Teenage girls, as a group, have a reputation for being histrionic. Emotional. Drama queens, if you will. For most young women it's an unfounded and unfair stereotype; for a few the cliche rings true. However, teenage girls are amateurs at overblown emotion compared to the biggest drama queens of all - right wingers.
If your main source of news is News Ltd or to talkback radio, you could be forgiven for thinking Australia is in a terrible mess. Right wingers are throwing temper tantrums and slamming doors over the state of the place. This is the worst government ever, the carbon tax will ruin our economy, no wait the economy is already ruined, we're being flooded by boat people, we are living in a stifling neo-socialist tyranny. Julia Gillard's being mean, no one (except the Murdoch press) understands them, they're just going to run away and pay taxes in another country and see how we like it.
At heart conservatives are children. Not adorable children who see the world through eyes filled with wonder, but children who sulk, whinge and constantly demand attention. They know how the world should work, they know what they like and anyone who messes with that is a big meanie. They don't want anyone to have what they don't have - everything is "not fair", from bike lanes though to assistance for asylum seekers. They don't like girl germs, or gay germs. And they've got their cool kids - the mining billionaires, whom they believe are hardworking heroes with the needs of ordinary Australians at heart, with the mean old government trying to stop them being friends. The Queen Bee, however, is Tony Abbott; unable to accept that he lost the election, he is complaining and carrying on, refusing to obey the rules, and telling the Australian system of democracy "you're not the boss of me!" by demanding another election. Conservatives are children, and the current minority government has hit them like a surge of pubertal hormones. All we can do is ride out the storm, the tears and tantrums, and pray for a maturity we hope one day might come.
I reckon a core right wing mistake is mistaking fairness for equal treatment. Giving support to those who need it or who those who make healthy or environmentally conscious choices is criticised because the support is not also given to others.
ReplyDeleteThus the banter about 'Asylum seekers', even a dollar to someone in need would be too much if it's not also given to the upset/entitled person.
An approach based upon fairness rather than equality is based upon what's needed.
These are often confused, witness how many people misunderstand feminism (thinking it is about claiming special privileges for women rather than addressing structural inequality)
ReplyDeleteOr just bagging men. There's a big payoff for people who support divisive outlooks. Smug self assuredness. Ingroup sense of belonging. Status. A simple idea of what makes you a winner at life.
ReplyDeleteLow standards = easy victory.