Comment on Aussie Right-wing Media

 

Opinion

Waiting in the pharmacist, refilling my medication, sat down and opened The Sun Newspaper, a popular Melbourne News Corp publication written for readers with at least a 5^th grade literacy level. It's Melbourne's true “rag,” focusing mainly on sports and celebrity gossip. Because the newspaper is Murdoch owned, its editorial views are conservative and decidedly right-wing. The company blatantly promotes conservative policies by and while denigrating labor, the designated Left in Australian politics. In an article today, a Sun editorial writer came out and blamed “progressives” for creating and promoting 'cancel culture'.

I would be surprised if a Sun reader even understood what cancel culture is because the phenomenon is an American one, and I've yet to see it in Australia. In brief, cancel culture is taking a strong, highly politicized view on some aspect of the culture, whether it be LBGTQ, women' rights, abortion or racism. In the US, certain academics, for example, have been targeted for their views on sex, history, or extremist political positions, such as the Right's Proud Boys or the so-called left's Antifa. What occurs is a group of people within institutions and/or have a major voice in the community, will 'pile-on' the individual with accusations, true or not, ruining their careers and in some cases their lives: thus canceling that political or cultural perspective, and ultimately, erasing the view entirely from the public discourse.

What this biased and absurd Murdoch journalist was claiming, is that left “progressives” use their political sway to destroy right-wing policies and perspectives. That “cancel culture” is solely a liberal phenomenon, and the conservative Right simply does not engage in such antics that destroys lives. Of course, any serious individual that follows politics and culture understand “cancel culture” as a despicable tool of the right and the left. It can be said that conservatives or the right-wing have been using “culture” as a tool to punish the left, that, for the most part is a distraction from the central issues that face us today.

Most Republican debate issues, generally, are culturally based. Their pet issues are immigration, claiming immigrants are stealing American jobs. They will bring Christianity into the debate, using scripture to target the LBGTQ community or a woman's right to choose in the case of unwanted pregnancies. What the Right will not talk about, unless spewing brainwash-propaganda, is the corporate-owned health industry. They will also promote war, targeting countries that they claim are threats to the US people. When it comes to climate change, they will dispute the science and continue subsidizing the fossil fuel industries.

During these difficult times. Neoliberalism has revealed its destructive reptilian head. In Australia, the conservatives continuing to subsidize the coal industry for profit, knowing full well the damage coal is doing to the environment. In the US, during a planetary pandemic, continue to sanction countries, forcing populations into starvation. The US government is so Neoliberal that they have failed to handle the pandemic by and while refusing much-needed aid to the people. While the rest of the free world have taken care of their citizens during COVID 19, the US government has turned their back on the people. This is not a Right vs. Left problem but a cancerous corruption within both wings of the government.

While a silly Murdoch journalist is playing cultural politics. blaming the Left for 'Cancel Culture,' we have people around the planet dying because of government corruption, practicing Neoliberalism, further separating the rich from the poor, engaging in perpetual war, and focusing our attention on our differences rather than the government's criminal failings.

 Focusing our attention on our differences is the goal of MSM, whether Right or Left. While focusing on cultural differences, we should be absolutely focused on real policies that will change conditions around the planet. The elites want our attention elsewhere while they ravage the planet and horde its resources for themselves.

Australia's News Corp has a transparent agenda to stir the pot, pitting people of different persuasions against each other. I don't believe they should be kicked out of the country, but people should be aware that they are attempting division, when unity is so needed during these difficult times.