Since 9/11 the Australian Government and the media have perpetuated fear of terrorist attack in our daily lives, enabling an acceptance that our Government can promulgate our fundamental human rights.
The repercussions of the media focussing on every major event as a terrorist attack, inadvertently allow Terrorists to instil more fear in our lives and furthering their fundamental cause. This focus, and increasing an individuals perceived risk of attack, directly result in people allowing Governments to have greater power to impugn our most basic human rights in the guise of protecting us, their citizens.
Under the Counter-Terrorism laws, police and security agencies have greater detention and questioning powers. Intrinsically, many of these laws disregard the ‘rule of law’ that underpin our society.
The media’s stereotype of Muslins and Arabs and the simplistic connection between ethnicity and crime only acerbates our propensity to treat these individuals with prejudice and suspicion. Consequently, this cycle of propaganda has seen a direct correlation to increased racism and violence in Australia, and the assumption of guilt until proven innocent.
I do not suggest all Anti-terrorist laws are problematic, or that we should not have stringent security methods to combat what is a major problem, however I question whether we need restraint and balance, not hysteria.
I do not suggest that the media is in collusion with the government, however, the media does bear some responsibility in our perception of risk and victimisation, and consequently of our acceptance that we need these laws and limitations.
The media, as a social institution, create narratives of cultural and political consciousness that become imbedded in our collective morals as a society. In consequence, the media play a crucial role in our understanding of Terrorism and who is a terrorist and collectively a threat to our society.
Well said Melinda!
Like Rahm Emanuel said: ‘You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.’
A lot of Orwellian evil has been done to privacy and democracy in the name of ‘security’.
Thanks Luke, yes this particular topic has so many layers of debate! Part of the problem is that the general public is often only partially informed and does not understand the full issue and therefore accepts what the Government proposes. A great example of this was the debate in Victoria over the charter of human rights versus a bill of human rights. So many people I spoke to didn’t understand the differences in the two and what implications this would have on human rights in Australia, and therefore were happy to go along with a charter of human rights, believing that this would protect them.
Melinda, your title to this blog says it all. “Governments use terrorism and the media to establish more power.” This is so true, especially with the American government, with their staged terror acts within their nation (false flags) and have the audacity to blame the Muslims inciting more fear knowing that the media can be manipulated to tell lies.
Thank you for contributing Karaline, so true, sadly, the media are more than happy to help out and not only with Terrorism, as most of these topics will sell papers etc.