from Mike
Time September 21, 2015 at 8:26 pm
You must have led a very sheltered life if you think that Australian military personnel would participate in a coup.
Perhaps you need to get out more and meet some Australian soldiers, sailors and airmen. You might learn they support democracy, just like you.